Then answered Gere from the Burgundian land: "Your mother Uta, Gernot,
and Giselher have charged you, that ye refuse them not. I hear daily
wail, that ye do live so far away. My Lady Brunhild and all her maids
be fain of the tidings, if that might be that they should see you
again; this would raise their spirits high." These tidings thought fair
Kriemhild good.
Gere was of their kin; the host bade him be seated and had wine poured
out for the guests; no longer did they tarry. Now Siegmund was come
to where he saw the messengers. The lord said to the Burgundians in
friendly wise: "Be welcome, Sir Knights, ye men of Gunther. Sith now
Siegfried, my son, hath won Kriemhild to wife, one should see you more
often here in this our land, if ye would show your kinship."
They answered that they would gladly come, when so he would. Of their
weariness they were cased with joyous pastime. Men bade the messengers
be seated and brought them food, of which Siegfried had them given
great store. They must needs stay there full nine days, till at last
the doughty knights made plaint, that they durst not ride again to their
land.
Meantime king Siegfried had sent to fetch his friends; he asked them
what they counseled, whether or no they should to the Rhine. "My kinsman
Gunther and his kin have sent to fetch me for a feasting. Now I would
go full gladly, but that his land doth lie too far away. They beg
Kriemhild, too, that she journey with me. Now advise, dear friends, in
what manner she shall ride thither. Though I must harry for them through
thirty lands, yet would Siegfried's arm fain serve them there."
Then spake his warriors: "And ye be minded to journey to the feasting,
we will advise what ye must do. Ye should ride to the Rhine with a
thousand knights, then can ye stand with worship there in Burgundy
land."
Up spake then Lord Siegmund of Netherland: "Will ye to the feasting, why
make ye it not known to me? If ye scorn it not, I will ride thither with
you and will take a hundred knights, wherewith to swell your band."
"And will ye ride with us, dear father mine," quoth brave Siegfried,
"glad shall I be of that. Within a twelfth night I will quit my lands."
All who craved it were given steeds and vesture, too.
Since now the noble king was minded for the journey, men bade the good
and speedy envoys ride again. He sent word to his wife's kindred on
the Rhine, that he would full fain be at their feasting. Siegfried and
Kriemhild, as the tale doth tell, gave the messengers such store of
gifts that their horses could not bear them to their native land. A
wealthy man was he. They drove their sturdy sumpters merrily along.
Siegfried and Siegmund arrayed their men. Eckewart, the margrave, that
very hour bade seek out ladies' robes, the best that were at hand or
might be found throughout all Siegfried's land. Men gan prepare the
saddles and the shields. To knights and ladies who should go hence with
him was given whatso they would, so that they wanted naught. He brought
to his kinsfolk many a lordly stranger.
The messengers pricked fast upon their homeward way. Now was Gere, the
knight, come to Burgundy and was greeted fair. Then they dismounted from
their steeds and from the nags in front of Gunther's hall. Young and old
did hie them, as people do, to ask the tidings. Quoth the good knight:
"When I tell them to the king, thou be at hand a hear."
With his fellowship he went to where he found King Gunther. For very joy
the king sprang from his seat. Fair Brunhild cried them mercy, that they
were come so quick. Gunther spake to the envoys: "How fareth Siegfried,
from whom so much of gladness hath happed to me?"
Brave Gere spake: "He blushed for joy, he and your sister; no truer
tidings did ever any man send to friends, than the Lord Siegfried and
his father, too, have sent to you."
Then to the margrave spake the noble queen: "Now tell me, cometh
Kriemhild to us? Hath the fair still kept the graces which she knew how
to use?"
"She cometh to you surely," quoth Gere, the knight.
Then Uta bade the messenger come quickly to her. By her question one
might note full well that she was fain to hear if Kriemhild still were
well. He told how he had found her and that she would shortly come. Nor
were the gifts concealed by them at court, which Siegfried gave them,
gold and vesture; these they brought for the vassals of the three kings
to see. For their passing great bounty men gave them thanks.
"He may lightly give great gifts," spake then Hagen; "he could not
squander all his wealth, and he should live for aye. His hand hath
closed upon the hoard of the Nibelungs. Ho, let him only come to the
Burgundian land!"
All the courtiers were glad that they should come. Early and late the
men of the three kings were busy. Many benches they gan raise for the
folk. The valiant Hunolt and the knight Sindolt had little rest. All
time they had to oversee the stewards and the butlers and raise many a
bench. Ortwin helped them, too, at this, and Gunther said them thanks.
Rumolt, the master cook, how well he ruled his underlings! Ho, how many
a broad kettle, pot, and pan they had! They made ready the vitaille for
those who were coming to the land.
ENDNOTES:
(1) "Norway". The interpolated character of the Adventures XI
to XIII, which are not found in the earlier versions, is
shown by the confusion in the location of Siegfried's court.
The poet has forgotten that Xanten is his capital, and
locates it in Norway. No mention is made, however, of the
messengers crossing the sea; on the contrary, Kriemhild
speaks of their being sent down the Rhine.
ADVENTURE XIII. How They Journeyed To The Feasting.
Let us now take leave of all their bustling, and tell how Lady Kriemhild
and her maidens journeyed from the Nibelung land down toward the Rhine.
Never did sumpters bear so much lordly raiment. They made ready for
the way full many traveling chests. Then Siegfried, the knight, and the
queen as well, rode forth with their friends to where they had hope of
joys. Later it sped them all to their great harm. They left Siegfried's
little child, Kriemhild's son, at home. That must needs be. Great grief
befell him through their journey to the court. The bairn never saw his
father and his mother more. With them, too, there rode Lord Siegmund.
Had he known aright how he would fare at the feasting, no whit of it
would he have seen. No greater woe might ever hap to him in loving
friends.
Messengers were sent ahead, who told the tale. Then with a stately band
there rode to meet them many of Uta's kith and Gunther's liegemen. The
host gan bestir him for his guests. He went to where Brunhild sate and
asked: "How did my sister greet you when ye came to our land? In like
manner must ye greet Siegfried's wife."
"That will I gladly," quoth she, "for I have good cause to be her
friend."
The mighty king spake further: "They come to us early on the morrow; if
ye would greet them, set quickly to work, that we abide them not within
the castle. At no time have such welcome guests ever come to see me."
At once she bade her maids and ladies hunt out goodly raiment, the best
they had, the which her train should wear before the guests. One may
lightly say, they did this gladly. Gunther's men hasted also for to
serve them, and around him the host did gather all his knights. Then
the queen rode forth in princely wise and mickle greeting of the welcome
guests was done. With what great joy did they receive them! It thought
them as though Lady Kriemhild had not greeted Lady Brunhild so fair in
the Burgundian land. Those who had never seen her became acquaint with
lofty mood.
Now was Siegfried come with his liegemen. One saw the heroes wending
to and fro upon the plain in unwieldy bands. None might guard him there
against the jostling and the dust.
When that the ruler of the land spied Siegfried and Siegmund, how
lovingly he spake: "Now be ye full welcome to me and all my friends; we
shall be of good cheer because of this your journey to our court."
"Now God requite you," quoth Siegmund, the honor-seeking man; "sith my
son Siegfried won you to kinsman, my heart hath urged that I should go
to see you."