Adventure
XXXVI
How the Queen Bade That the Hall Be Set on Fire
“Now do ye off your helmets,”
quoth Hagen, the bold knight,
“For I and my companion
will guard ye all aright.
And should the men of Etzel
a fresh attack essay,
So will I warn my masters
with all the speed I may.”
The head was then uncover’d
of many a warrior good;
They sat upon the fallen,
who lay there steep’d in blood,
And had to death been smitten
so lately by their hand.
By many evil glances
the noble guests were scann’d.
Before the fall of evening
the king his measures took—
The queen thereto assenting—
that with some better luck
The Hunnish knights might venture.
Full twenty thousand men
Were seen before him standing:
to battle must they, then.
Thereon with furious onslaught
the strangers were attack’d.
And Dankwart, Hagen’s brother,
a man right swift to act,
Sprang from his lords, the foemen
before the door to rout;—
It seem’d that he must perish,
but safely gat he out.
The deadly struggle lasted
till stay’d it was by night.
As well became good heroes,
the guests maintain’d the fight
Against the men of Etzel
one whole long summer day.
And ah, what gallant warriors
about them dying lay!
’Twas at the summer solstice
this slaughter great befell,
Whereby the Dame Kriemhilda
avenged her heartache well
Upon her nearest kinsfolk
and many another wight.
From that time royal Etzel
knew nevermore delight.
The day for them was ended
in great anxiety.
It seem’d to them ’twere better
a speedy death to die,
Than linger there, awaiting
some dread, unheard-of pain.
Therefore the haughty warriors
to beg a truce were fain.
The king, by word, besought they
to come unto them there.
These heroes, blood-bespatter’d
and soil’d with armour-wear,
From out the palace follow’d
the noble kings all three;
They knew not to what hearer
to plead their misery.
Both Etzel and Kriemhilda
came thither them before.
The land was their possession:
their host grew more and more.
The king spake to the strangers:
“Say, what will ye of me?
A truce ye would be granted?
Such thing can hardly be
“After such insult grievous
as ye on me have cast,
(Nor shall ye profit by it
if life for me should last)
My child, that ye have slain me,
and many of my kin.
Peace and atonement, surely,
ye cannot hope to win!”
Whereto made answer Gunther:
“By dire need we were led.
My people all were lying
before thy heroes dead
Within the hostel yonder:
what pretext did I lend?
To thee in good faith came I,
I thought thou wert my friend.”
Then Giselher, the youngest
of the Burgundian three:
“Ye chiefs,” cried he, “of Etzel,
who living yet may be,
How have I wrong’d ye, warriors?
In what am I to blame?
Unto this country riding
in kindly mood I came.”
They answer’d: “Every city
throughout the land with woe
Is fill’d through this thy kindness.
Ay, glad were we, I trow,
If thou hadst ne’er come hither
from Worms beyond the Rhine.
The country thou hast orphan’d,
with brothers twain of thine.”
Thereon, in wrathful humour,
Gunther the warrior spake:
“If of this bitter hatred
an ending ye would make
With us, unhappy strangers,
’twere better for us both!
’Tis for no fault on our part
what Etzel to us doth.”
Then to the guests the host said:
“Your troubles and my own
Are nowise to be liken’d.
The burden on me thrown
Of shame and loss together
which I have had to bear;—
For this not one among you
hence with his life shall fare.”
Thereon the stalwart Gernot
made answer to the king:
“So then may God incline you
to do a friendly thing!
An ye must slay us strangers,
then let us come to you
From here unto the open.
Thus honour bids you do.
“Whate’er to us may happen,
be it done out of hand!
So many whole men have ye
who us will dare withstand,
That none of us, strife-weary,
alive they’ll let away.
For how long are we warriors
in this distress to stay?”
The warriors of Etzel
would have agreed thereto
That they outside the palace
be granted leave to go.
But when Kriemhilda heard it,
sorely aggrieved was she.
Then for the outcast strangers
no hope of peace could be.
“Nay, nay, ye Hunnish warriors,
the thing ye have in thought—
In good faith I advise ye—
see that ye do it not.
These murder-wreaking fellows
let not without the hall,
Else shall right deadly sorrows
upon your kinsmen fall.
“Though not another living
save Uté’s sons there were—
These same, my noble brothers—
and they but to the air
Came out to cool their hauberks,
your hope were all forlorn;—
More valiant warriors never
into this world were born.”
Then Giselher, the youngest,
said: “Fairest sister mine,
Right ill I did to trust you,
when from beyond the Rhine
Unto this land thou bad’st me
into this direful strait.
How have I from the Hunsfolk
deserved this cruel fate?
“To thee I e’er was faithful,
I never did thee hurt.
And on the understanding
I hither rode to court
That thou, most noble sister,
wert well-disposed to me.
Be merciful towards us:
not elsewise can it be!”
“I cannot show you mercy;
unmerciful am I.
For me hath Tronian Hagen
wrought so much misery
It may not be atoned for
as long as I have life.
Ye all must pay the forfeit;”
so answer’d Etzel’s wife.
“Yet will ye Hagen only
to me as hostage give,
I will not say for certain
I may not let you live—
Seeing ye are my brothers
and of one mother bred;—
Then with these chiefs assembled
I may of pardon rede.”
“Now God in Heaven forefend it!”
Gernot in answer said:
“Were there a thousand of us,
we sooner all were dead—
Though of thy kith and kindred—
ere we gave up to thee
A single man as hostage:
nay, that can never be.”
“Then are we doom’d to perish!”
made answer Giselher;
“Yet no one shall deprive us
of any knightly gear.
Here, as before, abide we,
would any us assail,
For ne’er to any comrade
did I in fealty fail.”
Then spake the gallant Dankwart
(by him ’twas meetly done):
“In sooth my brother Hagen
standeth not yet alone!
They who a truce deny us
may yet have cause to rue;
Of that we’ll make you certain—
take ye my word as true!”
The queen spake to her warriors:
“Ye men of courage high,
Go closer to the stairway,
avenge mine injury!
Then will I be your debtor,
as I by all means should.
I would requite on Hagen
his overweening mood.
“Let no man leave the palace,
I charge ye above all;
I will, at the four corners,
have fire set to the hall:
So all the wrongs I’ve suffer’d
right well avenged shall be.”
The warriors of Etzel
were ready speedily.
Those that without were standing
they drave the hall within
By smiting and by shooting;
and fearful was the din.
Yet never would the princes
their faithful men forsake;
Their fealty to each other
could neither of them break.
Then Etzel’s wife gave bidding
to set alight the hall.
And so with fire were tortured
those warriors’ bodies all.
Caught by the wind, the palace
was presently aflame;
I ween that people never
to such dire anguish came.
“Oh, woe upon this horror!”
cried many a one inside:
“For us it had been better
had we in battle died.
May God have pity on us!
lost evermore are we!
On us the queen her anger
now wreaks infernally.”
Quoth one within the palace:
“Needs must we all lie dead!
What profits us the greeting
that from the king we had?
The burning heat so sorely
with thirst doth torture me,
I trow that in this torment
my life will quickly flee.”
Then Hagen spake, of Tronjé:
“Ye noble knights and good,
Whoe’er by thirst is troubled
may quench it here with blood.
In heat like this ’tis better
than wine of any kind,
And at this time, moreover,
no better may ye find.”
So went one of the warriors
to where a corpse he found:
He knelt to where the wound was,
his helmet he unbound,
And then he fell to drinking
the oozing stream of blood;
Unused as he was to it,
he thought it passing good.
“Requite thee God, Sir Hagen,”
that man so weary spake,
“Seeing that thou hast taught me
so well my thirst to slake!
A better wine right seldom
hath been pour’d out for me.
Live I for some while longer,
I’ll aye be bound to thee.”
The rest being told about it,
and how he found it good,
Then were there many others
who also drank the blood.
Thereby each one among them
began to gain new life—
In dear ones it was paid for
by many a goodly wife.
Within the hall about them
the sparks fell thick around,
Upon their shields they caught them
and turn’d them to the ground.
The fire and smoke together
distress’d them terribly.
I trow that heroes never
felt greater misery.
Then Tronian Hagen shouted:
“Stand closer to the wall!
Let not the burning embers
upon your helm-bands fall,
But in the blood more deeply
trample them with your feet:
This feast the queen hath made us
is but a sorry treat!”
In such distressful doings
the night to ending wore,
And still the gallant minstrel
kept watch the house before
With Hagen his companion;
upon their shields they leant,
From Etzel’s folk awaiting
some further detriment.
Then spake the fiddle-player:
“Now go we to the hall:
So shall the Huns imagine
that each of us and all
Have perish’d in this torture
that hath on us been done;
Yet shall they see us meet them,
in battle, everyone.”
Then Giselher, the youngest
of the Burgundians, spake:
“A cool wind is arising,
I trow the day will break.
Now grant us, God of Heaven,
on better times to fall!
For us my sister Kriemhild
hath made ill festival.”
Then spake there yet another:
“The dawning I can see;
And since for us naught better
is ever like to be,
Do on your armour, heroes;
see to your safety all;—
King Etzel’s wife, I doubt not,
will quickly on us fall.”
The host might well imagine
that all the guests were slain
By dint of all their labours,
or by the fiery pain;
Yet still of them were living
six hundred gallant wights,
Than whom no king whatever
had any better knights.
They who the strangers guarded
had fail’d not to espy
That still the guests were living,
in spite of injury
And pains that had befallen
the lords and liegemen too;
Quite sound they saw them pacing
the chamber to and fro.
’Twas told unto Kriemhilda
that they were safe and well.
Whereto the queen made answer:
“It ne’er were possible
That through the fiery torment
any of them have stay’d!
I’d rather take for granted
that all of them lie dead.”
The princes and their liegemen
were fain enough to live,
Had anyone been willing
mercy to them to give.
None could they find of any
within the Hunnish land!
So to avenge their dying
they sought with willing hand.
Towards the dawn of morning,
they had, for greeting fair,
A dire assault of battle:
in straits the heroes were.
Though thickly all amongst them
stout javelins were thrown,
The brave and noble warriors
like true knights held their own.
The zeal of Etzel’s people
was quicken’d by desire,
That they from Queen Kriemhilda
might earn the promised hire;
Moreover they were eager
to do the king’s command.
And so no few among them
found speedy death at hand.
Of promising and giving
might wondrous tales be told.
She bade her folk on bucklers
to bring the ruddy gold;
She gave to all who craved it
and would accept her fee.
Ay! ne’er was greater guerdon
spent for an enemy.
A mighty force of warriors
came in their panoply.
To them cried gallant Volker:
“Here waiting still are we!
I ne’er saw knights more gladly
go forth to face the foe
Than these who the king’s bounty
have taken, for our woe.”
Then many of them shouted:
“Come nigh, ye heroes, pray,
That we may have our ending—
ay, come without delay!
Here none there are remaining
but have been doom’d to die!”
With shafts one saw their bucklers
all bristling speedily.
What have I more to tell you?
A good twelve hundred men
Made onset sore upon them,
again and yet again.
The strangers cool’d their fury
by wounding many a one—
No truce could be between them;
one saw the life blood run
From wounds of deadly deepness;
and many were there slain;
And every man among them
one heard for friends complain.
The mighty king and noble
lost all his bravest there,
For whom their loving kinsfolk
sore sorrow had to bear.