Adventure XXIII: How Kriemhild thought on Vengeance for her Wrongs

Amid all this honour and glory--herein doth the bard sing true--Dwelt they in love together till the seventh year onward drew.In the midst of the years unto Kriemhild was born a noble son.In the life of Etzel never had a brighter dayspring shone.Never she ceased from pleading till she won her love's rewardThat unto the font baptismal of the faith of Christ the LordBrought was the child of Etzel, and Ortlieb they named the boy.Then all King Etzel's kingdom rejoiced with exceeding joy.

In the selfsame paths of virtue that Helka had trodden erstThe feet of the Lady Kriemhild paced day by day from the first;By Herrat, the stranger princess, in the ways of the land were theyset,While her secret heart for Helka bore a burden of long regret.The son of the land and the stranger with one accord confessedThat never had any kingdom of any king possessedMore bounteous queen and gracious: true witness they held it of her.Such was her praise mid the Hunfolk still till the thirteenth year.

Now when she marked how no man opposed him to her will--Even so unto wives of princes knights wont to bear them still--And that twelve kings stood in her presence aye as the years passedon,On the pain and the wrong she brooded that was dealt to her yearsagone.She thought withal on the honour that of yore in the Niblung landOf right unto her was rendered, whereof had Hagen's handUtterly despoiled her when Siegfried by him had been slain:And she pondered how she might compass that his wrong should becomehis bane:--"Into this land could I but bring him, then might my vengeancebetide!"She dreamed a dream, how that walking anear her, close at her side,Was Giselher her brother, and she kissed him again and againIn slumber--what meant that vision was thereafter all too plain!

The Foul Fiend was it surely that whispered Kriemhild's heartIn outward-seeming friendship from Gunther the King to part,And with kiss of feigned forgiveness, in Burgundia years ago.Now the old pain woke, and her vesture was drenched with the hottears' flow.On her heart lay morning by morning, and evening by evening layThe thought, how they had constrained her the faith of her youth tobetrayBy taking to husband a heathen, when will thereto she had none.This wrong unto her had Hagen and her brother Gunther done.How she might wreak her vengeance still thought she day by day:--"Now am I waxen so mighty, I have such far-reaching sway,That I of them that have wronged me could exact the penalty.Gladly with Hagen of Troneg would I deal as he dealt with me!For my belovèd mourneth my spirit within me still.Might I but draw them hither which have worked me all this ill,Then, then might I have vengeance at last for my Siegfried's death.Scarce can I endure this waiting!" she moaned with passionate breath.

Well was she loved of all men of Etzel's vassal-arrayWhich were named the Knights of Kriemhild: good cause in sooth hadthey.Friends many were won by Eckwart her treasurer's open hand.The will of the Lady Kriemhild might none in the realm withstand.Each day was she thinking, thinking: "I will make my request to theKingIf so of his grace and his goodness he may haply grant this thingThat my friends be bidden to see me here in the Land of the Hun."But the guileful purpose of Kriemhild the while was divined of none.

One night, when the Lady Kriemhild beside King Etzel lay,When he held her in arms enfolding, even as his wont was ayeIn his love for the noble lady who was dear as his life unto him,Then on her enemies thought she, and her thoughts were guileful andgrim.She spake unto King Etzel: "My dearly-belovèd Lord,I would make unto thee my petition, if this thy grace would accord,That thou suffer mine heart to be gladdened, if my love hath deservedthis meed,By the proof of mine eyes that my kinsmen be dear unto thee indeed."Then spake the King, and, speaking, was guileless his heart within:"Hereof will I certify thee: whatsoe'er to thine hero-kinIs done for their honour and profit, for mine own joy shall it bedone;For never by love of woman nobler kin have I won."

Unto him the Queen made answer: "Well known is this unto thee,That indeed I have high-born kinsmen; but sorely it troubleth meThat, since I wedded thee, never their faces have I seen.In sooth, of all thy people am I known for 'the Kinless Queen'!"Made answer and spake King Etzel: "O wife, heart's dearest mine,If not too great be the journey, I will bid them over RhineHither to this my kingdom, the friends thou art fain to see."Then for the word that spake him her ally glad was she."If thou, my lord," she made answer, "thy kindness to me wilt show,Unto Worms, to the city of Rhineland, forth let thy messengers go;So will I send mine heart's wish to the friends in the far-away home;And so knights noble and gentle full many to us shall come."He answered: "If this thou askest, thereto hast thou my consent.Thyself in the sight of thy kinsmen shall be never so well contentAs I, in beholding the faces of noble Uta's sons.I grieve that these have been strangers so long from the land of theHuns.My wife, my well-belovèd, if this be thy pleasure," he said,"As messengers unto thy kinsmen straightway of me shall be spedUnto Burgundy-land our minstrels, the lords of the viol-string."Into his presence the minstrels he bade them straightway bring.

Then came the King's two servants to the presence of their lordWhere he sat by the Queen, and Etzel delivered to them his wordThat he would they should be his heralds unto far Burgundia-land.And for their arraying in vesture right goodly he gave command.For good knights four-and-twenty were provided mantle and vest;For to these withal with the minstrels was given the King's behest,Even to bear his bidding unto Gunther and his men.But the Lady Kriemhild set her to commune with them privily then.Said the mighty King: "Now hearken, that mine hest ye may so fulfil:I send unto those our kinsmen all love and all good will,And I pray them to ride to my country unto them that love them here.Never in all my life-days guests have I known so dear.And if these peradventure be minded to grant the thing that I pray,Even the kinsmen of Kriemhild, I beseech them not to delay,But to come in the summer season of this year unto my feast:So by these my marriage-kinsmen shall the joy of my life beincreased."Made answer the viol-minstrel, and Schwemmel the knightly replied:"When, O my Lord, in the Hunland shall fall thy festal tide,To the end that unto thy kinsmen by Rhine we may certainly say?"Made answer and spake King Etzel, "On next Midsummer Day.""We will do after thy commandment," straight Werbel made reply.

Then Kriemhild caused the heralds to be summoned secretlyUnto the closet royal, and there she communed with the twain.Thereof unto many a good knight was begotten ruinous bane.She spake in her guile to the heralds: "Ye shall earn of me richmeed,If ye keep in your hearts my counsel, and perform it with diligentheed,And speak in mine ancient home-land the word of my desire;Then rich in goods will I make you, and give to you royal attire.When at Worms beside Rhine-river your messenger feet shall be broughtTo the presence of those my kinsfolk, see ye confess this notThat here ye have ever beheld me in grief as of widowhood.And bear ye my love-greeting to the heroes valiant and good,And pray them to grant this favour, even my lord's request,And thereby to bring me riddance from the constant grief of mybreast,Even this, that I seem 'the Kinless' here in the Hunfolk's sight.For me, full oft to the Rhineland would I come, were I but a knight!Unto Gernot withal my brother, the noble prince, say yeThat none unto him more loving than I on earth can be;And pray that he bring with him hither all our noblest kinTo greet us here in the Hunland: high honour so shall we win.And to Giselher's remembrance withal be this thing brought,That never through him to Kriemhild hath wrong or despite beenwrought:Him therefore here in the Hunland gladly mine eyes would see;Yea, sorely I long to greet him for his love and his faith unto me.What glory here hath crowned me do ye to my mother say.And, if haply Hagen of Troneg would fain hang back from the way,Who then through those strange marches shall be guide to the mightyones?For hath not he known from childhood the paths to the land of theHuns?"

Now the messengers knew not wherefore so fixed it was in her mindThat they should not suffer Hagen of Troneg to tarry behindBeside the Rhine. To their sorrow were they to learn it yet,When with grim death many a hero face to face should be set.Unto these were messages given and tokens from Etzel's hand.With wealth enriched they journeyed: they might bear them as lords ofthe land.Fair leave of their liege-lord Etzel and his comely wife took they,And they went forth splendour-vestured in royal-rich array.