Gunther

[close] Gunther (d. 437) was a historical King of Burgundy in the early 5th century. He is attested as ruling his people shortly after they crossed the Rhine into Roman Gaul. He was involved in the campaigns of the failed Roman usurper Jovinus before the latter's defeat, after which he was settled on the left bank of the Rhine as a Roman ally. In 436, Gunther launched an attack from his kingdom on the Roman province of Belgica Prima. He was defeated by the Roman general Flavius Aetius, who destroyed Gunther's kingdom with the help of Hunnish mercenaries the following year, resulting in Gunther's death.

The historical Gunther's death became the basis for a legend in which the legendary Gunther finds his death at the court of Attila the Hun. The character also became attached to other legends: most notably he is associated with Siegfried and Brunhild, and is implicated in Siegfried's murder. He also appears as an adversary in the legend of Walter of Aquitaine. It is generally assumed that Gunther's involvement in these other legends, in which he plays a secondary or antagonistic role, is a later development. Gunther's importance in the story of the destruction of the Burgundians also waned with time.