ADVENTURE XXXIX
How Gunther And Hagen And Kriemhild Were Slain.
Then Sir Dietrich fetched himself his coat of mail, and MasterHildebrand helped him arm. The mighty man made wail so sore,that the whole house resounded with his voice. But then hegained again a real hero's mood. The good knight was now armedand grim of mind; a stout shield he hung upon his arm. Thus heand Master Hildebrand went boldly hence.
Then spake Hagen of Troneg: "Yonder I see Sir Dietrich cominghither; he would fain encounter us, after the great sorrow, thathath here befallen him. To-day we shall see, to whom one mustgive the palm. however strong of body and grim of mood the lordof Berne thinketh him to be, right well dare I match him," sospake Hagen, "an' he will avenge on us that which hath been donehim."
Dietrich and Hildebrand heard this speech, for Hagen came towhere he found the champion stand before the house, leaningagainst the wall. Dietrich set his good shield upon the ground,and spake in grievous dole: "Gunther, mighty king, why have ye soacted against me, banished man? What have I done to you? Istand alone, bereft of all my comfort. Ye thought it not enow ofbitter need, when ye did kill Knight Rudeger, our friend. Now yehave robbed me of all my men. Forsooth I never had wrought youheroes sorrow such as this. Think on yourselves and on yourwrongs. Doth not the death of your kinsmen and all the hardshipgrieve the minds of you good knights? Alas, what great doleRudeger's death doth give me! Never in all the world hath moreof sorrow happed to any man. Ye thought but little on me and onyour pain. Whatsoever joy I had, that lieth slain by you.Certes, I never can bewail my kin enow."
"Forsooth we be not so guilty," answered Hagen. "Your warriorscame to this hall in a large band, armed with care. Methinks thetale hath not been told you rightly."
"What else should I believe? Hildebrand told me, that when myknights from the Amelung land asked that ye should give upRudeger's corse from out the hall, ye did naught but mock thevaliant heroes from above the steps."
Then spake the king from the Rhine: "They said, that they wouldfain bear Rudeger hence, and I bade this be denied them to vexKing Etzel, and not thy men, until then Wolfhart began to railabout it."
Then the hero of Berne made answer: "Fate would have it so.Gunther, most noble king, now through thy courtesie requite me ofthe wrongs, that have happed to me from thee, and make suchamends, brave knight, that I may give thee credit for the deed.Give thyself and thy men to me as hostages, and I will guard you,as best I may, that none here do thee aught among the Huns. Thoushalt find me naught but good and true."
"Now God forbid," quoth Hagen, "that two knights give themselvesup to thee, that still do stand opposed to thee so doughtily andwalk so unfettered before their foes."
"Gunther and Hagen, ye should not deny me this," spake Dietrich."Ye have grieved my heart and mind so sore, that it were butright, and ye would requite me. I give you my hand and troth aspledge, that I will ride with you, home to your land. I'll leadyou in all honor, or else lie dead, and for your sakes I willforget my grievous wrongs."
"Crave this no longer," answered Hagen. "'Twere fitting, thatthe tale be told of us, that two men so brave had giventhemselves up to you. We see none standing by you, saveHildebrand alone."
Then up spake Master Hildebrand: "God wot, Sir Hagen, the hourwill come, when ye will gladly take the peace, if so be any offerto keep it with you. Ye might well content you with the truce mylord doth offer."
"Forsooth I'd take the truce," quoth Hagen, "or ever I'd fleefrom out a hall so shamefully as ye did, Master Hildebrand. Iweened, ye could stand better against a foe."
To this Hildebrand made answer: "Why twit ye me with that? Whowas it sate upon a shield hard by the Waskstone, (1) when Walterof Spain slew so many of his kin? Ye, too, have faults enow ofyour own to show."
Then spake Sir Dietrich: "Ill doth it beseem heroes, that theyshould scold like aged beldams. I forbid you, Hildebrand, tospeak aught more. Grievous wrongs constrain me, homelesswarrior. Let's hear, Knight Hagen, what ye twain did speak, yedoughty men, when ye saw me coming toward you armed? Ye said,that ye alone would fain encounter me in strife."
"Certes, none doth deny," Knight Hagen spake, "that I will essayit here with mighty blows, unless be, that the sword of Nibelungbreak in my hand. Wroth am I, that we twain have here beencraved as hostages."
When Dietrich noted Hagen's raging mood, quickly the doughtyknight and good snatched up his shield. How swiftly Hagen sprangtoward him from the steps! Loudly the good sword of Nibelungrang on Dietrich's head. Then wist Dietrich well, that the boldknight was grim of mood. The lord of Berne gan guard him againstthe fearful blows, for well he knew Hagen, the stately knight.Balmung he also feared, a weapon stout enow. Dietrich returnedthe blows at times in cunning wise, until at last he conqueredHagen in the strife. A wound he dealt him, the which was deepand long. Then Lord Dietrich thought him: "Thou art worn outwith strife; little honor shall I have, and thou liest deadbefore me. I will try, if perchance I can force thee to be myhostage."
This he wrought with danger. His shield he let fall, great washis strength, and clasped Hagen of Troneg in his arms. Thus thebrave knight was overcome by Dietrich. Noble Gunther gan wailthereat. Dietrich now bound Hagen and led him to where he foundthe highborn queen; into her hand he gave the bravest warriorthat ever bare a sword. Then merry enow she grew after her greatdole. For very joy King Etzel's wife bowed low before theknight. "May thy heart and body be ever blest. Thou hast wellrequited me of all my woes. For this will I ever serve thee,unless be, that death doth hinder me therefrom."
Then spake Lord Dietrich: "Pray let him live, most noble queen.And if this still may be, how well will I requite you of thatwhich he hath done you! Let him not suffer, because ye see himstand here bound."
She bade Hagen then be led away to duress, where he lay lockedin and where none did see him. Gunther, the high-born king,began to call: "Whither went the knight of Berne? He hath doneme wrong."
At this Lord Dietrich went to meet him. Gunther's might wasworthy of praise; no more he bided, but ran outside the hall, andfrom the clashing of the swords of the twain a mighty din arose.However much and long Lord Dietrich's prowess had been praised,yet Gunther was so sorely angered and enraged, for because of thegrievous dole, he was his deadly foe, that men still tell it as awonder, that Sir Dietrich did not fall. Great were both theirprowess and their strength. The palace and the towers resoundedwith the blows, when with the swords they hewed at the sturdyhelmets. King Gunther was of lordly mood, but the knight ofBerne overcame him, as happed to Hagen afore. The hero's bloodwas seen to ooze through the armor rings, drawn forth by akeen-edged sword, the which Sir Dietrich bare. Though weary, SirGunther had guarded him most valiantly. The lord was now boundby Dietrich's hands. Though kings should not endure such bonds,yet Dietrich thought, if he set free the king and his liegeman,that all they met must needs fall dead at their hands.
Dietrich of Berne now took him by the hand and led him bound towhere he found Kriemhild. At sight of his sorrow much of herfear took flight. She spake: "Welcome, Gunther, from theBurgundian land."
Quoth he: "I would bow before you, dear sister mine, if yourgreetings were but kinder. I know you, queen, to be so wroth ofmood that ye do give me and Hagen meagre greetings."
Up spake the knight of Berne: "Most noble queen, never were suchgood knights made hostages, as I have given you in them, exaltedlady. For my sake, I pray you, spare these homeless men."
She vowed she'd do it gladly. Then Sir Dietrich left theworshipful knights with weeping eyes. Later Etzel's wife avengedher grimly; she took the life of both the chosen heroes. To maketheir duress worse she let them lie apart, so that neither sawthe other, till she bare her brother's head to Hagen. Kriemhild's vengeance on both was great enow.
Then the queen went to Hagen. In what right hostile wise shespake to the knight: "If ye will give me back what ye have takenfrom me, then ye may still go home alive to Burgundy."
Grim Hagen answered: "Thou dost waste thy words, most noblequeen. Forsooth I have sworn an oath, that I would not show thehoard, the while and any of my lords still live; so I shall giveit to none."
"I'll make an end of this," quoth the high-born wife. Then shebade her brother's life be taken. His head they struck off, andby the hair she bare it to the knight of Troneg. Loth enow itwas to him. When sad of mind the warrior gazed upon his master'shead, he spake to Kriemhild: "Thou hast brought it to an endafter thy will, and it hath happed, as I had thought me. Thenoble king of Burgundy now lieth dead, and Giselher, the youth,and Sir Gernot, too. None knoweth of the treasure now save Godand me, and it shall ever be hid from thee, thou fiend."
Quoth she: "Ye have requited me full ill, so I will keep thesword of Siegfried, the which my sweetheart bare, when last I sawhim, in whom dole of heart hath happed to me through you."
From the sheath she drew it, nor could he hinder her a whit. Sheplanned to rob the knight of life. With her hands she raised itand struck off his head. This King Etzel saw, and sore enow itrued him. "Alack!" cried the lording, "how lieth now dead at awoman's hands the very best of knights, that ever came to battleor bare a shield! However much I was his foe, yet it doth grieveme sorely."
Then spake old Hildebrand: "Forsooth it shall not boot her aught,that she durst slay him. Whatso hap to me, and however much itmay bring me to a dangerous pass, yet will I avenge bold Troneg'sdeath."
Hildebrand sprang in wrath towards Kriemhild. For fear of himshe suffered pain; but what might it avail her, that she shriekedso frightfully? He dealt the queen a grievous sword-blow, thewhich did cut the high-born dame in twain. Now all lay low indeath whom fate had doomed. Dietrich and Etzel then began toweep; sorely they mourned both kin and liegemen. Their micklehonors lay there low in death; the courtiers all had grief anddrearihead. The king's high feast had ended now in woe, as joydoth ever end in sorrow at the last. I cannot tell you, thatwhich happed thereafter, save that knights and ladies and noblesquires were seen to weep for the death of loving kinsmen. Thetale hath here an end. This is the Nibelungs' fall. (2) (3)
ENDNOTES:
(1) "Waskstone", see Adventure XXXV, note 2.
(2) "Fall". The word "not", translated here "fall", means really 'disaster', but as this word is not in keeping with the style, "fall" has been chosen as preferable to 'need', used by some translators. The MS. C has here "liet" instead of "not" of A and B.
(3) The "Nibelungenlied" is continued by the so-called "Klage", a poem written in short rhyming couplets. As the name indicates, it describes the lamentations of the survivors over the dead. The praises of each warrior are sung and a messenger dispatched to acquaint Gorelind, Uta, and Brunhild with the sad end of their kinsmen. It closes with Dietrich's departure from Etzel's court and his return home. Although in one sense a continuation of our poem, the "Klage" is an independent work of no great merit, being excessively tedious with its constant repetitions. A reprint and a full account of it will be found in Piper's edition of our poem, vol. I.
THE END.
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