Tale XXII: How Hilda Made War to Bring Back Her Daughter

We now will speak no longer of the toil the maidens boreFor knights as well as ladies. Queen Hilda evermoreHer thoughts to this had given how to win back her daughter,Out of the Norman kingdom, whither from home the daring Hartmut brought her.

First were workmen bidden, near to the deep sea-flood,Of ships to build her seven, strong, well made, and good;With two-and-twenty barges, broad, with both ends rounded.Whate’er for them was needed was quickly brought, and everything abounded.

Forty galleys also lay upon the sea;On these her eyes were feeding. Longing great had sheTo see the throng of fighters who should soon be sailing.She their food made ready; for this the knights her praise were loudly telling.

The time was drawing nearer, when now to cross the seaNo more should they be waiting, who wished the maids to free,That in a far-off kingdom in hardest toil were living.Now Hilda sent for her liegemen; to those who called them clothes she first was giving.

The day that she had chosen was at the Christmas-tide,When they must seek the foemen by whom King Hettel died.Forthwith to friends and kinsmen Hilda gave her bidding,That they to bring her daughter back from the Norman land must then be speeding.

Trusty men were bidden by Hilda first to goTo Herwic and his followers, that one and all should knowOf the inroad on the Normans that she had sworn and plotted.To many Hegeling children this erelong an orphan’s life allotted.

The men sent out by Hilda to Herwic rode in haste:For what they then were coming the king full quickly guessed;Then went he forth to meet them, soon as he saw them nearing;Gladly them he greeted, and soon from them Queen Hilda’s wish was hearing.

“Well you know, Lord Herwic, our woe and plight forlorn,And how the Hegeling warriors to help the queen have sworn.Yourself Queen Hilda trusteth more than any other;To none Gu-drun is dearer,— the homeless maid, long sundered from her mother.”

The well-born knight thus answered: “I know in truth too wellHow Hartmut had the boldness my fair betrothed to steal,Because his love she slighted, and hearkened to my wooing;For this Gu-drun, my lady, her father lost, and still her lot is ruing.

“My pledge and hearty greeting bear to your lady good;No more the Norman Hartmut by me shall be allowedTo hold so long in bondage my own betrothéd maiden:For me, of all, ’tis fittest to bring the lady home, our lives to gladden.

“To Hilda and her kinsmen this answer you may say:When Christmas time is over, on the sixth-and-twentieth day,I will ride to the Hegelings, three thousand fighters taking.”Then the men of Hilda waited no more, but home their way were making.

Now Herwic made him ready, and to the strife gave thought,With many faithful liegemen who oft had bravely fought.Those who to go were willing he for war outfitted;Though wintry was the weather, they to take the field no longer waited.

Of help the widowed Hilda sorely felt the need:Soon to her friends in Denmark she sent her men with speed,To tell the knights and warriors no more at home to tarry;For they to the Norman kingdom must ride, to free Gu-drun from bondage dreary.

They bore to the youthful Horant this errand from the queen:That he and all his kinsmen were to her lord of kin,And the sorrows of her daughter should by them be heeded;For death to her were better than ever that her child to Hartmut should be wedded.

Then sent the knight this answer: “Unto Queen Hilda say,—Though yet ’twill cost to women many a bitter day,I still, with all my followers, will help be gladly giving;For this will be heard the weeping of many a mother’s child, in the land now living.

“I bid you now, moreover, to say unto the queen,—Ere many days are ended, in her land will I be seen;Tell her that my wishes all to war are bending,And soon ten thousand warriors from out the Danish land will I be sending.”

The men sent there by Hilda of Horant took their leave:They sped to the Waalisch marches, and found Morunc the braveWith all his men about him, a margrave rich and daring.He gladly saw them coming, and of a loving welcome was not sparing.

Then spake the knightly Irold: “Since now by me ’tis knownThat into the Hegeling kingdom, before seven weeks are gone,I with all my followers am bidden to be riding,For this will I be ready, whatever luck be there for us betiding.”

The news was spread by Morunc, within the Holstein land,That Hilda now was sending for all her friends at hand;He said that all good warriors must the field be taking.To the Danish knight, brave Fru-te, they also gave the word, his help bespeaking.

The worthy knight, then answering, his ready will did show:“Back to her home will we bring her. Thirteen years ago,We swore the land of the Normans should with war be wasted;’Twas then the friends of Hartmut stole the maid Gu-drun, and homeward hasted.”

Wâ-te, the knight from Sturmland, to this at once gave thought,How he might also help her. Altho’ he yet knew noughtOf the word that Hilda sent him, yet he at once bestirred him;Of his knights a goodly number then in haste he called, who gladly heard him.

All of them were busy with care for the coming war;Wâ-te the old from Sturmland brought from near and farFull a thousand kinsmen, for the fight well fitted;With these he hoped that Hartmut would soon be overcome and be outwitted.

The sad and homeless women in toil and pain were keptBy the cross and evil Gerlind: but fewer wrongs were heapedUpon the Lady Hergart; (this name to her was given:)She loved the king’s high cup-bearer, and greatly hoped to be a princess even.

For this fair Hilda’s daughter often sorely wept;And Hergart, too, yet later woe and sorrow reaped,Because she ne’er with others would their toils be sharing.Whate’er to her might happen, Gu-drun for all her ills was little caring.

Of the Hegelings none were idle, as you before have heard:Tho’ many for all their toiling would find but scant reward,Yet all within the kingdom their ready help were lending.Now the knights were thinking for the brother of Gu-drun ’twere best they should be sending.

Riders then went swiftly into the land of the North,And found in an open meadow the youth of kingly birth,Where by the edge of a river many birds were flocking:There with his trusty falconer he showed his skill, and spent his time in hawking.

As soon as, riding quickly, these by him were seen,He said: “Those men now coming are sent to us by the queen;They come to give her bidding, proudly hither hasting;My mother thinketh wrongly that we the war forget, and time are wasting.”

He set his hawk a-flying, and thence at once he rode.Very soon thereafter darkened was his mood;For when the men he greeted, and they their tale were telling,He learned that the queen, his mother, ever in tears her loss was aye bewailing.

She to the youthful warrior sent her greeting kind:In her wretched lot, she asked him what might be his mind;And asked how many followers he could to the war be leading;For from the Hegeling kingdom they all to the Norman land must soon be speeding.

Then Ortwin sent this answer: “Me dost thou rightly bid;I from hence will hasten, and bring from far and wideTwenty thousand fighters,— men both brave and daring;These my steps will follow even to death, their lives and homes forswearing.”

Now from every border many warriors wentRiding to Hilda’s kingdom, for whom the queen had sent;They vied with one another, to win her praises striving.Not less than sixty thousand together came, their help for Hilda giving.

On the river Waal Sir Morunc had upon the waveOf broad-built ships full sixty, strong to bear the braveWho with the Hegelings sailing would o’er the sea be carried,To free Gu-drun, the maiden, who sadly now among the Normans tarried.

From out the Northland also finest ships were brought,With horses and with clothing, as good as could be sought:Decked were all the helmets, the weapons glittered brightly,Ready for the onset bravely they came, in armor fair and knightly.

Now by their shields men reckoned how many there might beWho to the Norman kingdom would go the maid to free,And to the great Queen Hilda their help to give were ready;They numbered seventy thousand; gifts to all were given by the queenly lady.

On all who there were gathered, or to court who later came,The queen, though ever mournful, yet let her kindness beam:She gave them hearty welcome, and every one she greeted;Wondrous was the clothing that to the chosen knights Queen Hilda meted.

The many ships of Hilda were stored with all things well,And early on the morrow were ready thence to sail;Seemly was the outfit for her worthy guests who waited:They chose not to be going, while aught they lacked to meet the foeman hated.

They put on board the weapons, as was the queen’s behest,And with them many helmets of beaten steel the best.Hauberks white were given, besides the ones in wearing,For warriors full five hundred; these she bade them take, to war now faring.

Their anchor-ropes well twisted of strongest silk were made:Their sails both rich and showy to the winds were spread;These to the shores of the Norman the Hegelings would carry,Who back to Lady Hilda would gladly bring Gu-drun, of waiting weary.

The anchors for the sailors were not of iron made,But of bell-metal moulded; (so have we heard it said:)They with Spanish brasses all were bound and strengthened,That loadstones should not hold them, and so the sailors’ way by this be lengthened.

To Wâ-te and his followers the Lady Hilda gaveMany clasps and arm-bands. This roused the strong and braveTo meet their death from foemen, for the Hegelings fighting,When they from Hartmut’s castle strove to wrest the maid, in bondage sitting.

Freely then and earnestly Queen Hilda spoke her thoughtUnto the men from Daneland: “When you have bravely foughtOn the stormy field of warfare, I will reward you fitly.Still my banner follow; that will show the way, and lead you rightly.”

They asked of her, who held it; to this then answered she:“He bears the name of Horant; a Danish lord is he.His mother, Hettel’s sister, she it was who bore him;Let him by you be trusted; forsake him not in fight with foes before him.

“Never, my hardy warriors, must you forget my son,Young Ortwin, dear-belovéd, to manhood nearly grown.Of life the youth has numbered twenty years already;If any risk should threaten, to guard him well then let your help be speedy.”

To this they pledged them gladly, and all together said,So long as they were with him nought had he to dread;If he their lead would follow, those from whom he partedAgain unharmed would see him. At this young Ortwin showed himself light-hearted.

Soon the ships were laden with goods of every kind,And now to tell his wonder none fit words could find.They asked good Hilda’s blessing on the work now undertaken;The queen then begged of Heaven that they by Christ should never be forsaken.

Many youths went with them whose fathers erst were slain;Now bereft, these brave ones to right their wrongs were fain.The women of the Hegelings were mourning all and weeping,Beseeching God in Heaven to bring them back their sons in his holy keeping.

But all this pain and sorrow the warriors might not bear;They sternly bade the women their bitter wails to spare;Then on their way they started in gladness, shouting loudly,And as they went on shipboard all were heard to sing, and set forth proudly.

After these daring sailors had cast off from the land,Many sorrowing women did at the windows stand:From Matelan’s lofty castle, never the watch forsaking,Their eyes the sea-path followed, as from the land the men their way were taking.

A friendly wind was blowing, and loudly cracked the mast;They the sails stretched tightly, and left the land at last.The son of many a mother went, for honor seeking;Though this awaited many, yet to gain it they must toil be taking.

I cannot tell you fully of all that them befell,Save that the lord of Karadie, who in that land did dwell,With fighters came to help them, the foeman never fearing;He from home brought with him ten thousand knights, all men of strength and daring.

Where foes upon the Wulpensand had met in deadly fray,These knights from many a kingdom, now, at this later day,Chose the spot for meeting; and here they came together:A church had here been builded, and old and young alike had their gifts brought hither.

Now within its harbor, to seek their fathers’ graves,Out of the ships here gathered went many of Hilda’s braves.Bitter was their sorrow, and anger keen did waken;Hard would it be for any who erst in fight the lives of their friends had taken.

Unto the lord of Moorland they hearty welcome gave.Four and twenty broad-boats he brought with warriors brave;Food therein was laden that might for all have lastedTill twenty years were ended: to war with the Normans now they gladly hasted.

When they to sail were ready, they left the sheltering shoreTo make their way o’er the waters; but heavy toil they boreUpon the wild sea-billows before their sail was ended.What helped it that their leaders, Fru-te the Dane and Wâ-te, them befriended?

A wind from the south was blowing, and drove them out to sea.The crew of warlike shipmates from fear no more were free;They could not find the bottom, altho’ they should be castingLengths of rope a thousand; many sailors wept, their lot foretasting.

Before the mount at Givers soon lay Queen Hilda’s host;However good their anchors, upon that gloomy coast,Drawn by loadstones thither, they a long time rested.Their masts so tough and hardy soon before their eyes were bent and twisted.

When now the hopeless sailors were weeping o’er their lot,Thus spoke the aged Wâ-te: “Anchors again throw out,The strongest and the heaviest, into the sea unsounded.I’ve heard of many wonders I would rather see, than here on the rocks be grounded.

“Since, astray long sailing, our lady’s ships here lie,And we so far are driven across the darkling sea,I now will tell a sea-tale, that stirred my childish wonder,Of how, near the mount at Givers, a kingdom erst was built by a mighty founder.

“Men there in wealth are living; so rich is all their landThat under the flowing rivers silver is the sand;With this they make their castles, and the stones are goldenWith which their walls are builded. In all the kingdom none in want are holden.

“’Twas told to me, moreover, (by God are wonders wrought,)If one who by the loadstone unto this mount is brought,Here will only tarry till the wind from the land is blowing,He with all his kindred may be forever rich when homeward going.

“Let us our food be eating until our luck shall turn,”Said then the aged Wâ-te; “before we hence are borne,Our ships that here are lying shall with ore be loaded:When this we home shall carry, wealth shall we have that no one e’er foreboded.”

Then spake the Danish Fru-te: “A still, unruffled seaShall never keep in idleness the men now here with me:A thousand times I swear to you, no gold would I be seeking,But rather away from this mountain, with friendly winds, would I my way be taking.”

The Christian men among them raised to Heaven a prayer;But yet the ships ne’er yielded, strongly fastened there:For four long days or over all their hopes were thwarted;Sorely feared the Hegelings that they from thence could nevermore be started.

The clouds now lifted higher, as the mighty God had willed;Then no more they sorrowed, for soon the waves were stilled,And from out the darkness the sun was shining brightly.A wind from the west was blowing, and now the woes were o’er of the wanderers knightly.

For miles full six and twenty, past Givers’ craggy shore,The ships at last were wafted. By this they saw yet moreThe work of God and his goodness, in all the help then given.Wâ-te with his followers had been too near the rocks of loadstone driven.

To smoothly flowing waters they now were come at last:Their sins were not rewarded, and all their woes were past,While fear from them was taken, since God was not unwilling.The ships that bore the warriors straight to the Norman land at length were sailing.

But soon among the sailors arose again a wail;For now the ships were groaning, and soon began to reel,Tossed among the breakers that overwhelmed them nearly:Then said the brave knight Ortwin: “We now indeed must buy our honors dearly.”

Outspake then one of the sailors: “Alas! and well-a-day!I would we were at Givers, and dead near its mountain lay!If one is by God forgotten, by whom is he befriended?My brave and hardy warriors, the roar of the blustering sea is not yet ended.”

Then cried the knight, Sir Horant, he of the Danish land:“Be of good heart, brave fellows; I well can understandThis wind no harm will do us; from out the west ’tis blowing.”This cheered the lord of Karadie, on him and on his men fresh hope bestowing.

Horant, the daring warrior, up to the topmast climbed,And the widely stretching billows swept, with eyes undimmed,Keeping for land an outlook. They soon his call were hearing:“Wait you now, unfearing; I see that we the Norman land are nearing!”

The word to all was given, that they should lower sail:Searching the waters over, they saw far off a hill,Lofty, and thickly wooded, with groves and leafage shaded;Then old Wâ-te bade them thither to bend their way, and this they heeded.