Its leader was one Adovacrius. The connection to Odoacer is wondered after by historians, but in no way confirmed. Odoacer was associated with Eastern Germanic tribes. However, there is a mention of this Eastern Odoacer as assisting the Frankish king Childeric against some of the Herulii. While the pseudo-client kingdoms of the Franks and Burgundians would assist with Rome's effort to maintain peace in the West against external invaders, it's odd for Childeric to be so heavily involved in Italian affairs (I believe Gregory of Tours is the general source for all this).
To my view, it's much more likely that Heruli were resettled, or did resettle in Gaul/Italy. What probably happened was they came West as the Allamani invaded Italy, naturally taking Ricimer's side. With the Heruli confederacy of tribes in Allamania, and Odoacer fighting in favor of Ricimer along the Loire, Odoacer is eventually appointed to command the Heruli in favor of Ricimer. We know the rest of history.
Visually: I have wondered if this sequence of events represents a defense of Arian Christianity against the post-Theodosian reaffirmation of Nicaea (or if Theodosius redacted history to change the outcome of Nicaea).
With that in mind, the poem Wulf and Eadwacer:
To interpret, Wulf is Ulfias, the apostle of Germanic Arianism. The woman singing is the Arian Germanic church. Eadwacer is Eadwacer/Odoacer. In context, the name Eadwacer doesn't have to be a given name, but could be the metaphorical equivalent to "Defender of the Faith".It is to my people as if someone gave them a gift.
They want to kill him, if he comes with a troop.
It is different for us.
Wulf is on one island I on another.
That island, surrounded by fens, is secure.
There on the island are bloodthirsty men.
They want to kill him, if he comes with a troop.
It is different for us.
I thought of my Wulf with far-wandering hopes,
Whenever it was rainy weather, and I sat tearfully,
Whenever the warrior bold in battle encompassed me with his arms.
To me it was pleasure in that, it was also painful.
Wulf, my Wulf, my hopes for you have caused
My sickness, your infrequent visits,
A mourning spirit, not at all a lack of food.
Do you hear, Eadwacer? A wolf is carrying
our wretched whelp to the forest,
that one easily sunders which was never united:
our song together.
Eadwacer is a bringing the gift of truth to Rome, to the church which has been corrupted by Theodosius. But the Romans will kill Eadwacer if he comes with a troop. The Saxons feel differently.
Post-Roman Britain was heavily Arian and Pelagianic. It needed specific missions to purge it. I would assume that the King which rules Britain after Constantine III abandons it would be the Vortigern who invites Hengist and Horsa. This is 50 years before Odoacer, and the Angles - who predate the more major migrations of Saxons - don't really start coming until the sixth century. I would thus, not to be fully accurate, but to avoid confusion, paint the "Anglo-Saxons" as sixth century pagan Northmen. These fifth century Saxons are the Arian post-federates.
Wulf is the warrior for the maiden, who is the church. His island is the safety of Britain where the Arian church is strong. The other island is the one at the mouth of the Loire, from which Eadwacer and his bloodthirsty troop wait, where the Romans are set ready to kill him if he comes.
The church laments the lost of apostolic guidance, remembering the days of Ulfias, metaphorically the Saxon woman who's lover is off at sea not to return.
The woman calls to Eadwacer accusingly. The whelp - the flock of Arian Romans, the progeny of the church and Ulfias - is carried off by the wolf: the Theodosian church and Roman officials loyal to it, which has just entered the scene and is persecuting Arians.
The poem therefore is a Saxon hymn spurring the men of Eadwacer to action, to join the campaign at the Loire to defend the Arians (Visigoths, Ricimer's side etc.) against the new Theodosians represented by Childeric etc.
And in this light, Eadwacer emerges as an interesting Arthurian candidate. A defender of the faith from Britannia, Pelagian-Arian, who conquers Gaul then Rome.
In the end, the most interesting element of this hypothesis would be the Theodosian redaction of history, which must have occurred had there been a meaningful persecution of Arians. We certainly know of Visigothic Arian persecutions against Theodosians. We are aware of persecutions against Arians. The surprise would be if the political events of the late 5th century are related specifically to this theological divide. If that would be true, then it means Eastern Rome would have had to have redacted that history. It's certainly within their capability and standard practice to be able to do so.