MEANWHILE, in Ireland, Brunhilda was eagerly awaiting Siegfried's
return. Days grew into weeks, weeks lengthened into months, and still he
did not come. At first she could not believe that he had deserted her.
She would look at the beautiful ring which he had given her, and all her
faith and trust in him would return.
But when months slowly lengthened into years, and the years passed one
after another, she began to give up the hope of ever seeing him again.
Now, as I have said before, Brunhilda was very beautiful, and soon
suitors began flocking around her, anxious to win her hand in marriage.
But Brunhilda loved Siegfried very dearly and had no desire to marry any
one else. Therefore she declared that whoever sought to marry her must
match his strength with hers; if he were victorious, she would wed him,
but if he failed, he should lose his head in forfeit, according to the
custom of these olden days.
Many gallant suitors came, entered the contest, failed and lost their
heads, for Brunhilda was a Walkyrie, and more than a match in strength
for any man. She did not like to kill her lovers, but they persisted in
coming, and she continued to do her best at every trial.
Meanwhile the fame of her strength and beauty traveled afar, and reached
Gunther at Worms. He determined to journey to Isenheim, and enter the
lists against her. Accordingly he went to Siegfried, and asked aid of
him. Siegfried replied:
"I will gladly help you, if you, on your part, will help me win the hand
of your beautiful sister."
Gunther was very grateful for the aid Siegfried had given him in the
late Saxon war. So he promised that on the day Brunhilda arrived in
Worms he would give him Kriemhild for his bride. Siegfried was
satisfied, and agreed to travel to Ireland with Gunther, as his vassal,
and to present his petition to Brunhilda.
Then they arrayed themselves in costly garments and set sail, and after
a twelve-day voyage, they reached the coast of Ireland. When Siegfried
beheld the green palaces of marble, he felt a vague uneasiness, for it
all had a strangely familiar look. Where had he seen this place before?
He remembered it dimly, as in a dream.
When he entered Brunhilda's palace, she advanced to meet him, with both
hands outstretched, crying:
"Siegfried, is it indeed you, and have you come to tilt with me?"
He looked at her with the eyes of a stranger, and replied:
"I come to represent Gunther, King of Burgundy. He wishes to sue for
your heart and hand. He is my lord; I am his vassal, and have come to do
his bidding."
Brunhilda was sorely grieved and perplexed; she could not in the least
understand Siegfried's behavior. Surely it was he who had aroused her
from her magic sleep, and surely it was he who had placed the beautiful
ring upon her hand, vowing that he would return and claim her for his
bride. But as he continued to look at her as though he had never seen
her before, she felt that she must give him a reply.
And as she had no reasonable excuse for refusing his request, she said
that Gunther might enter the lists with her. She felt sure that he, too,
would be overthrown. Siegfried thanked her gravely for her kindness,
and made haste to carry her reply back to Gunther.
He then disclosed his plan to aid Gunther in the undertaking. Gunther
was to appear clad in armor and mounted upon Siegfried's horse, the one
which had belonged to Mimi; then he, Siegfried, would put on his
tarnhelm and become invisible; Gunther was to ride boldly into the
field, and go through all the necessary motions, while Siegfried, unseen
by the others, would do all the actual fighting. Gunther said he
considered the plan a capital one, and declared that Siegfried was as
clever as he was brave.