The Story of Siegfried Read online

  It was the wood in which dwells Vidar, the silent god, far from thesound of man's busy voice, in the solemn shade of century-living oaksand elms. There he sits in quiet but awful grandeur,--strong almost asThor, but holding his mighty strength in check. Hoary and gray, he sitsalone in Nature's temple, and communes with Nature's self, waiting forthe day when Nature's silent but resistless forces shall be quickenedinto dread action. His head is crowned with sear and yellow leaves,and long white moss hangs pendent from his brows and cheeks, and hisgarments are rusted with age. On his feet are iron shoes, with solesmade thick with the scraps of leather gathered through centuries past;and with these, it is said, he shall, in the last great twilight of themid-world, rend the jaws of the Fenris-wolf.[EN#29]

  "Who is this Fenris-wolf?" asked one of the Nibelungens as they rodethrough the solemn shadows of the wood.

  And Siegfried thereupon related how that fierce creature had beenbrought up and cared for by the Asa-folk; and how, when he grew largeand strong, they sought to keep him from doing harm by binding him withan iron chain called Leding. But the strength of the monster was sogreat, that he burst the chain asunder, and escaped. Then the Asas madeanother chain twice as strong, which they called Drome. And they calledto the wolf, and besought him to allow them to bind him again, so that,in bursting the second chain, he might clear up all doubts in regard tohis strength. Flattered by the words of the Asas, the wolf complied;and they chained him with Drome, and fastened him to a great rock. ButFenris stretched his legs, and shook himself, and the great chain wassnapped in pieces. Then the Asas knew that there was no safety for themso long as a monster so huge and terrible was unbound; and they besoughtthe swarthy elves to forge them another and a stronger chain. This theelves did. They made a most wondrous chain, smooth as silk, and soft asdown, yet firmer than granite, and stronger than steel. They called itGleipner; and it was made of the sinews of a bear, the footsteps of acat, the beard of a woman, the breath of a fish, the sweat of a bird,and the roots of a mountain. When the Asas had obtained this chain, theylured the Fenris-wolf to the rocky Island of Lyngve, and by flatterypersuaded him to be bound again. But this he would not agree to do untilTyr placed his hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. Then theytied him as before, and laughingly bade him break the silken cord. Thehuge creature stretched himself as before, and tried with all his mightto burst away; but Gleipner held him fast, and the worst that he coulddo was to bite off the hand of unlucky Tyr. And this is why Tyr iscalled the one-armed god.

  "But it is said," added Siegfried, "that in the last twilight theFenris-wolf will break his chain, and that he will swallow the sun, andslay the great Odin himself, and that none can subdue him save Vidar theSilent."

  It was thus that the heroes conversed with each other as they rodethrough the silent ways of the wood.

  At length, one afternoon in early summer, the little company reached theRhine valley; and looking down from the sloping hill-tops, green withgrowing corn, they saw the pleasant town of the Burgundians and the highgray towers of Gunther's dwelling. And not long afterwards they rodethrough the streets of the old town, and, tired and travel-stained,halted outside of the castle-gates. Very soon it became noised aboutthat Siegfried and a company of strange knights, fair and tall, had comeagain to Burgundy and to the home of the Burgundian kings. But when itwas certainly known that neither Gunther the king, nor Hagen of the evileye, nor Dankwart his brother, had returned, the people felt manysad misgivings; for they greatly feared that some hard mischance hadbefallen their loved king. Then Gernot and the young Giselher, havingheard of Siegfried's arrival, came out with glad but anxious faces togreet him.

  "Welcome, worthy chief!" they cried. "But why are you alone? What areyour tidings? Where is our brother? and where are our brave uncles,Hagen and Dankwart? And who are those strange, fair men who ride withyou? And what about Brunhild, the warrior-maiden? Alas! if our brotherhas fallen by her cruel might, then woe to Burgundy! Tell us quickly allabout it!"

  "Have patience, friends!" answered Siegfried. "Give me time to speak,and I will gladden the hearts of all the folk of Burgundy with my news.Your brother Gunther is alive and well; and he is the happiest man inthe whole mid-world, because he has won the matchless Brunhild for hisbride. And he is ere now making his way up the river with a mighty fleetof a hundred vessels and more than two thousand warriors. Indeed, youmay look for him any day. And he has sent me, with these my Nibelungenearls, to bid you make ready for his glad home-coming."

  Then, even before he had alighted from Greyfell, he went on to tell ofthe things that had happened at Isenstein; but he said nothing of thepart which he had taken in the strange contest. And a crowd of eagerlisteners stood around, and heard with unfeigned joy of the happyfortune of their king.

  "And now," said Siegfried to Giselher, when he had finished his story,"carry the glad news to your mother and your sister; for they, too, mustbe anxious to learn what fate has befallen King Gunther."

  "Nay," answered the prince, "you yourself are the king's herald, and youshall be the one to break the tidings to them. Full glad they'll be tohear the story from your own lips, for long have they feared thatour brother would never be seen by us again. I will tell them of yourcoming, but you must be the first to tell them the news you bring."

  "Very well," answered Siegfried. "It shall be as you say."

  Then he dismounted from Greyfell, and, with his Nibelungen earls, wasshown into the grand hall, where they were entertained in a right kinglymanner.

  When Kriemhild the peerless, and Ute her mother, heard that Siegfriedhad come again to Burgundy, and that he brought news from Gunther theking, they hastened to make ready to see him. And, when he came beforethem, he seemed so noble, so bright, and so glad, that they knew he boreno evil tidings.

  "Most noble prince," said Kriemhild, trembling in his presence, "rightwelcome are you to our dwelling! But wherefore are you come? How faresmy brother Gunther? Why came he not with you back to Burgundy-land? Oh!undone are we, if, through the cruel might of the warrior-queen, he hasbeen lost to us."

  "Now give me a herald's fees!" cried Siegfried, laughing. "King Guntheris alive and well. In the games of strength to which fair Brunhildchallenged him, he was the winner. And now he comes up the Rhine withhis bride, and a great retinue of lords and ladies and fighting-men.Indeed, the sails of his ships whiten the river for miles. And I amcome by his desire to ask that every thing be made ready for his gladhome-coming and the loving welcome of his peerless queen."

  Great was the joy of Kriemhild and her queenly mother when they heardthis gladsome news; and they thanked the prince most heartily for allthat he had done.

  "You have truly earned a herald's fee," said the lovely maiden, "andgladly would I pay it you in gold; for you have cheered us with pleasanttidings, and lightened our minds of a heavy load. But men of your noblerank take neither gifts nor fees, and hence we have only to offer ourdeepest and heartiest thanks."

  "Not so," answered Siegfried gayly. "Think not I would scorn a fee. HadI a kingdom of thirty realms, I should still be proud of a gift fromyou."

  "Then, you shall have your herald's fee!" cried Kriemhild; and she senther maidens to fetch the gift. And with her own lily hands she gave himtwenty golden bracelets, richly inwrought with every kind of rare andcostly gem-stones. Happy, indeed, was Siegfried to take such pricelessgift from the hand of so peerless a maiden; and his face shone radiantwith sunbeams as he humbly bowed, and thanked her. But he had no needfor the jewels, nor wished he to keep them long: so he gave them, withgracious wishes, to the fair young maidens at court.

  From this time forward, for many days, there was great bustle inGunther's dwelling. On every side was heard the noise of busy hands,making ready for the glad day when the king should be welcomed home.The broad halls and the tall gray towers were decked with flowers, andfloating banners, and many a gay device; the houses and streets of thepleasant burgh put on their holiday attire; the shady road which ledthrough Kriemhild's rose-gard
en down to the river-banks was dusted andswept with daily care; and the watchman was cautioned to keep on thelookout every moment for the coming of the expected fleet. And heraldshad been sent to every burgh and castle, and to every countryside inBurgundy, announcing the happy home-coming of Gunther and his bride, andbidding every one, both high and low, to the glad merry-making.

  On the morning of the eleventh day, ere the sun had dried the dew fromthe springing grass, the keen-eyed watchman, in his perch on the topmosttower, cried out in happy accents to the waiting folk below,--

  "They come at last! I see the white-winged ships still far down thestream. But a breeze springs up from the northward, and the sailors areat the oars, and swift speed the hastening vessels, as if borne on thewings of the wind. Ride forth, O ye brave and fair, to welcome the fairand the brave!"

  Then quickly the king-folk, and the warriors, and fair ladies, mountedtheir ready steeds, and gayly through the gates of the castle they rodeout river-wards. And Ute, the noble queen-mother, went first. And thecompany moved in glittering array, with flying banners, and music, andthe noisy flourish of drums, adown the rose-covered pathway which ledto the water's side. And the peerless Kriemhild followed, with a hundredlovely maidens, all mounted on snow-white palfreys; and Siegfried, proudand happy, on Greyfell, rode beside her.

  When the party reached the river-bank, a pleasant sight met their eyes;for the fleet had now drawn near, and the whole river, as far as theeye could reach, glittered with the light reflected from the shield-hungrails and the golden prows of the swift-coming ships. King Gunther's ownvessel led all the rest; and the king himself stood on the deck, withthe glorious Brunhild by his side. Nearer and nearer the fresh breezeof the summer morning wafted the vessel to the shore, where stoodthe waiting multitude. Softly the golden dragon glided in to thelanding-place, and quickly was it moored to the banks; then Gunther,clad in his kingly garments, stepped ashore, and with him his lovelyqueen. And a mighty shout of welcome, and an answering shout ofgladness, seemed to rend the sky as the waiting hosts beheld the sight.And the queen-mother Ute, and the peerless Kriemhild, and her kinglybrothers, went forward to greet the pair. And Kriemhild took Brunhild bythe hand, and kissed her, and said,--

  "Welcome, thrice welcome, dear sister! to thy home and thy kindred andthy people, who hail thee as queen. And may thy days be full of joyance,and thy years be full of peace!"

  Then all the folk cried out their goodly greetings; and the sound oftheir glad voices rang out sweet and clear in the morning air, and roseup from the riverside, and was echoed among the hill-slopes, and carriedover the meadows and vineyards, to the farthest bounds of Burgundy-land.And the matchless Brunhild, smiling, returned the happy greeting; andher voice was soft and sweet, as she said,--

  "O kin of the fair Rhineland, and folk of my new-found home! may yourdays be summer sunshine, and your lives lack grief and pain; and maythis hour of glad rejoicing be the type of all hours to come!"

  Then the lovely queen was seated in a golden wain which stood in waitingfor her; and Gunther mounted his own war-steed; and the whole companymade ready to ride to the castle. Never before had so pleasant a sightbeen seen in Rhineland, as that glorious array of king-folk and lordsand ladies wending from river to fortress along the rose-strewn roadway.Foremost went the king, and by his side was Siegfried on the radiantGreyfell. Then came the queen's golden wain, drawn by two snow-whiteoxen, which were led with silken cords by sweet-faced maidens; andin it, on an ivory throne deep-carved with mystic runes, sat gloriousBrunhild. Behind rode the queen-mother and her kingly sons, and frowningHagen, and Dankwart, and Volker, and all the earl-folk and mightywarriors of Burgundy and of Nibelungen Land. And lastly came Kriemhildand her hundred damsels, sitting on their snow-white steeds. And theyrode past the blooming gardens, and through the glad streets of theburgh, and then, like a radiant vision, they entered the castle-halls;and the lovely pageant was seen no more.

  For twelve days after this, a joyful high-tide was held at the castle;and the broad halls rang with merriment and music and festive mirth.And games and tournaments were held in honor of the king's return.Brave horsemen dashed here and there at break-neck speed, or contendedmanfully in the lists; lances flew thick in the air; shouts and gladcries were heard on every hand; and for a time the most boisteroustumult reigned. But gladness and good-feeling ruled the hour, and no onethought of aught but merry-making and careless joy. At length, whenthe days of feasting were past, the guests bade Gunther and his queenfarewell; and each betook himself to his own home, and to whatsoeverhis duty called him. And one would have thought that none but happy dayswere henceforth in store for the kingly folk of Burgundy. But alas!too soon the cruel frost and the cold north winds nipped the buds andblossoms of the short summer, and the days of gladness gave place tonights of gloom.

  Adventure XVII. How Siegfried Lived in Nibelungen Land.

  When the twelve-days' high-tide at King Gunther's home-coming hadbeen brought to an end, and the guests had all gone to their homes,Siegfried, too, prepared to bid farewell to the Rhineland kings, and towend to his own country. But he was not to go alone; for Kriemhild, thepeerless princess, was to go with him as his bride. They had been weddedduring the merry festivities which had just closed, and that event hadadded greatly to the general joy; for never was there a fairer or anobler pair than Siegfried the fearless, and Kriemhild the peerless.

  "It grieves my heart to part with you," said Gunther, wringingSiegfried's hand. "It will fare but ill with us, I fear, when we nolonger see your radiant face, or hear your cheery voice."

  "Say not so, my brother," answered Siegfried; "for the gods have manygood things in store for you. And, if ever you need the help of my arm,you have but to say the word, and I will hasten to your aid."

  Then the Burgundian kings besought the hero to take the fourth partof their kingdom as his own and Kriemhild's, and to think no more ofleaving them. But Siegfried would not agree to this. His heart yearnedto see his father and mother once again, and then to return to his ownloved Nibelungen Land. So he thanked the kings for their kind offer, andhastened to make ready for his intended journey.

  Early on Midsummer Day the hero and his bride rode out of Gunther'sdwelling, and turned their faces northward. And with them was a nobleretinue of warriors,--five hundred brave Burgundians, with Eckewart astheir chief,--who had sworn to be Queen Kriemhild's vassals in her new,far-distant home. Thirty and two fair maidens, too, went with her. Andwith Siegfried were his Nibelungen earls.

  As the company rode down the sands, and filed gayly along theriver-road, it seemed a lovely although a sad sight to their kinsmenwho gazed after them from the castle-towers. Fair and young were all thefolk; and the world, to most, was still untried. And they rode, in themorning sunlight, away from their native land, nor recked that neveragain would they return. Each warrior sat upon a charger, richly gearedwith gilt-red saddle, and gorgeous bridle, and trappings of every hue;and their war-coats were bright and dazzling; and their spears glancedin the sun; and their golden shields threw rays of resplendent lightaround them. The maidens, too, were richly dight in broidered cloaksof blue, and rare stuffs brought from far-off Araby; and each sat on asnow-white palfrey geared with silken housings, and trappings of brightblue.

  For some days the company followed the course of the river, passingthrough many a rich meadow, and between lovely vineyards, and fields ofyellow corn. Then they rode over a dreary, barren waste, and througha wild greenwood, and reached, at last, the hills which marked thebeginning of King Siegmund's domains. Then Siegfried sent fleet heraldsbefore them to carry to his father the tidings of his coming withhis bride, fair Kriemhild. Glad, indeed, were old King Siegmund andSiegfried's gentle mother when they heard this news.

  "Oh, happy is the day!" cried the king. "Thrice happy be the day thatshall see fair Kriemhild a crowned queen, and Siegfried a king in thethrone of his fathers!"

  And they showered upon the heralds who had brought the happy news richfees of gold and silver
, and gave them garments of silken velvet. And onthe morrow they set out, with a train of earl-folk and lovely ladies,to meet their son and his bride. For one whole day they journeyed tothe old fortress of Santen, where in former days the king's dwelling hadbeen. There they met the happy bridal-party, and fond and loving werethe hearty greetings they bestowed upon Kriemhild and the radiantSiegfried. Then, without delay, they returned to Siegmund's kingly hall;and for twelve days a high tide, more happy and more splendid thanthat which had been held in Burgundy, was made in honor of Siegfried'smarriage-day. And, in the midst of those days of sport and joyance,the old king gave his crown and sceptre to his son; and all the peoplehailed Siegfried, king of the broad Lowlands, and Kriemhild his lovelyqueen.

  Old stories tell how Siegfried reigned in peace and glad contentment inhis fatherland; and how the joyous sunshine shone wherever he went, andpoured a flood of light and warmth and happiness into every nook andcorner of his kingdom; and how, at length, after the gentle Sigelindhad died, he moved his court to that other country of his,--the far-offNibelungen Land. And it is in that strange, dream-haunted land, in astrong-built mountain fortress, that we shall next find him.

  Glad were the Nibelungen folk when their own king and his lovely wifecame to dwell among them; and the mists once more were lifted, and theskies grew bright and clear, and men said that the night had departed,and the better days were near. Golden, indeed, and most glorious, wasthat summer-time; and long to be remembered was Siegfried's too briefreign in Nibelungen Land. And, ages afterward, folk loved to sing of hiscare for his people's welfare, of his wisdom and boundless lore, of hisdeeds in the time of warring, and the victories gained in peace. Andstrong and brave were the men-folk, and wise and fair were the women,and broad and rich were the acres, in Siegfried's well-ruled land. Thefarm-lands were yellow with the abundant harvests, fruitful orchardsgrew in the pleasant dales, and fair vineyards crowned the hills. Finecities sprang up along the seacoast, and strong fortresses were builton every height. Great ships were made, which sailed to every land, andbrought home rich goods from every clime,--coffee and spices from India,rich silks from Zazemang, fine fruits from the Iberian shore, and softfurs, and ivory tusks of the sea-beast, from the frozen coasts of thenorth. Never before was country so richly blessed; for Siegfried taughthis people how to till the soil best, and how to delve far down into theearth for hidden treasures, and how to work skilfully in iron and bronzeand all other metals, and how to make the winds and the waters, and eventhe thunderbolt, their thralls and helpful servants. And he was as greatin war as in peace; for no other people dared harm, or in any way imposeupon, the Nibelungen folk, or any of his faithful liegemen.