Tale X: How Hartmut Sent to Woo Gudrun

Now in the land of Normandy the tale was widely told,That never fairer maiden did any man beholdThan was King Hettel’s daughter, Gu-drun, the high-born lady.A king, whose name was Hartmut, to her then turned his love, to woo her ready.

Gerlind, Hartmut’s mother, her wish to him made known,That he should woo the maiden; her word he followed soon.First they sent for his father, when they of this had spoken;He bore the name of Ludwig, and in Norman lands he wore the kingly token.

Then the aged father rode to see his son.Of the end that he was seeking had Ludwig knowledge won;But when to him he hearkened, and learned his wishes wholly,Evil he foreboded, yet still the youth’s fond hopes upheld he fully.

“Who tells you,” said King Ludwig, “she is so very fair?Tho’ she all lands were owning, the home is not so near,Wherein the maid is dwelling, that we should go a-wooing;If we sent our men before us to ask her love, their task they would soon be ruing.”

Then did Hartmut answer: “For me ’tis not too far;Whene’er the lord of a kingdom no pain or toil doth spareTo win a wife and riches, he gains a life-long blessing.My wish, I pray you, follow; let men be sent, that they my suit be pressing.”

Then spake his mother, Gerlind, of Normandy the queen:“Letters must now be written; let clothes, the best e’er seen,With gold, to those be given upon your errand speeding;They, too, must learn the roadways that towards the home of fair Gu-drun are leading.”

Then spake again King Ludwig: “Know you not full wellThat Hilda, the maiden’s mother, did erst in Ireland dwell?And know you not what happened to many a one who sought her?Her kin are proud and lofty, and now will scorn the love we shall have brought her.”

Then young Hartmut answered: “Tho’ with a warlike bandI afar must seek her, over sea and land,That shall I do most willingly: my heart to her is given,And never will I rest me till I for Hilda’s daughter happily have striven.”

“Gladly will I help you,” King Ludwig then did say:“Let this now make you happy; erelong, upon the wayI’ll send twelve sumpter-horses bearing silver treasure;That when they hear our errand, our wealth and worth they may more rightly measure.”

By Hartmut then were chosen sixty men, to sendTo woo the fair young maiden, and help to him to lend;With food and clothing also well were they outfitted,And on the road well guided: Ludwig was wise, and was in this foresighted.

When everything was ready that soon the men would need,Then were letters written, sealed, and given with speed,Both by brave young Hartmut and his queenly mother.Then from home they started; so proud a throng there never was another.

Fast they rode and steadily for many a day and night,Until the land they sought for came at last in sight,And they might tell the errand they were thither bringing.Long was Hartmut waiting, while love and care were in his heart upspringing.

Over land and rivers they took their toilsome way,As far as in days a hundred a pasturing herd may stray,Until the land of the Hegelings lay before them stretching.Their steeds were worn and weary ere they gave the letters they were fetching.

At last they far had ridden, and to the sea had come,Upon the shores of Denmark: sadly they long did roam,Before they reached the kingdom, and its lord did know them;Now they begged for guidance, and men were bid the nearest way to show them.

The news was given to Horant, the knight well-bred and bold;Now asked the errand-bearers, and the truth to them was told,About King Hettel and Hilda, and all they had been hearing.They saw the men of Hettel coming in throngs, their shields and weapons bearing.

Horant, lord of Daneland, then to his liegemen spake,And bade for the errand-bearers a safeguard now to make,And that the men of Hartmut should be by them well guidedTo the court of his lord, King Hettel; they grudged no toil, and well his bidding heeded.

When thro’ the Hegeling kingdom the heralds took their way,So lordly was their bearing, that often men did say:“These folk are rich and mighty, whatever they are seeking.”The news to the king was carried, and soon to him all men the tale were speaking.

To all the guests from Normandy were lodgings given there;The king now bade his liegemen to wait on them with care.He knew not yet their errand, and why to him they had ridden;But on the twelfth day, early, young Hartmut’s men before the king were bidden.

An earl there was among them; how well his breeding showed!Upon their clothing also were praises high bestowed;They rode the best of horses on which men e’er were seated,And before the king they gathered, in fairest guise, that well they might be greeted.

The king gave kindly welcome, as also did his men,Until their wooing errand was unto him made plain:Then were they ill-treated, and knew the king’s hard feeling.I ween the mighty Hettel to grant young Hartmut’s wish would ne’er be willing.

One who in that was skilful to the king the letters read;But he was greatly angered that they to court were ledBy the good and upright Horant, a knight so brave and noble;And, had they not his friendship, they had not left the king without more trouble.

Then spake to them King Hettel: “No good to you ’twill bringThat you were sent a-wooing by Hartmut, your lord and king.To pay for this full dearly you may well be fearing;Your kingly master’s wishes both I and Lady Hilda are wroth at hearing.”

One among them answered: “Hartmut makes it knownThat much he loves the maiden; and if to wear the crownIn Normandy she deigneth, before his friends there living,That he, a knight all spotless, will rightly earn the love she shall be giving.”

Then quoth the Lady Hilda: “How can she be his wife?A hundred and three of his castles his father held in fief,Within the land of Cardigan, from Hagen, my noble sire;It ill becomes my kinsmen to be King Ludwig’s vassals, or owe him hire.

“Ludwig dwelt in Scotland, and there it erst befellThat a brother of King Otto did wrong to Ludwig deal:Both were Hagen’s vassals, and of him their lands had taken;And thus my father’s friendship for him was lost, and hate instead did waken.

“Say you now to Hartmut she ne’er his wife shall be.Your lord is not so worthy that he to boast is free,That he doth love my daughter, and she doth not disdain him;Bid him elsewhere be looking, if he be fain a queen for his land to gain him.”

The heralds’ hearts were heavy; ’twas not for their good nameThat they, for miles full many, in sorrow and in shame,Back to their homes in Normandy this news must carry sadly.Hartmut, as well as Ludwig, was vexed that they herein were foiled so badly.

Forthwith to them said Hartmut: “Tell me now the truth,The grand-daughter of Hagen have you seen, forsooth?Is the maid, Gu-drun, as lovely as men have here been saying?May God bring shame to Hettel, that he my suit with such ill-will is paying!”

Then the earl thus answered: “This can I truly say,—Whoe’er shall see the maiden must feel her charms and sway;Above all maids and women, her worth is past the telling.”Then quoth the kingly Hartmut: “To live without her ne’er shall I be willing.”

Whereon his mother, Gerlind, sadly thus did say,With tears her lot bewailing: “My son, oh, lack-a-day!Alas that e’er the heralds to win the maiden started!If we at home had kept them, e’en to this day had I been still light-hearted.”