When the youth had made her such kindly offer, then gan Uta and Gernot
and her faithful kin entreat. They begged her to tarry there, for but
little kith she had among Siegfried's men.
"They be all strangers to you," spake Gernot; "none that liveth is so
strong but that he must come to die. Consider that, dear sister, and
console your mind. Stay with your kinsfolk; ye shall fare well in
truth."
Then she made vow to Giselher that she would stay. The steeds were
brought for Siegfried's men, sith they would ride to the Nibelung land.
Also all the trappings of the knights were packed upon the sumpters.
Then the Lord Siegmund hied him to Kriemhild's side. To the lady he
spake: "Siegfried's men are waiting by the steeds. Now must we ride
away, for I be ill content in Burgundy."
The Lady Kriemhild then replied: "All that I have of faithful kin advise
me that I stay here with them; I have no kith in the Nibelung land."
Loth it was to Siegmund, when that he found Kriemhild of this mind. He
spake: "Let no one tell you that. Before all my kinsmen ye shall wear
the crown with such sovran power as ye did aforetime. Ye shall not
suffer, because we have lost the knight. Ride also with us home again,
for the sake of your little child. Lady, ye should not leave him
orphaned. When your son groweth up, he will comfort your heart.
Meanwhile many bold heroes and good shall serve you."
"Sir Siegmund," quoth she, "forsooth I like not for to ride. Whatever
fortune, here must I tarry with my kindred, who help me mourn."
These tales gan now displease the doughty warriors. All spake alike: "We
might well aver that now first hath ill befallen us. If ye would
stay here with our foes, then have heroes never ridden to court more
sorrowfully."
"Ye shall journey free of care, commended unto God; ye shall be given
safe-conduct to Siegmund's land, I'll bid them guard you well. To the
care of you knights shall my dear child be given."
When they marked that she would not go hence, then wept all of
Siegmund's men alike. How right sorrowfully Siegmund parted then from
Lady Kriemhild! He became acquaint with grief. "Woe worth this courtly
feasting," spake the noble king. "Through pastime will nevermore hap to
king or to his kinsmen, what here hath happed to us. Men shall see us
nevermore in Burgundy."
Then Siegfried's men spake openly: "A journey to this land might still
take place, if we discovered aright him who slew our lord. Enow of his
kinsmen be their deadly foes."
He kissed Kriemhild; how sorrowfully he spake, when he perceived aright
that she would stay: "Now let us ride joyless home unto our land, now
first do I feel all my sorrow."
Down to the Rhine from Worms they rode without an escort. They were
surely of the mind that they, the bold Nibelungs, could well defend
them, should they be encountered in hostile wise. Leave they asked of
none, but Gernot and Giselher were seen to go to Siegmund in loving
wise. These brave and lusty knights convinced him that they mourned his
loss. Courteously Prince Gernot spake: "God in heaven knoweth well that
I be not to blame for Siegfried's death, nor heard I ever that any was
his foe. I mourn him justly."
Giselher, the youth, gave them then safe-conduct. Sorrowly he led them
from the land home to Netherland. How few kinsman were found joyous
then!
How they now fared at Worms I cannot tell. All time men heard Kriemhild
mourn, so that none might comfort her heart nor mind, save Giselher
alone; loyal he was and good. Brunhild, the fair, sate in overweening
pride. How Kriemhild wept, she recked not, nor did she ever show her
love or troth. Lady Kriemhild wrought her in after days the bitterest
woe of heart.
ADVENTURE XIX. How The Nibelung Hoard Was Brought to Worms.
When the noble Kriemhild thus was widowed, the Margrave Eckewart with
his vassals stayed with her in the land, and served her alway. He also
often helped his mistress mourn his lord. At Worms, hard by the minster,
they built for her a dwelling, broad and passing large, costly and
great, where, with her maids, she since dwelt joyless. She liked for to
go to church and did this willingly. Where her love lay buried, thither
she went all time in mournful mood (how seldom she gave that over). She
prayed the good God to have mercy on her soul. With great fidelity she
bewept the knight full oft. Uta and her meiny comforted her all time,
but so sorely wounded was her heart, that it booted naught, whatever
comfort men did offer her. She had the greatest longing for her dear
love, that ever wife did have for loving husband. One might see thereby
her passing virtue; until her end she mourned, the while life lasted. In
after days brave Siegfried's wife avenged herself with might.
Thus she dwelt after her sorrow, after her husband's death, and this is
true, well three and one half years, that she spake no word to Gunther,
nor did she see her foeman Hagen in all this time.
Then spake Hagen of Troneg: "If ye could compass it to make your sister
friendly, then might come to these lands the gold of Nibelung. Of this
might ye win great store, an' the queen would be our friend."
The king made answer: "Let us try. My brothers bide with her; we will
beg them to bring it to pass that she be our friend, if perchance she
might gladly see us win the hoard."
"I trow not," spake Hagen, "that it will ever hap."
Then he bade Ortwin and the Margrave Gere go to court. When that was
done, Gernot and Giselher, the youth, were also brought. They tried
it with the Lady Kriemhild in friendly wise. Brave Gernot of Burgundy
spake: "Lady, ye mourn too long for Siegfried's death. The king will
give you proof that he hath not slain him. We hear you mourn all time so
greatly."
She spake: "None chargeth him with this. 'Twas Hagen's hand that struck
him, where he could be wounded. When he learned this of me, how could
I think that he did bear him hate? Else had I guarded against this full
well," spake the queen, "so that I had not betrayed his life; then would
I, poor wife, leave off my weeping. I'll never be a friend of him that
did the deed." Then Giselher, the full stately man, began implore.
When at last she spake: "I will greet the king," men saw him stand
before her with his nearest kin, but Hagen durst not come before her.
Well he wot his guilt; 'twas he had caused her dole. When now she would
forego her hate of Gunther, so that he might kiss her, it had befitted
him better had she not been wronged by his advice; then might he have
gone boldly unto Kriemhild. Nevermore was peace between kindred brought
to pass with so many tears; her loss still gave her woe. All, save the
one man alone, she pardoned. None had slain him, had not Hagen done the
deed.
Not long thereafter they brought it to pass that Lady Kriemhild gained
the hoard from the Nibelung land and brought it to the Rhine. It was
her marriage morning gift (1) and was hers by right. Giselher and Gernot
rode to fetch it. Kriemhild ordered eighty hundred men, that they should
bring it from where it lay hid, where it was guarded by the knight
Alberich (2) and his nearest kin. When they saw those from the Rhine
coming for the hoard, Alberich, the bold, spake to his friends: "Naught
of the treasure dare we withhold from her, sith the noble queen averreth
it to be her marriage morning gift. Yet should this never be done,"
quoth Alberich, "but that with Siegfried we have foully lost the good
Cloud Cloak, for fair Kriemhild's love did wear it alway. Now, alas,
it hath fared ill with Siegfried, that the hero bereft us of the Cloud
Cloak and that all this land did have to serve him."
Then went the warder to where he found the keys. Before the castle stood
Kriemhild's liegemen and a deal of her kinsfolk. Men bade carry the
treasure hence to the sea, down to the boats; one bare it then upon
the waves to the mountains on the Rhine. Now may ye hear marvels of the
hoard, the which twelve huge wains, packed full, were just able to bear
away from the hill in four days and nights and each must make the trip
three times a day. There was naught else but gems and gold, and had men
paid therewith the wage of all the world, not a mark less had it been
in worth. Forsooth Hagen did not crave it so without good cause. The
greatest prize of all was a wishing-rod (3) of gold. He who knew its
nature, might well be master over any man in all the world.
Many of Alberich's kinsmen journeyed with Gernot hence. When they
stored away the hoard in Gunther's land and the queen took charge of
everything, chambers and towers were filled therewith. Never did men
hear tales told of such wondrous store of goods. And had it been a
thousand times as much, if the Lord Siegfried were but alive again,
Kriemhild would fain have stood empty-handed at his side. No more
faithful wife did hero ever win. Now that she had the hoard, she brought
many unknown warriors to the land. In truth the lady's hand gave in
such wise that men have never seen such bounty more. She used great
courtesie; men owned this of the queen. To the rich and the poor she
began to give so greatly that Hagen said, should she live yet a while,
she would gain so many a man for her service that they would fare full
ill.
Then spake King Gunther: "Her life and her goods be hers. How shall I
hinder that she do with them as she will? Forsooth I hardly compassed
it, that she became thus much my friend. Let us not reck to whom she
deal out her silver and her gold."
Spake Hagen to the king: "No doughty man should leave to any wife aught
of the heard. With her gifts she'll bring about the day when it well may
rue the brave Burgundians sore."
Then spake King Gunther: "I swore an oath, that nevermore would I do her
harm, and will keep it further, for she is my sister."