SIEGFRIED RETURNS TO IRELAND
Meanwhile, in Ireland, Brunhilda was eagerly awaiting Siegfried's return. Days grew into weeks, weeks lengthened into months, and still he did not come. At first she could not believe that he had deserted her. She would look at the beautiful ring which he had given her, and all her faith and trust in him would return.
But when months slowly lengthenedinto years, and the years passed one after another, she began to give up the hope of ever seeing him again.
Now, as I have said before, Brunhilda was very beautiful, and soon suitors began flocking around her, anxious to win her hand in marriage. But Brunhilda loved Siegfried very dearly and had no desire to marry any one else. Therefore she declared that whoever sought to marry her must match his strength with hers; if he were victorious, she would wedhim, but if he failed, he should lose his head in forfeit, according to the custom of these olden days.
Many gallant suitors came, entered the contest, failed and lost their heads, for Brunhilda was a Walkyrie, and more than a match in strength for any man. She did not like to kill her lovers, but they persisted in coming, and she continued to do her best at every trial.
Meanwhile the fame of her strength and beauty traveled afar, and reached Gunther at Worms.He determined to journey to Isenheim, and enter the lists against her. Accordingly he went to Siegfried, and asked aid of him. Siegfried replied:
"I will gladly help you, if you, on your part, will help me win the hand of your beautiful sister."
Gunther was very grateful for the aid Siegfried had given him in the late Saxon war. So he promised that on the day Brunhilda arrived in Worms he would give him Kriemhild for his bride. Siegfried was satisfied, and agreed to travelto Ireland with Gunther, as his vassal, and to present his petition to Brunhilda.
Then they arrayed themselves in costly garments and set sail, and after a twelve-day voyage, they reached the coast of Ireland. When Siegfried beheld the green palaces of marble, he felt a vague uneasiness, for it all had a strangely familiar look. Where had he seen this place before? He remembered it dimly, as in a dream.
When he entered Brunhilda'spalace, she advanced to meet him, with both hands outstretched, crying:
"Siegfried, is it indeed you, and have you come to tilt with me?"
He looked at her with the eyes of a stranger, and replied:
"I come to represent Gunther, King of Burgundy. He wishes to sue for your heart and hand. He is my lord; I am his vassal, and have come to do his bidding."
Brunhilda was sorely grieved and perplexed; she could not in the least understand Siegfried'sbehavior. Surely it was he who had aroused her from her magic sleep, and surely it was he who had placed the beautiful ring upon her hand, vowing that he would return and claim her for his bride. But as he continued to look at her as though he had never seen her before, she felt that she must give him a reply.
And as she had no reasonable excuse for refusing his request, she said that Gunther might enter the lists with her. She felt sure that he, too, would be overthrown.Siegfried thanked her gravely for her kindness, and made haste to carry her reply back to Gunther.
He then disclosed his plan to aid Gunther in the undertaking. Gunther was to appear clad in armor and mounted upon Siegfried's horse, the one which had belonged to Mimi; then he, Siegfried, would put on his tarnhelm and become invisible; Gunther was to ride boldly into the field, and go through all the necessary motions, while Siegfried, unseen by the others, would do all the actualfighting. Gunther said he considered the plan a capital one, and declared that Siegfried was as clever as he was brave.
HOW GUNTHER WON HIS BRIDE
Theday of the tournament dawned bright and fair. The field was crowded with lovely women and brave knights. Twelve men now appeared, bearing an immense round stone, which was so large that it took all their united strength to handle it. They set it down in that part of the field where the contest was to take place.
At length all was ready. Fromthe castle issued forth the warrior-king and the warrior-maiden. They were clad in glistening armor, and mounted on prancing chargers. The signal was given, and then began a test of strength such as had never before been witnessed.
BRUNHILDA WAS THROWN TO THE GROUNDBRUNHILDA WAS THROWN TO THE GROUND
Brunhilda seized her javelin, and hurled it with such force that when Siegfried caught it upon Gunther's shield the shield was shattered into pieces. Then Siegfried, still invisible, grasped Gunther's javelin, and hurled it withsuch force at Brunhilda that she was thrown to the ground. She was overcome with surprise and anger; never before had such a thing befallen her.
Quickly recovering herself, she sprang to her feet, and grasping the huge stone which twelve men had found hard to carry, she whirled it deftly thrice around her head, and then threw it far into the distance. Then, while the people sat spell-bound, she leaped after it, and sprang lightly over the stone.
"Now," thought she to herself, "surely no one can do more than that."
But she had reckoned without Siegfried. Hastily seizing the stone, he hurled it much farther than Brunhilda had thrown it, and not to be outdone by her, he grasped Gunther firmly under the arms, and sprang with him over the stone, landing much farther beyond it than she had.
Then a mighty shout from thousands of throats rent the air, and while the people were crowdingaround, hailing Gunther as victor, Siegfried tore off his tarnhelm, and took his place among the crowd.
And now what could Brunhilda do? She had publicly proclaimed that she would marry any man whose strength was greater than her own, so sure had she felt of her power. She would not break her word, and so with a sorrowful heart she made ready to travel back to Worms with Gunther.
At Worms Kriemhild joyfully accepted Siegfried's hand, andthere was a grand double wedding, at which all Burgundy was present. The festivities lasted fourteen days.
One evening, while Gunther and his bride were sitting together, Gunther noticed tears on Brunhilda's lashes, and asked what was troubling her. She replied that she was grieving that his sister had married his vassal. This was not the truth. She was feeling sad and lonely because the man she loved so well had taken Kriemhild for his bride.
Gunther told her not to worry, as he could explain all that to her, and promised to do so at some future time. He said that Siegfried was greater than she knew.
After the wedding, Siegfried and Kriemhild journeyed to Santum, to visit Siegmund and Siegelinda, whom he had left in his youth. They were overjoyed to see him, and listened with breathless interest to all he had to tell. They knew all about the dragon, and the Rhine gold, and the magic cap which he had won,for the fame of his wondrous deeds had traveled far and wide. And now, strange to tell, Siegfried had recovered the memory of almost all his past; only Brunhilda and the magic ring remained forgotten.
After the young couple had been at Santum for some time, Siegmund withdrew from his throne, and made Siegfried and Kriemhild the rulers of the kingdom. The people of Niederland hailed the hero with delight, although they grieved to give uptheir old king and queen, who had won the hearts of all their subjects by their wisdom and kindness.
KRIEMHILD AND BRUNHILDA'S QUARREL
Yearspassed by, and Brunhilda had come to love her husband very dearly. They had one child, a little boy whom they had named Siegfried. Kriemhild, meanwhile, had been living very happily with her husband in Niederland. They had had two great sorrows, the death of the old king and that of the queen, and all the people of Niederland still mourned the loss of these two.
Then there arrived one day in Niederland a messenger from the King and Queen of Burgundy, inviting Siegfried and Kriemhild to attend a great feast which was to be held in Worms. They accepted with pleasure. Kriemhild was anxious to see her mother and brothers again, for she loved them dearly. So they started for Burgundy.
For some days after they arrived in Worms everything went happily. But then the tournaments began, and Siegfried wonevery honor as he had done in days gone by, for he had lost none of his wonderful strength. Both the queens were present at the contests, and as he overthrew one knight after another, Kriemhild looked at him lovingly, and said that he was the best and greatest king the world had ever seen, and that no king could stand against him; all paid him tribute.
Brunhilda replied: "All except Gunther; next to him Siegfried is the most powerful king on earth; but strong as your husband is, hecould never hold his own against Gunther."
Kriemhild controlled her temper, and made no reply, but that evening when they attended vespers, Kriemhild attempted to enter the cathedral first. Brunhilda interfered, saying:
"The wife of a vassal should never precede the wife of his lord!"
"And who says that King Siegfried is Gunther's vassal?" demanded Kriemhild.
"I have his own word for it," Brunhilda replied. "When theyfirst appeared in Ireland, Siegfried approached me, saying: 'I come to represent the King of Burgundy; I am his vassal, he is my lord.'"
Then Kriemhild lost all patience, for well she knew by what trick Gunther had won his bride. She cried:
"And do you think that Gunther overthrew you in the tilt? Gunther only pretended to fight. It was Siegfried, made invisible by his tarnhelm, who did the real fighting; it was Siegfried whohurled the javelin which unhorsed you; it was Siegfried who threw the heavy stone, and he it was, invisible to you, but holding Gunther in his arms, who sprang over the stone, and vanquished you," she declared.
Looking at Kriemhild's heaving breast and blazing eye, Brunhilda knew she spoke the truth. And at the same time, there flashed across her mind something that Gunther had once said to her about Siegfried being greater than she knew.
"IT WAS SIEGFRIED WHO DID THE REAL FIGHTING""IT WAS SIEGFRIED WHO DID THE REAL FIGHTING"
And now she fell into a royal rage, and her indignation knew no bounds. There was but one way of atonement; Siegfried must die for the deceit practiced on her. So she went to Hagen, Gunther's uncle, who had promised always to defend her rights, and demanded Siegfried's life.
When Hagen first spoke to Gunther of the matter, Gunther would not hear of the plan to do away with Siegfried, and vowed that no harm should befall the man with whom he had swornblood brothership ere they set out for Ireland. But Brunhilda was firm in her resolve; nothing less than his death would satisfy her honor, nor wipe out the stain of his deceit.
And finally Gunther gave an unwilling consent. However, they could not fall upon Siegfried, and kill him in cold blood, so Hagen made a clever plan: they would receive a false summons to war. Accordingly, a few days later, a messenger rode posthaste into Worms, bearing thefalse tidings that the enemy was approaching.
Then everything was in great confusion, and Gunther assembled his hosts, and set out to meet the enemy. Siegfried accompanied him, to render what assistance he could, for he loved his kinsman as a brother. Just before the army started on the march, Kriemhild went to Hagen, and begged him to watch over her husband, and see to it that no one attacked him from behind, for she explained that Siegfried could not bewounded anywhere except in the spot on his back where the linden-leaf had fallen.
Hagen readily promised. He craftily suggested that Kriemhild should sew some mark above the spot, so that he might know exactly when danger threatened. Kriemhild fell in at once with his plan; with loving care she stitched a white silk cross upon her husband's clothes. Then Gunther and his troops rode away.
After they had ridden some distance, they were met by anothermessenger, with the false tidings that the enemy had begun a retreat.
Gunther appeared to be overjoyed at the news, and suggested that a mighty hunt should be held, to celebrate the occasion. The troops were dispatched back to Worms, and the royal party set out for the chase, which they greatly enjoyed.
When the dinner-horn sounded for the hunters to assemble to their meal, Siegfried appeared, dragging a live bear behind him.He was received with shouts of applause. They at once proceeded to kill and roast the bear. Every one was in the best of spirits, and as hungry as could be; but when they sat down to eat, it was discovered that the wine was missing; Hagen had purposely left it behind.
Siegfried, especially, was very thirsty, and playfully chided Hagen for forgetting so important an article. Thereupon Hagen said that he knew of a spring, not far away, where Siegfried mightquench his thirst, and dared him to run a race there. Siegfried accepted the challenge, and easily won the race, as Hagen knew he would.
He had laid aside his weapons, and was already kneeling to drink, when Hagen came up behind him. "Ha, ha," laughed Siegfried, "I have won the race, and am therefore entitled to the first drink."
"THE HERO HURLED IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT AT HAGEN""THE HERO HURLED IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT AT HAGEN"
"You are," answered Hagen quietly, picking up Siegfried's sword, and poising it above thespot where Kriemhild had sewn the white cross; and without saying another word, he drove it home with such force that the point of it pierced Siegfried's breast.
In agony, the hero sprang to his feet, and seizing his shield, hurled it with all his might at Hagen, throwing him to the ground. Then he, too, fell, and the blood from his wounds stained the grass a deep crimson; and thus died Siegfried, the great and mighty hero, calling upon Kriemhild withhis last breath to avenge his foul murder.
Then they placed his body on his shield and carried it back to Worms, and laid it at Kriemhild's door. Next morning, as she was going to mass, her waiting-maid, who preceded her on the way out, suddenly gave a scream, and cried:
"Go back, go back, and do not come this way, for here lies the body of a dead warrior."
But Kriemhild's heart misgave her, and she would not go back, and when she saw the body sheuttered a great cry, for she knew instantly that it was Siegfried.
She bade the servants carry it inside, and lay it on his bed, and her grief knew no bounds. Then she sent for Gunther, and wildly accused him of the deed, and he as wildly denied his guilt. Then she said:
"If you are indeed innocent, you need not fear to stand in the presence of the dead."
Gunther was not afraid, and went with her into the death chamber. While they were standingthere, looking at Siegfried, Hagen suddenly entered the room, and lo! all the dead man's wounds began to bleed afresh.
She knew by this sign that Hagen was guilty of her husband's death, and she swore undying vengeance. She supposed that he had killed him to gain possession of his vast riches, and she determined to spoil his plan. But Hagen was as crafty as he was clever, and so he induced Brunhilda to give him the gold ring as a reward for his services to her.She knew nothing of its great value, and she hated it now because it reminded her of the false Siegfried. So she willingly gave it to Hagen, whom she considered her greatest benefactor.
No sooner had he the ring in his possession than he journeyed to Niederland, and there by its magic power he gained possession of the Rhine gold. It took him fourteen days and nights to remove the treasure from the cave on the heath. He then sunk it in the Rhine, where he intended to leaveit hidden until after Kriemhild's death; but no sooner had he flung it into the river than the Rhine nymphs seized it for their own, determined to guard it so well this time that never again should their father, the God of the Rhine, have occasion to bewail its loss, and their unfaithfulness.
When Kriemhild reached Niederland, and found that the gold had been stolen from Fafner's cave, she was even more determined than before that she would be revenged upon Hagen.
KRIEMHILD'S REVENGE
Yearspassed by, and Kriemhild still mourned the loss of her noble husband. Often and often she recalled the dream that she had had in the days before Siegfried appeared in Worms. How truly her mother had interpreted its meaning!
And now she had but one wish on earth, and that was to avenge his death. She was not so beautiful as she had once been; constanttears had washed the brightness from her eyes, and her cheeks were pale.
One day there appeared in the castle a noble-looking stranger, who asked to speak with the queen. He was admitted to her presence, and she asked him his name, and also to what she owed the honor of his presence at her court.
He replied: "I am Rudiger of Bechlarn, of the court of Etzelburg. I have come hither at the request of my master, Etzel theKing of the Huns, to ask your hand for him in marriage."
At first Kriemhild refused to listen to him. What had she to do with love and marriage? All the love of her heart lay buried in Siegfried's grave; all the joy of her life had vanished when he died. All that she wished for was revenge, and after that to share her dear one's tomb.
But Rudiger would not take no for an answer. Then, when he found that revenge was what she longed for, he saw his opportunity.He told her that if she would but become King Etzel's wife, he, himself, would promise to avenge her every wrong, not only those which might arise in time to come, but even those which she had suffered in the past.
Here at last was the chance she had so patiently awaited, and she eagerly seized it. She consented to become Etzel's bride, and Rudiger willingly swore undying fealty to her and her cause. And so she returned with him to Etzelburg, where the marriage wascelebrated with royal pomp and ceremony.
King Etzel loved Kriemhild dearly, and was very kind to her. She was truly grateful to him, but she could not forget Siegfried, not even when a dear little son came to her. The child was named Ortlieb. And so time sped by, until the little boy's fifth birthday.
Kriemhild had now been in Etzelburg thirteen years, and in all this time she had neither seen nor heard from her home and kindred. One day she went toher husband, and told him that she was becoming ashamed of being a stranger in a foreign land without any kinspeople of her own. She said she thought it was high time that some of her family should come to visit her, and begged him to make a feast, and invite them all to be present.
Her slightest wish was Etzel's law, and so he willingly granted her request. He at once dispatched a messenger with the invitation. Just before the messenger set out, Kriemhild went to himand told him to be sure that every one of her relatives accepted the invitation. In this way, she hoped to get her uncle Hagen within reach, without rousing any one's suspicions.
Now, when it had become known in Worms that Etzel had asked Kriemhild to marry him, Hagen had been filled with alarm. He told Gunther that it might mean great disaster for them, should Kriemhild marry Etzel, as he was one of the most powerful kings of the time.
But now thirteen years had passed, and they had neither seen nor heard from the Hunnish king and queen, and Gunther no longer feared trouble from that source. Then came Kriemhild's invitation, and for seven days it was discussed by the royal family at Worms.
Should they accept it? Gunther and his two brothers, Giselherr and Gernot, were anxious to do so, for they thought it meant that their sister wished to be at peace with her family. Gunther, particularly,was eager to be friendly, as he loved Kriemhild dearly.
Hagen alone had misgivings, and well might he dread meeting her, for he knew how sorely she had suffered at his hands. He sullenly refused to go, until Gernot at length cried out:
"I know what ails Hagen! He is thinking of Siegfried's death, and fears to go to Etzelburg."
Hagen did not wish to be thought afraid, so he consented to go, and they all prepared to accompany the messenger to Etzel'scourt on the following day—all except Uota, who was getting too old and feeble to leave home.
That night Uota had a dreadful dream; she thought that all the birds lay dead in the forests, and when she awoke, she hated to see her sons go, for she knew that her dream meant danger to them.
However, they set out, accompanied by one thousand brave men. On their way to Etzel's country, they came to a river that they had to cross; but they found they could not cross it on horseback,as it was swollen too high. So they had to wait until a boat should appear.
While they were waiting, they chanced to see two swan-maidens, who had come to the stream to bathe; the maidens had laid aside their feathers, and were playing about in the water like mermaids. Now Hagen knew they possessed the gift of foretelling the future, and he laid a clever plan.
When they came out of the water, they found their clothes gone, and they were very muchtroubled, for without their feather garments they could not fly away. Then Hagen approached them, and said he would give their feathers back if they would tell him what was to happen to the Burgundians in Etzel's land. Then one of the maidens, who cared nothing for him or his friends, and thought only of regaining her clothes, without which she could never reach her home in the sky, replied:
"Everything is fair and clear for the men of Burgundy. Sailon, sail on. You have naught to fear."
Hagen was delighted, and returned their garments with a light heart. The maidens quickly put their feathers on, and spread their wings in flight; but as they rose into the blue sky the second one cried to Hagen:
"Turn back, turn back; death and bloodshed await you in Etzelburg! Only one, of all your number, will ever live to see your native land again."
Then they disappeared in theazure depths above, and Hagen was left with a heavy heart.
At length the Burgundians secured a vessel, and embarked. They were met on the other side of the river by Dietrich von Bern, one of the lords of the Hunnish court, who greeted Hagen with these words of friendly warning:
"Kriemhild still mourns for Siegfried's loss."
But poor Hagen had no way of turning back; he had to accompany the others, whether he would or no. And sure enough, when hecame into Kriemhild's presence she drew herself up haughtily, and asked:
"And pray, who invited you here, Sir Hagen? Who bid you to this feast?"
Hagen replied that he was a retainer of Gunther's, and that wherever Gunther went, he, too, must go; but her attitude and greeting showed him plainly that she had not forgiven him for his treachery.
"AND, PRAY, WHO INVITED YOU HERE, SIR HAGEN?""AND, PRAY, WHO INVITED YOU HERE, SIR HAGEN?"
Kriemhild greeted her brothers very cordially, and seemed rejoicedto see them, and for a few days all went well. Then came the banquet, in the midst of which in rushed Dankwart, Hagen's brother, with blood flowing from a dozen wounds, and told them that the Huns had fallen upon Gunther's men and slain them all.
And immediately everything was in the wildest confusion. Protected by Rudiger, Kriemhild and Etzel escaped from the banquet hall. Then ensued a fierce battle in which all of the Huns, with the exception of Dietrich, and all theBurgundians, except Gunther and Hagen, were slain. Finally Dietrich vanquished these two, and bound them hand and foot. Then he sought Kriemhild, and made her give her word of honor that he, and he alone, should be permitted to put them to death. After that he turned the prisoners over into her keeping. She ordered them to be confined in separate dungeons.
Then she visited Hagen and sought by every means in her power to discover what he haddone with the Rhine gold. This he refused to tell, saying he had taken a solemn oath never to reveal its hiding-place so long as one of his lords remained alive. Then she said that she would spare Gunther's life if Hagen would tell her where the gold was secreted.
But Hagen would not tell his secret, even to save the life of his liege lord and kinsman. And so she ordered that both of them should be beheaded, according to the custom of these olden times.And thus at last was Siegfried's death avenged by the once gentle and beautiful queen.
And of all the men of Burgundy who had crossed the water to attend King Etzel's feast, but one remained to carry the sad news back to their native land; and that was the old chaplain of Gunther's court. Everything had come to pass just as the swan-maiden had predicted. And back in Burgundy, Uota sorrowfully lived out her days with none in all that broad land to brew for her lips thecup of forgetfulness, such as she had given Siegfried. And so we must leave her alone with her sad memories.
Lamp
Transcriber's Note:Page 52, period added to end of chapter.
Page 52, period added to end of chapter.