Now at Hartmut’s bidding
heralds quickly rode
To where the queenly Hilda
and her daughter dear abode.
To them his word they carried,
that if to wed the maiden
They should think him worthy,
her and her mother both it well might gladden.
If she her love would give him,
as he had asked before—
Ofttimes his heart was heavy
for the love to her he bore—
That he would ever serve her
so long as he was living,
And many lands wide-reaching,
held of his father, would to her be giving.
But if she would not love him,
she then would earn his hate;
He asked of her that kindly
she his love would meet,
So that he to his fatherland
his lovely bride might carry
Without a fight or struggle.
To hope for this brave Hartmut ne’er was weary.
Did she gainsay his wooing,
Hartmut sent this word:
“I will not be bought with silver,
albeit a heavy hoard,
To leave in peace her kingdom;
she yet shall give me heeding.
I will show Gudrun, fair maiden,
brave knights enough, to be for her eyes fine feeding!
“Further, good errand-bearers,
this say to her from me:
I ne’er will leave her borders
to sail on the wide, deep sea;
Better will I think it
to be hewn in pieces even,
Unless the Hegeling maiden
will follow me hence, to me in wedlock given.
“But, should she scorn me wholly,
and never my bride will be,
Then me, with my daring fighters,
riding here she will see.
Before the Hegeling castle
I will then leave lying
Twenty thousand warriors,
on both sides of the roadway, dead or dying.
“Since by the craft of Wigaleis
King Hettel has been led,
And by the aged Wâ-te,
hither our way we’ve made
Into the Hegeling kingdom,
time and toil thus spending;
For this shall many be fatherless,
and glad shall I be of the whole to make an ending.”
Those sent forth by Hartmut
fast on their way did ride,
For he bade them wait no longer.
They came to a castle wide,
By name ycleped Matelan;
therein was Hilda dwelling,
And with her was her daughter,
the maid about whose charms all men were telling.
With them sent Hartmut also
two earls of wealth and name,
Who with him out of Normandy
over the waters came.
He bade them see Queen Hilda,
and kindly to bespeak her;
To pledge to her his friendship,
and say that his goodwill would ne’er forsake her.
Of her they must ask her daughter,
for him who in his mind
So high had ever set her,
above all womankind:
In worthy love he wooed her,
and she would rank be taking
That for aye would make her happy;
to do her will she ne’er would find him lacking.
To the maiden’s waiting-women
the news was quickly told,
That from out the land of Normandy
a band of wooers bold
Hither rode to Matelan,
and for Gudrun were suing:
Hilda hushed the tidings,
for now Gudrun in fright the tale was ruing.
Queen Hilda’s faithful warders
opened soon the gate;
Those who had ridden thither
need no longer wait;
They to come in were bidden.
The gate was thrown wide open,
And the men sent there by Hartmut
into Matelan rode: no ill to them did happen.
They quickly told their wishes,
to see King Hettel’s wife.
It was not yet allowed them;
they who should guard her life,
And to the king must answer,
at first had this forbidden:
They never left uncared for
Hilda the queen, and eke Gudrun the maiden.
At last the men of Hartmut
into the hall were led.
To them the queenly Hilda
kindly greeting made,
As did Gudrun the lady,
with fair and lofty bearing;
But she, the high-born maiden,
love for Herwic in her heart was wearing.
Altho’ they felt unfriendly,
yet drink they gave to the men
Ere yet they told their errand;
freely then the queen
Bade them to be seated
before herself and her daughter.
She begged them then to tell her:
“What boon to seek had brought them o’er the water?”
All the men of Hartmut
before their seats yet stood,
As well-bred men beseemeth,
and errand-bearers should.
Then they told the ladies
what they would there be doing—
That for their master, Hartmut,
they for the fair Gudrun had come a-wooing.
The high-born maiden answered:
“Of this I nought will hear—
That with the young King Hartmut
I the crown should share,
Before our friendly kinsmen,
and troth to him be plighted:
The name of the knight is Herwic
whose love shall never by myself be slighted.
“To him I am betrothed;
me he chose for a wife,
And him for myself I have taken.
Ever, throughout his life,
All of good I wish him
that can henceforth befall him:
Ne’er, till my days are ended,
will I ask the love of another, or my lord will call him.”
One of them then answered:
“This warning Hartmut gives:
If nay shall be your answer,
before three days, if he lives,
Against great Matelan castle
you shall see him leading
All his knightly followers.”
Smiles at this were the maiden’s face o’erspreading.
Their leave they would be taking,
and hasten on their way,
Those two great earls so haughty;
but Hilda bade them stay.
Altho’ she ne’er had known them,
of gifts she was not chary;
But yet they would not take them,
for crafty men were they, and in truth were wary.
At those sent there by Hartmut
Hettel’s followers sneered,
And said, their scorn and anger
they very little feared:
If to drink the wine of Hettel
they were, in truth, unwilling,
Then this warning gave they:
that they their cup with blood would soon be filling.
When they had heard this answer,
back to the shore they went
Whence they had been by Hartmut
upon their errand sent.
He then ran forth to meet them, to ask how they were treated,
And what had them befallen,
and how his courtship by Gudrun was greeted.
Then one of them thus answered:
“This to us they said:
The high and queenly maiden
a lover long has had,
For whom, beyond all others,
love in her heart she is feeling:
If you will not taste their wine-cup,
they soon will fill to you, your life-blood spilling.”
“Ah, woe is me!” said Hartmut,
when he this answer heard;
“My heart is full of anger,
with shame I hear your word!
Never men more friendly
shall I need, till I am dying,
Than those who now will help me.”
Straightway his men upsprang, on the shore then lying.
Ludwig now and Hartmut,
with their men, set out for war;
Their banners high uplifted
in pride and wrath they bore.
These from Matelan castle
were seen afar to shimmer:
“Cheer up!” then said the maiden;
“Herwic and Hettel come! their weapons glimmer!”
But Hilda saw the standard
bore not King Hettel’s mark:
“Ah, woe shall now betide us
before this day grows dark!
To seek Gudrun are coming
foemen grim and daring;
Many a well-made helmet
their blows shall hew before the night is nearing.”
Then her friendly Hegelings
thus to Hilda spake:
“If those led on by Hartmut
to-day an onslaught make,
Wounds we then must deal them,
and show we are the stronger.”
Queen Hilda then gave bidding
to shut the castle gates, and wait no longer.
But the men of brave King Hettel
followed not her hest;
They who the castle guarded
thought to fight their best.
They bade that now their banners
to the shafts be fastened;
King Hettel’s daring followers,
to slay his foes, from out the castle hastened.
The bars that should be lowered,
to keep the foemen out,
Were left, in over-boldness,
and the gates not fully shut,
Since from Hartmut’s foreguard
they little harm foreboded.
But when they pressed in boldly,
then came the rest, who ever on them crowded.
A thousand men or over
stood before the gate;
These, their swords upbearing,
the fight did there await.
A thousand more with Hartmut
now came thronging thickly;
They then from their steeds alighted,
and back to the rear they sent their horses quickly.
Spears in hand they carried,
with points full keen to cut.
Who could shun their onset?
With heavy wounds they smote
Those who the castle guarded,
in their pride o’erweening.
Just at the hour came Ludwig,
with his Norman knights, as the fight was now beginning.
Much the women sorrowed
as Ludwig nearer rode:
The banners o’er them floating
well and proudly showed
The fearless foe oncoming;
beneath each standard flocking,
Three thousand now came boldly,
though sad on their homeward way they might yet be looking.
Before the walls beleaguered
the guards were a busy band:
Never hardier fighters
were seen in any land
Than were the faithful warders
in Hettel’s castle dwelling;
Their blows they were thickly dealing,
and Hartmut’s men their strength were quickly feeling.
Ludwig, Hartmut’s father,
the Norman king, was seen
From hardened rims of bucklers
to strike a fiery sheen:
Truly, great was the bravery
that now his heart was swelling;
His friends and followers also,
in the bloody game, were bold beyond all telling.
When they who the castle guarded
hoped for rest and peace,
Then their daring foemen
did nearer to them press,
Led by him of Normandy:
the youthful Hartmut’s father
Grudged no toil to help him;
and this from that day’s fight one well might gather.
Now the trustful warders
began in truth to mourn,
That they, ’gainst Hilda’s bidding,
had their care forborne—
The hest of the wife of Hettel,
the high and worthy lady.
For this their shields were shattered,
and many a life was lost, in fight too ready.
Ludwig now and Hartmut
on the field had met,
And, holding speech together,
learned that, striving yet,
Queen Hilda’s men were seeking
the castle gates to fasten;
Then, with shields before them,
to bear their flags within they all did hasten.
Rocks were hurled from the castle,
and many spears were thrown,
But the foe it hurt but little,
and his daring lessened none.
Little thought was given
to the dead around them lying:
With heavy stones down beaten,
many bold besiegers there fell dying.
When Hartmut and King Ludwig
came within the gate,
Many, badly wounded,
from them their death-stroke met.
For this the lovely maiden
began to sorrow sorely;
Now in Hettel’s castle
the woe they wrought was growing greater hourly.
Then the king of Normandy
was glad enough, I ween,
When to the halls of Hettel
he could lead his men,
Bearing well their weapons:
soon his banner fluttered
Over the roof of the castle.
Hilda at this her sorrow loudly uttered.
Greatly do I wonder
what might these guests befall,
Had now the grim old Wâ-te
been there, and seen it all,
The while the men of Hartmut,
with Ludwig, brave and daring,
Thro’ the halls were rushing,
and from her home the fair Gudrun were tearing.
Both Wâ-te and King Hettel,
if to them that day
A warning had been given,
would stoutly have barred the way;
They their foemen’s helmets
with swords would so have riven
That back to their homes in Normandy,
without Gudrun, would they have soon been driven.
Now within the castle
were all in saddest mood;
So men to-day might sorrow.
Whate’er the foemen would,
There did they lay hands on,
and took from out the dwelling.
Rich grew Hartmut’s followers—
you well may trust that I the truth am telling.
Then came the bold young Hartmut
where he Gudrun could see,
And said: “Most worthy lady,
you erst looked down on me;
But now both I and my followers
think of your kin so little,
We will not seize and hold them,
but slay and hang them, so the strife to settle.”
Then said the maiden only:
“Alas! O father mine,
Had you of this been knowing,
that I, a child of thine,
One day from out your kingdom
would thus by foes be stolen,
Never to me, poor maiden,
such woe and sorry shame had here befallen.”
Then was the gold and clothing
borne out by the robber band:
Forth they took Queen Hilda,
led by her snow-white hand.
Matelan’s goodly castle
they would have burned up gladly;
For what became of the dwellers
the Normans never cared, nor thought of sadly.
But Hartmut now had bidden
that it should not be burned,
To leave the land he hastened,
and home again he turned,
Before ’twas known to Hettel,
who with his men was lying
Within the Waalisch marches,
and there against his foe his strength was trying.
“Leave your stolen booty!”
to his men young Hartmut said;
“At home my father’s riches
will I give to you instead:
Thus o’er the watery pathway
our sail will be the lighter.”
To Gudrun the hand of Ludwig
brought a heavy wrong, and woe full bitter.
They overthrew the castle,
the town with fire they burned;
From it the best was taken;
with wealth they homeward turned:
Two and sixty women
thence with them they carried,
And many lovely maidens.
With heartfelt woe was queenly Hilda wearied.
How were they filled with sadness
to leave the wine behind!
Now did the queenly mother
a seat in the window find,
And looked upon her daughter,
from home in sorrow turning.
Many a stately lady
the Normans left in tears, and bitterly mourning.
Weeping now and wailing
was heard on either hand;
No one there was happy,
when from the fatherland
The foe with Hilda’s daughter
and with her maidens hasted.
Many, now but children,
for this, when men, to work them woe ne’er rested.
Those who were seized by Hartmut
down to the shore he took;
All their lands were wasted;
their homes went up in smoke.
Now his hopes and wishes
happily were granted:
Both Gudrun and Hildeburg
he with him carried off—the prize he wanted.
Well he knew that Hettel
was many a league away,
And war was grimly waging;
no more would Hartmut stay.
Yet from the Hegeling kingdom
no whit too fast he speeded,
For word was sent by Hilda
to Hettel and his friends, that much their help was needed.
How mournful were the tidings
before the king she laid!—
That in his home and castle
his knights were lying dead,
Or else were left by Hartmut
now with death-wounds bleeding;
That foes had seized his daughter,
and with her many maids were homeward speeding.
She said: “Now tell King Hettel
that I am here alone;
Evil hath me o’ertaken, and now,
with pride o’ergrown,
Our mighty foeman, Ludwig,
back to his land is faring;
A thousand men or better
lie at our gates, and the pains of death are bearing.”
Quickly then went Hartmut,
and, ere three days were o’er,
On board his keels was ready;
these the plunder bore,
As much as they could carry,
whate’er his men had stolen.
The men of brave King Hettel
were dazed and stunned by all that had befallen.
What further did betide them,
who in truth can tell?
Loud on the ear it sounded,
as they shifted the flapping sail,
And away from the Hegeling kingdom,
unto an isle forsaken,
They their barks were turning;
the name of Wulpensand—or shore of the wolves—it had taken.