DLH IV.20b

English, p.215-216

King Lothar was furious with Chramn and marched into Brittany against him with his army. Chramn had no compunction about fighting against his father. The two armies stood face to face on the battlefield and Chramn, who was backed by the Bretons, had already drawn up his line of attack facing his father when night fell and the order to engage had to be deferred. During the night Chanao, Count of the Bretons, talked things over with Chramn. 'In my opinion,' said he, 'it would be completely wrong for you to fight against your own father. Why don't you let me attack him during the night? I could beat him, and all his army, too.' Chramn would not agree to this, and it is my belief that it was God's miraculous power which stopped him. Morning dawned: the armies moved forwards and made contact. King Lothar advanced to do battle with his own son, like some new David advancing against Absalom. 'Look down from heaven, O Lord,' he cried, weeping as he did so, 'and judge my cause, for I suffer injury unjustly at the hands of my son. Look down, O Lord, and make a fair decision, and pass again that judgement which You passed between Absalom and his father.' Battle was joined on both sides. The Count of the Bretons turned in flight and was killed. Chramn himself fled soon afterwards. On the sea-coast he had ships ready to sail at a moment's notice. He lost time trying to rescue his wife and daughters: as a result he was overrun by his father's army, made prisoner and bound. When this was announced to King Lothar, he ordered Chramn to be burnt alive with his wife and daughters. They were imprisoned in a poor man's hut. Chramn was held down at full length on a bench and strangled with a piece of cloth. Then the hut was burnt down over their heads. So perished Chramn with his wife and daughters.

Deutsch, S.223, 225

Der König Chlothachar aber zog, auf Chramn ergrimmt, mit einem Heere gegen ihn in die Bretagne. Auch der Sohn scheute sich nicht, gegen den Vater die Waffen zu ergreifen. Und als beide Heere dichtgegrängt auf einer Ebene lagerten und Chramn mit den Brittannen schon gegen seinen Vater die Schlachtreihe aufgestellt hatte, stand man vom Kampfe ab, weil die Nacht hereinbrach. In derselben Nacht aber sagte Chonoober, der Graf der Bretonen, zu Chramn: "Unricht scheint es mir, daß du gegen deinen Vater zu Feld ziehen sollst. Laß mich also in dieser Nacht ihn überfallen, daß ich ihn mit seinem ganzen Heere vernichte." Chramn jedoch, durch Gottes Kraft, wie ich glaube, daran gehindert, ließ dies nicht zu. Als es Morgen geworden war, setzten beide ihre Heere in Bewegung, und sie eilten gegeneinander zum Kampfe. Chlothachar ging wie ein neuer David gegen seinen Sohn Absalom in den Kampf und er schlug an seine Brust und sagte: "Sieh herab vom Himmel, Herr, und richte meine Sache, denn ohne Schuld erleide ich Unrecht von meinem Kinde. Sieh herab, Herr, und richte gerecht, sprich auch hier das Urteil, das du einst sprachest zwischen Absalom und seinem Vater David." Als es aber zum Kampfe kam, wandte der Graf der Bretonen den Rücken und fiel. Da begann auch Chramn zu fliehen, da er Schiffe auf dem Meere bereit liegen hatte ; aber während er noch sein Weib und seine Töchter retten wollte, wurde er vom Heere des Vaters überwältigt, gefangen und gebunden. Als dies König Chlothachar vernahm, befahl er, ihn mit seinem Weibe und seinen Töchtern zu verbrennen. Und sie wurden eingesperrt in die Gütte eines armen Mannes, Chramn auf eine Bank gelegt, mit einem Schweißtuch erdrosselt und dann die Hütte über ihren Häuptern angezündet ; so kam Chramn mit seinem Weibe und seinen Töchtern um.

Latin, p.222, 224 (153, 154)

Chlotharius autem rex contra Chramnum frendens, cum exercitu adversus eum in Brittanias dirigit. Sed nec ille contra patrem egredi timuit. Cumque in unum campum conglobatus uterque resederet exercitus et Chramnus cum Brittanis contra patrem aciem instruxisset, incumbente nocte a bello cessatum est. Ea quoque nocte Chonoober Brittanorum comes dicit ad Chramnum: ,Iniustum censea, te contra patrem tuum debere egredi. Permitte me hac nocte, ut inruam super eum ipsumque cum toto exercitu prosternam'. Quod Chramnus, ut credo virtute Dei praeventus, fieri non permisit. Mane autem facto, uterque commoto exercitu ad bellum contra se properant. Ibatque Chlotharius rex tamquam novus David contra Absolonem filium pugnaturus, plangens atque dicens: ,Respice, Domine, de caelo et iudica causam meam, quia iniuste a filio iniurias patrior. Respice, Domine, et iudica iuste, illudque inpone iudicium, quod quondam inter Absalonem et patrem eius David posuisti'. Confligentes etenim pariter, Brittanorum comes terga vertit ibique et caecidit. Denique Chramnus fugam iniit, naves in mare paratas habens ; sed dum uxorem vel filias liberare voluit, ab exercitu patris oppraessus, captus atque legatus est. Quod cum Chlothario regi nuntiatum fuisset, / iussit eum cum uxore et filiabus igni consumi. Inclusique in tugurium cuiusdam pauperculae, Chramnus super scamnum extensus orario sugillatus est ; et sic postea super eos incensa casula, cum uxore et filiabus interiit.

Comment

This is an example of a macro-narrative pattern. 2 Samuel 15-19 mentions how Absalom had previously left his father’s home for Hebron. While there, he plotted against his father and managed to get some followers. An advisor to Absalom suggested that he fight David rather than Absalom doing it but Absalom did not agree. The battle began, and here are also where the differences in the story start. At first, Absalom is found stuck in a tree but he is not killed by David’s men as they do not think it is right to kill the king’s son without his approval. However, some other soldiers who do not agree with this idea and go back to kill Absalom themselves. David is not happy about this outcome and ends up weeping. This makes the army feel like they fought for no reason: “You have shamed them because you love those who hate you and you hate those who love you. Today you have made it clear that your commanders and men mean nothing to you… Now go out and encourage your servants. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, no man will be left with you by tonight!”[1] At this point in the project, I have not yet gone through and explored what the differences could mean, though my initial thoughts are that this was not David’s finest moment and so it would make sense that he would not repeat it.

[1] DRV, 2 Samuel 19:6-7

Notes:

- Lothar like David

Signifier	2 Samuel 15-19	Signifier	DLH IV.20
A	Absalom rebels against his father, David, and starts to gather followers, claiming that David does not administer justice.
B	Absalom goes to Hebron to ‘offer a sacrifice to God’.	B'	Chramn travelled to Paris and swore to Childebert that he was the bitter enemy of his father (IV.17)
C	From Hebron he sends messengers to the tribes to say he had been crowned king and then he offers sacrifices.
D	A messenger gets to David and says Absalom is conspiring against him.
E	David flees Jerusalem to avoid it being destroyed when Absalom comes back.	E'	Chramn’s father, Chlothar, was furious with Chramn and so gathered together an army to fight him.
		A'	Chramn gathered together his army, along with the Bretons.
F	At the mount of olives, David met Hushai, his advisor, and told him to go back to Absalom in the hopes of saying he will advise him and thus counter Ahithophel’s advice. And then he can prewarn David on what is going to happen.
G	Ahithophel urges Absalom to let him pursue David with 12,000 men and then he can kill the king.	G'	Over night, Chanao, the Count of the Bretons, told Chramn that father should not fight son (BIBLE VERSE) and that he could attack him and beat him and his army.
H	Hushai says no, David is too mighty a warrior to fall and he is too smart. Instead, Absalom should bring his full army together and lead it himself. That way if David escapes, the whole of Israel can look for him.	H'	Chramn did not agree.
I	Absalom agrees with Hushai’s advice.
J	Hushai sends messengers to David to tell him what the plan is, and to put the full army into the wilderness.
K	David’s army marches against Absalom’s but David stays behind.	K'	Chlothar marched to do battle against his son and prayed to God that he would judge the situation justly and see that Chlothar is being wronged by his son.
L	David commands his army not to kill Absalom.
M	Absalom tried to escape but his hair got caught in a tree and he was left dangling.	M'	Count of the Breton’s turns to flee and is killed. Chramn also tries to flee but wastes time trying to rescue his wife and daughter and is captured by the army.
N	Some soldiers found him but did not kill him because of David’s orders. One did not agree so he went back and beheaded Absalom.	N'	Chlothar orders Chramn and his wife and daughters to be burned alive.
O	David’s army wins.
P	​When David hears about Absalom’s death he weeps.
Q	The man who killed Absalom says that the whole army and nation will leave David if he continues to weep for a traitor because then they fought for nothing.