Tale XIV: How Hettel Sent Tidings from Herwic’s Land

Hettel then sent tidings, to still their fears at home.To the fair and high-born ladies men with news did come,That unto the old and youthful, throughout the stormy fighting,Good luck had aye befallen; and now, with hope must they for them be waiting.

He bade his men to tell them how Siegfried was besieged,While he with all his followers war against him waged,To help the lord of Sealand, loved by Gu-drun, his daughter;That all, as they were able, daily fought for her, and for him who sought her.

Hettel’s queen, fair Hilda, the hope began to haveThat luck would follow Herwic and all his warriors brave;And, as their worth befitted, all might well be speeding.Then said Gu-drun: “God grant it, that they our friends may back in health be leading.”

By Wâ-te’s men from Sturmland, the foes from AlzabieAnd all who came from Moorland were kept away from the sea;Sadly must they tarry within the sheltering castle:In Wâ-te and in Fru-te foes they had with whom they ill could wrestle.

Loudly swore King Hettel the castle ne’er to leave;That he and all his followers still to the end would strive,Till those to him had yielded who now the Moor befriended.Unwise had been their inroad, and this for them one day in sorrow ended.

Meanwhile the spies of Hartmut, whom he had thither sent,Tho’ little good they looked for, from the Norman border went;Ever to learn what happened they a watch were keeping,And from the stormy warfare they hoped that Hettel might no gain be reaping.

Now they saw that Siegfried, the Moorland king high-born,Was kept within the castle, besieged both eve and morn;Thence could he sally never, and this he knew with sorrow;His lands so far were lying, he little help from them could hope to borrow.

The Norman errand-bearers, sent forth their watch to makeBy Ludwig and young Hartmut, to them now hastened back:The happy news they carried, and soon at home were giving,That Hettel, the king, and Herwic were busy now, in warfare ever striving.

To them the lord of Normandy thanks for the tidings gave,And asked them: “Can you tell us how long those foemen brave,The men from the land of Karadie, will in Sealand tarry,Fighting ’gainst its warriors, till they, their wrongs avenged, of war are weary?”

One of them made answer: “The truth you now may hear:There they yet must linger more than another year.Never from their stronghold will the Hegelings free them;They there so well are guarded, that on their homeward way none e’er shall see them.”

Then the knight of Normandy, the daring Hartmut, spake:“This frees my heart from sorrow, and hope in me doth wake!If they are now beleaguered, then are we well befriended;We must to Hegeling hasten, ere Hettel’s fight with Siegfried shall be ended.”

Ludwig and young Hartmut had both the selfsame mind,—Had they ten thousand fighters whom they at once could find,Gu-drun they might lay hold on, and to their home might carry,Before her father, Hettel, came back again from the land where he did tarry.

Hartmut’s mother, Gerlind, earnestly gave thoughtTo wreak her wrath on Hettel, that he to harm be brought,Because her dear son Hartmut he shamefully had slighted.She wished the aged Wâ-te and Fru-te might be hanged, for the help they plighted.

Then spake the old she-devil: “Good knights, your hire behold!If you will now ride thither, my silver and my gold,That will I give you freely,— but women shall not share it.I care not if Hettel and Hilda shall rue their wrong, and ne’er again will dare it.”

Quoth Ludwig, Hartmut’s father: “We from our Norman landForthwith must make an inroad: soon will I have at handTwenty thousand fighters whom I for war will gather;With these it will be easy to seize Gu-drun, and bear her from her father.”

Then spake the youthful Hartmut: “Might ever this betide,That Hilda’s lovely daughter I here should see my bride,I would not take in barter for that a princedom fairest;Then might we here together pass our lives, each one to the other dearest.”

Busily his followers, hour by hour, gave thoughtHow they could do his wishes. A host King Ludwig broughtTo lead against the Hegelings; well were they outfitted.How should Hilda know it, that soon thereby her welfare would be blighted?

The wife of Ludwig also helped them as she could.For this she plotted ever, that fair Gu-drun be wooed,And, as the bride of Hartmut, to Normandy be carried;She did her best most busily that the maid one day should to her son be married.

Ludwig said to Hartmut, his well belovéd son:“Think well, O knight most worthy, no toil we now must shun,Until our foes are mastered and from their lands are driven.Reward the guests who help us; to our men at home by me shall gifts be given.”

These they soon were sharing, all and every one.Never yet in Suabia gifts so rich were known,Of steeds for war or burden, saddles, and shields fair shining;I ween they were gladly given: Ludwig ne’er before such thanks was winning.

Quickly all made ready to start upon their way.Sailors were found by Ludwig; skilful men were they,Who the deep sea-pathways knew, and well could follow;Hard must they be toiling to win their wages high upon the billow.

Now, in seemly measure, fit were they to go.Throughout the lands and highways soon the news did growThat Ludwig and young Hartmut home and land were leaving.They yet would see much sorrow, when they erelong their Hegeling foe were braving.

When to the shore they had ridden, ships were floating there,That workmen well had builded, the knights away to bear;Gerlind’s gold and riches had made them strong and steady.Nor Wâ-te the old nor Fru-te of this knew aught, nor were for their coming ready.

With three and twenty thousand they sailed the waters o’er.Now for Gu-drun young Hartmut a weight of sorrow bore:This, before his followers, to hide he was not earnest;He hoped to meet King Hettel, and him to overcome in strife the sternest.

As yet they knew not fully how they his land could reach.To the sons of many a mother the raid did sorrow teach.Near to the shores of Ortland the rolling billows bore them,Before ’twas known to Hettel: now Hilda’s castle rose in sight before them.

The warriors led by Hartmut were still twelve miles away;Yet had they come already over the wide, deep sea,Unto the land of the Hegelings, and to its shores so nearlyThat castles, towers, and palaces in Hilda’s town they all could see most clearly.

Ludwig, king of Normandy, bade that on the sandThey now should drop the anchors; he then gave word to landTo all his men together, and bade them do it quickly:They now had come so near them, they feared the Hegeling bands would gather thickly.

Then bore they up the weapons, with shields and helmets good,That they had with them carried over the heaving flood:They to fight made ready; yet they at first bethought themTo send through the land their runners, to learn if friendly helpers might be brought them.