The Nibelungenlied: The Lay of the Nibelungs (Oxford World's Classics) (27 page)

1344

Then bold Hawart of Denmark came up, and brave Irinc, well guarded against falsity, and Irnfrit of Thuringia, a gallant man. They welcomed Kriemhilt in such fashion as did them honour, with twelve

1345

hundred men, whom they led in their host. Then came Lord Blœdelin, Etzel of Hungary’s brother, with three thousand men. He made his way magnificently into the queen’s presence.

1346

Then King Etzel, and also Sir Dietrich with all his companions, arrived. There were many noble and worthy knights, doughty and of great renown, present there. That then raised Lady Kriemhilt’s spirits high. Then Lord Rüedeger said to the queen: ‘Lady, I want to

1347

welcome the proud king here.
*
Let all those whom I bid you kiss be granted that favour. You may not, after all, greet all of Etzel’s men in equal fashion.’

1348

Then the proud queen was lifted down from her palfrey. Mighty Etzel waited no longer then. He dismounted from his horse, along with many bold men. They saw him walk joyfully towards Kriemhilt.

1349

Two mighty princes, so we are told, carried the queen’s train, walking alongside her, as King Etzel walked towards her, and there she welcomed the noble prince with a gracious kiss.

1350

She drew back her head-dress. Her well-favoured complexion shone out of the gold. There were great numbers of men there who said that Lady Helche could not have been fairer. Close to her there stood the king’s brother, Blœdelin. Rüedeger, the powerful margrave,

1351

bade her kiss him and King Gibeche. Dietrich was also standing there. Etzel’s wife kissed twelve of the warriors. She also welcomed knights in great numbers with her greeting then.

1352

All the while that Etzel stood by Kriemhilt’s side, the youths there acted as people still do today. Many a great joust was seen to be ridden there. Christian heroes, and also the pagans, carried those out according to their customs. With what true chivalry

1353

Dietrich’s men caused the shafts to break into splinters which flew high over the shields at the good knights’ hands! Many a shield’s rim was riddled with holes by the German guests. Great clamour

1354

was heard then of shafts being broken. By now all the warriors of the land had arrived, and the king’s guests also, noble men in great numbers.

Then the mighty king walked away with Lady Kriemhilt. They

1355

saw standing nearby them a most splendid pavilion. All around the plain was full of huts in which they were to rest after their labours. Many a fair maiden was led beneath these by heroes, along with the

1356

queen, where she afterwards sat down on a sumptuous upholstered seat. The margrave had seen to it that Kriemhilt’s seat was thought most splendid. Etzel was delighted at that. What Etzel said on that

1357

occasion is not known to me. Her white hand lay in his right hand. They sat lovingly together there, as Sir Rüedeger did not want to let the king be intimate with Kriemhilt yet.

1358

Then they ordered that the bohort be abandoned, all over the plain. The great clamour ended amid honour there. Etzel’s men then went into the huts. Lodgings were given them far and wide. The

1359

day was at an end now. They took their rest until they saw the bright morning shine again. By then many men had made for their horses. Ah, what pastimes they undertook to do the king honour!

1360

The king asked the Huns to arrange matters as befitted his honour. Then they rode from Tulln to the city of Vienna. There they found well-attired ladies in great numbers. They welcomed King Etzel’s wife with great honours.

1361

All that they needed was at their disposal in abundance. Gallant heroes in great numbers looked forward to the clamour. They began
to find lodgings for them. The king’s festivity began joyfully. They

1362

could not find lodgings in the city for all. Rüedeger asked those who were not guests to take lodgings out in the country. I believe that Lord Dietrich and many other knights were to be seen at all times

1363

at Lady Kriemhilt’s side. They had forsaken rest for labour in order to bring good cheer to the guests. Rüedeger and his allies passed the time pleasantly.

1364

The wedding, when King Etzel lay with Kriemhilt in the city of Vienna, had fallen upon a Whitsun day. I don’t believe she ever had so many men at her service with her first husband. She made herself

1365

known by gifts to those whom she had never beheld before. Great numbers amongst them said to the strangers: ‘We thought that Lady Kriemhilt would have no wealth—now her gifts have brought about great marvels here!’

1366

The wedding festivity lasted seventeen days. I believe no man has ever told of any king whose festivity was greater—we have never heard the like. All those present there wore new clothes.

1367

Never, I believe, did Kriemhilt preside over so many warriors in the Netherlands. Moreover, I believe that though Sivrit was rich in wealth, he never acquired so many noble warriors as she saw standing before Etzel.

1368

Nor did anyone ever, at his own wedding, give away so many sumptuous cloaks, long and wide, nor such good garments, which were at their disposal in plenty, as Etzel’s men all gave for Kriemhilt’s sake.

1369

Her allies and also the guests were all of one mind—not to be sparing with regard to any kind of possessions there. Anything anyone asked of them was readily given. Thus many of the knights there were left bereft of clothing because of their generosity.

1370

Kriemhilt thought back to the days when she resided by the Rhine alongside her noble husband. Her eyes grew wet. She took great care to conceal this, so that no one could see it. After much sorrow so many honours had befallen her.

1371

No matter how much generosity was practised, it was all as nothing compared with that of Dietrich. All that Botelunc’s son had given him was now entirely squandered away. Generous Rüedeger’s hands also wrought many marvels there. Prince Blœdelin of Hungary bade

1372

that coffers in great numbers be emptied there of silver and gold—that was given away there. The king’s heroes were seen to live in great joy.

1373

Wärbel and Swemmelin, the king’s minstrels, I believe, both gained at that wedding some thousand marks or even more, there where fair Kriemhilt sat at Etzel’s side beneath her crown.

1374

On the eighteenth morning they then rode away from Vienna. Many shields were hewn to pieces by the lances borne by the warriors’ hands in chivalrous pursuits. Thus King Etzel returned to Hungary.

1375

In old Hainburg they passed the night. No one could count then the numbers of the people, nor with what companies they rode across the lands. Ah, what fair ladies they found in Etzel’s homelands!

1376

At prosperous Wieselburg they took ship. The river was so covered over by horses and men as if it were solid ground, so little could be seen of its flow. The way-weary ladies found both peace and rest there.

1377

Many excellent skiffs were lashed together, so that neither waves nor the tide might harm them. Over them many good tents were pitched, as if they still had both land and fields beneath them.

1378

Tidings of this then came to Etzelnburc, where men and women alike rejoiced. Helche’s retinue, over whom the lady had previously presided, rejoiced in many a joyous day with Kriemhilt. Noble maidens

1379

in great numbers stood in expectation there, who had had much sorrow since Helche’s death. Kriemhilt found seven further kings’ daughters there, an ornament to all of Etzel’s lands.

1380

The damsel Herrat still had charge of the retinue, Helche’s sister’s daughter, rich in virtue, Dietrich’s bride, a noble king’s child, the daughter of Näntwin—she afterwards acquired great honour. She

1381

rejoiced at the arrival of the guests. Moreover, great prosperity had been prepared to meet the occasion. Who could tell you how the king resided thereafter? Never did the Huns live better with a queen than there!

1382

When the king rode away from the riverbank with his wife, it was explained to her who each of the ladies was. They greeted noble Kriemhilt all the better for that. Ah, how powerfully she afterwards resided in Helche’s stead! Much loyal homage was paid to her. The

1383

queen then distributed gold and garments, silver and precious stones. All that she had brought across the Rhine with her to the Huns had to be given away in its entirety. Moreover, all the king’s kinsmen and

1384

all his vassals afterwards became her subjects and served her, so that she had more power at her command than Lady Helche had ever had, and they were now obliged to serve Kriemhilt until her death.

1385

The court, and also the country, then stood in such high repute that
everyone enjoyed such pastimes as their hearts desired at all times there, for love of the king and the queen’s wealth.
*

1386

A
MID
great honour—I tell you in all truth—they resided together until the seventh year. By that time the queen had given birth to a son. At that King Etzel’s joy could never have been greater.

1387

Kriemhilt insisted on having Etzel’s child baptized afterwards according to the Christian order. It was named Ortliep. There was great joy at this all over Etzel’s lands.

1388

For many a day thereafter Kriemhilt now set about practising all the virtuous courtesies that Lady Helche had possessed. Herrat, the maiden in exile, taught her the custom of the land. In secret she mourned greatly over Helche. Kriemhilt was very well known to

1389

strangers and acquaintances alike. They said that no lady ever presided over a king’s land in a better and more generous way—that was their true belief. She held that repute among the Huns until the thirteenth year.

1390

By now she had clearly discerned that no one opposed her—as even now a king’s warriors do a prince’s wife—and that she saw twelve kings before her at all times. Yet still her thoughts turned to the many wrongs that had befallen her back at home. She thought

1391

also of the great honour in the land of the Nibelungs over which she had had power, and of which Hagen’s hands had entirely deprived her by Sivrit’s death, and wondered whether he might yet still come to suffer at her hands for that. ‘That might come about if I could bring him into this land!’

1392

She dreamt how her brother Giselher walked hand in hand with her time and again. She very often kissed him in her sweet slumbers—thereafter they were both to meet with sorrow.

1393

I believe it was the Foul Fiend who prompted Kriemhilt to sever the bond of friendship with Gunther, whom she had kissed in reconciliation in Burgundy. Yet again her clothes were tainted by hot tears. Early and late it lay in her heart how they had brought

1394

it about, through no fault of her own, that she had to love a pagan husband. Hagen and Gunther had caused her this anguish. Seldom

1395

did this resolve leave her heart. She thought: ‘I am so powerful and have such great wealth that I may yet inflict some suffering upon my foes. I would gladly do so, indeed, upon Hagen of Tronege. My

1396

heart often grieves for those who were loyal to me. As for those who inflicted suffering upon me there, if I could have them about me, then my beloved would be well avenged—I can hardly wait for that,’ said Etzel’s wife.

1397

At that time all the king’s men, Kriemhilt’s warriors, held her dear—that had worked out very well. Eckewart had charge of the treasury, winning allies thereby. No one could thwart Kriemhilt’s purpose. She thought constantly: ‘I will ask the king,’ that he should

1398

kindly grant her
*
that her friends be brought to Hungary. No one discerned the queen’s evil purpose.

1399

One night as she lay by the king—he had his arms about her as was his custom when making love to that noble lady; she was as dear to him as his life—the proud queen’s thoughts turned to her foes. She

1400

said to the king: ‘My dearest lord, I would gladly ask you, if it were to meet with your favour, to show me if I have merited that my friends might be truly dear to you.’

1401

The mighty king replied—loyal was his disposition—‘I will show you that clearly. Whenever happiness and good fortune befalls those warriors, I have reason to rejoice, for I never gained better allies through love of a woman.’

1402

Then the queen said: ‘As you have been told, I have many kinsmen of high birth. That is why I am so sorry that they so seldom deign to see me here. I hear the people say of me that I am nothing but an exile.’

1403

King Etzel replied: ‘My dearest lady, if they didn’t think it too far, I would invite them to cross the Rhine—all those you would gladly see—to come here to my lands.’

The lady was pleased when she found that was his will. She said:

1404

‘If you will keep your word to me, my lord, then have messengers sent to Worms across the Rhine, and I’ll send messages to my friends to tell them what I have in mind. Then noble, worthy knights in great numbers will come to us here in this land.’

1405

He said: ‘Let it take place as soon as you give the order. You can’t be as willing to see your friends as I would be to see noble Uote’s sons. It troubles me greatly that they have been strangers to us for
so long. If it pleases you well, my dearest lady, I would gladly send my fiddlers to Burgundy to invite your friends.’

1406

He bade the worthy fiddlers be brought at once. They hastened

1407

to where the king sat alongside the queen. He told them both that they were to be sent as messengers to Burgundy. He then bade that garments of great splendour be prepared for them. Clothes were prepared