Gudrun

Gudrun

By .

Translated by Mary Pickering Nichols.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Preface
4. Names of Persons
5. Names of Places
6. Gudrun
   1. Tale I: How Hagen Was Carried Off by the Griffin
   2. Tale II: How Hagen Slew the Griffin
   3. Tale III: How Hagen Sailed to His Home
   4. Tale IV: How Hagen Was Met by His Father and Mother
   5. Tale V: How Wâ-te Was Sent to Ireland as a Suitor
   6. Tale VI: How Sweetly Horant Sang
   7. Tale VII: How the Maidens Came to See the Ship, and Were Carried to Hettel’s Kingdom
   8. Tale VIII: How Hagen Followed His Daughter
   9. Tale IX: How Gudrun Was Sought by Siegfried
   10. Tale X: How Hartmut Sent to Woo Gudrun
   11. Tale XI: How Herwic Sent to Seek Gudrun and How Hartmut Came Himself
   12. Tale XII: How Herwic Made War on Hettel, and How Gudrun Was Betrothed to Him
   13. Tale XIII: How Siegfried Made War Against Herwic
   14. Tale XIV: How Hettel Sent Tidings from Herwic’s Land
   15. Tale XV: How Hartmut Carried Away Gudrun
   16. Tale XVI: How Hilda Sent to Hettel and Herwic to Ask Their Help Against Hartmut
   17. Tale XVII: How Hettel Came to the Wulpensand in Search of His Daughter
   18. Tale XVIII: How Ludwig Slew Hettel, and Stole Away in the Night
   19. Tale XIX: How the Hegelings Went Home to Their Own Land
   20. Tale XX: How Hartmut Went Home to Normandy
   21. Tale XXI: How Gudrun Must Wash Clothes on the Beach
   22. Tale XXII: How Hilda Made War to Bring Back Her Daughter
   23. Tale XXIII: How Hilda’s Warriors Landed in Sight of Hartmut’s Kingdom
   24. Tale XXIV: How Their Coming Was Made Known to Gudrun
   25. Tale XXV: How Herwic and Ortwin Found Gudrun
   26. Tale XXVI: How the Hegelings Landed Near Ludwig’s Castle
   27. Tale XXVII: How Ludwig and Hartmut Met the Hegelings
   28. Tale XXVIII: How Herwic Slew Ludwig
   29. Tale XXIX: How Hartmut Was Taken Prisoner
   30. Tale XXX: How Gudrun Was Brought Home to Hilda
   31. Tale XXXI: How the Four Kings Were Wedded in Hilda’s Land
   32. Tale XXXII: How They All Went to Their Homes
7. Colophon
8. Uncopyright

Imprint

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Preface

The epic poem of Gudrun is one of the most important early literary works of the German race. It is attributed to the latter part of the twelfth or the beginning of the thirteenth century, and to a date a little subsequent to that of the Nibelungenlied. It was first brought to the notice of the modern world in the year 1817, the only original manuscript now known to exist having been discovered about that time in the castle Ambras in the Tyrol, among other manuscripts which had been collected by the Emperor Maximilian I (1493⁠–⁠1519). The manuscript is now in the Imperial Library at Vienna. It has been several times edited and printed in the original Middle High German, with critical annotations; various translations into modern German have also been published: but so far as I can learn, no complete metrical version in the English language has been made public.

The name of the author is unknown; it is generally thought to have been constructed, in great measure, from earlier legends which had been repeated by wandering singers. According to the late Karl Bartsch, the distinguished critic and editor of Medieval German literature, the tale shows affinity to legends of the Scalds of Norway and Denmark, and to those of the Shetland Isles. Traces of resemblance are said to be found among the relics of Anglo-Saxon literature. The supposition that the poem was constructed from various early legends explains some of the marvellous incidents of the tale, and those chronological inconsistencies where the rude habits and ideas of earlier times are combined with the later knightly usages of the Middle Ages and with Christian belief.

The scene of the poem is laid principally on the shores of the North Sea, and includes Ireland and Normandy, as well as Holland, Denmark, and Friesland. Very vague ideas of geography were, however, entertained by the poet. Some names of places are thought to be fabulous, and critics disagree with regard to the modern countries designated by other names used.

The poem is founded upon the themes of love and war, and properly consists of three parts. The first portion, embracing four tales, relates the adventures of Hagen, the grandfather of Gudrun; the second part gives the story of the wooing and abduction of Hilda, his daughter, the mother of Gudrun. The proper story of Gudrun begins only with the ninth tale.

The narrative gives a vivid picture of the ideas, manners, and customs of the age of the author;