Now about this time King Hettel the Hegeling lived at Castle Matelane
in Denmark. He was a bold warrior, and Nordland, Friesland, and
Dietmarsch owed him allegiance. Many princely heroes were about his
throne. Chief among them was his kinsman, old Wate, who bore rule in
Sturmland, and was famous for his doughty deeds of war. Not less
celebrated were the minstrels Horand and Frute, both powerful lords in
Denmark. Then came Irold the Swift from Friesland, and Morung of
Nifland; bold warriors both, and ever ready to help their liege lord.
One evening, at the feast, Morung of Nifland advised King Hettel to
seek a wife, and said that Hilde, the Irish princess, was the best maid
for him to woo, for she was famous in all lands for her beauty and
virtue. And Horand answered, that the lady was justly praised; but that
wild Hagen, her father, would permit no man to woo her, and that many a
noble warrior had met his death in fighting with him for her hand.
The king was much taken with what he heard of fair Hilde, and greatly
desired to raise her to the Hegeling throne. He asked who would
undertake the wooing for him. The courtiers advised him to make old
Wate his ambassador, and although the lord of Sturmland had no desire
to go on any such errand, yet he promised to set out, and said that if
Horand and Frute would accompany him he had no doubt the wooing would
be successful.
The three warriors, joined by Irold of Nordland, prepared to set out on
their journey. They took a small fleet of ships laden with costly
wares, and a thousand armed men, and started on their mission.
After a long voyage they reached Balian, where wild Hagen held his
court.
Their arrival was greeted with the utmost amazement, for no one in
Ireland had ever seen such splendour before. The masts of the Danish
ships were of shining cypress-wood, the sails of purple silk, and the
anchors of silver. Sailors in rich garments bore foreign wares from
distant lands out of the ships, and spread them before the astonished
multitude. The captains offered rich articles for sale, explaining that
they were merchants, and had come to Balian on a trading expedition.
When King Hagen heard what was going on at the wharf, he and Queen
Hilde went down to the ships to see what was to be seen. Then Frute at
once came forward, and, drawing him aside, explained that they were not
really merchants, but fugitives, who desired to be protected from their
king, Hettel the Hegeling.
Hagen laughed when he heard this, for he had long wished to try his
strength in single combat with the Danish king. So he told the warriors
to be of good courage, and to come up to the palace with him. The
strangers accepted the invitation. They gave the king and queen rich
presents of garments and precious stones. Indeed, their riches seemed
so inexhaustible, that Hagen would willingly have kept them in the
country, and given them houses and lands. But they pleaded that they
had left their wives and children in Hegelingland, where they hoped one
day to return.
They all met in the banqueting-hall, and the strangers were presented
to the princess. Wate alone spoke little, and often looked out towards
the sea.
“Go, Hilde,” whispered the queen, “and greet the foreign lord with a
kiss.”
The girl started with fear, for the hero of Sturmland was a full head
taller than any of his comrades, and was a stern-featured man, with a
large hooked nose, bald head, and long grey beard.
“What are you looking at, Lord Wate?” said the queen. “Do you see
fairer women on the shore than here in the hall?”
“I am looking at my ship,” answered the hero, “for a storm is coming
on.”
Then the princess smiled and said:
“Are you not happy with us, noble warrior? or do you always wish to be
out among storms and fighting?”
“Lady,” said Wate, “I never learned to talk sweet talk with women, or
to dance with girls. I only care for the dancing of the stormy waves
and for the din of battle, when the Norns sing of conquest or a
glorious death.”
This was the speech of the stern old man. But the other warriors talked
of the lovely land of the Hegelings, of its castles and granges, and of
the minstrels and knights who served their ladies in all honour and
modesty. After this they took leave of their hosts and retired. The
next day passed, as was usual on such occasions, in jousting, feasting,
and minstrelsy.
Horand used to sing, early in the morning and in the late evening,
before the queen and her daughter, who were both delighted with his
voice and his songs. Once, when he was alone with the princess, he sang
about a great king who fell sick with love for a beautiful maiden named
Hilde. The princess felt that there was something hidden behind the
song. So she asked at length who the king was that cared for her. Upon
which the minstrel showed her a portrait of King Hettel, and told her
of her father’s stern cruelty to all noble warriors who came to Balian
to woo the princess. He told her also on what secret mission he and his
friends had come, and entreated her to come with them to Hegelingland,
where the king was waiting eagerly for her arrival. Once there, he
continued, he would sing to her every day, and so would King Hettel,
who knew far more beautiful songs than he.
Hilde promised that she would ask her father’s permission to go down to
the ships and look at the strangely beautiful stuffs and jewels on
board.
What she promised she did.
One day the men of Hegeling came before King Hagen, and said that they
had good news from their home. Their king had found that they had been
falsely accused, and had therefore restored them to his favour. They
wished now to take leave of Hagen, and return to their own land. The
king was displeased to think of losing his guests, and yet they should
not go without rich gifts.
“Sire,” said Frute the Wise, “we are so rich that we cannot well accept
either silver or gold; but if you would show us a kindness, come on
board our galleys with the queen and her ladies, and look at our
treasures.”
Wild Hagen shook his head, but his daughter and the queen wished so
much to go that he at length gave way.
At the appointed hour, when the sails were spread and the ships were
ready for departure, the king, queen, princess, and their ladies
appeared upon the strand. Boats were ready to take them to the ships.
Fair Hilde and her maid sprang quickly into a boat steered by Horand.
But when Hagen and his armed followers were about to get into another
boat, Wate, Frute, and Irold thrust them back and pushed off from land.
The wild chieftain immediately caught up his spear, and rushed into the
sea till the waves dashed over his head. Spears were hurled on either
side, but Horand brought the princess safely to the ship. Hagen ran
along the shore and called despairingly for ships and men to pursue the
traitors; but the Irish boats were not ready for sea, and even at that
moment the sails of the Hegelings were disappearing in the distance.
The voyage lasted many days and many nights. Fair Hilde wept much for
her father and mother, but Horand sang to her, now of great deeds, and
now of love, till she was comforted. At length they reached the coast,
where King Hettel awaited them. He came down to meet them, and soon
gained fair Hilde’s heart. On the following morning they prepared to go
to Matelane. But when they were about to start, they saw white clouds
appear on the western horizon, which, as they came nearer, were
discovered to be ships forming a great fleet, and from the topmast of
each ship floated the banner of the cross. The Hegelings took it to be
a fleet of crusaders going out against the unbelieving Wilkin-men or
Reussen; but very soon a flag was hoisted bearing the arms of Hagen, a
tiger, and then they knew that the enemy was approaching.
King Hettel and old Wate drew out their men in battle array on the
strand. The old man laughed loud for joy that he was really to have a
passage of arms with the warlike Irish king. The other princes advanced
with their men to prevent the enemy’s landing. The warriors were all of
good cheer; but fair Hilde, who looked down from the battlements of the
castle on the turmoil below, wrung her hands with grief that she should
be the cause of bloodshed.
The galleys cast anchor, and boats were put off filled with armed men.
The battle began, and so firm was the resistance made to their landing
that the boatmen could not approach the shore. Then wild Hagen flung
himself into the water and fought his way to land, followed by his
bravest men. His blows were so terrible that he carried all before him,
and even Hettel fell wounded to the ground, and was with difficulty
borne away from the field. Old Wate now came forward, and he and Hagen
had a hand-to-hand encounter. Each fought like a lion, and neither gave
way in the least before the other, although both were severely wounded.
At length King Hettel, his head bandaged, and looking pale from loss of
blood, forced his way through the throng of combatants with Hilde
leaning on his arm. He threw his arms round Wate, while she did the
same to her father, and entreated them both to make peace for her sake.
Wild Hagen was touched by his daughter’s words. He clasped her in his
arms, and then held out his hand, first to Hettel, and then to the grim
old hero of Sturmland.
Now that the battle was over, Wate went about binding the wounds of all
whom he found, whether of Irish or Hegeling birth, with some healing
herb, of whose virtues he was well aware. In the evening there was a
great feast, and next morning the warriors all went to Matelane, where
the marriage was to take place. A ship was sent to bring good Queen
Hilde to her daughter’s wedding, which was celebrated in the cathedral,
with all pomp and circumstance.
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[Illustration]