Tale XV: How Hartmut Carried Away Gudrun

Now at Hartmut’s bidding heralds quickly rodeTo where the queenly Hilda and her daughter dear abode.To them his word they carried, that if to wed the maidenThey should think him worthy, her and her mother both it well might gladden.

If she her love would give him, as he had asked before,—Ofttimes his heart was heavy for the love to her he bore,—That he would ever serve her so long as he was living,And many lands wide-reaching, held of his father, would to her be giving.

But if she would not love him, she then would earn his hate;He asked of her that kindly she his love would meet,So that he to his fatherland his lovely bride might carryWithout a fight or struggle. To hope for this brave Hartmut ne’er was weary.

Did she gainsay his wooing, Hartmut sent this word:“I will not be bought with silver, albeit a heavy hoard,To leave in peace her kingdom; she yet shall give me heeding.I will show Gu-drun, fair maiden, brave knights enough, to be for her eyes fine feeding!

“Further, good errand-bearers, this say to her from me:I ne’er will leave her borders to sail on the wide, deep sea;Better will I think it to be hewn in pieces even,Unless the Hegeling maiden will follow me hence, to me in wedlock given.

“But, should she scorn me wholly, and never my bride will be,Then me, with my daring fighters, riding here she will see.Before the Hegeling castle I will then leave lyingTwenty thousand warriors, on both sides of the roadway, dead or dying.

“Since by the craft of Wigaleis King Hettel has been led,And by the aged Wâ-te, hither our way we’ve madeInto the Hegeling kingdom, time and toil thus spending;For this shall many be fatherless, and glad shall I be of the whole to make an ending.”

Those sent forth by Hartmut fast on their way did ride,For he bade them wait no longer. They came to a castle wide,By name ycleped Matelan; therein was Hilda dwelling,And with her was her daughter, the maid about whose charms all men were telling.

With them sent Hartmut also two earls of wealth and name,Who with him out of Normandy over the waters came.He bade them see Queen Hilda, and kindly to bespeak her;To pledge to her his friendship, and say that his goodwill would ne’er forsake her.

Of her they must ask her daughter, for him who in his mindSo high had ever set her, above all womankind:In worthy love he wooed her, and she would rank be takingThat for aye would make her happy; to do her will she ne’er would find him lacking.

To the maiden’s waiting-women the news was quickly told,That from out the land of Normandy a band of wooers boldHither rode to Matelan, and for Gu-drun were suing:Hilda hushed the tidings, for now Gu-drun in fright the tale was ruing.

Queen Hilda’s faithful warders opened soon the gate;Those who had ridden thither need no longer wait;They to come in were bidden. The gate was thrown wide open,And the men sent there by Hartmut into Matelan rode: no ill to them did happen.

They quickly told their wishes, to see King Hettel’s wife.It was not yet allowed them; they who should guard her life,And to the king must answer, at first had this forbidden:They never left uncared for Hilda the queen, and eke Gu-drun the maiden.

At last the men of Hartmut into the hall were led.To them the queenly Hilda kindly greeting made,As did Gu-drun the lady, with fair and lofty bearing;But she, the high-born maiden, love for Herwic in her heart was wearing.

Altho’ they felt unfriendly, yet drink they gave to the menEre yet they told their errand; freely then the queenBade them to be seated before herself and her daughter.She begged them then to tell her: “What boon to seek had brought them o’er the water?”

All the men of Hartmut before their seats yet stood,As well-bred men beseemeth, and errand-bearers should.Then they told the ladies what they would there be doing,—That for their master, Hartmut, they for the fair Gu-drun had come a-wooing.

The high-born maiden answered: “Of this I nought will hear,—That with the young King Hartmut I the crown should share,Before our friendly kinsmen, and troth to him be plighted:The name of the knight is Herwic whose love shall never by myself be slighted.

“To him I am betrothed; me he chose for a wife,And him for myself I have taken. Ever, throughout his life,All of good I wish him that can henceforth befall him:Ne’er, till my days are ended, will I ask the love of another, or my lord will call him.”

One of them then answered: “This warning Hartmut gives:If nay shall be your answer, before three days, if he lives,Against great Matelan castle you shall see him leadingAll his knightly followers.” Smiles at this were the maiden’s face o’erspreading.

Their leave they would be taking, and hasten on their way,Those two great earls so haughty; but Hilda bade them stay.Altho’ she ne’er had known them, of gifts she was not chary;But yet they would not take them, for crafty men were they, and in truth were wary.

At those sent there by Hartmut Hettel’s followers sneered,And said, their scorn and anger they very little feared:If to drink the wine of Hettel they were, in truth, unwilling,Then this warning gave they: that they their cup with blood would soon be filling.

When they had heard this answer, back to the shore they wentWhence they had been by Hartmut upon their errand sent.He then ran forth to meet them, to ask how they were treated,And what had them befallen, and how his courtship by Gu-drun was greeted.

Then one of them thus answered: “This to us they said:The high and queenly maiden a lover long has had,For whom, beyond all others, love in her heart she is feeling:If you will not taste their wine-cup, they soon will fill to you, your life-blood spilling.”

“Ah, woe is me!” said Hartmut, when he this answer heard;“My heart is full of anger, with shame I hear your word!Never men more friendly shall I need, till I am dying,Than those who now will help me.” Straightway his men upsprang, on the shore then lying.

Ludwig now and Hartmut, with their men, set out for war;Their banners high uplifted in pride and wrath they bore.These from Matelan castle were seen afar to shimmer:“Cheer up!” then said the maiden; “Herwic and Hettel come! their weapons glimmer!”

But Hilda saw the standard bore not King Hettel’s mark:“Ah, woe shall now betide us before this day grows dark!To seek Gu-drun are coming foemen grim and daring;Many a well-made helmet their blows shall hew before the night is nearing.”

Then her friendly Hegelings thus to Hilda spake:“If those led on by Hartmut to-day an onslaught make,Wounds we then must deal them, and show we are the stronger.”Queen Hilda then gave bidding to shut the castle gates, and wait no longer.

But the men of brave King Hettel followed not her hest;They who the castle guarded thought to fight their best.They bade that now their banners to the shafts be fastened;King Hettel’s daring followers, to slay his foes, from out the castle hastened.

The bars that should be lowered, to keep the foemen out,Were left, in over-boldness, and the gates not fully shut,Since from Hartmut’s foreguard they little harm foreboded.But when they pressed in boldly, then came the rest, who ever on them crowded.

A thousand men or over stood before the gate;These, their swords upbearing, the fight did there await.A thousand more with Hartmut now came thronging thickly;They then from their steeds alighted, and back to the rear they sent their horses quickly.

Spears in hand they carried, with points full keen to cut.Who could shun their onset? With heavy wounds they smoteThose who the castle guarded, in their pride o’erweening.Just at the hour came Ludwig, with his Norman knights, as the fight was now beginning.

Much the women sorrowed as Ludwig nearer rode:The banners o’er them floating well and proudly showedThe fearless foe oncoming; beneath each standard flocking,Three thousand now came boldly, tho’ sad on their homeward way they might yet be looking.

Before the walls beleaguered the guards were a busy band:Never hardier fighters were seen in any landThan were the faithful warders in Hettel’s castle dwelling;Their blows they were thickly dealing, and Hartmut’s men their strength were quickly feeling.

Ludwig, Hartmut’s father, the Norman king, was seenFrom hardened rims of bucklers to strike a fiery sheen:Truly, great was the bravery that now his heart was swelling;His friends and followers also, in the bloody game, were bold beyond all telling.

When they who the castle guarded hoped for rest and peace,Then their daring foemen did nearer to them press,Led by him of Normandy: the youthful Hartmut’s fatherGrudged no toil to help him; and this from that day’s fight one well might gather.

Now the trustful warders began in truth to mourn,That they, ’gainst Hilda’s bidding, had their care forborne,—The hest of the wife of Hettel, the high and worthy lady.For this their shields were shattered, and many a life was lost, in fight too ready.

Ludwig now and Hartmut on the field had met,And, holding speech together, learned that, striving yet,Queen Hilda’s men were seeking the castle gates to fasten;Then, with shields before them, to bear their flags within they all did hasten.

Rocks were hurled from the castle, and many spears were thrown,But the foe it hurt but little, and his daring lessened none.Little thought was given to the dead around them lying:With heavy stones down beaten, many bold besiegers there fell dying.

When Hartmut and King Ludwig came within the gate,Many, badly wounded, from them their death-stroke met.For this the lovely maiden began to sorrow sorely;Now in Hettel’s castle the woe they wrought was growing greater hourly.

Then the king of Normandy was glad enough, I ween,When to the halls of Hettel he could lead his men,Bearing well their weapons: soon his banner flutteredOver the roof of the castle. Hilda at this her sorrow loudly uttered.

Greatly do I wonder what might these guests befall,Had now the grim old Wâ-te been there, and seen it all,The while the men of Hartmut, with Ludwig, brave and daring,Thro’ the halls were rushing, and from her home the fair Gu-drun were tearing.

Both Wâ-te and King Hettel, if to them that dayA warning had been given, would stoutly have barred the way;They their foemen’s helmets with swords would so have rivenThat back to their homes in Normandy, without Gu-drun, would they have soon been driven.

Now within the castle were all in saddest mood;So men to-day might sorrow. Whate’er the foemen would,There did they lay hands on, and took from out the dwelling.Rich grew Hartmut’s followers,— you well may trust that I the truth am telling.

Then came the bold young Hartmut where he Gu-drun could see,And said: “Most worthy lady, you erst looked down on me;But now both I and my followers think of your kin so little,We will not seize and hold them, but slay and hang them, so the strife to settle.”

Then said the maiden only: “Alas! O father mine,Had you of this been knowing, that I, a child of thine,One day from out your kingdom would thus by foes be stolen,Never to me, poor maiden, such woe and sorry shame had here befallen.”

Then was the gold and clothing borne out by the robber band:Forth they took Queen Hilda, led by her snow-white hand.Matelan’s goodly castle they would have burned up gladly;For what became of the dwellers the Normans never cared, nor thought of sadly.

But Hartmut now had bidden that it should not be burned,To leave the land he hastened, and home again he turned,Before ’twas known to Hettel, who with his men was lyingWithin the Waalisch marches, and there against his foe his strength was trying.

“Leave your stolen booty!” to his men young Hartmut said;“At home my father’s riches will I give to you instead:Thus o’er the watery pathway our sail will be the lighter.”To Gu-drun the hand of Ludwig brought a heavy wrong, and woe full bitter.

They overthrew the castle, the town with fire they burned;From it the best was taken; with wealth they homeward turned:Two and sixty women thence with them they carried,And many lovely maidens. With heartfelt woe was queenly Hilda wearied.

How were they filled with sadness to leave the wine behind!Now did the queenly mother a seat in the window find,And looked upon her daughter, from home in sorrow turning.Many a stately lady the Normans left in tears, and bitterly mourning.

Weeping now and wailing was heard on either hand;No one there was happy, when from the father-landThe foe with Hilda’s daughter and with her maidens hasted.Many, now but children, for this, when men, to work them woe ne’er rested.

Those who were seized by Hartmut down to the shore he took;All their lands were wasted; their homes went up in smoke.Now his hopes and wishes happily were granted:Both Gu-drun and Hildeburg he with him carried off,—the prize he wanted.

Well he knew that Hettel was many a league away,And war was grimly waging; no more would Hartmut stay.Yet from the Hegeling kingdom no whit too fast he speeded,For word was sent by Hilda to Hettel and his friends, that much their help was needed.

How mournful were the tidings before the king she laid!—That in his home and castle his knights were lying dead,Or else were left by Hartmut now with death-wounds bleeding;That foes had seized his daughter, and with her many maids were homeward speeding.

She said: “Now tell King Hettel that I am here alone;Evil hath me o’ertaken, and now, with pride o’ergrown,Our mighty foeman, Ludwig, back to his land is faring;A thousand men or better lie at our gates, and the pains of death are bearing.”

Quickly then went Hartmut, and, ere three days were o’er,On board his keels was ready; these the plunder bore,As much as they could carry, whate’er his men had stolen.The men of brave King Hettel were dazed and stunned by all that had befallen.

What further did betide them, who in truth can tell?Loud on the ear it sounded, as they shifted the flapping sail,And away from the Hegeling kingdom, unto an isle forsaken,They their barks were turning; the name of Wulpensand—or shore of the wolves—it had taken.