Adventure XII: How Gunther bade Siegfried to a Festival

Now through all these years ever Brunhild the Queen to her own heartsaid:"How comes it that Lady Kriemhild beareth so proudly her head?And yet is her husband Siegfried nought but our vassal, I trow;Yet for long hath he rendered homage or service little enow!"So bare she in secret a burden of brooding and heart's unrest,And that these in a far land tarried was ever a thorn in her breast,Yea also, that none brought tribute to her out of Siegfried's land;How it befell she knew not, and she wearied to understand.

Then made she trial of Gunther, if haply she might attainHer purpose, to meet Queen Kriemhild face to face again;And she took with him secret counsel for that whereon aye did shebrood.But the word of the Queen unto Gunther seemed in no wise good."How might we bring them hither?" that noble King replied,"Even to this our kingdom? The thing can never betide.Too far is their dwelling: I dare not ask that this might be!"But Brunhild to him made answer with speech of subtlety:"And be he never so mighty, who is vassal still to a King,Whatsoever his liege-lord biddeth, of force must he do the thing."Smiled Gunther for this delusion that in her heart had place--Little he thought on homage when he looked upon Siegfried's face."Nay, dear my lord," she made answer, "I pray thee, help me herein--By my love I beseech thee--that Siegfried and thy sister Kriemhildthe QueenMay come unto this thy kingdom, that we may behold them here.In all this world could be given no joy to mine heart more dear.That gracious mien of thy sister, and her queenly courtesy,Still as I muse thereover, how sweet is the memory,How we sat at the feast of my bridal side by side at the board!In sooth hath she chosen with honour Siegfried the brave for herlord."She lay on him sore in entreaty, that at last King Gunther said:"Now know, that no guests more welcome my feast-hall floor couldtread.Lightly is gained thy petition: swift messengers of mineShall be sent unto them, to bid them come unto us by Rhine."Then spake that Daughter of Princes: "Now shalt thou tell unto meWhen thou wilt send to bid them, and how many days shall it beEre come into this our kingdom the friends we love so well.And whom thou wilt send to bid them unto me beforehand tell."

"Yea," answered the King, "that will I: There shall go of myknightly arrayThirty thitherward riding." For these did he send straightway;And with that message he charged them, to bear it to Siegfried'sland.Rich raiment to gladden their spirits received they of Brunhild'shand."My knights, ye shall take this message from me"; thus spake theKing;"And of all wherewith I have charged you withhold not anything.Say unto Siegfried the mighty, and unto my sister say,That in all this world may no one be dearer to me than they.And pray them to come to their kinsfolk here beside Rhine-river:And for this unto them shall Brunhild and I be beholden ever.Ere summer to autumn waneth full many shall he see here,Even he and his men, that in honour hold him passing dear.And bear ye to King Siegmund my service in courtesy,And say that to him aye bounden my friends and I shall be:And pray ye also my sister that she tarry not to rideTo her friends--she hath lighted never on so worthy a festal-tide."

Brunhild withal, and Uta, yea, every high-born dameUnto the land of Siegfried fair greeting sent by nameTo their kinsfolk and their acquaintance, fair lady and valiantknight.So, sped by King and Council, they hasted thence forthright;For they stood all girt for the journey, seeing all things ready tohandHad they, their horses, their raiment: so rode they forth of theland.On to the goal they hasted whereunto their hearts were bent.Strong escort on that wayfaring to guard them the King had sent.

So it was, on the twelfth day's dawning they came to the Niblungland,To the fencèd city, whither they were sent by the King's command.Afar on the marches of Norway that hero-thane found they:And by this were steed and rider forwearied with all the way.Unto Siegfried and unto Kriemhild were tidings borne with speedThat knights were come to their castle arrayed in suchlike weedAs folk in the land Burgundian were wont to wear alway.Then leapt from the couch that lady, where resting yet she lay;And a certain one of her handmaids she bade to the casement go,Who beheld the valiant Gere in the court stand therebelow,Even him and his fellow-farers which thither from far had sped.All heart-ache of the exile like a dream at the tidings fled.And she cried aloud unto Siegfried: "Behold how there they wait,These that with Gere the stalwart have ridden through our gate,These whom my brother Gunther unto us down Rhine-flood sends!"Made answer Siegfried the mighty, "Welcome to us be our friends!"Straightway beholding them hasted to greet them squire and knight,And this one and that with welcome hailed them, and, each as hemight,They paid to the heralds royal all loving courtesies.Yea, also the old King Siegmund rejoiced for the coming of these.

So when they had given fair lodging to Gere and all his men,And had stabled in stall their horses, they led those messengers thenTo the place where sat King Siegfried with Kriemhild at his side,Even the Hall of the Presence, when his pleasure was signified.Then the King and the Queen from their high-seats rose up at theirentering-in,And they graciously greeted the envoys of their far Burgundian kin,Even these and their fellow-farers, King Gunther's liegemen all,And entreated Gere the noble, "Sit thou with us in the hall.""Let us first of our message acquit us, ere we sit down to rest:So long let him stand in thy presence, thy travel-weary guest;And so shall the word be spoken which is sent unto you of the King,Of Gunther, and of Queen Brunhild. In bliss be they prospering.From the Lady Uta thy mother, O Queen, have we also a word,And from Giselher the stripling, and from Gernot the royal lord,And from all your nearest kinsfolk: hither have these sent usFrom Burgundia-land with greetings exceeding courteous."

"God guerdon them!" said Siegfried; "I put my trust alwayIn their love and their faith true-hearted, as friend with frienddoth aye:This doth withal their sister. Now shall ye further tellIf our friends in their far-off homeland be merry, and all go well.Since the day that we parted from them, hath any evil been doneBy a foe to my Lady's brethren? Concerning this say on.In loyal faith will I help them aye to the uttermost.Of my service to these shall foemen learn to their bitter cost."

Answered the Lord of the Marches, Gere, a right good knight:"In chivalry and in joyance be all things going aright;And they bid you now unto Rhineland to a glorious festal-tide.Glad shall they be to behold you, hereof be ye certified.They beseech my Lady Kriemhild withal that she come with theeSo soon as the feet of the winter from the face of the spring shallflee.Or ever the summer waneth full fain would they look upon you."Answered Siegfried the mighty, "Not lightly this may I do!"

But Gere the earl Burgundian spake on furthermore:"Nay also Uta your mother beseecheth you very sore,And Giselher and Gernot: ye may not say them nay.That ye dwell so far from their faces is their sorrow day by day.Brunhild withal my Lady and her maidens in bower and hallRejoice over this my message; and if haply it might befallThat they look once more on your faces, heart-uplifted they were."Then exceeding glad for the tidings was Kriemhild the loving andfair.

Now the Queen's near kinsman was Gere, and the King bade seat himon high,And pour them the wine of welcome; no more might they put it by.Thither withal came Siegmund, and rejoiced their faces to see;And the old king lovingly greeted the heralds of Burgundy:"Welcome to us, ye liegemen of Gunther, knight and thane!Behold, forasmuch as Siegfried my son to wife hath ta'enKriemhild, the great King's sister, more oft should we see you thusGuests in our land, if closer ye would knit up friendship with us."And they cried, whensoe'er it should please him, with joyful heartswould they come.From their limbs was weariness banished, by gladness stolentherefrom.Then the horns blew up to the banquet, and they feasted with all goodcheer,For Siegfried had bidden lavish the best upon friends so dear.

Till nine full days were accomplished, they constrained them thereto abide,Till the eager knights uplifted a voice of complaining, and cried:"Will ye aye withhold us from riding back to our land at all?"Then to a council did Siegfried his friends and his kinsmen call.He prayed them to give their counsel, should he go to the Rhine orforbear:"Gunther, my fair Queen's brother, entreateth me to fareTo the land where he and his brethren a mighty feast will array;And fain would I go, but his kingdom is exceeding far away.And they make request that Kriemhild shall thitherward fare with me.Give counsel, friends and kinsmen, shall this her journey be?Were it but to lead through kingdoms thrice ten a warrior-band,Glad help and willing service should they have of Siegfried's hand."Unto him did the knights make answer: "If thy will and thy pleasureit isTo journey to this high feast-tide, our rede unto thee is this:With good knights twice five hundred hence shalt thou ride to theRhine,So through all thy stay in Burgundia shall royal honour be thine."

Then spake the old king Siegmund, erewhile the Netherland's Lord:"Wouldst thou to a feast-tide, and tellest to me thereof no word!Even I will be your companion, if this content you well,And thanes of my train a hundred your guard-array shall swell.""If thou, O father beloved, wilt ride in our company,"Made answer Siegfried the dauntless, "a joy shall it be unto me.Ere twelve days have passed over, I ride forth out of our land."Then gave they horses and raiment unto all that should be of theirband.

When therefore set on the journey was the heart of that king of men,They suffered the eager envoys to ride thence homeward again;And he charged them to say to the brethren of Kriemhild, byRhine-river side,That Siegfried joyful-hearted would come to their festival-tide.Siegfried the hero and Kriemhild, as telleth the minstrel's tale,So laded with presents the heralds, that their own steeds could notavailTo bear all the guerdon homeward, so wealthy a lord was he:So they drove it on sumpter-horses, journeying joyfully.

To their people was raiment given by Siegfried and Siegmund hissire;And Eckwart, Lord of the Marches, bade seek out splendid attireFor the ladies of Kriemhild, the richest vesture that might be foundOr be won by diligent searching in all the land around.Goodly saddles and bucklers they bade the craftsmen prepareFor the noble knights and ladies that with him were bidden to fare.Nought lacked they; all that they asked for was given with open hand.So brought he guests most princely to his friends in the far-offland.

Meanwhile are the envoys returning, and ever they speed on fast.So cometh the proud thane Gere to Burgundia-land at last,And with honour there is he welcomed. Down to the earth they springFrom saddle of steed and palfrey in front of the hall of the King.Forth poured the youths and the elders, as folk be wont to do,And asked of him touching his tidings. Made answer the knightthereto:"When I speak to the King my message, unto you shall the same beknown."So entered he in with his comrades where Gunther sat on his throne.

Upleapt the King from the high-seat, and bright for joy was hisface.Brunhild withal the lovely thanked them with queenly graceFor this their speedy returning, and the King to the messengersspake:"How fareth Siegfried, who ofttimes hath ventured his life for mysake?"Made answer Gere the valiant: "For joy was his face aflame,Even his and thy sister's. Message so gracious never cameFrom any man aforetime that would greet far-sundered friends,As now unto you with his father the noble Siegfried sends."Then of the Lord of the Marches the King's wife questioned and cried:"Answer me, cometh Kriemhild? As of old is her beauty's prideAnd the grace of the queenly bearing that to her did of yoreappertain?""O yea, of a surety she cometh," made answer Gere the thane.Then the herald at Uta's bidding came before that Queen,And now by her eager asking all in a moment was seenWhereunto was her whole heart yearning--"How hath my child's wealsped?"And he said, "She is well, and she cometh ere many days be fled."

Then showed they the herald's guerdon in the palace for all tobehold,The gifts of the hand of Siegfried, the raiment and the gold:Nothing thereof was hidden from the three Kings' vassalry.All rendered the hero honour for his bounty and courtesy."Ha! well may the man," cried Hagen, "with full hand give away.Ne'er could he spend his treasure, not though he should live for aye.The Hoard of the Niblungs lieth in the hollow of his hand!--Ha, if the same came ever hither to Burgundy-land!"

Right glad in court and castle were all the thanes when they heardOf the friends that should come; and a spirit of diligent toilingstirredIn all men late and early, yea, in all the Kings' array.Long ranks of stately high-seats afront of the burg reared they.There toiling was Hunold the valiant, there toiling was Sindold thethane:Full little rest they tasted, in their office as laboured the twain,Steward and cupbearer-royal, as the seats rose rank on rank:There daily was Ortwein helping; and Gunther rendered them thank.Rumold the feast-arrayer, how urged he on at that tideThe vassalry of the kitchen!--full many a caldron wide,Skillet and seething-vessel--how shone they in line on lineFor the ordering of the feasting of the guests of the Land of Rhine!(C) Toiled also the palace-maidens in many a fair device:They broidered the costly loomwork, and many a gem of priceThey set in the midst of the gold thread, that far its splendourshone.Was none but thanked them and praised them as they cunningly laidthem thereon.