Meaning & History
Gundahar is the Old German form of Gunther, derived from the elements gunda "war" and heri "army", making it a cognate of Gunnar.
Etymology
The name is composed of two Old Germanic elements: gunda ("war, battle") and heri ("army, warrior"). It thus essentially means "battle-army" or "war-host," a typical dithematic name from the early medieval period.
Historical Significance
The historical figure Gundahar was a 5th-century King of the Burgundians who ruled shortly after his people crossed the Rhine into Roman Gaul. He participated in the campaigns of the Roman usurper Jovinus and was subsequently settled on the left bank of the Rhine as a Roman ally. In 436, Gundahar attacked the Roman province of Belgica Prima, leading to a swift retaliation by the Roman general Flavius Aetius. With the aid of Hun mercenaries, Aetius destroyed the Burgundian kingdom in 437, and Gundahar was killed in the battle. This event became the kernel of the medieval heroic legend, the Nibelungenlied, where the legendary Gunther meets his end at the court of Attila.
Legendary Heritage
In the Nibelungenlied, Gundahar is transformed into Gunther, King of Burgundy, who woos the Icelandic queen Brunhild with the assistance of the hero Siegfried. After Siegfried's murder, Queen Kriemhild, Gunther's sister, brings about Gunther's downfall in a gruesome revenge. The name also spread in Scandinavia as Gunnarr, famously borne by the Norse hero Gunnar Hámundarson from the Icelandic sagas. Additionally, an 11th-century hermit and later saint, Gunther of Bohemia (also known as Gundahar), was active in Bavaria and Bohemia, adding a Christian dimension to the name's tradition.
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Gunther