Adventure
XXXV
How Iring Was Slain
Thereon the margrave Iring,
who came from Denmark, cried:
“I have in all my doings
on honour long relied,
And in the people’s battles
oft gain’d the mastery:
Now bring to me my weapons;
Hagen I will defy!”
“ ’Gainst that will I take counsel,”
Hagen in answer cried;
“So bid these Hunnish warriors
stand further yet aside;
If two or three among ye
should rush into this hall,
Back down the stairs disabled
I’ll send them, one and all!”
“For that I’ll not forego it,”
said Iring, answering,
“I have ere this attempted
as troublesome a thing.
With sword in hand against thee
I’ll hold my own alone;
What boots thy haughty bearing
that thou in words hast shown?”
Then quickly in his armour
thane Iring was y-clad,
With Irnfried of Thuringia,
a bold and gallant lad,
And eke the stalwart Haward,
with full a thousand men;
Whatever part was Iring’s,
that would they all maintain.
The fiddler saw them coming—
a very host they were—
In arms along with Iring,
to set upon him there.
On head, well-fasten’d, wore they
right many a helmet good.
Then wax’d the gallant Volker
wrathful enough in mood.
“Now dost thou see, friend Hagen,
how Iring yonder goes,
Who swore that thee in sword-fight
he singly would oppose?
Doth falsehood fit a hero?
Him I misprize therefore;
He brings with him in armour
a thousand men or more!”
“Now call me not a liar,”
the liege of Haward said,
“I’m ready to accomplish
what I have promisèd;
For fear of no man living
will I my word disown;
How dread so e’er be Hagen,
I’ll stand to him alone.”
Then Iring begg’d his kinsmen
and followers, at their feet,
That they would let him singly
in fight the warrior meet.
Unwillingly they yielded,
for well enough to them
Was known the haughty Hagen,
from Burgundy who came.
Yet he so long besought them,
that ’twas at last agreed.
For when his people saw him
so bent upon the deed,
And that he strove for honour,
they could but let him go;
Thereon a grim encounter
befell betwixt the two.
Iring, the thane of Denmark,
aloft his javelin bare
And held his shield before him,
that noble knight and rare;
Then up the steps to Hagen
before the hall he ran:
Amongst the thanes assembled
a fearful din began.
Then from their hands the lances
they forward hurl’d with might,
Right through the strong-bound bucklers
upon the harness bright,
So that the broken spear-shafts
were whirl’d high in the air.
Then clutch’d they at their broadswords
that grim and gallant pair.
The strength of doughty Hagen
it was a mighty thing,
Yet Iring’s blows upon him
made all the house to ring;
From palace and from turret
echo’d their strokes again:
Yet naught avail’d the warrior
his will on him to gain.
So Iring turn’d from Hagen
and left him scatheless yet;
Against the fiddle-player
forthwith himself he set.
Him, with his sturdy sword-strokes
he thought he might compel;
But these the well-skill’d chieftain
knew how to parry well.
Then smote the fiddler sorely,
till o’er the buckler’s side
By Volker’s hand the plating
was scatter’d far and wide;
So was he fain to leave him,
a gruesome man was he;
Then Iring rush’d on Gunther,
the lord of Burgundy.
And stout enough for combat
was either of them made.
Howe’er on one another
Gunther and Iring laid,
Neither could wound the other
to draw a drop of blood;
From that their armour saved them,
so strong it was and good.
Eke Gunther left he standing
and on to Gernot ran,
And smote till from his hauberk
the sparks to fly began,
And yet the sturdy Gernot,
the knight of Burgundy,
So dealt on gallant Iring
that he was like to die.
Then from this prince he hurried—
swift-footed was he too—
And four of the Burgundians
the hero quickly slew;—
All noble court retainers
from Worms-on-Rhine they were.
Then wrath could ne’er be greater
than that of Giselher.
“Now, by the Lord! Sir Iring,”
cried Giselher the lad,
“For these thou needs must pay me
who lie before thee dead—
By thee this moment slaughter’d;”
then ran on him straightway
And smote the knight of Denmark
so that he needs must stay.
Beneath his hands succumbing
down fell he in the blood;
And all were well persuaded
that now the hero good
Ne’er more would wield a weapon
in battle anywhere:
Yet Iring lay unwounded
in front of Giselher.
From blows upon the helmet
and clashing of the sword
His wits were sorely stricken
and scatter’d all abroad,
So that the gallant warrior
of life took no more thought:
This by his strength of body
bold Giselher had wrought.
When from his head the numbness
at last began to go,
Which had erstwhile come on him
from that o’erwhelming blow,
Thought he: “I still am living,
nor wounded anywhere;
Now know I for the first time
the strength of Giselher.”
On one side and the other
his enemies heard he;
Were they his case aware of
the worse for him ’twould be;
And likewise had he noted
that Giselher was by:
He ponder’d how ’twas likely
he might these foemen fly.
How madly then upsprang he
from out that bloody stew!
Unto his ready fleetness
his thanks were surely due.
Out of the place forth rush’d he,
but there saw Hagen stand,
And smote upon him swiftly
with all his might of hand.
Then to himself thought Hagen:
“Death thee for this must have!
Unless the devil help thee,
thyself thou canst not save.”
Yet Iring through the helmet
a wound on Hagen made:
This did the knight with Vaske,
that was so good a blade.
No sooner felt Sir Hagen
the smarting of the wound
Than terribly his weapon
he whirl’d in hand around.
Forthwith must Haward’s liegeman
for safety flee again,
And Hagen down the stairway
to follow him was fain.
Above his head bold Iring
his shield made haste to lean;
And if that self-same stairway
yet thrice its length had been,
Hagen had ne’er allow’d him
to deal a single stroke.
Ay me! the sparks so ruddy
that from his helmet broke!
Yet back unto his people
Iring in safety won.
Then soon unto Kriemhilda
the tidings were made known
How he had wrought in battle
on Hagen of Tronjé;
For which her thanks right hearty
the queen began to say:
“Now God reward thee, Iring,
a hero good thou art;
Much hast thou me encouraged
and comforted my heart.
Lo, now on Hagen’s raiment
all red with blood I look!”
With her own hand Kriemhilda
his shield, in kindness, took.
“So much you need not thank him,”
quoth Hagen; “if again
With me he’d try his fortune,
it would beseem the thane.
If ever thence return’d he,
a valiant man he’d be!
The wound will serve you little
that he hath given to me.
“That you have seen my hauberk
by blood of mine made red,
Unto the death of many
hath me embitterèd.
Against that liege of Haward’s
I have the utmost wrath;—
Albeit the warrior Iring
hath done me little scathe.”
Meanwhile the man of Denmark
into the wind had gone
To cool him in his hauberk—
his helmet off was done.
And all the folk were saying
his prowess was right good;
Whereby they made the margrave
exceeding bold of mood.
Then presently spake Iring:
“My friends, now mark ye well
That ye must arm me quickly:
I’ll try another spell,
If that o’erbearing tyrant
I yet may bring to book.”
His shield was hack’d to pieces:
a better one he took.
Full speedily the warrior
was better arm’d than e’er;
A javelin right sturdy
with hate in heart he bare,
Wherewith once more with Hagen
he purposed there to fight:
With foe-like mien awaited
for him that murderous wight.
But brook’d not the thane Hagen
to stay for his advance;—
He ran full speed towards him,
with blows of sword and lance,
Until he reach’d the stairs’ foot:
his wrath was fierce and dread,
And all the strength of Iring
stood him in little stead.
They slash’d right through the bucklers,
till each of them began
With ruddy fire to sparkle.
And ere long Haward’s man
By the broadsword of Hagen
was desperately smit
Through shield and armour: never
mote he get well of it.
When that the chieftain Iring
was of the wound aware,
His shield unto his helm-band
he raised, to rest it there.
He thought that with this damage
he now had got his fill:
The liegeman of King Gunther
had more to give him still.
Before his feet did Hagen
a javelin espy;
And with it straight at Iring,
the Danish chief, let fly—
So well, that from his forehead
the shaft thereof stuck out.
For him the warrior Hagen
a cruel end had wrought.
Iring must needs betake him
the Danish folk unto;
But ere they loosed the helmet
from off the chief, they drew
Out from his head the lance-shaft;
then death to him came nigh.
His kinsfolk all were wailing:
well might they, verily.
Then came the queen towards him,
and over him she leant,
And for the stalwart Iring
gave to her sorrow vent;
She wept, his wounds beholding,
and bitter was her grief.
Then spake unto his kinsmen
that brave and gallant chief:
“I pray thee stint thy weeping,
most noble lady mine,
For what avails thy sorrow?
I must my life resign
Because of wounds and damage
that have been dealt on me.
No more will death allow me
Etzel to serve and thee.”
Then unto the Thuringians
and to the Danes he spake:
“The gifts that ye were promised
no hand of yours shall take
From yonder royal lady—
her ruddy gold so bright!
Death’s visage must ye look on,
if ye with Hagen fight.”
All pallid was his colour,
the seal of death he bore—
The ever-valiant Iring—
to them ’twas sorrow sore.
For Haward’s gallant liegeman
there was no hope of life:
And so the men of Denmark
must forward go to strife.
Irnfried as well as Haward
sprang forth the hall before
With warriors a thousand;
a horrible uproar
On every side resounded,
mighty and clamouring.
And ah, at the Burgundians
what lances sharp they fling!
And then the gallant Irnfried
straight for the minstrel made,
At whose right hand redoubted
great injury he had.
For lo, the noble fiddler
the landgrave sore did smite
Through firmly-fasten’d helmet:
he was a gruesome wight!
And thereupon Sir Irnfried
the valiant minstrel smote
Till rents perforce were riven
across his ring-wrought coat,
And all his breastplate quiver’d
with sparks of fiery red;
Albeit fell the landgrave
before the fiddler dead.
Anon were met together
Haward and Hagen bold,
I wot that whoso saw them
a marvel might behold!
From hand of either hero
the sword-strokes follow’d free;
Foredoom’d to die was Haward
by him of Burgundy.
When Danesmen and Thuringians
their leaders saw in death,
Then rose a frightful struggle
the palace walls beneath,
Or ever they the gateway
by might and main had won:
Full many a shield and helmet
were shatter’d and fordone.
“Give way!” then shouted Volker,
“and let them all come through—
What they would fain accomplish
they can in nowise do.
In but a short time after
they’re bound to die within,
And what the queen hath promised
by dying they can win.”
Now when these haughty chieftains
within the chamber went,
Of many a one amongst them
the head was lowly bent,
For by their rapid sword-blows
to perish he was fain.
Well fought the gallant Gernot,
and Giselher the thane.
There got within the palace
a thousand men and four;
One saw their flashing falchions
as through the air they tore.
Of all who came within it
soon every warrior fell.
One might of the Burgundians
full many a marvel tell.
Thereafter was a silence,
and all the uproar died.
While, out of hole and crevice,
blood flow’d on every side
And ran into the gutters
from all the corpses there.
Thus had the men of Rhineland
wrought by their prowess rare.
Then sat they down to rest them,
those men of Burgundy.
Their weapons and their bucklers
they presently laid by.
Yet still the gallant fiddler
before the palace stay’d,
In case that any other
to fight with him essay’d.
The king lamented sorely,
as likewise did his wife:
And maids and matrons also
aweary were of life.
I ween that Death had taken
an oath to do them ill:
Whence, by the guests to perish
were many warriors still.