Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine Part 27

At once Hagen made off. But Sieglind called after him: ?Stay, Sir Knight; credit me, you are too much in haste. For the lord of these lands, who is called Else, and his brother, Knight Gelfrat, will make it go hard with you an ye cross their dominions. Guard you carefully and deal wisely with the ferryman, for he is liegeman unto Gelfrat, and if he will not cross the river to you, call for him, and say thou art named Amelrich, a hero of this land who left it some time agone.?

No more spake Hagen to the swan-maidens, but searching up the river banks, he found an inn upon the farther sh.o.r.e. Loudly he called across the flood. ?Come for me, ferryman,? he said, ?and I will bestow upon thee an armlet of ruddy gold.?

Now the ferryman was a n.o.ble and did not care for service, and those who helped him were as proud as he. They heard Hagen calling, but recked not of it. Loudly did he call across the water, which resounded to his cries. Then, his patience exhausted, he shouted:

?Come hither, for I am Amelrich, liegeman to Else, who left these lands because of a great feud.? As he spake he raised his spear, on which was an armlet of bright gold, cunningly fas.h.i.+oned.

The haughty ferryman took an oar and rowed across, but when he arrived at the farther bank he spied not him who had cried for pa.s.sage.

At last he saw Hagen, and in great anger said: ?You may be called Amelrich, but you are not like him whom I thought to be here, for he was my brother. You have lied to me and there you may stay.?

Hagen attempted to impress the ferryman by kindness, but he refused to listen to his words, telling the warrior that his lords had enemies, wherefore he never conveyed strangers across the river. Hagen then offered him gold, and so angry did the ferryman become that he struck at the Nibelung with his rudder oar, which broke over Hagen?s head. But the warrior smote him so fiercely with his sword that he struck his head off and cast it on the ground. The skiff began to drift down the stream, and Hagen, wading into the water, had much ado to secure it and bring it back. With might and main he pulled, and in turning it the oar snapped in his hand. He then floated down stream, where he found his lords standing by the sh.o.r.e. They came down to meet him with many questionings, but Gunther, espying the blood in the skiff, knew well what fate the ferryman had met with.

Hagen then called to the footmen to lead the horses into the river that they might swim across. All the trappings and baggage were placed in the skiff, and Hagen, playing the steersman, ferried full many mighty warriors into the unknown land. First went the knights, then the men-at-arms, then followed nine thousand footmen. By no means was Hagen idle on that day.

On a sudden he espied the king?s chaplain close by the chapel baggage, leaning with his hands upon the relics, and recalling that the wise women had told him that only this priest would return and none other of the Nibelungs, he seized him by the middle and cast him from the skiff into the Danube.

?Hold, Sir Hagen, hold!? cried his comrades. Giselher grew wroth; but Hagen only smiled.

Then said Sir Gernot of Burgundy: ?Hagen, what availeth you the chaplain?s death? Wherefore have ye slain the priest??

But the clerk struck out boldly, for he wished to save his life. But this Hagen would not have and thrust him to the bottom. Once more he came to the surface, and this time he was carried by the force of the waves to the sandy sh.o.r.e. Then Hagen knew well that naught might avail against the tidings which the mermaids had told him, that not a Nibelung should return to Burgundy.

When the skiff had been unloaded of baggage and all the company had been ferried across, Hagen broke it in pieces and cast it into the flood.

When asked wherefore he had done so, and how they were to return from the land of the Huns back to the Rhine, Hagen said:

?Should we have a coward on this journey who would turn his back on the Huns, when he cometh to this stream he will die a shameful death.?

In pa.s.sing through Bavaria the Burgundians came into collision with Gelfrat and his brother Else, and Gelfrat was slain. They were received at Bechlarn by Rudiger, who treated them most hospitably and showered many gifts upon them, bestowing upon Gernot his favourite sword, on Gunther a n.o.ble suit of armour, and on Hagen a famous s.h.i.+eld. He accompanied the strangers to the court of Etzel, where they were met first of all by Dietrich of Bern, who warned them that Kriemhild prayed daily for vengeance upon them for the murder of Siegfried. When Kriemhild beheld Hagen, her archenemy, she wept. Hagen saw, and ?bound his helmet tighter.?

?We have not made a good journey to this feast,? he muttered.

Kriemhild?s Welcome

?Ye are welcome, n.o.bles and knights,? said Kriemhild. ?I greet you not for your kins.h.i.+p. What bring ye me from Worms beyond the Rhine that ye should be so welcome to me here? Where have ye put the Nibelung treasure? It is mine as ye know full well, and ye should have brought it me to Etzel?s court.?

Hagen replied that he had been ordered by his liege lords to sink it in the Rhine, and there must it lie till doomsday.

At this Kriemhild grew wroth. Hagen went on to say that he had enough to do to carry his s.h.i.+eld and breastplate. The Queen, alarmed, desired that all weapons should be placed in her charge, but to this Hagen demurred, and said that it was too much honour for such a bounteous princess to bear his s.h.i.+eld and other arms to his lodging.

Kriemhild lamented, saying that they appeared to think that she planned treachery against them; but to this Dietrich answered in great anger that he had forewarned Gunther and his brothers of her treacherous intentions. Kriemhild was greatly abashed at this, and without speaking a word she left the company; but ere she went she darted furious glances upon them, from which they well saw with what a dangerous foe they had to deal. King Etzel then asked who Hagen might be, and was told his name and lineage and that he was a fierce and grim warrior. Etzel then recognized him as a warrior who had been a hostage with him along with Walthar of Spain and who had done him yeoman service.

Events March

This last pa.s.sage connects the Nibelungenlied with the Latin poem of Walthar of Aquitaine. Indeed, the great German epic contains repeated allusions to this work of the ninth or tenth century, which is dealt with later in this book.

Events now march quickly. Kriemhild offered gold untold to him who would slay Hagen, but although her enemy was within her grasp, so doughty was the warrior and so terrible his appearance that none dared do battle with him. A Hun was killed by accident in a tournament, but Etzel protected his Burgundian guests. At length Blodelin was bribed by Kriemhild to attack Dankwart with a thousand followers. Dankwart?s men were all slain, but he himself made good his escape by fighting his way through the closely packed Hunnish ranks. Dankwart rushed to the hall where the Burgundians were feasting with the Huns, and in great wrath acquainted Hagen with the treacherous attempt which had been made upon his life.

?Haste ye, brother Hagen,? he cried, ?for as ye sit there our knights and squires lie slain in their chambers.?

?Who hath done this deed?? asked Hagen.

?Sir Blodelin with his carles. But he breathes no longer, for myself I parted his head from his body.?

?If he died as a warrior, then it is well for him,? replied the grim Hagen; ?but, brother Dankwart, ye are red with blood.?

??Tis but my weeds which ye see thus wet,? said Dankwart carelessly.

?The blood is that of other men, so many in sooth that I could not give ye tale of the number.?

?Guard the door, brother,? said Hagen fiercely; ?guard it yet so that not a single Hun may escape. I will hold parley with these brave warriors who have so foully slain defenceless men.?

?Well will I guard the doorway,? laughed Dankwart; ?I shall play ye the part of chamberlain, brother, in this great business.?

The Beginning of the Slaughter

Hagen, mortally incensed at the slaughter of the Burgundians by the Huns, and wrongly suspecting Etzel of conspiracy in the affair, drew his sword, and with one blow of the weapon smote off the head of young Ortlieb, the son of Etzel and Kriemhild. Then began a slaughter grim and great. The Huns fought at first in self-defence, but as they saw their friends fall they laid on in good earnest and the combat became general.

At length Dietrich of Bern, as a neutral, intervened, and succeeded in bringing about a half-truce, whereby Etzel, Kriemhild, and Rudiger were permitted to leave the hall, the remainder of Etzel?s attendants being slaughtered like sheep. In great wrath Etzel and Kriemhild offered heavy bribes to any who would slay Hagen. Several attempts were made, but without avail; and the terrible conflict continued till nightfall, when a truce was called. From his place of vantage in the hall Giselher reproached his sister with her treachery, and Kriemhild offered to spare her brothers if they would consent to give up Hagen. But this offer they contemptuously refused, holding death preferable to such dishonour.

Kriemhild, in her bitter hate, set the hall on fire, and most of the Burgundians perished in the conflagration. Kriemhild and the Huns were astounded, however, when in the morning they discovered six hundred of the Burgundians were still alive. The queen appealed to Rudiger to complete the slaughter, but he, aghast at the idea of attacking friends whom he had sworn to protect, was about to refuse, when Kriemhild reminded him of his oath to her. With sorrow he proceeded to fulfil his promise, and Giselher, seeing his approach, imagined he came as an ally.

But Rudiger promptly disillusioned him. The Burgundians were as loath to attack Rudiger as he them, and Hagen and he exchanged s.h.i.+elds. The combat recommenced, and great was the slaughter of the Burgundians, until Gernot and Rudiger came together and slew one another. At this, Wolfhart, Dietrich of Bern?s lieutenant, led his men against the Burgundians to avenge Rudiger?s death, and Giselher and Wolfhart slew one another. Volker and Dankwart were also slain. At length all were dead save Gunther and Hagen, whom Dietrich accosted and whom he offered to save. But this offer Hagen refused. Then the Lord of Bern grew wroth.

Dietrich Intervenes

Dietrich then donned his armour and was a.s.sisted to accoutre himself by Hildebrand. He felt a heroic mood inspire him, a good sword was in his hand, and a stout s.h.i.+eld was on his arm, and with the faithful Hildebrand he went boldly thence.

Hagen espied him coming and said: ?Yonder I see Sir Dietrich. He desires to join battle with us after his great sorrow. To-day shall we see to whom must go the palm. I fear him not. Let him come on.?

This speech was not unheard of Dietrich and Hildebrand, for Hagen came to where he found the hero leaning against the wall of the house.

Dietrich set his s.h.i.+eld on the ground and in woeful tones said: ?O king, wherefore have ye treated me so? All my men are gone, I am bereft of all good, Knight Rudiger the brave and true is slain. Why have ye done these things? Never should I have worked you such sorrow. Think on yourselves and on your wrongs. Do ye not grieve for the death of your good kinsmen?

Ah, how I mourn the fall of Rudiger! Whatsoever joy I have known in life that have ye slain. It is not for me to sorrow if my kin be slain.?

?How so, Dietrich?? asked Hagen. ?Did not your men come to this hall armed from head to heel with intent to slay us??

Then spake Dietrich of Bern. ?This is fate?s work and not the doing of man,? said the hero. ?Gunther, thou hast fought well. Yield thee now as hostage, no shame shall it be to thee. Thou shalt find me true and faithful with thee.?

?Nay, G.o.d forbid,? cried Hagen; ?I am still unfettered and we are only two. Would ye have me yield me after such a strife??

?Yet would I save thy life, brave and n.o.ble Hagen,? said Dietrich earnestly. ?Yield thee, I beg, and I will convoy thee safe home to Rhineland.?

?Nay, cease to crave this thing,? replied Hagen angrily. ?Such a tale shall never be told of me. I see but two of ye, ye and Hildebrand.?

Hildebrand, addressing Hagen, then said that the hour would come when he would gladly accept the truce his lord offered, but Hagen in reply twitted Hildebrand with the manner in which he had fled from the hall.

Dietrich interrupted them, saying that it ill beseemed heroes to scold like ancient beldams, and forbade Hildebrand to say more. Then, seeing that Hagen was grim of mood, Dietrich s.n.a.t.c.hed up his s.h.i.+eld. A moment later Hagen?s sword rang on his helm, but the Lord of Bern guarded him well against the dreadful blows. Warily did he guard him against Hagen?s mighty falchion Balmung. At last he dealt Hagen a wound deep and wide.

But he did not wish to slay him, desiring rather to have such a hero as hostage. Casting away his s.h.i.+eld, in his arms he gripped Hagen of Trony, who, faint from loss of blood, was overthrown. At that Gunther began to wail greatly. Dietrich then bound Hagen and led him to where stood Kriemhild and gave him into her hand. Right merry was she at the sight and blessed Dietrich, bowing low before him, telling him that he had requited her of all her woes, and that she would serve him until death.

But Dietrich begged Hagen?s life of the Queen, telling her that he would requite her of all that he had done against her. ?Let him not suffer,?

said he, ?because you see him stand there bound.? But she ordered that Hagen be led away to durance.

Dietrich then went to where Gunther stood in the hall and engaged him in strife. Loudly rang the swords as the two heroes circled in fight, dealing mighty blows on each other?s helm, and men there had great wonder how Sir Dietrich did not fall, so sorely angry was Gunther for the loss of Hagen. But the King?s blood was seen to ooze through his armourings, and as he grew fainter Dietrich overcame him as he had done Hagen and bound him. Then was he too taken before Kriemhild, and once again the n.o.ble Dietrich begged a life from the Queen. This she gladly promised, but treachery was in her heart. Then went she to Hagen and said to him that if he would return the Nibelungs? treasure to her he might still go home safe and sound to Burgundy. The grim champion answered that she wasted her words, and that he had sworn an oath not to show the h.o.a.rd while any of his lords still lived. At that answer a terrible thought entered the mind of Kriemhild, and without the least compunction she ordered that her brother Gunther?s life be taken. They struck off his head like that of a common malefactor, and by the hair she carried it to the Knight of Trony. Full sorrowfully he gazed upon it, then turning his eyes away from the haggard and distorted features, he said to Kriemhild: