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Fall of the Nibelungs

<h2>Seventh Adventure How Gunther Won Brunhild</h2> Meanwhile the ship was come nigh to the castle, and the king saw many fair maidens that stood above at the windows. It irked him that he knew them not, and he said to Siegfried, his friend, “Knowest thou aught of these maidens that look down at us on the sea? Howso their lord hight, they are, certes, right noble.” Bold Siegfried answered, “Spy secretly among them, and say which thou wouldst have chosen, if thou hadst had the choice.” And Gunther said, “I will. I see one standing at yonder window in snow-white robe. Goodly is she, and for her fair body’s sake, mine eyes choose her. If I had the power, she should be my wife.” “Thine eyes have led thee aright. That is the noble Brunhild, the beautiful lady that thou desirest with thy heart and thy soul.” Gunther found no fault in her. The queen bade her damsels void the windows, nor stand in the gaze of the strangers. They obeyed; but what they did after hath been told us. They adorned them for the warriors, as is the manner of fair women; then they stole to the loopholes and looked curiously at the heroes. These came only four strong into the land. Bold Siegfried held a horse on the strand, and, by reason thereof, the women that spied through the windows deemed King Gunther of the more worship. He held the good horse, by the bridle; stately it was and sleek, mickle and stark, and King Gunther sat in the saddle, and Siegfried served him; but Gunther forgot this afterward. Then Siegfried took his own horse from the ship. Seldom before had he held the stirrup for a warrior to mount. And all this the fair women marked through the loopholes. The heroes were clad alike; both their horses and their apparel were snow-white, and the shields were goodly that shone in their hands. Their saddles were set with precious stones, their poitrels small, and hung with bells of burnished gold. So they rode proudly into Brunhild’s courtyard, and came into the land as befitted their might, with new-sharpened spears, and finely-tempered swords, keen and massy, that reached to their spurs. All this Brunhild, the royal maiden, saw. Dankwart rode with them, and Hagen. These knights, they say, wore clothes of raven-black, and their shields were mickle, broad and goodly. Stones from India shone on their apparel. They left the vessel unguarded on the beach, and rode up to the castle. There they saw eighty and six towers, three great palaces, and a stately hall of costly marble, green like grass, wherein the queen sat with her courtiers. Brunhild’s men unlocked the castle gate and threw it wide, and ran toward them, and welcomed the guests to their queen’s land. They bade hold the horses, and take the shields from their hands. And the chamberlain said, “Do off your swords now, and your bright armour.” “Not so,” answered Hagen of Trony; “we will bear these ourselves.” But Siegfried told them the custom of the court. “It is the law here that no guest shall bear arms. Wherefore ye did well to give them up.” Gunther’s men obeyed, much loth. They bade pour out the wine for the guests, and see that they were well lodged. Willing knights in princely attire ran to and fro to serve them, spying with many glances at the strangers. They brought word to Brunhild that unknown warriors in rich apparel were come thither, sailing on the sea, and the beautiful maiden questioned them. “Tell me,” said the queen, “who these strangers be that stand yonder so proudly, and for whose sake they be come.” And one of the courtiers made answer. “In sooth, Lady, albeit I never yet set eyes on them, one among them much resembleth Siegfried, and him I counsel thee to welcome. The second of the company hath so lofty a mien that, if his power be equal thereto, he might well be a great king and a ruler of wide lands, for he standeth right proudly before the others. The third, O Queen, is grim, yet a goodly man withal. His glance is swift and dark; he is fierce-tempered, I ween. The youngest pleaseth me well. Maidenly and modest he standeth, yet it went hard, methinketh, with any that angered him. For all that he seemeth gentle, and is fashioned daintily, if his wrath were once kindled, many a woman might weep, for he is a bold and virtuous knight, and right worshipful.” The queen said, “Bring me my robe. If stark Siegfried be come into my land to woo me, he shall pay for it with his life. I fear him not so greatly that I should yield me to be his wife.” Then Brunhild attired her in haste. An hundred or more of her damsels went with her, richly adorned, whom the guests beheld gladly. Brunhild’s knights of Issland gave them escort, to the number of five hundred or thereabout, their swords in their hands, the which irked the bold strangers. They stood up from their seats; and the queen spake courteously to them when she saw Siegfried. “Thou art welcome, Siegfried, to this land. To what end art thou come? I prithee tell me.” “I thank thee, O Brunhild, fair daughter of a king, that thou greetest me before this worshipful knight. Thou showest Siegfried too much honour, for he is my lord, and the king of the Rhineland. What boots it to say more? For thy sake we are come hither, for he would woo thee at all hazards. Weigh the matter betimes, for of a surety he will win thee. His name is Gunther; he is a great and mighty king, and he desireth naught save thy love. To this end I have followed him, nor had done it, but that he is my master.” She answered, “If he be thy lord, and thou be his man, let him withstand me at the games. If he have the mastery, then I am his wife, but let him fail in one of them, and ye be all dead men.” Then said Hagen of Trony, “Lady, show us the games that thou proposest. It will go hard with Gunther or he yield thee the mastery, for he troweth well to win so fair a maiden.” “He must put the stone, and leap after it, and throw the spear with me. Ye may easily forfeit honour and life; wherefore be not so confident, but bethink you well.” Then bold Siegfried went to the king, and bade him fear naught, but speak freely to the queen. “For,” said he, “I will aid thee with cunning devices.” And King Gunther said, “Command me, great queen, and were it more yet, I would risk it for thy sake. I will lose my head, or win thee to wife.” When the queen heard this word, she bade haste to the sports, as was meet, and let them bring her harness, a golden buckler and a goodly shield. She did on a surcoat of silk from Libya, that had never been pierced in combat, cunningly fashioned and embroidered, and shining with precious stones. Her pride greatly angered the knights, and Dankwart and Hagen were downcast, for they feared for their lord, and thought, “Ill-starred was this journey.” Meanwhile, Siegfried, the cunning man, went, when none spied him, to the ship, where he found the Tarnkappe, and he did it on swiftly, that none knew. Then he hastened back to the crowd of knights, where the queen gave order for the sports, and, by his magic, he stole in among them, that no man was ware of him. The ring was marked out in the presence of armed knights to the number of seven hundred. These were the umpires, that should tell truly who won in the sports. Then came Brunhild. She stood armed, as she had meant to do battle with all the kings of all the world. The silk was covered with gold spangles that showed her white skin. Her attendants brought her, for the strife, a shield of ruddy gold with iron studs, mickle and broad. The maid’s thong was an embroidered band, whereon lay stones green like grass, that sparkled among the gold. The knight must, certes, be bold that won such a lady. They say the shield the maiden bore was three spans thick under the folds, rich with steel and gold, that four of her chamberlains scarce could carry it. When stark Hagen saw them drag the shield forward, the hero of Trony was wroth, and cried, “How now, King Gunther? We be dead men, for thou wooest the Devil’s wife!” Yet more must ye hear of her vesture. Her coat of mail was covered with silk from Azagouc, costly and rich, and the stones thereof sparkled on the queen’s body. They brought her the spear, heavy and big and sharp, that she was wont to throw. Stark and huge it was, mickle and broad, and made grim wounds with its edges. And hear, now, the marvel of its heaviness. Three weights and a half of iron were welded for it. Three of Brunhild’s lords scarce could carry it. A woeful man was King Gunther, and he thought, “Lo! now not the Devil in Hell could escape her. Were I in Burgundy with my life, she might wait long enough for my wooing.” He stood dismayed. Then they brought him his armour, and he did it on. Hagen came nigh to lose his wits for sorrow, and Dankwart, his brother, said, “By my troth, I rue this adventure. Once we hight warriors, and shall we perish in this country by the hand of a woman? Alack! that we ever came hither! Had my brother Hagen but his sword, and I mine, Brunhild’s men would abate their pride; I ween they would walk softer. If I had sworn peace with a thousand oaths, that maid should die sooner than that my lord should lose his life.” “It were easy to quit this land,” said Hagen, his brother, “if we had our harness for the strife, and our good swords. This dame would be milder, I trow.” The noble maiden heard him plain, and, with smiling mouth, she looked over her shoulder. “Since he deemeth him so bold, bring his harness, and give to the heroes their sharp weapons. It is all one to me whether they be armed or naked. I never feared the might of any man, and doubt not but I shall overcome this king.” When they had brought the weapons, as the maid commanded, bold Dankwart grew red with joy. “Now let them drive what sport they like,” he said; “Gunther is safe, since we have our swords.” Brunhild’s great strength appeared. They brought her a stone into the circle, heavy and huge, round also, and broad. Twelve strong knights scarce sufficed thereto. And this she threw when she had hurled the spear. Whereat the Burgundians were sore troubled, and Hagen cried, “Who is this that Gunther wooeth? Would she were the Devil’s bride in Hell!” Then she turned back the sleeves from her white arms, and seized the shield, and brandished the spear above her head, and the contest began. Gunther was sore dismayed. If Siegfried had not helped him, certes he had lost his life; but Siegfried went up to him secretly, and touched his hand. Gunther fell in fear by reason of his magic, and he thought, “Who touched me?” He looked round and saw no man. But Siegfried said, “It is I, Siegfried, thy friend. Fear naught from the queen. Give me the shield from thy hands, and let me carry it, and give heed to what I say. Make thou the gestures, and I will do the work.” And Gunther was glad when he knew him. “Guard well the secret of my magic, for all our sakes, lest the queen slay thee. See how boldly she challengeth thee.” Thereupon the royal maiden hurled her speak against the mickle and broad shield of Sieglind’s child, that sparks flew from it, as before a wind. The stark spear pierced through the shield, and struck fire from the coat of mail below. And the mighty man fell, and had perished but for the Tarnkappe. The blood gushed from Siegfried’s mouth. But he sprang up swiftly, and took the spear that she had shot through his buckler, and threw it back again with a great force. He thought, “I will not slay so fair a maiden,” and he turned the spear, and hurled it wit the haft loud against her harness. From her mail, also, the sparks flew as on the wind, for Siegmund’s child threw mightily; and her strength failed before the blow. King Gunther, I ween, had never done it alone. Brunhild sprang to her feet again, and cried, “I thank thee, Gunther, for that blow.” For she thought he had done it with his own strength, nor guessed that a far mightier man had felled her. Then, greatly wroth, she hasted and lifted the stone on high; she flung it far from her, and leaped after it with loud-ringing armour. The stone landed twenty and four paces off; but the maid sprang further. Then Siegfried went swiftly where the stone lay. Gunther lifted it, but it was the man they saw not that threw it. Siegfried was mighty, bold and big. He hurled the stone further, and he leaped further; moreover, through his magic, he had strength enow to bear King Gunther with him. The spring was made, the stone lay on the ground, and none was seen there but Gunther, the knight. Fair Brunhild was red with anger. So Siegfried saved Gunther from death. Then Brunhild said aloud to her folk, when she saw the hero at the far end of the ring unhurt. “Come hither at once, my kinsmen and my lieges. Ye are subject henceforth to King Gunther.” The bold men laid the weapons from their hands at the feet of great Gunther of Burgundy. For they deemed he had won the game by his own strength. He greeted them fair, for he was a courteous man, and he took the beautiful maiden by the hand. She gave him power in her kingdom, whereat bold Hagen rejoiced. She bade the noble knight to the hall, where a multitude was assembled, that showed much observance through fear of his prowess. So, by Siegfried’s might, they were delivered from all peril. But Siegfried was wise, and stowed away his Tarnkappe with care; then he went back where the women sat, and said feigningly to Gunther, “Wherefore delayest thou to begin the sports that the queen proposed, let us now behold the issue thereof”—as if the cunning man knew naught of the matter. The queen answered, “How cometh it to pass, Sir Siegfried, that thou sawest not the game whereat Gunther hath won?” Said Hagen of Burgundy, “While we were downcast by reason of thee, O Queen, and afterward, when the king of Rhineland had beaten thee at the sports, Siegfried was at the ship, and knoweth naught of what hath passed.” “Right glad am I,” said Siegfried, “that thy wooing hath prospered, and that none is thy master. Now must thou follow us, noble Lady, to the Rhine.” But Brunhild answered, “Not yet; I must first summon my friends and my liegemen. Not so lightly can I quit my land. Certes, I will send for my kinsfolk afore I go.” She dispatched envoys over all, and bade her friends and her lieges haste to Isenstein. She gave to each princely apparel. All day long, late and early, troops of knights rode into Brunhild’s castle, till Hagen said, “Alack! What have we done? Some hurt will befall us from Brunhild’s men. We know not her real intent. What if she spurn us when her forces are gathered together? Then were we all dead men, and this maiden were born to our woe!” But stark Siegfried said, “I will see to that, and hinder what thou fearest. I will bring to your help a body of chosen knights that thou knowest not yet. Ask me no further, for I will hence, and God guard you meanwhile. I will return shortly, and bring with me a thousand knights, than whom the world holdeth none better.” “Only tarry not too long,” said the king, “for we are right glad of thy help.” He answered, “I will come again in a few days. Tell the queen I left by thy command.” <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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