The Nibelungenlied: The Lay of the Nibelungs (Oxford World's Classics) (33 page)

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his hair was mixed with grey. His legs were long and his countenance fearsome. His gait was proud.

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Then they ordered that lodgings be found for the men of Burgundy. Gunther’s retinue were given separate lodgings. That was on the advice of the queen, who bore him great enmity. (Thus it came about that they afterwards slew the squires in the lodgings.) Dancwart,

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Hagen’s brother, was the marshal. King Gunther commended his retinue to his care, telling him to tend them well and give them ample provisions. The hero of Burgundy bore them all goodwill.

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Fair Kriemhilt, with her retinue, walked over in treacherous mood to welcome the Nibelungs. She kissed Giselher and took him by the hand. Hagen of Tronege saw that—he buckled his helmet more firmly.

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‘After such a greeting as that,’ said Hagen then, ‘bold knights may have second thoughts. The kings and their vassals are being greeted separately. It was no good journey that we have made to this festivity.’

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Kriemhilt said: ‘Now let those welcome you who are glad to see you. I do not greet you because of any friendship I feel towards you. Tell me what you bring me from Worms on the Rhine that should make me give you such a fine welcome.’

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‘If I had known’, replied Hagen, ‘that knights ought to bring you gifts, I am wealthy enough, I suppose, and ought to have thought of bringing my gifts here to you in this land.’

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‘Now let me know more of this—the hoard of the Nibelungs: where have you put it? It was after all my property, as you well know. You ought to have brought that to me, into Etzel’s land.’

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‘In truth, my lady Kriemhilt, it is many a day since I last had charge of the hoard of the Nibelungs. My lords ordered that it be sunk in the Rhine. It will have to stay there till the end of time, for certain.’

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Then the queen said: ‘I thought as much. You have brought very little of it as yet here to this land, even though it was my own property and I once had charge of it. That causes me misery many a day.’

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‘The devil of a lot will I bring you!’ answered Hagen. ‘I have so much to carry with my shield and my breast-plate. My helmet shines bright. It is not to you that I bring this sword
*
in my hand.’

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Then the queen said to the warriors all around: ‘No weapons are to be taken into the hall. You heroes, you must surrender them to me. I’ll have them put in safe-keeping.’

‘In truth,’ replied Hagen, ‘that will never be! I do not desire such

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honour, munificent prince’s spouse, that you should carry my shield and other weapons of mine to the lodgings—you are a queen. My father taught me no such manners. I will be my own chamberlain.’

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‘Alas for my sorrows!’ said Lady Kriemhilt then. ‘Why will my brother and Hagen not let their shields be put in safe-keeping? They have been warned. If I knew who had done that, he would meet with death.’

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Angrily, Prince Dietrich answered her: ‘It is I who have warned the noble, mighty kings, and bold Hagen, the Burgundians’ vassal. Go to, she-devil, make me pay for it!’

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Etzel’s wife was deeply ashamed at that. She was bitterly afraid of Dietrich. She walked quickly away from him then, not speaking, but casting fierce looks at her foes.

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Two knights clasped hands then—the one was Sir Dietrich, the other Hagen. The gallant warrior said courteously: ‘I truly regret your arrival among the Huns, now that the queen has spoken such words.’ Hagen of Tronege replied: ‘All may yet turn out well.’ Thus the two bold men talked among themselves.

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King Etzel saw this and asked questions about it. ‘I would gladly

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know’, said the mighty king, ‘who that warrior might be whom
Sir Dietrich is welcoming there in such friendly fashion. He is a man of high spirits. No matter who his father might be, he may well be a worthy hero.’

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One of Kriemhilt’s men answered the king: ‘He is born of Tronege; his father was called Aldrian. No matter how blithely he bears himself here, he is a grim man. I will give you good proof that I have told no lie.’

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‘How am I to tell that he is so fearsome?’ As yet Etzel knew nothing of the great numbers of evil plots that the queen was afterwards to hatch against her kinsmen, letting none of them depart from the Huns alive. ‘I knew Aldrian well—he was my vassal. He won praise

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and much honour alongside me here. I made him a knight and gave him my gold. Loyal Helche held him very dear. Hence I know all

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about Hagen. Two gallant boys became my hostages, he and Walther of Spain. They grew to manhood here. I sent Hagen back to his homeland. Walther eloped with Hiltegunt.’
*

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He pondered over things that had happened long ago. He had recognized now his friend from Tronege, who, in his youth, had offered him great service. Now, in Etzel’s old age, Hagen was to bring about the death of great numbers of his dear friends.

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T
HEN
the two renowned warriors, Hagen of Tronege and Sir Dietrich, parted. Next Gunther’s vassal looked over his shoulder for a companion-in-arms—he swiftly gained one. He saw Volker standing

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alongside Giselher then. He asked the cunning fiddler to walk with him, for he was well acquainted with his grim cast of mind—he was in every respect a bold and worthy knight. They left their lords still

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standing in the courtyard. Those two were seen to walk off alone, far across the courtyard towards a spacious palace. Those excellent knights feared no one’s wrath. They sat down on a bench outside the

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castle, facing a hall—it belonged to Kriemhilt. The noble garments that they wore shone from them then. Plenty who saw them would gladly have made their acquaintance.

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The Huns gaped at the haughty heroes as if they were wild beasts. Etzel’s wife also observed them through a window. Fair Kriemhilt was troubled again by this. It reminded her of her sorrows—she

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began to weep. Etzel’s men wondered greatly as to what had so suddenly troubled her mind. She said: ‘It is Hagen, you bold and worthy heroes.’

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They said to the lady: ‘How has this happened? For we saw you happy just now. No one was ever so bold that if he’s done you wrong, if you tell us to avenge it, it’ll cost him his life.’

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‘I would always seek to reward anyone who would avenge my wrongs. All that he desired, I would be willing to give him. I kneel at your feet,’ said the king’s wife. ‘Avenge me on Hagen, and let his life be lost!’

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Sixty bold men swiftly armed themselves then. To carry out Kriemhilt’s wishes they wanted to go over and slay Hagen, that valiant man, and also the fiddler—that was the plot they laid. When

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the queen saw that their company was so small, she spoke grimly to the heroes: ‘You must abandon what you have in mind. You can never take on Hagen with such small numbers. No matter how strong

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and how bold Hagen of Tronege is, he who sits alongside him there is far stronger, Volker the fiddler—he is an evil foe. You must not take on those heroes so lightly.’

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When they heard those words they armed themselves in greater numbers, four hundred bold warriors. The proud queen was fully bent on doing her foes harm. (That caused great anguish to the knights thereafter.) When she saw that her company was well armed,

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the queen addressed the bold warriors: ‘Wait a while now—halt here. I want to walk over to my foes, wearing my crown. And hear my

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rebuke, hear what wrongs Hagen of Tronege, Gunther’s vassal, has done me. I know that he is so haughty that he will not deny anything of it before me. That is why I, for my part, do not care what befalls him in consequence.’

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Then the fiddler, that bold minstrel, saw the noble queen go down a staircase from a hall. When valiant Volker beheld that, he said to his companion-in-arms: ‘See now, friend Hagen, where she approaches,

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she who has treacherously invited us into this land. I’ve never beheld so many men alongside a king’s wife, bearing swords in their hands, walking so warlike. Do you know, friend Hagen, if she bears you enmity?

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In that case I would counsel you to be all the more on your guard,
to preserve your life and honour. It seems a good idea to me, the way I see it, for they are in an angry mood. Some of them, too, are

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so broad-chested, that anyone who is on his guard should brook no delay. I believe that beneath their silk
*
they wear bright breastplates. Whom they have in mind to attack I cannot tell.’

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Angrily, bold Hagen replied: ‘I well know that all this is aimed at me, that that is why they bear bright swords in their hands. Fighting against those, I might yet ride back to Burgundy. Now tell me, friend

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Volker, will you stand by me if Kriemhilt’s men want to do battle with me? Let me hear your answer, dear as I am to you. I’ll repay you loyally by my constant service.’

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‘Rest assured, I’ll help you,’ said the minstrel. ‘Even if I saw King Etzel himself advance upon us with all his warriors, for as long as I live I’ll help you and not budge a foot from your side out of fear.’

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‘Now God in Heaven reward you, most noble Volker! If they do battle against me, whom else do I need? Since you will help me, as I have heard, those warriors must watch their step!’

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‘Now let us stand up from the seat,’ said the minstrel. ‘She is a queen, and let her walk past. Let us offer her that honour—she is of noble birth. Each of us will also be honoured by that.’

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‘No, by the love you bear me!’ replied Hagen. ‘Then these knights would think that I did it out of fear, if I were to walk away from here. I will never stand up from the seat for any of them! It befits us both

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better, indeed, to omit any such greeting. Why should I honour one who is my foe? I shall never do so, as long as I live. Nor do I care about what wrath Etzel’s wife bears me.’

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Haughty Hagen laid a shining sword across his legs, from whose pommel shone a brilliant jasper, greener than grass. Kriemhilt could clearly see that it was Sivrit’s sword. When she recognized it, sadness

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overcame her. Its hilt was golden, the scabbard a red braid. It reminded her of her sorrows—she began to weep. I believe that was why bold Hagen had done this. Brave Volker pulled closer to him on

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the bench a mighty fiddler’s bow, huge and long, like a sword, very sharp and broad. The two gallant knights sat there then, unafraid.

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The two bold men thought so highly of themselves that they did not want to stand up from the seat for fear of anyone. The noble queen therefore walked down to them and offered them a hostile greeting.

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She said: ‘Now tell me, Sir Hagen, who has sent for you, that you dare ride here into this land, knowing full well what wrong you
have done me? If you were wise, you should rightly have remained at home.’

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‘No one sent for me,’ Hagen replied. ‘Three knights were invited here to this land. They are my lords and I am their vassal. Seldom have I stayed behind when they have made a journey to a foreign court.’

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She said: ‘Tell me more now: why did you go about earning my enmity? You slew Sivrit, my dear husband. That has given me ample reason to weep until the end of my days.’

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Hagen said: ‘What of that now? Enough has been said of that. I’m that Hagen who slew Sivrit, that man of mettle. How dearly he paid for Lady Kriemhilt having insulted fair Prünhilt! There is no denying

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it, mighty queen. I bear the guilt for it all, for the harm and the loss.
*
Avenge it now, whoever wants to do so, be it woman or man. I would be lying to you if I did not admit that I have done you great harm.’

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She said: ‘Only hear now, you warriors, how he does not deny all the wrongs he has done me! I care nothing about whatever befalls him in consequence, you men of Etzel!’

The haughty knights looked one another in the face. If anyone

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were to commence battle there, it would have ensued that those two companions would be granted honour, for they had done great deeds in battle time and again. Those who had presumed to take them on had no choice but to desist out of fear.

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Then one of the warriors said: ‘Why do you look at me? What I vowed before I will abandon now, not wanting to lose my life for the sake of anyone’s gifts. King Etzel’s wife wants to lead us to our doom!’

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Then another added: ‘I am of the same mind. Even if someone gave me towers of good red gold, I would not take on that fiddler, so fierce are the looks I have seen him cast. Moreover, I have known

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Hagen since the days of his youth. There is no need to tell me much about that warrior. I have seen him in twenty-two battles, which brought heart’s grief to great numbers of ladies. He and the man of

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Spain
*
trod many a path together when they fought many battles with Etzel here, to the honour of the king—much of that happened here. Hagen must justly be granted honour on that account. In those days

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the warrior was only a child in years. Those who were young then, how grey they are now! Now he has his wits about him and is a grim man. Moreover, he carries Balmunc, which he won most evilly.’

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They parted there without anyone doing battle. The queen was heartily sorry for that. The heroes turned away—they feared death at the fiddler’s hands. To be sure, they had good reason to do so.