The Nibelungenlied. Anonymous

sake many a knight must needs lose his life. Well worth the loving was this winsome maid. Bold knights strove for her, none bare her hate. Her peerless body was beautiful beyond degree; the courtly virtues of this maid of noble birth would have adorned many another woman too.

      Three kings, noble and puissant, did nurture her, Gunther (4) and Gernot, (5) warriors worthy of praise, and Giselher, (6) the youth, a chosen knight. This lady was their sister, the princes had her in their care. The lordings were free in giving, of race high-born, passing bold of strength were they, these chosen knights. Their realm hight Burgundy. Great marvels they wrought hereafter in Etzel's (7) land. At Worms (8) upon the Rhine they dwelt with all their power. Proud knights from out their lands served them with honor, until their end was come. Thereafter they died grievously, through the hate of two noble dames.

      Their mother, a mighty queen, was called the Lady Uta, (9) their father, Dankrat, (10) who left them the heritage after his life was over; a mighty man of valor that he was, who won thereto in youth worship full great. These kings, as I have said, were of high prowess. To them owed allegiance the best of warriors, of whom tales were ever told, strong and brave, fearless in the sharp strife. Hagen (11) there was of Troneg, thereto his brother Dankwart, (12) the doughty; Ortwin of Metz (13); Gere (14) and Eckewart, (15) the margraves twain; Folker of Alzei, (16) endued with fullness of strength. Rumolt (17) was master of the kitchen, a chosen knight; the lords Sindolt and Hunolt, liegemen of these three kings, had rule of the court and of its honors. Thereto had they many a warrior whose name I cannot tell. Dankwart was marshal; his nephew, Ortwin, seneschal unto the king; Sindolt was cupbearer, a chosen knight; Hunolt served as chamberlain; well they wot how to fill these lofty stations. Of the forces of the court and its far-reaching might, of the high worship (18) and of the chivalry these lords did ply with joy throughout their life, of this forsooth none might relate to you the end.

      In the midst of these high honors Kriemhild dreamed a dream, of how she trained a falcon, strong, fair, and wild, which, before her very eyes, two eagles rent to pieces. No greater sorrow might chance to her in all this world. This dream then she told to Uta her mother, who could not unfold it to the dutiful maid in better wise than this: "The falcon which thou trainest, that is a noble man, but thou must needs lose him soon, unless so be that God preserve him."

      "Why speakest thou to me of men, dear brother mine? I would fain ever be without a warrior's love. So fair will I remain until my death, that I shall never gain woe from love of man."

      "Now forswear this not too roundly," spake the mother in reply. "If ever thou shalt wax glad of heart in this world, that will chance through the love of man. Passing fair wilt thou become, if God grant thee a right worthy knight."

      "I pray you leave this speech," spake she, "my lady. Full oft hath it been seen in many a wife, how joy may at last end in sorrow. I shall avoid them both, then can it ne'er go ill with me."

      Thus in her heart Kriemhild forsware all love. Many a happy day thereafter the maiden lived without that she wist any whom she would care to love. In after days she became with worship a valiant here's bride. He was the selfsame falcon which she beheld in her dream that her mother unfolded to her. How sorely did she avenge this upon her nearest kin, who slew him after! Through his dying alone there fell full many a mother's son.

      ENDNOTES:

       (1) "Nibelungenlied", the lay of the Nibelungs. The ordinary

       etymology of this name is 'children of the mist'

       ("Nebelkinder", O.N. "Niflungar"), and it is thought to have

       belonged originally to the dwarfs. Piper, I, 50, interprets

       it as 'the sons of Nibul'; Boer, II, 198, considers

       "Hniflungar" to be the correct Norse form and interprets it

       as 'the descendants of Hnaef' (O.E. "Hnaef", O.H.G.

       "Hnabi"), whose death is related in the "Finnsaga".

       (2) "Adventure" (M.H.G. "aventiure", from O.F. "aventure", Lat.

       "adventura"). The word meant originally a happening,

       especially some great event, then the report of such an

       event. Here it is used in the sense of the different cantos

       or "fitts" of the poem, as in the "Gudrun" and other M.H.G.

       epics. Among the courtly poets it also frequently denotes

       the source, or is the personification of the muse of poetry.

       (3) "Kriemhild" is the Upper German form of the Frankish

       "Grimhild". In the MSS., the name generally appears with a

       further shifting as "Chriemhilt", as if the initial

       consonant were Germanic "k". On the various forms of the

       name, which have never yet been satisfactorily explained,

       see Mullenhoff, ZsfdA. xii, 299, 413; xv, 313; and

       Bohnenberger, PB. Beit. xxiv, 221–231.

       (4) "Gunther" is the historical "Gundahari", king of the

       Burgundians in the fifth century.

       (5) "Gernot" was probably introduced by some minstrel in place

       of the historical "Godomar", who appears in the Norse

       version as "Gutthormr", though the names are not

       etymologically the same, as "Godomar" would be "Guthmarr" in

       Old Norse.

       (6) "Giselher" is the historical "Gislaharius". Although

       mentioned by the "Lex Burgundionum" as one of the Burgundian

       kings, he does not appear in the early Norse version, or in

       other poems dealing with these persons, such as the

       "Waltharius", the "Rabenschlacht", the "Rosengarten", etc.,

       and was probably introduced at a late date into the saga.

       Originally no role was ascribed to him, and not even his

       death is told. He probably came from some independent

       source.

       (7) "Etzel" is the German form for the historical "Attila"

       (Norse "Atli"). A discussion of his connection with the

       saga will be found in the introduction.

       (8) "Worms" is the ancient "Borbetomagus", which in the first

       century B.C. was the chief city of the German tribe of the

       "Vangioni". In the fifth century it was the capital of the

       Burgundian kingdom, but was destroyed by the Huns. The

       Merovingians rebuilt it, and in the seventh century it

       became a bishopric where Charlemagne at times held his

       court. It was later noted as the meeting-place of many

       imperial diets. It remained a free city till 1801. In the

       "Thidreksaga" the name is corrupted into "Wernize".

       (9) "Uta" (M.H.G. "Uote"). The name means ancestress, and is

       frequently used for the mother of heroes. The modern German

       form is "Ute", but in order to insure its being pronounced

       with two syllables, the form "Uta" was chosen.

       (10) "Dankrat" (M.H.G. "Dancrat") appears as the father only in

       the "Nibelungenlied" and poems dependent on it, e.g., the

       "Klage" and "Biterolf", elsewhere as "Gibiche" (Norse

       "Giuki").

       (11) "Hagen of Troneg". Troneg is probably a corruption of the

       name of the Latin colony, "colonia Trajana", on the Lower

       Rhine, which as early as the fifth century was written as

       "Troja", giving rise to