Tale VII: How the Maidens Came to See the Ship, and Were Carried to Hettel’s Kingdom

Early on the morrow, after the mass was said,To don their richest clothing strove each wife and maid:A throng of these King Hagen to the sandy shore was leading;And with them riding gayly a thousand stalwart Irish knights were speeding.

Within the town of Ballian the guests had heard the mass.Of all the woe and sorrow, that soon would come to pass,Hagen as yet knew nothing: little honor was left himBy his guests’ withdrawal; this of his fair and well-born child bereft him.

When now they all had ridden to the ships upon the strand,Queen Hilda and her ladies were lifted down on the sand.The young and lovely maidens to see the ships were taken:The traders’ booths were open, and the goods did wonder great in the queen awaken.

Many fair-wrought jewels lay in sight in the shops,Such as men prize highly; King Hagen to see them stops,And many with him also: soon as the goods were shown them,The maidens, too, must see them, and rings and bands of gold were pressed upon them.

To see the sights King Hagen into a boat had gone:Not all the booths were open, nor all the goods were shown,When Wâ-te’s men heaved anchor up from the sea-sands deftly,And Hilda with her maidens was borne away from the land of her fathers swiftly.

For no one’s hate and anger Wâ-te greatly cares;Little he recks what happens to the shops of costly wares:Hilda, the queenly mother, was sundered from her daughter;The men, in the ship long hidden, up-sprang and sorrow made for Hagen on the water.

Then the sails were hoisted, and ’twas seen that they were set:From the ship they threw the foemen, who thoroughly were wet,Like sea-birds on the water, when near the sands they flutter.For her daughter dear-belovéd sorrow and anger the queen aloud did utter.

When the weaponed fighters by Hagen there were seen,Then, in truth, how scornful and wrathful was his mien!“Now bring to me my long-spear, to feel it I will teach them;They all shall die full quickly when my strong right arm with that shall reach them!”

Boldly then spoke Morunc: “Be not so much in haste!Though now you think to fight us, and to rush on us so fastWith a thousand well-armed foemen, we yet will overthrow them,And fling them into the water; a damp, cold lodging we will quickly show them!”

Still, brave Hagen’s followers the fight would not give o’er;The water shone and glistened with the armor that they wore;Then they drew their long-swords, spears were thickly flying;But oars were dipped full quickly, and fast the boats away from the shore were hieing.

The bold and daring Wâ-te from the sands had given a boundInto a well-manned row-boat; loud did his mail resound,As he, with fifty warriors, after Hilda hasted:Hagen’s careless followers now must rouse themselves, no time they wasted.

Onward came King Hagen; his fighting-gear he wore,And a heavy sword, the sharpest, he proudly with him bore;But now the aged Wâ-te almost too long had waited;Wild and grim was Hagen, and high his spear he raised ’gainst his foe belated.

Loudly then he shouted, and bade his men make haste;None of all his followers would he allow to rest,Hoping these guests, now fleeing, who had been such traitors,Might be with speed o’ertaken, and either should be slain, or bound in fetters.

The king had now about him fighters many and brave,But yet he could not follow across the wild sea-wave;His ships were all unready, and many of them leaking,When now he would be sailing; of Hagen’s blame for this were all soon speaking.

On the gravelly sea-shore standing, no other way he knewBut that more ships be builded for him and his liegemen true,And workmen called together, who must therein be speedy:All came who now were able, and these he found to be both skilled and ready.

Upon the seventh morning, there left the Irish landThe men sent forth by Hettel to ask for Hilda’s hand,And bring to him the lady. They were a thousand barely;Hagen brought against them thirty hundred men, if reckoned fairly.

The daring knights of Denmark sent men home before,To carry word to Hettel that Hagen’s child they bore,And to his land would bring her, with honor him befitting.Though now they little thought it, still harder work erelong must they be meeting.

To them their master, Hettel, in happy mood then spoke:“My sorrows now are over. Great toils my liegemen tookFor me in Hagen’s kingdom, and now have brought me gladness;Since they on their errand left me, fear for their doom has filled my heart with sadness.

“Dear friends, if with your tidings you have not me betrayed,And do not tell me falsely that you have seen the maidNear to my land and kingdom, and in my friends’ safe-keeping,For your tale will I reward you, and gladly will your praise be ever speaking.”

They said: “No lie we tell you, that we the maid have seen;But when we miles had measured, the daughter of the queenSadly said, for our welfare she feared, and was heavy-hearted,Lest the king, her father, to follow with his ships e’en then had started.”

For the tidings, Hettel gave them a hundred marks in worth;For all his knights there gathered, men at once brought forthSwords as well as helmets, and shields for them were bidden:Thus from Hettel’s castle they went, as if to court, to bring the maiden.

All the men he was able Hettel for this now sought;Greatly was he hoping, and much thereof he thought,So great a host to muster, and these so well outfitted,That never to king’s fair daughter so fine a welcome might again be meted.

In haste were all then bidden who ought with him to go;They still made ready slowly, till gifts he should bestowOf all things that they needed; they for this were waiting.At length by him were gathered a thousand men or more, for Hilda’s greeting.

Gay were they in clothing,— ’gainst this could none say nay,—Poor as well as wealthy were shining in war-array:To bring the lovely ladies to their new home and dwellingWere Hettel’s lieges earnest; with lofty hopes of this their hearts were swelling.

Soon as they left the castle, shouts the land did fill,As they their way were making thro’ lowland and o’er hill;Men saw upon the pathways crowds still thronging nearer:Hettel hastened forward, to see the maid, than every other dearer.

At last the aged Wâ-te, the knight from the Sturmisch land,Had reached the Waalisch marches and stepped upon the sand.There on the shore were gathered the sailors, water-weary;Shelter they sought for Hilda, and in a friendly land were glad to tarry.

Stakes for tents were driven near to the broad sea-floodBy the followers of Wâ-te; they were in happy mood.Erelong the news was bruited, and soon to them was given,That Hettel, king of the Hegelings, had left his home, and now was near them even;

And that he with many liegemen was riding down to the shore,To meet his well-belovéd. Now hoped the maids the moreThat she with greatest honor should, as her birth befitted,Be brought into his kingdom. No more the thought of strife their hearts affrighted.

The guests for nothing wanted, they had both wine and food;Those who were living near them freely on them bestowedThe best that they were able; the wants of all they heeded;Whate’er they had they gave them, and left them not to lack for aught they needed.

Hettel now drew nearer to those who had reached his land;And with him, gathered hastily, the strong and goodly band,Drawn from his father’s kingdom. They came bedecked so gaily,And in such glittering armor, the guests looked on full glad, and praised them freely.

Then the men of the Hegelings came down upon the plain,And soon the rushing riders a tilting-match began;All with youthful boldness for knightly prizes striving:Then came the Danish Fru-te, and with him Wâ-te, wise as any living.

They were seen from afar by Hettel; happy in heart was he.His horse he set a-prancing; right glad was he to seeTwo of his bravest liegemen, sent by him o’er the water,With fighters bold to Ireland, in hopes to win for him wild Hagen’s daughter.

On him, too, looked they gladly, their worthy king, so good;Each day they spent there with him found them in happy mood.Wâ-te with all his fellows, while far away they were living,Had known much bitter hardship: for this would Hettel now reward be giving.

As he met his friendly liegemen, King Hettel wore a smile;Then said he to them kindly: “Much have I feared erewhileFor you, my faithful helpers, and a heavy heart was bearing,Lest in Hagen’s castles my men were held, and all were bondage sharing.”

Then for love he kissed them, both those gray old men;His eyes had never rested on so glad a sight as then,Nor on a fairer pasture had fed, with longing fonder.I ween that never to Hettel was aught so full of bliss and sudden wonder.

Then spake the aged Wâ-te: No harm to us was done;But yet a sway so mighty I ne’er before have known,As this that wild King Hagen over his lands now wieldeth:His followers bear them proudly, and he himself in strength to no one yieldeth.

“It was a day as happy as ever could be thought,When we to you sent tidings that we had Hilda brought,The loveliest of maidens (no falsehood have I spoken,Believe the tale I tell you) that ever in this world my eyes did look on.”

The high-born knight then added: “Belike with greatest speedWill come these daring foemen; for this should you take heedLest the angry Hagen soon shall overtake usHere within your marches; if so, his hatred bitter woe will make us.”

Then Wâ-te and Sir Fru-te down to the shore did bringMany worthy followers, knights of Hettel, the king,There to see fair Hilda, and there must they await her.Upon their shining bucklers many a spear-shaft crashed in battle later.

Now came the fair young maiden, under a comely hat;Then all the men of the Hegelings who on their horses satBy the side of the king, their master, upon the grass alighted.With merry hearts then gladly the well-bred throng their love and friendship plighted.

Irold, he of Ortland, and Morunc of the Frisian land,Both of those brave champions, one on either hand,Came with lovely Hilda, and Hettel soon were meeting;Worthy was she of praises. Now thought the maid to give the king her greeting.

With her there came young maidens, twenty or even more,All clad in fair white linen,— whiter none e’er wore,—Or best of silken clothing, that could be found by any:Proud were they to wear them, and, gaily decked, they there were seen by many.

The king, both good and stately, then began to greetWith well-bred, seemly bearing, the maid he thought was meetTo wear the crown hereafter. He gazed on her with yearning;Her in his arms he folded, and fondly kissed the maid, her face upturning.

Then one by one he welcomed all the maidens fair;But one there was among them so lofty in her airShe might of birth be kingly: in nought her kin were lacking.She was one of the maidens who with the griffin long her home was making.

She bore the name of Hildeburg: from Hilda, Hagen’s wife,She ever had won the honor befitting her worthy life;Born in the land of Portugal, thence had she been taken.She now saw many strangers: a longing sad for her friends did this awaken.

Hettel to all the maidens gave a welcome free,Yet was their lot no brighter; for when they thought to seeAn end of all their sadness, upon the coming morrow,Soon as the day was dawning, there came to them again as great a sorrow.

Her throng of high-born followers were greeted on every side;Near to Hagen’s daughter on a flowery meadow wide,Under silken awnings, many there were seated.But Hagen was now too near them; to them from him must many ills be meted.