Had they ten thousand fighters whom they at once could find,
Gudrun they might lay hold on, and to their home might carry,
Before her father, Hettel, came back again from the land where he did tarry.
Hartmut’s mother, Gerlind, earnestly gave thought
To wreak her wrath on Hettel, that he to harm be brought,
Because her dear son Hartmut he shamefully had slighted.
She wished the aged Wâ-te and Fru-te might be hanged, for the help they plighted.
Then spake the old she-devil: “Good knights, your hire behold!
If you will now ride thither, my silver and my gold,
That will I give you freely— but women shall not share it.
I care not if Hettel and Hilda shall rue their wrong, and ne’er again will dare it.”
Quoth Ludwig, Hartmut’s father: “We from our Norman land
Forthwith must make an inroad: soon will I have at hand
Twenty thousand fighters whom I for war will gather;
With these it will be easy to seize Gudrun, and bear her from her father.”
Then spake the youthful Hartmut: “Might ever this betide,
That Hilda’s lovely daughter I here should see my bride,
I would not take in barter for that a princedom fairest;
Then might we here together pass our lives, each one to the other dearest.”
Busily his followers, hour by hour, gave thought
How they could do his wishes. A host King Ludwig brought
To lead against the Hegelings; well were they outfitted.
How should Hilda know it, that soon thereby her welfare would be blighted?
The wife of Ludwig also helped them as she could.
For this she plotted ever, that fair Gudrun be wooed,
And, as the bride of Hartmut, to Normandy be carried;
She did her best most busily that the maid one day should to her son be married.
Ludwig said to Hartmut, his well belovèd son:
“Think well, O knight most worthy, no toil we now must shun,
Until our foes are mastered and from their lands are driven.
Reward the guests who help us; to our men at home by me shall gifts be given.”
These they soon were sharing, all and every one.
Never yet in Suabia gifts so rich were known,
Of steeds for war or burden, saddles, and shields fair shining;
I ween they were gladly given: Ludwig ne’er before such thanks was winning.
Quickly all made ready to start upon their way.
Sailors were found by Ludwig; skilful men were they,
Who the deep sea-pathways knew, and well could follow;
Hard must they be toiling to win their wages high upon the billow.
Now, in seemly measure, fit were they to go.
Throughout the lands and highways soon the news did grow
That Ludwig and young Hartmut home and land were leaving.
They yet would see much sorrow, when they erelong their Hegeling foe were braving.
When to the shore they had ridden, ships were floating there,
That workmen well had builded, the knights away to bear;
Gerlind’s gold and riches had made them strong and steady.
Nor Wâ-te the old nor Fru-te of this knew aught, nor were for their coming ready.
With three and twenty thousand they sailed the waters o’er.
Now for Gudrun young Hartmut a weight of sorrow bore:
This, before his followers, to hide he was not earnest;
He hoped to meet King Hettel, and him to overcome in strife the sternest.
As yet they knew not fully how they his land could reach.
To the sons of many a mother the raid did sorrow teach.
Near to the shores of Ortland the rolling billows bore them,
Before ’twas known to Hettel: now Hilda’s castle rose in sight before them.
The warriors led by Hartmut were still twelve miles away;
Yet had they come already over the wide, deep sea,
Unto the land of the Hegelings, and to its shores so nearly
That castles, towers, and palaces in Hilda’s town they all could see most clearly.
Ludwig, king of Normandy, bade that on the sand
They now should drop the anchors; he then gave word to land
To all his men together, and bade them do it quickly:
They now had come so near them, they feared the Hegeling bands would gather thickly.
Then bore they up the weapons, with shields and helmets good,
That they had with them carried over the heaving flood:
They to fight made ready; yet they at first bethought them
To send through the land their runners, to learn if friendly helpers might be brought them.
Tale XV
How Hartmut Carried Away Gudrun
Hartmut sends messengers again to Gudrun to ask her hand, and threatens to take her by force if she still rejects his suit. She answers that she is betrothed to Herwic, and refuses him. Hartmut and Ludwig bring an army and capture the Hegeling castle, and carry away Gudrun with her handmaidens.
Now at Hartmut’s bidding heralds quickly rode
To where the queenly Hilda and her daughter dear abode.
To them his word they carried, that if to wed the maiden
They should think him worthy, her and her mother both it well might gladden.
If she her love would give him, as he had asked before—
Ofttimes his heart was heavy for the love to her he bore—
That he would ever serve her so long as he was living,
And many lands wide-reaching, held of his father, would to her be giving.
But if she would not love him, she then would earn his hate;
He asked of her that kindly she his love would meet,
So that he to his fatherland his lovely bride might carry
Without a fight or struggle. To hope for this brave Hartmut ne’er was weary.
Did she gainsay his wooing, Hartmut sent this word:
“I will not be bought with silver, albeit a heavy hoard,
To leave in peace her kingdom; she yet shall give me heeding.
I will show Gudrun, fair maiden, brave knights enough, to be for her eyes fine feeding!
“Further, good errand-bearers, this say to her from me:
I ne’er will leave her borders to sail on the wide, deep sea;
Better will I think it to be hewn in pieces even,
Unless the Hegeling maiden will follow me hence, to me in wedlock given.
“But, should she scorn me wholly, and never my bride will be,
Then me, with my daring fighters, riding here she will see.
Before the Hegeling castle I will then leave lying
Twenty thousand warriors, on both sides of the roadway, dead or dying.
“Since by the craft of Wigaleis King Hettel has been led,
And by the aged Wâ-te, hither our way we’ve made
Into the Hegeling kingdom, time and toil thus spending;
For this shall many be fatherless, and glad shall I be of the whole to make an ending.”
Those sent forth by Hartmut fast on their way did ride,
For he bade them wait no longer. They came to a castle wide,
By name ycleped Matelan; therein was Hilda dwelling,
And with her was her daughter, the maid about whose
