Essay 42 The De Vere family as Niebelungen By Charles Graves In the Wisdom of Dr. Doddypoll (cf. my www.iverpublications.ch) an anonymous play supposedly written by Edward de Vere, Katherine, duchess of Brunswick was betrothed to Alphonse, duke of Saxony. The son of Alphonse was Albedure who loved Hyanth. The betrothed couple married at the end of the play as did Albedure to Hyanth. These characters are representatives of the early known members of the de Vere family (with only a change in titles). The setting of the play is in Flanders (where the de Vere family also lived before the Conquest (1066)). But what links these persons to the famous Germanic-Scandinavian story of the Niebelungen with its hero Seigfried and the gold of the Rhine over which Alberic (dwarf king) and Rhinish female elves held sway? The same name – Alberic – was used in the de Vere genealogy for five or six generations, being changed to Aubrey. And the earliest known de Vere was Alphonse who married Katherine of Flanders (daughter of Baldwin I of Flanders) In Wikipedia on Niebelungen mention is made by scholar George Gillespie who believes that the Pippinide branch of the Frankish dynasty elevated its connection with the Niebelungen already in 752 A.D. when the nephew of Charles Martel (i.e. Pepin the Short, d. 768) and his family were termed Niebelungen. The de Vere family name comes from Veere (ferry) which links parts of Walcheren Island off the coast of Netherlands (where Vlissingen is located). Alphonse de Vere of Veere married Katherine, daughter of Baldwin I of Flanders whereby Katherine received Walcheren Island as possession. She received it from her father who had received it from the Holy Roman Emperor. Pepin the Short
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