Tale XII: How Herwic Made War on Hettel, and How Gudrun Was Betrothed to Him

What more befell young Hartmut / we now forbear to say.
Upon the brave King Herwic / a weight of sorrow lay,
As great as that of Hartmut, / for love of the high-born lady.
He, with all his kinsmen, / to woo Gu-drun, as best they might, made ready.

Near her he was dwelling, / and there he held his land.
A thousand times tho’ daily / he should send to ask her hand,
Ever would his wooing / be met with scorn and flouting;
But though he now was thwarted, / later on her, as his wife, he was fondly doting.

The king forbade him longer / to woo Gu-drun, his child;
Then sent he word in anger / that never would he yield:
Hettel should see him coming, / with men and shields, a-wooing;
And this to him and Hilda / would evil bring, that they would long be ruing.

Whose rede it was I know not, / but thrice a thousand men,
Showing thus their friendship, / were soon with Herwic seen.
By them against the Hegelings / harm erelong was plotted
For the sake of the lovely maiden / he fondly hoped would be to him allotted.

Those who came from Sturmland / the tale would not believe,
To those from Denmark also / none the tidings gave;
But Irold, lord of Ortland, / soon the word was hearing
That now the daring Herwic / for warlike ends to Hettel’s home was faring.

When ’twas known to Hettel / that Herwic, fearing naught,
E’en now the land was nearing, / and followers with him brought,
Then asked he of his kinsmen, / and of the queen, his lady:
“What say you to the tidings? / I hear that guests to our home have come already.”

She said: “What can I answer, / but that ’tis well and right,
When one such deeds is doing / as befit a worthy knight,
Tho’ good or ill it bring us, / praise should they be earning.
Can aught amiss befall him? / Herwic is wise, and aye for honor yearning.”

His queenly wife said further: / “Yet must we beware,
That he may bring no burden / unto our kinsmen here.
This have many told me,— / ’tis for the sake of your daughter
That he with many warriors / has come into your borders, o’er the water.”

Hettel with his kinsmen / had waited a little too long:
The wrath of young King Herwic / now had waxen strong.
In the cool of the early morning, / he, with followers daring,
Reached King Hettel’s castle, / and later with his men the strife was sharing.

While yet the men were sleeping / within King Hettel’s halls,
The watchman from the castle / down to them loudly calls:
“Up from your rest now, quickly! / Arm yourselves and listen!
Foes from abroad are coming! / E’en now, on their way, I see the helmets glisten.”

From off their beds upsprang they, / no longer dared they lie;
Whoe’er there was among them, / in rank or low or high,
Must bear a heavy burden, / for life and honor caring.
Thus the young King Herwic / strove for a wife, the storm of warfare daring.

Hettel and Queen Hilda / had now to the window come:
Men they saw with Herwic, / brought from a far-off home
Among the hills of Galeis, / where they had their dwelling;
These the mighty Morunc / in Waleis knew, and oft of them was telling.

The foes were seen by Hettel, / thronging towards the gate.
Well Gu-drun’s brave father / must fear to meet their hate,
As they were rushing onward, / tho’ high his heart was swelling:
Much they roused his anger, / but them his burghers helped erelong in quelling.

Armed to guard the castle / were a hundred men or more;
Hettel himself fought boldly, / goodwill for this he bore.
His lieges all were doughty, / but yet they could not save him;
Hard were the blows for Hettel, / that in the fight the brave young Herwic gave him.

Upon his foeman’s helmet / whizzing blasts, fire-hot,
Were struck by the daring Herwic. / The many blows he smote
Gu-drun now saw with wonder, / her eyes upon him feeding:
He seemed a knight most worthy, / and love she felt, e’en though her heart was bleeding.

Hettel bore his weapon / grimly ’gainst his foe;
Of strength no less than riches / he had, in truth, enow:
But soon he did unwisely, / he pressed on him too nearly,
And those within the castle / saw the fight between them all too clearly.

The sore-beleaguered dwellers / the gates would gladly shut;
But now their losses told them / that this would nothing boot:
Friends as well as foemen / near the gates were thronging,
And great was the hope of Herwic / to win the maid for whom his heart was longing.

Hettel then and Herwic / against each other dashed,
In sight of all their followers; / flames shot out and flashed
On the bosses of the bucklers / which they both were wearing:
But little while it lasted, / ere knowledge of each other they were sharing.

When Hettel saw in Herwic / a warrior so proud,
And one so truly daring, / he cried to all aloud:
“Should any here forbid me / that I with him be friendly,
He knows the knight but little; / deadly wounds he hews, in mood unkindly.”

Gu-drun, the lovely maiden, / looked on, and heard the din.
Luck is round and rolling, / like a ball, I ween;
And since to end the fighting / to her it was not given,
She hoped that, when ’twas over, / her father and his foe would find their strength was even.

She then began to call to him, / from out the palace hall:
“Hettel, my noble father, / behold how blood doth fall,
From out the hauberks flowing! / Everywhere about us
The walls therewith are spattered! / A neighbor ill is Herwic, and harm hath wrought us.

“If you would grant my wishes, / you now will be at peace;
Give rest to heart from anger, / and let your fighting cease,
Till I can ask of Herwic, / and he to us be telling,
About his land and kingdom, / and where his nearest kinsmen have their dwelling.”

Then said the proud young Herwic: / “Not yet may peace begin,
Unless without my weapons / I your love may win.
If rest a while be granted, / the knowledge you are seeking
I then will give you freely, / and of my kinsmen will to you be speaking.”

Now, for love of the maiden, / the strife did they forego.
Then shook they off their armor, / each battle-weary foe,
And bathed in running waters, / from rusty stains to free them.
They soon were cheered and rested, / and none could grudge in happy mood to see them.

A hundred knights with Herwic / went from the field to find
Gu-drun, the Hegeling maiden, / still wavering in her mind.
She, with other ladies, / gave him welcome kindly;
But the worthy, high-born Herwic / hardly dared to think their wishes friendly.

The fair and comely maiden / showed the guests their seats;
The bravery of Herwic / erelong with love she meets:
His high and noble breeding / earned him kindest greeting.
’Twas thought Gu-drun and Hilda / should grant his suit, without a longer waiting.

To the ladies then spake Herwic: / “I oft have heard it said
That you of me speak lightly, / and think me lowly bred:
Your scorn may bring you sorrow, / after all my striving;
The rich may from the poorest / a blessing gain, the while with them they’re living.”

She said: “Where is the maiden / who could behold with scorn
A knight who strove so bravely, / or from his love could turn?
Believe me,” said the maiden, / “I do not hold you lightly;
Never maid more kindly / has looked on you, or prized your worth more rightly.

“If now my friends and kindred / leave for this will give,
Even as you wish it, / with you I will gladly live.”
Then with fondest glances / he her eye was seeking:
In her heart she bore him, / and owned the truth to all, no falsehood speaking.

The brave and happy Herwic / begged that he might dare
To woo the fair young maiden. / Now to grant his prayer
Were Hettel and Hilda ready; / but first must they be knowing
Whether Gu-drun, their daughter, / was glad or sorry for the kingly Herwic’s wooing.

Herwic was quick in learning / how kindly was her mood:
And now the brave young warrior / before the maiden stood,
In shape as fair and comely / as if the hand of a master
On a white wall had drawn him: / while there he stood her love but grew the faster.

“If you your love will give me,” / he said, “most lovely maid,
Then shall my truest worship / to you be ever paid;
Throughout my lands and castles / to you there shall be given
My kinsmen’s faithful service, / and ne’er shall I repent that thus I’ve striven.”

She said: “I give you freely / the love for which you pray;
By all your toils and daring / you well have earned to-day
That you and all my kindred / foes shall be no longer.
Now none can make me sorrow, / and every day our bliss shall grow the stronger.”

Then they sent for Hettel: / thus ended was the fight.
Soon came he to his daughter; / and many a faithful knight
Followed the king, their master, / who unto him had ridden
From all the Hegeling kingdom. / Thus to the strife a long farewell was bidden.

Now when Hettel’s kinsmen / their wish for this did speak,
Then asked he of his daughter / if she would gladly take
Herwic, the knight so noble, / who in his heart had set her.
Then said the lovely maiden: / “There’s not another I could love the better.”

They then betrothed the maiden / at once to the knightly king,
Who in his land would crown her. / This did gladness bring
To him, and sorrow likewise: / ere many years were ended,
And she to him was wedded, / good knights in stormy fight their lives defended.

To take the maiden with him / Herwic now was fain;
But this her mother grudged him: / thereby much woe and pain
Came upon him later / from foes as yet unheeded.
The king was told by Hilda / that longer time ere she be crowned was needed.

They thought it best for Herwic / to leave the maiden there,
While he with other women / might pass the time elsewhere,
And wait to wed the lady / until a year were ended.
This learned the men of Alzabie: / to wait so long for her young Herwic ill befriended.