Twelfth Adventure — How Gunther Invited Siegfried to the Hightide
Now there passed not a day but Gunther’s wife thought, “Surely Kriemhild beareth her too proudly. Siegfried, her husband, is our vassal. Little service hath he done for his land.”
She pondered it secretly in her heart; for it irked her that they were strangers, and she had fain known wherefore Siegfried’s country yielded no tribute. She prayed the king that she might behold Kriemhild again, and told him her secret thought. But her word pleased him not. “How could we bid them hither?” said the great king. “It cannot be. They dwell too far off. I durst not do it.”
But Brunhild answered proudly, “However mighty a king’s vassal may be, he must do what his lord commandeth.”
But Gunther laughed, for he took it not as homage when he saw Siegfried.
She said further, “Dear lord, for my love, help me thereto, that Siegfried and thy sister visit us, and that we see them here. Truly nothing could rejoice me more. Thy sister’s courtesy, her gentle breeding—with what delight my heart dwelleth thereon, and how we sat together the day I became thy wife! That she chose Siegfried to her husband did her honour.”
She begged the king for it so long that he said, “Certes! no guests would I gladlier welcome, and willingly I grant it thee. I will bid them hither by my envoys.”
The queen answered then, “Send not thither without my knowledge, and inform me, without fail, when my dear friends shall come. And tell me, also, whom thou wilt charge with the embassy.”
“That will I,” said the king. “I will despatch thirty of my knights.”
He bade them to his presence, and sent greeting by them to Siegfried’s country. Brunhild clad them in rich apparel, and the king spake, “Ye knights shall keep back naught wherewith I charge you, but shall say to stark Siegfried, and to my sister, that no man in this world is better minded to them than I be. Bid them both hither to the Rhine. If they come, I and my wife will cease not to be beholden to them. Or midsummer is here, he and his knights will find among us many to do them worship. Greet King Siegmund also from me, and say that I and my friends are his true servants; and entreat my sister that, without fail, she ride hither to her friends. No hightide were fitter for her.”
Brunhild and Uta, and their women, commended them to the fair women and the bold men at Siegfried’s court.
So the envoys made haste to do the king’s bidding. They stood ready for the road; horses and harness were there, and they took their leave. They pushed forward with the escort the king gave them. Inside of twelve days they reached the land and the castle of the Nibelungs, and found Siegfried on the march of Norway. Horses and men were weary with the long road.
They brought word to both Siegfried and Kriemhild that knights were come, clad after the manner of the Burgundians.
And Kriemhild sprang from the couch where she lay resting, and bade a maiden run to the window, who saw Gary standing in the courtyard, and his knights that were sent with him. They brought welcome news to her anxious heart.
She cried to the king, “Seest thou, standing there in the courtyard, them that be come with stark Gary, that my brother Gunther hath sent down the Rhine?”
And Siegfried answered, “They are welcome.”
All the folk ran when they saw the envoys and greeted them with kind words. Siegfried was right glad at their coming. Lodging was given to them, and their horses were seen to, whereupon they went straightway where Siegfried sat by Kriemhild. Both were joyful to behold them. The king and his wife rose quickly to receive Gary and Gunther’s knights of Burgundy. And they bade Gary sit down.
“Nay, let us way-weary guests stand while we tell thee Gunther’s message. After, we will sit. Gunther and Brunhild, with whom it is well, and Queen Uta, your mother, and Giselher, the youth, and eke Gernot, and your nearest kinsmen, send greeting from Burgundy.”
“Now God reward them,” said Siegfried; “I hold them for good and true, as a man should trust his friends. The like doth their sister. Say on, whether they be of good cheer. Hath any done my wife’s brethren a hurt since we parted? Tell me, for I will stand by them till their foemen rue my help.”
Margrave Gary, the good knight, answered, “It is well with them, and they are of good cheer. They bid thee to a hightide, and were right glad if thou camest. They bid my Lady also. So soon as the winter shall be ended, before midsummer, they would see you.”
But Siegfried said, “That can hardly be.”
Whereupon Gary the Burgundian answered, “Your mother Uta, Gernot, and Giselher, pray that ye deny them not. Every day I hear them lament that ye dwell so far. Brunhild my mistress, and her maidens, rejoice in the hope to see you.”
The message seemed good to Kriemhild. Gary was her kinsman; and the king bade him sit, and tarried not longer to let pour the wine for the guests.
Thither came Siegmund also, when he saw the messengers, and he spake to them on friendly wise. “Ye be welcome, ye knights, Gunther’s men; since Siegfried won Kriemhild to wife, ye should have been seen here oftener, if you would have proved your love.”
They answered that, if he willed it, they would come gladly, for that joy had taken from them their mickle weariness.
Then they bade the envoys sit, and set meats before them, whereof Siegfried gave order they should have enough. Nine days they were kept at the court, till at last they murmured, saying that if they tarried longer, they durst not return again to their land.
Meanwhile Siegfried had let summon his friends. He asked them their mind about his journey. “Gunther my brother-in-law, and his kinsmen, have bidden me to a hightide at the Rhine, and Kriemhild also, that she ride with me. And I were fain to go if his country lay not so far off. Now counsel me, dear friends, for the best. Had I to harry thirty lands for their sake, my hand were at their service.”
His knights made answer, “If thou wouldst ride to this hightide, we counsel thee on this wise: take with thee a thousand knights to the Rhine, that thou mayest have honour among the Burgundians.”
Then said King Siegmund of the Netherland, “Wherefore has thou not told me thou wouldest to the hightide? If thou hast naught against it, I will ride with thee, and will take an hundred knights with me to add to thy train.”
“Wilt thou do so, dear father mine?” said bold Siegfried. “Right welcome art thou. Inside of twelve days we will forth.”
To them that desired it horses and apparel were given.
Since the king was minded to make the journey, he sent away the swift envoys, and charged them with a message to his wife’s brethren at the Rhine, that he would come right gladly to their hightide.
Siegfried and Kriemhild (so runneth the tale) gave so much to the envoys that their horses scarce sufficed to carry it, for Siegfried was a rich king. So, well content, they drave their sumpters before them.
Then Siegfried and Siegmund equipped their folk, and Eckewart, the Margrave, bade bring forth the best women’s vesture that was in Siegfried’s whole land. They made ready saddles and shields, and to the knights and the gentlewomen that were to ride with them, they gave freely, that they lacked naught. Siegfried led many valiant knights to his kinsmen.
The envoys hasted on their way, and when bold Gary was come into Burgundy, they greeted him fair. The riders sprang from their horses before Gunther’s hall. And young and old, as their wont is, pressed round them and asked for news. But the good knight answered, “Ye shall have it when I have told it to the king.” And he passed on with his comrades to Gunther.
The king sprang from his seat for joy, and Brunhild thanked them that they were so soon back again. To the envoys spake Gunther then, “How fareth it with Siegfried, that hath ever done well by me?”
And Gary answered, “He and thy sister waxed red for joy. Kinder greeting sent man never to his friends than Siegfried and his father Siegmund send to thee.”
Then said the queen to the Margrave, “Tell me, I prithee; cometh Kriemhild with them? And hath her body lost nothing of its fairness?”
Whereto Gary answered, “They will both come, and, with them, many knights.”
Then Uta bade the envoys to her presence, and showed by her questions what most she desired to know—how it fared with Kriemhild. He told her how he had found her, and that she would come thither shortly.
They declared also the envoy’s fee that Siegfried had given them: the apparel and the gold. All the knights of the three kings saw it, and praised Siegfried.
“It is easy for him to give,” quoth Hagen. “He could not spend it if he lived for ever, for the hoard of the Nibelungs is in his hand. Would it came our way!”
All the court, both knights and ladies, were glad at their coming. The servants of the three kings were not idle, and started to raise the high-seats. Hunolt and Sindolt had work enow, for they were the sewer and the butler, and they arranged the chairs; to Ortwin, for that he helped them, Gunther gave thanks. As for Rumult, the chief cook, I ween he knew how to order his underlings. Ha! what meats they made ready against the feast, in their huge cauldrons and pots and pans.
The women too busied them, and saw to their robes, whereon they embroidered gold and bright shining stones, that, when they wore them, they might be well esteemed.