Thus the two brave men talked together. King Etzel saw this, and
therefore he began to query: "Fain would I know," spake the mighty
king, "who yonder warrior be, whom Sir Dietrich greeteth there in such
friendly wise. He carrieth high his head; whoever be his father, he is
sure a doughty knight."
A liegeman of Kriemhild made answer to the king: "By birth he is from
Troneg, his father hight Aldrian; however blithe he bear him here, a
grim man is he. I'll let you see full well that I have told no lie."
"How shall I know that he be so fierce?" replied the king. As yet he
wist not the many evil tricks that the queen should later play upon her
kin, so that she let none escape from the Huns alive.
"Well know I Aldrian, for he was my vassal (5) and here at my court
gained mickle praise and honor. I dubbed him knight and gave hint of my
gold. The faithful Helca loved him inly. Therefore I have since known
Hagen every whit. Two stately youths became my hostages, he and Walther
of Spain. (6) Here they grew to manhood; Hagen I sent home again,
Walther ran away with Hildegund."
He bethought him of many tales that had happed of yore. He had spied
aright his friend of Troneg, who in his youth had given him yeoman
service. Later in his old age he did him many a dear friend to death.
ENDNOTES:
(1) "Hildebrand" is the teacher and armor bearer of Dietrich.
He is the hero of the famous "Hildebrandslied".
(2) "Wolfhart" is Hildebrand's nephew. In the "Thidreksaga" he
falls in the battle of Gronsport.
(3) "Amelung land" is the name under which Dietrich's land
appears. Theodorich, the king of the East Goths, belonged
to the race of the Amali.
(4) "Feast". That Kriemhild kissed only Giselher, who was
innocent of Siegfried's death, aroused Hagen's suspicions.
(5) "Vassal". No other account speaks of Aldrian as being at
Etzel's court. He is probably confused here with his son,
for Hagen's stay with Etzel in various legends, as also in
our poem a few lines further down.
(6) "Walther of Spain" is Walther of Aquitania, a legendary
personage of whom the O.E. fragment "Waldere", the Latin
epic "Waltharius", a M.H.G. epic, and the "Thidreksaga"
tell. He flees with Hildegund, the daughter of the
Burgundian King Herrich, from Etzel's court, as related
here, but has to fight for his life against overpowering
numbers, in the "Thidreksaga" against the pursuing Huns, in
the other sources against the Burgundians. In both cases
Hagen is among his foes, but takes no part in the fight at
first, out of friendship for Walther.
ADVENTURE XXIX. How Hagen Would Not Rise For Kriemhild.
Then the two worshipful warriors parted, Hagen of Troneg and
Sir Dietrich. Over his shoulder Gunther's liegeman gazed for a
comrade-at-arms, whom he then quickly won. Folker he saw, the cunning
fiddler, stand by Giselher, and begged him to join him, for well he knew
his savage mood. He was in all things a bold knight and a good. Still
they let the lordings stand in the court, only these twain alone men saw
walk hence far across the court before a spacious palace. These chosen
warriors feared the hate of none. They sate them down upon a bench
before the house over against a hall, the which belonged to Kriemhild.
Upon their bodies shone their lordly weeds. Enow who gazed upon them
would than have known the knights; as wild beasts the haughty heroes
were stared upon by the Hunnish men. Etzel's wife, too, gazed upon
them through a window, at which fair Kriemhild waxed sad again. Of her
sorrows it minded her and she began to weep. Much it wondered Etzel's
men what had so quickly saddened her mood. Quoth she: "That Hagen hath
done, ye heroes brave and good."
To the lady they spake: "How hath that happed, for but newly we did see
you joyful? None there be so bold, an' he hath done you aught, but it
will cost him his life, if ye bid us venge you."
"Ever would I requite it, if any avenged my wrongs. I would give him all
he craved. Behold me at your feet," spake he queen; "avenge me on Hagen,
that he lose his life."
Then sixty bold men made them ready eftsoon for Kriemhild's sake. They
would hence to slay the bold knight Hagen and the fiddler, too. With
forethought this was done. When the queen beheld the band so small, grim
of mood she spake to the knights: "What ye now would do, ye should give
over. With so few durst ye never encounter Hagen. And however strong
and bold Hagen of Troneg be, he who sitteth by his side, Folker, the
fiddler, is stronger still by far. He is an evil man. Certes, ye may not
so lightly match these knights."
When they heard this, four hundred doughty warriors more did make them
ready. The noble queen craved sore to do them harm. Thereby the heroes
later fell in mickle danger. When she saw her followers well armed, the
queen spake to the doughty knights: "Now bide a while, ye must stand
quite still in truth. Wearing my crown, I will go to meet my foes. List
ye to the wrongs that Hagen of Troneg, Gunther's man, hath done me. I
know him to be so haughty that he'll not deny a whit. Little I reek what
hap to him on this account."
Then the fiddler, a bold minstrel, spied the noble queen walk down the
flight of steps that led downward from a house. When bold Folker saw
this, to his comrade-at-arms he spake: "Now behold, friend Hagen, how
she walketh yonder, who hath faithlessly bidden us to this land. I have
never seen with a queen so many men bearing sword in hand march in such
warlike guise. Know ye, friend Hagen, whether she bear you hate? If
so be, I counsel you to guard the better your life and honor. Certes,
methinks this good. They be wroth of mood, as far as I can see, and
some be so broad of chest that he who would guard himself should do so
betimes. I ween there be those among them who wear bright breastplates.
Whom they would attack, I cannot say."
Then, angry of mood, the brave knight Hagen spake: "Well I wot that all
this be done against me, that they thus bear their gleaming swords in
hand. For aught of them, I still may ride to the Burgundian land.
Now tell me, friend Folker, whether ye will stand by me, if perchance
Kriemhild's men would fight me? Pray let me hear that, if so be ye hold
me dear. I'll aid you evermore with faithful service."
"I'll help you surely," spake the minstrel; "and should I see the king
with all his warriors draw near us, not one foot will I yield from fear
in aiding you, the while I live."
"Now may God in heaven requite you, noble Folker; though they strive
against me, what need I more? Sith ye will help me, as I hear you say,
let these warriors come on full-armed."
"Let us rise now from our seats," spake the minstrel. "Let us do her
honor as she passeth by, she is a high-born dame, a queen. We shall
thereby honor ourselves as well."
"For my sake, no," quoth Hagen. "Should I go hence, these knights would
think 'twas through fear. Not for one of them will I ever rise from my
seat. It beseemeth us both better, forsooth, to leave this undone, for
why should I honor one who doth bear me hatred? Nor will I do this, the
while I live; I reck not how King Etzel's wife doth hate me."
Haughty Hagen laid across his knees a gleaming sword from whose pommel
a sparkling jasper, greener than grass, did shine. Its hilt was golden,
its sheath an edging of red. That it was Siegfried's, Kriemhild knew
full well. She must needs grow sad when that she knew the sword, for it
minded her of her wrongs; she began to weep. I ween bold Hagen had done
it for this cause. Folker, the bold, drew nearer to the bench a fiddle
bow, strong, mickle, and long, like unto a broad, sharp sword, and there
the two lusty knights sate undaunted. These two brave men did think
themselves so lordly, that they would not leave their seats through fear
of any man. The noble queen walked therefore to their very feet and gave
them hostile greeting. She spake: "Now tell me, Hagen, who hath sent for
you, that ye durst ride hither to this land, sith ye know full well what
ye have done me? Had ye good wits, ye should have left it undone, by
rights."
"No one sent for me," quoth Hagen. "Men bade to this land three knights,
who hight my lords. I am their liegeman, and full seldom have I stayed
behind when they journeyed to any court."
Quoth she: "Now tell me further, why ye did this, through the which ye
have earned my hate? Ye slew Siegfried, my dear husband, for which I
have cause enow to weep until mine end."
Quoth he: "What booteth more, enow is already said. It is just I, Hagen,
who slew Siegfried, a hero of his hands. How sorely did he atone that
Lady Kriemhild railed at comely Brunhild. 'Tis not to be denied, O
mighty queen, I alone am to blame for this scathful scathe. (1) Let him
avenge it who will, be he wife or man. Unless be I should lie to you, I
have dons you much of harm."
Quoth she: "Now hear, ye knights, how he denieth no whit of my wrongs.
Men of Etzel, I care not what hap to him from this cause."
The proud warriors all gazed at one another. Had any began the fight,
it would have come about that men must have given the honors to the two
comrades, for they had oft wrought wonders in the fray. What the Huns
had weened to do must now needs be left undone through fear.
Then spake one of the men-at-arms: "Why gaze ye thus at me? What I afore
vowed, I will now give over. I will lose my life for no man's gift.
Forsooth King Etzel's wife would fain lead us into wrong."
Quoth another hard by: "Of the selfsame mind am I. An' any give me
towers of good red gold, I would not match this fiddler, for his fearful
glances, the which I have seen him cast. Hagen, too, I have known from
his youthful days, wherefore men can tell me little of this knight.
I have seen him fight in two and twenty battles, through which woe of
heart hath happed to many a dame. He and the knight from Spain trod many
a war path, when here at Etzel's court they waged so many wars in honor
of the king. Much this happed, wherefore one must justly honor Hagen. At
that time the warrior was of his years a lad. How gray are they who then
were young! Now is he come to wit and is a man full grim. Balmung, (2)
too, he beareth, the which he won in evil wise."
Therewith the strife was parted, so that no one fought, which mightily
rued the queen. The warriors turned them hence; in sooth they feared
their death at the fiddler's hands, and surely they had need of this.
Then spake the fiddler: "We have now well seen that we shall find foes
here, as we heard tell afore. Let us go to court now to the kings, then
dare none match our lords in fight. How oft a man doth leave a thing
undone through fear, the which he would not do, when friend standeth by
friend in friendly (3) wise, an' he have good wits. Scathe to many a man
is lightly warded off by forethought."