Part 25 (1/2)

Brunhild had made it a condition that the hero whom she would wed must be able to overcome her in three trials of prowess, losing his head as a penalty of failure. Siegfried, donning the magic cloak of invisibility he had won from Alberich, king of the dwarfs, took Gunther?s place and won the three trials for him, Gunther going through a pantomime of the appropriate actions while Siegfried performed the feats. The pa.s.sage which tells of the encounter is curious. A great spear, heavy and keen, was brought forth for Brunhild?s use. It was more a weapon for a hero of might than for a maiden, but, unwieldy as it was, she was able to brandish it as easily as if it had been a willow wand. Three and a half weights of iron went to the making of this mighty spear, which scarce three of her men could carry. Sore afraid was Gunther. Well did he wish him safe in the Burgundian land. ?Once back in Rhineland,? thought he, ?and I would not stir a foot?s distance to win any such war-maid.?

But up spake Dankwart, Hagen?s valiant brother: ?Now is the day come on which we must bid farewell to our lives. An ill journey has this been, I trow, for in this land we shall perish at the hands of women. Oh, that my brother Hagen and I had but our good swords here! Then would these carles of Brunhild?s check their laughter. Without arms a man can do nothing, but had I a blade in hand even Brunhild herself should die ere harm came to our dear lord.?

This speech heard the warrior-maid. ?Now put these heroes? swords into their hands,? she commanded, ?and accoutre them in their mail.?

Right glad was Dankwart to feel iron in his hand once more and know its weight upon his limbs. ?Now I am ready for such play as they list,? he cried. ?Since we have arms, our lord is not yet conquered.?

Into the ring of contest mighty men bore a great stone. Twelve of them it took to carry it, so ponderous it was. Woe were they of Burgundy for their lord at sight of the same.

Brunhild advanced on Gunther, brandis.h.i.+ng her spear. Siegfried was by his side and touched him lightly to give him confidence, but Gunther knew not it was he and marvelled, for no one saw him there.

?Who hath touched me?? said he.

??Tis I, Siegfried,? replied his friend. ?Be of good cheer and fear not the maiden. Give me thy s.h.i.+eld and mark well what I say. Make thou motions as if to guard and strike, and I will do the deeds. Above all hearken to my whispered advice.?

Great was Gunther?s joy when he knew that Siegfried was by him. But he had not long to marvel, for Brunhild was on him, her great spear in hand, the light from its broad blade flas.h.i.+ng in his eyes. She hurled the spear at his s.h.i.+eld. It pa.s.sed through the iron as if it had been silk and struck on the rings of Gunther?s armour. Both Gunther and Siegfried staggered at the blow. But the latter, although bleeding from the mouth with the shock of the thrown weapon, seized it, reversing the point, and cast it at Brunhild with such dreadful might that when it rang on her armour she was overthrown.

Right angry was Brunhild. But she weened that the blow was Gunther?s, and respected him for his strength. Her anger, however, overcame her esteem, and seizing the great stone which had been placed in the ring of combat, she cast it from her twelve fathoms. Leaping after it, she sprang farther than she had thrown it. Then went Gunther to the stone and poised it while Siegfried threw it. He cast the stone farther than Brunhild had done, and so great was his strength that he raised King Gunther from the earth and leapt with him a greater distance than Brunhild had leapt herself. Men saw Gunther throw and leap alone.

Red with anger grew Brunhild when she saw herself defeated. Loudly she addressed her men.

?Ho, ye liegemen of mine,? she cried, ?now are ye subject to Gunther the King, for, behold, he has beaten me in the sports.?

The knights then acclaimed Gunther as the victor. By his own strength of arm had he won the games, said they, and he in turn greeted them lovingly. Brunhild came forward, took him by the hand, and granted to him full power throughout her dominions. They proceeded to her palace and Gunther?s warriors were now regaled with better cheer than before.

But Siegfried carefully concealed his magic cloak.

Coming to where Gunther and Brunhild sat, he said: ?My lord, why do you tarry? Why are the games of which Queen Brunhild doth speak not yet begun? I long to see how they may be played.? He acted his part so well that Brunhild really believed that he was not aware the games were over and that she was the loser.

?Now, Sir Siegfried,? said she, ?how comes it that you were not present when the games, which Gunther has won, were being played??

Hagen, fearing that Siegfried might blunder in his reply, took the answer out of his mouth and said: ?O Queen, the good knight Siegfried was hard by the s.h.i.+p when Gunther won the games from you. Naught indeed knew he of them.?

Siegfried now expressed great surprise that any man living had been able to master the mighty war-maid. ?Is it possible,? he exclaimed, ?is it possible, O Queen, that you have been vanquished at the sports in which you excel so greatly? But I for one am glad, since now you needs must follow us home to the Rhineland.?

?You are speedy of speech, Sir Siegfried,? replied Brunhild. ?But there is much to do ere yet I quit my lands. First must I inform my kindred and va.s.sals of this thing. Messengers must be sent to many of my kinsmen ere I depart from Isenstein.?

With that she bade couriers ride to all quarters, bidding her kinsmen, her friends, and her warriors come without delay to Isenstein. For several days they arrived in troops: early and late they came, singly and in companies. Then with a large escort Brunhild sailed across the sea and up the Rhine to Worms.

Siegfried and Brunhild

It now became increasingly clear that Siegfried and Brunhild had had affectionate relations in the past. [Indeed, in the Volsunga Saga, which is an early version of the Nibelungenlied, we find Grimhild, the mother of Gudrun (Kriemhild), administering to Sigurd (Siegfried) a magic potion in order that he should forget about Brunhild.] On seeing Siegfried and Kriemhild greet each other with a kiss, sadness and jealousy wrung the heart of the war-maiden, and she evinced anything but a wifely spirit toward her husband Gunther, whom, on the first night of their wedded life, she wrestled with, defeated, and bound with her girdle, afterward hanging him up by it on a peg in the wall! Next day he appealed to Siegfried for a.s.sistance, and that night the hero donned his magic cloak of invisibility, contended with Brunhild in the darkness, and overcame her, she believing him to be Gunther, who was present during the strife. But Siegfried was foolish enough to carry away her ring and girdle, ?for very haughtiness.? These he gave to Kriemhild, and sore both of them rued it in after-time. Brunhild?s strength vanished with her maidenhood and thenceforth she was as any other woman.

Siegfried and Kriemhild now departed to the capital of Santen, on the Lower Rhine, and peace prevailed for ten years, until Brunhild persuaded Gunther to invite them to a festival at Worms. She could not understand how, if Siegfried was Gunther?s va.s.sal, as Gunther had informed her, he neither paid tribute nor rendered homage. The invitation was accepted cordially enough. But Kriemhild and Brunhild quarrelled bitterly regarding a matter of precedence as to who should first enter church, and at the door of the minster of Worms there was an unseemly squabble.

Then Kriemhild taunted Brunhild with the fact that Siegfried had won and deserted her, and displayed the girdle and ring as proof of what she a.s.serted.

Siegfried, confronted with Brunhild, denied that he had ever approached her in any unseemly way, and he and Gunther attempted to make peace between their wives. But all to no avail. A deadly feud had sprung up between them, which was to end in woe for all. Hagen swore a great oath that Siegfried should pay for the insult his wife had put upon Brunhild.

The Plot against Siegfried

Now, but four days after, news came to Gunther?s court that war was declared against him. But this was merely a plot to draw Siegfried from the court and compa.s.s his death. The heroes armed for war, among them Siegfried. When Hagen bade farewell to Kriemhild she recommended Siegfried to his care. Now, when Siegfried slew the dragon which guarded the treasure of the Nibelungs, he bathed in its blood and became, like Achilles, invulnerable, save at a spot where a linden leaf had fallen between his shoulders as he bathed, and so prevented contact with the potent stream. Hagen inquired of Kriemhild the whereabouts of this vulnerable spot, pretending that he would guard Siegfried against treachery in battle; and she, fully believing in his good faith, sewed a silken cross upon Siegfried?s mantle to mark the place.