Part 1
This eBook is dedicated to the memory of D A Alexander who made it possible.
_LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE_
THE NIBELUNGS
LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
_Translated from the German by GEORGE P. UPTON_
12 Vols. Ready
BEETHOVEN FREDERICK THE GREAT MOZART MARIA THERESA BACH BARBAROSSA MAID OF ORLEANS WILLIAM OF ORANGE WILLIAM TELL GUDRUN THE LITTLE DAUPHIN THE NIBELUNGS
_Illustrated, each 60 cents net_
A. C. McCLURG & CO., CHICAGO
[Illustration: _DEATH OF SIEGFRIED_]
_LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE_
THE NIBELUNGS
_Translated from the German of Ferdinand Schmidt_
BY GEORGE P. UPTON _Translator of “Memories,” etc._
WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration]
CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1906
COPYRIGHT A. C. MCCLURG & CO. 1906
Published September 22, 1906
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.
Translator’s Preface
The Nibelungen Lied (_Nibelungen_, name of an ancient royal race which possessed a great treasure; _lied_, song or ballad), one of the world’s greatest epics, made its appearance in the twelfth or thirteenth century, in South Germany. Its authorship is unknown. The writer, however, did not produce an original work, but made use of still earlier legends which had been handed down orally. The Nibelungen Lied is to be regarded, therefore, as a collection of ballads skilfully united so as to form a connected story. Its hero is Siegfried, who possessed the Nibelung hoard, which he won in Norway. Siegfried wooed Brunhild for Günther, King of Burgundy, and married the king’s sister, Kriemhild. He was treacherously slain by Hagen and the hoard was sunk in the Rhine. Kriemhild subsequently was married to Etzel (Attila), King of the Huns, and slew Hagen after he had been overcome in combat, but lost her own life at the hands of the “ancient,” Hildebrand. Both historical and mythical elements are mingled in this great poem, which should not be confounded with Wagner’s “Ring der Nibelungen,” in which he has taken many names from the German epic. The material for his famous music-dramas he found in the old Norse version, contained in the Volsunga Saga and the Edda.
The Nibelungen Lied was followed by many similar epics, among them “Gudrun,” “The Expedition of Ecken,” the tale of “King Laurin,” “Rosengarten,” and others, but The Nibelungen Lied is the greatest of all the German national traditions. One writer, in his description of the poem, says:
“Feudal loyalty and martial courage were the great virtues of these heroes. The poem contains a tale of revenge; but all the plot turns on the principle of loyalty, in obedience to which thousands lost their lives in a quarrel which had at first involved only two or three leading characters. Though this singular poem contains many traits of a warlike age, and closes with terrible scenes of carnage, it displays hardly a trace of such a motive as personal hatred, except in the character of the heroine.”
Considered as types, Siegfried stands for the enthusiasm, beauty, courage, lofty purpose, and high ambition of immortal youth; Hagen, for fierceness, boldness, savagery, and treachery; Kriemhild is the type of a gentle, loving nature roused to the highest intensity of furious longing for vengeance. Old as the poem is, it contains the development of all human passions,--manly beauty, heroism, and nobility by the side of unmanly cruelty and treachery; the blackest unfaithfulness by the side of faithfulness until death; the foulest of deeds by the side of the most loving; and the tenderest hearts combined with the most heroic souls. But among them all, no character stands out more resplendently as an exemplar for youth than Siegfried, himself the type of immortal youth.
In the making of this translation an older form of English expression has been employed as in better keeping, perhaps, with the older form of German, which was used in the original poem. Some of the more sanguinary descriptions have been toned down, some of the numerous poetical connecting links omitted as being unnecessary, and paragraphs here and there have also been omitted where this did not mar the context, so as to make the volume nearly uniform in size with the others of the series.
G. P. U.
CHICAGO, July 1, 1906.
Contents
I. WIELAND THE SMITH 13
II. DIETRICH’S FIGHT WITH ECKE 22
III. SIEGFRIED IN THE FORGE 30
IV. SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNGS 35
V. SIEGFRIED GOES TO BURGUNDY 40
VI. SIEGFRIED MAKES WAR AGAINST THE SAXONS 45
VII. THE FESTIVAL 49
VIII. KING GÜNTHER’S VOYAGE TO ICELAND 53
IX. THE CONTEST 57
X. SIEGFRIED VISITS THE NIBELUNGS 62
XI. THE WELCOME 66
XII. SIEGFRIED STRIVES WITH BRUNHILD 69
XIII. THE TWO QUEENS 74
XIV. THE QUEENS’ QUARREL 78
XV. THE BETRAYAL 81
XVI. SIEGFRIED’S DEATH 84
XVII. KRIEMHILD’S GRIEF 93
XVIII. THE NIBELUNG HOARD 97
XIX. KING ETZEL WOOS KRIEMHILD 100
XX. ETZEL’S INVITATION TO GÜNTHER 103
XXI. THE SWAN-MAIDENS 106
XXII. KRIEMHILD’S WELCOME 113
XXIII. THE COMRADES 119
XXIV. THE MINSTREL KNIGHT 125
XXV. THE BURGUNDIANS GO TO MASS 129
XXVI. THE FEAST 132
XXVII. BLÖDELIN AND DANKWART 135
XXVIII. THE STRIFE IN THE HALL 139
XXIX. IRING’S FIGHT WITH HAGEN 144
XXX. THE NIGHT OF TERROR 149
XXXI. THE MARGRAVE RÜDIGER 153
XXXII. HILDEBRAND AND DIETRICH 161
XXXIII. KRIEMHILD’S REVENGE AND DEATH 169
Illustrations
The Death of Siegfried _Frontispiece_
Siegfried vanquishes Alberich 62
The Minstrel and Hagen 126
Death of Kriemhild 170
The Nibelungs
_Chapter I_
_Wieland the Smith_
In olden times there lived at Santen on the Rhine a noble pair, Siegmund and Sieglind, King and Queen of Niderland, to whom late in life was born a son. They named the boy Siegfried, and he throve and grew apace, so that none could equal him for beauty or strength, and in all knightly sports and exercises he soon left far behind him the other lads of his age. Now, these were the days of heroes whose fame spread far and wide throughout the world. To listen to tales of their mighty deeds gave even more joy to the bold youth than the call of the hunting-horn or the sound of the battle-trumpet; while to forge good swords that, like the lions’ teeth, should pierce through bone and sinew, seemed in truth to him a noble art.
One day his father, Siegmund the King, told to him the tale of Wieland the Smith.
The giant Wadi had a son whose evil fortune it was to be lame, wherefore he besought his father to let him become a smith. “For,” said he, “since with such limbs as these it is plain I may do no knightly deeds, what better lot can be mine than to forge arms fit for heroes to wield?”
“Now hast thou well spoken,” replied Wadi, and forthwith took his son to Mime. Mime was the greatest smith in all Hunland, and he kept Wieland for three years and made him master of his art. Nor was this all; for, when the time was spent, his father sent him to two famous dwarfs who dwelt in the Kallova mountains. These dwarfs were possessed of marvellous strength and skill, and would not agree to take Wieland into their forge for a twelve-month save upon payment of a piece of gold.
At the end of the time Wadi came to fetch his son. But Wieland already surpassed the dwarfs in skill and cunning, and they would not let him go. They said to Wadi:
“Let thy son bide with us for yet another twelve-month, and thou shalt have back thy gold.” But to this they craftily added that if by any chance he should not appear at the time appointed, Wieland’s head must pay the forfeit. To this the giant agreed; but ere he set forth he spoke privately with his son, saying:
“For their own sake they will keep thee yet another year, and at the end thereof for envy they will slay thee. Nevertheless their evil designs shall avail them not. Three days before the time will I be here, but meanwhile that thou mayest not lack defence, take this sword. Be brave and fearless, and in thy hand it shall prove a sword of vengeance against the mighty dwarfs!”
Then Wadi departed; whereupon his son drove the keen blade into the ground and hid all traces of it from the sharp eyes of the dwarfs.
Now Wieland plied his craft so lustily, that he wrought many good swords and pieces of armor, and the time went swiftly by. Three days before the end of the year came Wadi; but the mountain was shut fast, and being weary he lay down before it and slept. And as he slept the dwarfs came forth and spied him; whereat they loosened a great rock from the side of the mountain, so that it rolled down upon the giant, crushing and killing him. On the third day they brought Wieland forth from the mountain and made pretence to watch for Wadi’s coming. But Wieland saw blood spots on the ground, and, looking about more closely, perceived one of his father’s feet protruding from a mass of rock. Thereupon a frenzy of grief and rage seized him, and, thrusting his hands into the earth, he drew out the great sword the giant had left him. Meanwhile the dwarfs had fetched their own swords shouting:
“Now must thou die!” But at the sight before them they were stricken with fear, lest he might be a sorcerer and blast them with his magic.
Wieland gave them no time to recover, but rushed upon them fiercely, nor could all their skill avail against his fury. Although attacked from every side and forced to spring now this way, now that, to avoid their blows, he soon overcame and slew both his foes. Thereupon, after binding up his wounds, he brought out from the mountain a great store of gold, and, loading this, with all his tools, upon a horse, set out upon his journey northward.
At last he came to the sea. Here he felled a stout tree which grew by the shore, and artfully hollowed it so that it might hold him with his tools and treasure, closing it after from within, all save some small openings which he filled with glass. And when all was done he rolled himself, with the tree, into the water, and was borne away by the wind and waves.
Thus eighteen days went by and but little was left of his store of meat and honey, when at last the island of Jutland loomed near at hand. Now it chanced that some of the King’s folk were fishing in the sea and they seized the tree-trunk and drew it to the land. When the King came to look at the strange craft he bade them cleave it asunder, but at this Wieland gave such a shout that all who heard were smitten with fear of the spirit dwelling within the tree,--for so they deemed him. Thereupon he opened the trunk himself and stepped forth, offering his service to the King; and the King, nothing loath to have such a follower, made him welcome. Henceforth he abode at the court.
Among Wieland’s other duties was the care of the King’s three best table-knives; and it chanced one day, after twelve months had passed, that the sharpest of the knives slipped from his hand and fell into the sea. He betook himself at once to the King’s smith, Amilias, and finding no one in the forge, fell to work and made a new knife so like the lost one that none could tell it was not the same. Also he wrought a curious three-edged nail, and this he left upon the anvil. Scarcely had he gone when Amilias, the smith, returned, and great was his surprise to find so strange a thing upon his anvil, nor could he guess by whose hand it had been forged. Wieland laid the new knife upon the King’s table as was his wont, nor did the King perceive the change. But lo! as he cut his bread, the blade well-nigh pierced the board. Then the King swore that no other than Wieland, who had so skilfully fashioned the tree-boat, could have wrought such a knife, and Wieland confessed that this was so. Amilias, the smith, hearing this, was filled with envy and grew very wroth. He indignantly denied the truth of Wieland’s words, and challenged him to a trial of skill.
“Now, forsooth, I will set ye the tasks,” out-spoke the King. “Within the space of twelve moons thou, Amilias, shalt forge a helm and coat of mail, and thou, Wieland, a sword. But an thy sword cleave not Amilias’s helm and mail at one stroke, then art thou held forsworn and for that thy head shall fall!”
Forthwith Amilias betook himself to his anvil. He labored early and late till he had wrought a suit of armor so strong and heavy that the champion who should wear it must needs have the strength of three men. But when half the year was gone not a blow had Wieland dealt with his hammer. The King warned him, and caused a forge to be built for him; yet again the months slipped by and he paid no heed to his task.
At length when it lacked but two months of the appointed time, he fell to work and in seven days had forged a sword. To test its keenness, he held it in a stream wherein some handfuls of loose wool had been thrown. As they drifted against the edge of the blade they were instantly severed; whereat the King was amazed and acknowledged that never yet had such a sword been seen. Nor did his wonder lessen when Wieland began to file the blade into small bits. These he welded together again and at the end of thirteen days a second sword was made even sharper than the first. It cut through a bunch of the floating wool full two feet thick when it had scarcely touched the edge; and the King pronounced the sword a priceless treasure.
Yet once again did Wieland file it into bits, and from the pieces in three more weeks forge a third sword. The blade, richly inlaid with gold, flashed like the lightning and would sever a hair that fell upon its edge, while the handle was set in curious fashion with precious stones. The King marvelled greatly at this wondrous feat, and would have kept the great sword, which was called Mimung, for himself; but Wieland hid it and soon made another for the King.
Meanwhile Amilias had wrought a second suit of armor still heavier and more massive than the first, and tried its strength with many weapons. But the keenest swords and heaviest battle-axes could scarce dent its surface, much less pierce or destroy it. Wherefore the smith awaited with calmness the day of the trial, never doubting he should win the test.
At last the time was come. Amilias strode haughtily into the great hall, clad in his massive armor, the mighty helm upon his head, and soon was obliged to sit upon a stool, so oppressive was their weight. Then came Wieland, and as he drew his great sword, the whole hall seemed filled with light. The King and all his chiefs formed a circle about the two smiths and again the King demanded:
“Was it thou, Wieland, who did forge the knife?”
And again Wieland answered: “Of a truth, my lord, it was I.”
Again, too, Amilias denied it, whereupon Wieland strode to his side, and flung his lying words back to him. But the smith only laughed a scornful laugh and said:
“Fool! Soon shall thy false head roll upon the ground and thereby prove me right!”
Hereupon the King gave the signal. Quick as thought the good sword Mimung flashed in the air, and descended so swiftly that none could mark its flight, cleaving Amilias in twain, through helm and head, mail and body, and even through the stool on which he sat. Then Wieland said to the smith:
“How feelest thou?”
And Amilias replied: “I feel as it were a stream of ice-cold water had been poured over my body.”
“Shake thyself!” said Wieland; and Amilias shook himself, whereat, with a great crash down fell his two halves from the stool, one to the right, the other to the left.
“It was indeed thou that forged the knife,” cried the King; “henceforth thou shalt be my master smith!”
And so it came to pass. Nor was there any in all the land to equal him for skill and cunning; and from that time Wieland was renowned as the greatest of all smiths.
_Chapter II_
_Dietrich’s Fight with Ecke_
Now, it chanced one day that a knight of Siegmund’s court returned after long wandering in foreign lands, and the King sent for him forthwith, that himself and his son Siegfried might hear what was toward in the world without. Thereupon the knight told them many stirring tales of King Günther, of Hagen the Grim, of old Hildebrand, and yet others; and the last was the tale of Dietrich’s Fight with Ecke.
In a distant heathen country there dwelt three beautiful queens. One day they sat together, and with them the three mightiest champions in the land; and they fell to praising the valor of Dietrich of Bern, of whose deeds great tales were told, and they vowed he must be the bravest and strongest knight alive. This greatly vexed the three heroes, and most of all the greatest of them, who was called Ecke; and he said:
“In truth unto this day there hath been no man who could withstand me, nor shall this mighty Dietrich of Bern!”
At these bold words the queens were glad, and one said to him:
“An thou shalt overcome Dietrich and bring him to us alive, so shalt thou choose which one of us thou wilt for thy wife!”
Then Ecke began forthwith to prepare for his departure, and did but laugh to scorn a certain knight who, having seen Dietrich and knowing of his great prowess, had warned Ecke to take heed for his life. When all was ready, one of the queens bestowed on him a coat of mail, the golden links of which had been toughened by being dipped in dragon’s blood, and girded him with a shining sword; the second’s gift was a splendid shield; while the third placed upon his head a helm of gold. And there was led forth for him their noblest steed; but this he refused, saying:
“I will not take the steed, for not long might he bear my weight; nor is it needful, since for fourteen days and nights I can fare, knowing neither hunger nor fatigue.”
Thereupon Ecke set bravely forth and was soon lost in the depths of the forest, shield and harness ringing so loudly among the trees that bird and beast fled before him in affright. After some days’ journeying he learned it was but a day since that Dietrich had been in Bern (Verona); whereat he hastened forthwith to that city. When the people beheld the gigantic hero they were stricken with terror; for the flashing of his armor in the sunlight was like fire, and they feared lest this mighty being should set the whole city ablaze. But old Hildebrand, who had been Dietrich’s master-at-arms, approached him fearlessly; whereupon Ecke asked him where Dietrich might be found, and Hildebrand said:
“It was but yestermorn that Dietrich rode hence toward the Tyrol. Seek him there an thou wilt, bold knight; methinks he will not avoid thee!”
So Ecke hastened after on the road which Dietrich had taken. But ere he had gone far he encountered a huge monster, half horse, half man, which he slew after a fierce struggle.
At last one day he came upon a horse tied to a linden tree, while on the ground near by lay a knight with wounds upon him so fearful it seemed to Ecke naught but a lightning stroke could have dealt them. But from the dying man he learned that the lightning had been no other than the stout arm of Dietrich of Bern. The knight with his three brethren had attacked Dietrich, whereby he had been wounded unto death and the three brethren slain. Then Ecke asked which way Dietrich had taken, and made off with all speed to overtake him; nor was it long ere he saw the gleam of the hero’s great helm, called Hildegrimm, among the shades of the forest. But Ecke’s armor glittered likewise, and Dietrich becoming aware of it, he halted and waited for Ecke to draw nigh. Then Ecke asked:
“Art thou that Dietrich of Bern, the three queens so greatly desire to look upon?”
And Dietrich answered: “Many are there of that name in Bern, but an thou seekest the son of Dittmar, of a truth thou hast indeed found him.”
Then Ecke challenged him to mortal combat; but it was scarce an hour since Dietrich had fought with the four knights and vanquished them, so that he was nowise desirous for a struggle with Ecke, who in stature, moreover, was like a giant beside him. Then Ecke sought to tempt him, saying:
“Seest thou this gold armor of mine? With dragon’s blood have its links been toughened, while this helm is the work of no less cunning hands than Wieland’s, the mightiest smith in all Jutland. It was wrought from a dragon’s skull. Overlaid with gold is it, and lined with steel. They shall be thine an thou overcomest me.”
But Dietrich shook his head and made answer that his own helm and harness were good and he asked no better. None the less did Ecke still persist, and drawing his sword, said:
“Behold this wondrous blade. It was cunningly forged by dwarfs in the Tyrol. Twelve months was it in the tempering, and many it hath slain, among them the giant Grimm. From a diamond was the fastening wrought, the hilt from a griffin’s horn; inlaid with gold is the sheath, and the tip of it is a ruby. Mighty is it for length and breadth, and Sachs is its name!”
At last, seeing his boasting words were of no avail, he grew angry and cried out, scornfully: “Dietrich thou mayst call thyself, forsooth, but never art thou Dietrich of Bern, the son of Dittmar, the world-renowned hero whom I seek. As for thee, before all men, aye and women likewise, I will hold thee up to scorn as a laggard knight!”
Then Dietrich warned him, saying: “Fool and braggart! An I deign to fight with thee but one of us shall leave this place alive!”
At this Ecke was overjoyed and he shouted: “Draw thy sword, Sir Champion, and of a truth thou shalt have need of the help of thy God!”
Now by this time it had grown so dark they could distinguish each other only by the gleam of their armor. Ecke called on God to assist Dietrich, but for himself he invoked the aid of the devil.
This roused Dietrich to anger; quickly dismounting he tied his horse to a tree and drew his sword. Thereupon they rushed at each other with such fury that even the gleam of helm and shield was no longer visible, and the air was full of flying sparks.
After they had striven for a space, Dietrich said: “Weary am I from my encounter with the four knights. Let us rest till the morning!”