Tale XXII: How Hilda Made War to Bring Back Her Daughter

We now will speak no longer / of the toil the maidens bore
For knights as well as ladies. / Queen Hilda evermore
Her thoughts to this had given / how to win back her daughter,
Out of the Norman kingdom, / whither from home the daring Hartmut brought her.

First were workmen bidden, / near to the deep sea-flood,
Of ships to build her seven, / strong, well made, and good;
With two-and-twenty barges, / broad, with both ends rounded.
Whate’er for them was needed / was quickly brought, and everything abounded.

Forty galleys also / lay upon the sea;
On these her eyes were feeding. / Longing great had she
To see the throng of fighters / who should soon be sailing.
She their food made ready; / for this the knights her praise were loudly telling.

The time was drawing nearer, / when now to cross the sea
No more should they be waiting, / who wished the maids to free,
That in a far-off kingdom / in hardest toil were living.
Now Hilda sent for her liegemen; / to those who called them clothes she first was giving.

The day that she had chosen / was at the Christmas-tide,
When they must seek the foemen / by whom King Hettel died.
Forthwith to friends and kinsmen / Hilda gave her bidding,
That they to bring her daughter / back from the Norman land must then be speeding.

Trusty men were bidden / by Hilda first to go
To Herwic and his followers, / that one and all should know
Of the inroad on the Normans / that she had sworn and plotted.
To many Hegeling children / this erelong an orphan’s life allotted.

The men sent out by Hilda / to Herwic rode in haste:
For what they then were coming / the king full quickly guessed;
Then went he forth to meet them, / soon as he saw them nearing;
Gladly them he greeted, / and soon from them Queen Hilda’s wish was hearing.

“Well you know, Lord Herwic, / our woe and plight forlorn,
And how the Hegeling warriors / to help the queen have sworn.
Yourself Queen Hilda trusteth / more than any other;
To none Gu-drun is dearer,— / the homeless maid, long sundered from her mother.”

The well-born knight thus answered: / “I know in truth too well
How Hartmut had the boldness / my fair betrothed to steal,
Because his love she slighted, / and hearkened to my wooing;
For this Gu-drun, my lady, / her father lost, and still her lot is ruing.

“My pledge and hearty greeting / bear to your lady good;
No more the Norman Hartmut / by me shall be allowed
To hold so long in bondage / my own betrothéd maiden:
For me, of all, ’tis fittest / to bring the lady home, our lives to gladden.

“To Hilda and her kinsmen / this answer you may say:
When Christmas time is over, / on the sixth-and-twentieth day,
I will ride to the Hegelings, / three thousand fighters taking.”
Then the men of Hilda / waited no more, but home their way were making.

Now Herwic made him ready, / and to the strife gave thought,
With many faithful liegemen / who oft had bravely fought.
Those who to go were willing / he for war outfitted;
Though wintry was the weather, / they to take the field no longer waited.

Of help the widowed Hilda / sorely felt the need:
Soon to her friends in Denmark / she sent her men with speed,
To tell the knights and warriors / no more at home to tarry;
For they to the Norman kingdom / must ride, to free Gu-drun from bondage dreary.

They bore to the youthful Horant / this errand from the queen:
That he and all his kinsmen / were to her lord of kin,
And the sorrows of her daughter / should by them be heeded;
For death to her were better / than ever that her child to Hartmut should be wedded.

Then sent the knight this answer: / “Unto Queen Hilda say,—
Though yet ’twill cost to women / many a bitter day,
I still, with all my followers, / will help be gladly giving;
For this will be heard the weeping / of many a mother’s child, in the land now living.

“I bid you now, moreover, / to say unto the queen,—
Ere many days are ended, / in her land will I be seen;
Tell her that my wishes / all to war are bending,
And soon ten thousand warriors / from out the Danish land will I be sending.”

The men sent there by Hilda / of Horant took their leave:
They sped to the Waalisch marches, / and found Morunc the brave
With all his men about him, / a margrave rich and daring.
He gladly saw them coming, / and of a loving welcome was not sparing.

Then spake the knightly Irold: / “Since now by me ’tis known
That into the Hegeling kingdom, / before seven weeks are gone,
I with all my followers / am bidden to be riding,
For this will I be ready, / whatever luck be there for us betiding.”

The news was spread by Morunc, / within the Holstein land,
That Hilda now was sending / for all her friends at hand;
He said that all good warriors / must the field be taking.
To the Danish knight, brave Fru-te, / they also gave the word, his help bespeaking.

The worthy knight, then answering, / his ready will did show:
“Back to her home will we bring her. / Thirteen years ago,
We swore the land of the Normans / should with war be wasted;
’Twas then the friends of Hartmut / stole the maid Gu-drun, and homeward hasted.”

Wâ-te, the knight from Sturmland, / to this at once gave thought,
How he might also help her. / Altho’ he yet knew nought
Of the word that Hilda sent him, / yet he at once bestirred him;
Of his knights a goodly number / then in haste he called, who gladly heard him.

All of them were busy / with care for the coming war;
Wâ-te the old from Sturmland / brought from near and far
Full a thousand kinsmen, / for the fight well fitted;
With these he hoped that Hartmut / would soon be overcome and be outwitted.

The sad and homeless women / in toil and pain were kept
By the cross and evil Gerlind: / but fewer wrongs were heaped
Upon the Lady Hergart; / (this name to her was given:)
She loved the king’s high cup-bearer, / and greatly hoped to be a princess even.

For this fair Hilda’s daughter / often sorely wept;
And Hergart, too, yet later / woe and sorrow reaped,
Because she ne’er with others / would their toils be sharing.
Whate’er to her might happen, / Gu-drun for all her ills was little caring.

Of the Hegelings none were idle, / as you before have heard:
Tho’ many for all their toiling / would find but scant reward,
Yet all within the kingdom their / ready help were lending.
Now the knights were thinking / for the brother of Gu-drun ’twere best they should be sending.

Riders then went swiftly / into the land of the North,
And found in an open meadow / the youth of kingly birth,
Where by the edge of a river / many birds were flocking:
There with his trusty falconer / he showed his skill, and spent his time in hawking.

As soon as, riding quickly, / these by him were seen,
He said: “Those men now coming / are sent to us by the queen;
They come to give her bidding, / proudly hither hasting;
My mother thinketh wrongly / that we the war forget, and time are wasting.”

He set his hawk a-flying, / and thence at once he rode.
Very soon thereafter / darkened was his mood;
For when the men he greeted, / and they their tale were telling,
He learned that the queen, his mother, / ever in tears her loss was aye bewailing.

She to the youthful warrior / sent her greeting kind:
In her wretched lot, she asked him / what might be his mind;
And asked how many followers / he could to the war be leading;
For from the Hegeling kingdom / they all to the Norman land must soon be speeding.

Then Ortwin sent this answer: / “Me dost thou rightly bid;
I from hence will hasten, / and bring from far and wide
Twenty thousand fighters,— / men both brave and daring;
These my steps will follow / even to death, their lives and homes forswearing.”

Now from every border / many warriors went
Riding to Hilda’s kingdom, / for whom the queen had sent;
They vied with one another, / to win her praises striving.
Not less than sixty thousand / together came, their help for Hilda giving.

On the river Waal Sir Morunc / had upon the wave
Of broad-built ships full sixty, / strong to bear the brave
Who with the Hegelings sailing / would o’er the sea be carried,
To free Gu-drun, the maiden, / who sadly now among the Normans tarried.

From out the Northland also / finest ships were brought,
With horses and with clothing, / as good as could be sought:
Decked were all the helmets, / the weapons glittered brightly,
Ready for the onset / bravely they came, in armor fair and knightly.

Now by their shields men reckoned / how many there might be
Who to the Norman kingdom / would go the maid to free,
And to the great Queen Hilda / their help to give were ready;
They numbered seventy thousand; / gifts to all were given by the queenly lady.

On all who there were gathered, / or to court who later came,
The queen, though ever mournful, / yet let her kindness beam:
She gave them hearty welcome, / and every one she greeted;
Wondrous was the clothing / that to the chosen knights Queen Hilda meted.

The many ships of Hilda / were stored with all things well,
And early on the morrow / were ready thence to sail;
Seemly was the outfit / for her worthy guests who waited:
They chose not to be going, / while aught they lacked to meet the foeman hated.

They put on board the weapons, / as was the queen’s behest,
And with them many helmets / of beaten steel the best.
Hauberks white were given, / besides the ones in wearing,
For warriors full five hundred; / these she bade them take, to war now faring.

Their anchor-ropes well twisted / of strongest silk were made:
Their sails both rich and showy / to the winds were spread;
These to the shores of the Norman / the Hegelings would carry,
Who back to Lady Hilda / would gladly bring Gu-drun, of waiting weary.

The anchors for the sailors / were not of iron made,
But of bell-metal moulded; / (so have we heard it said:)
They with Spanish brasses / all were bound and strengthened,
That loadstones should not hold them, / and so the sailors’ way by this be lengthened.

To Wâ-te and his followers / the Lady Hilda gave
Many clasps and arm-bands. / This roused the strong and brave
To meet their death from foemen, / for the Hegelings fighting,
When they from Hartmut’s castle / strove to wrest the maid, in bondage sitting.

Freely then and earnestly / Queen Hilda spoke her thought
Unto the men from Daneland: / “When you have bravely fought
On the stormy field of warfare, / I will reward you fitly.
Still my banner follow; / that will show the way, and lead you rightly.”

They asked of her, who held it; / to this then answered she:
“He bears the name of Horant; / a Danish lord is he.
His mother, Hettel’s sister, / she it was who bore him;
Let him by you be trusted; / forsake him not in fight with foes before him.

“Never, my hardy warriors, / must you forget my son,
Young Ortwin, dear-belovéd, / to manhood nearly grown.
Of life the youth has numbered / twenty years already;
If any risk should threaten, / to guard him well then let your help be speedy.”

To this they pledged them gladly, / and all together said,
So long as they were with him / nought had he to dread;
If he their lead would follow, / those from whom he parted
Again unharmed would see him. / At this young Ortwin showed himself light-hearted.

Soon the ships were laden / with goods of every kind,
And now to tell his wonder / none fit words could find.
They asked good Hilda’s blessing / on the work now undertaken;
The queen then begged of Heaven / that they by Christ should never be forsaken.

Many youths went with them / whose fathers erst were slain;
Now bereft, these brave ones / to right their wrongs were fain.
The women of the Hegelings / were mourning all and weeping,
Beseeching God in Heaven / to bring them back their sons in his holy keeping.

But all this pain and sorrow / the warriors might not bear;
They sternly bade the women / their bitter wails to spare;
Then on their way they started / in gladness, shouting loudly,
And as they went on shipboard / all were heard to sing, and set forth proudly.

After these daring sailors / had cast off from the land,
Many sorrowing women / did at the windows stand:
From Matelan’s lofty castle, / never the watch forsaking,
Their eyes the sea-path followed, / as from the land the men their way were taking.

A friendly wind was blowing, / and loudly cracked the mast;
They the sails stretched tightly, / and left the land at last.
The son of many a mother / went, for honor seeking;
Though this awaited many, / yet to gain it they must toil be taking.

I cannot tell you fully / of all that them befell,
Save that the lord of Karadie, / who in that land did dwell,
With fighters came to help them, / the foeman never fearing;
He from home brought with him / ten thousand knights, all men of strength and daring.

Where foes upon the Wulpensand / had met in deadly fray,
These knights from many a kingdom, / now, at this later day,
Chose the spot for meeting; / and here they came together:
A church had here been builded, / and old and young alike had their gifts brought hither.

Now within its harbor, / to seek their fathers’ graves,
Out of the ships here gathered / went many of Hilda’s braves.
Bitter was their sorrow, / and anger keen did waken;
Hard would it be for any / who erst in fight the lives of their friends had taken.

Unto the lord of Moorland / they hearty welcome gave.
Four and twenty broad-boats / he brought with warriors brave;
Food therein was laden / that might for all have lasted
Till twenty years were ended: / to war with the Normans now they gladly hasted.

When they to sail were ready, / they left the sheltering shore
To make their way o’er the waters; / but heavy toil they bore
Upon the wild sea-billows / before their sail was ended.
What helped it that their leaders, / Fru-te the Dane and Wâ-te, them befriended?

A wind from the south was blowing, / and drove them out to sea.
The crew of warlike shipmates / from fear no more were free;
They could not find the bottom, / altho’ they should be casting
Lengths of rope a thousand; / many sailors wept, their lot foretasting.

Before the mount at Givers / soon lay Queen Hilda’s host;
However good their anchors, / upon that gloomy coast,
Drawn by loadstones thither, / they a long time rested.
Their masts so tough and hardy / soon before their eyes were bent and twisted.

When now the hopeless sailors / were weeping o’er their lot,
Thus spoke the aged Wâ-te: / “Anchors again throw out,
The strongest and the heaviest, / into the sea unsounded.
I’ve heard of many wonders / I would rather see, than here on the rocks be grounded.

“Since, astray long sailing, / our lady’s ships here lie,
And we so far are driven / across the darkling sea,
I now will tell a sea-tale, / that stirred my childish wonder,
Of how, near the mount at Givers, / a kingdom erst was built by a mighty founder.

“Men there in wealth are living; / so rich is all their land
That under the flowing rivers / silver is the sand;
With this they make their castles, / and the stones are golden
With which their walls are builded. / In all the kingdom none in want are holden.

“’Twas told to me, moreover, / (by God are wonders wrought,)
If one who by the loadstone / unto this mount is brought,
Here will only tarry / till the wind from the land is blowing,
He with all his kindred / may be forever rich when homeward going.

“Let us our food be eating / until our luck shall turn,”
Said then the aged Wâ-te; / “before we hence are borne,
Our ships that here are lying / shall with ore be loaded:
When this we home shall carry, / wealth shall we have that no one e’er foreboded.”

Then spake the Danish Fru-te: / “A still, unruffled sea
Shall never keep in idleness / the men now here with me:
A thousand times I swear to you, / no gold would I be seeking,
But rather away from this mountain, / with friendly winds, would I my way be taking.”

The Christian men among them / raised to Heaven a prayer;
But yet the ships ne’er yielded, / strongly fastened there:
For four long days or over / all their hopes were thwarted;
Sorely feared the Hegelings / that they from thence could nevermore be started.

The clouds now lifted higher, / as the mighty God had willed;
Then no more they sorrowed, / for soon the waves were stilled,
And from out the darkness / the sun was shining brightly.
A wind from the west was blowing, / and now the woes were o’er of the wanderers knightly.

For miles full six and twenty, / past Givers’ craggy shore,
The ships at last were wafted. / By this they saw yet more
The work of God and his goodness, / in all the help then given.
Wâ-te with his followers / had been too near the rocks of loadstone driven.

To smoothly flowing waters / they now were come at last:
Their sins were not rewarded, / and all their woes were past,
While fear from them was taken, / since God was not unwilling.
The ships that bore the warriors / straight to the Norman land at length were sailing.

But soon among the sailors / arose again a wail;
For now the ships were groaning, / and soon began to reel,
Tossed among the breakers / that overwhelmed them nearly:
Then said the brave knight Ortwin: / “We now indeed must buy our honors dearly.”

Outspake then one of the sailors: / “Alas! and well-a-day!
I would we were at Givers, / and dead near its mountain lay!
If one is by God forgotten, / by whom is he befriended?
My brave and hardy warriors, / the roar of the blustering sea is not yet ended.”

Then cried the knight, Sir Horant, / he of the Danish land:
“Be of good heart, brave fellows; / I well can understand
This wind no harm will do us; / from out the west ’tis blowing.”
This cheered the lord of Karadie, / on him and on his men fresh hope bestowing.

Horant, the daring warrior, / up to the topmast climbed,
And the widely stretching billows / swept, with eyes undimmed,
Keeping for land an outlook. / They soon his call were hearing:
“Wait you now, unfearing; / I see that we the Norman land are nearing!”

The word to all was given, / that they should lower sail:
Searching the waters over, / they saw far off a hill,
Lofty, and thickly wooded, / with groves and leafage shaded;
Then old Wâ-te bade them / thither to bend their way, and this they heeded.