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 ■J
 
 ELLATVORE SCOTT, 
 32 VANIJEVENTER Pl"> 
 ST. LOUIS, »IO.
 
 Frontispiece.
 
 THE 
 
 Stoey of the German Iliad. 
 
 Qi Sfljool IXcabcv 
 
 Foil THE 
 
 SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADES. 
 
 BY 
 
 MARY E. BUET, 
 
 Member of the Chicago Board op Education ; 
 
 Author of "Literary Landmarks," "Browning's Women," 
 
 "The World's Literature," etc., etc. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 Maynaed, Merrill, & Co., 
 
 43, 45 AND 47 East Tenth Street. 
 1895.
 
 Copyrighted, 1893, 
 
 BY 
 
 EFFINGHAM MAYNARD & CO.
 
 LIBRAKY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 SANTA BARBARA 
 
 To THE Memory of 
 
 The First Woman who ever served on 
 
 The Chicago Board of Education. 
 
 AND to 
 
 The Men associated with her, 
 
 Those Members of the Board, 
 
 Who showed her so much Deference 
 
 AND 
 
 Brotherly Kindness, 
 
 this little volvsie is inscribed.
 
 INTRODUCTIOK 
 
 HE story of the 'Horned Sieg- 
 fried/ *' says Carlyle, "is a 
 real cliild's-book and peo- 
 ple's-book among the Ger- 
 mans," and he commends 
 the zeal with which " learned 
 professors lecture on the 
 Nibelungen in public schools 
 with a praiseworthy view to 
 initiate the German youtli 
 into a love for their father- 
 land." 
 
 If " Literature is the autobiography of mankind," 
 and sympathy with mankind is real patriotism, and if 
 the Nibelungen Lied is "the embodiment of German 
 and hence English spirit," then it is truly patriotic 
 for German youths in America, and American youths 
 everywhere, to acquaint themselves with their Teu- 
 tonic legacy, the story which affords glimpses of the 
 
 5
 
 G INTRODUCTION. 
 
 manners and customs of tlieir Saxon forefathers. 
 It is almost as un-American for the chihlren of the 
 United States to grow up in ignorance of their 
 German birthright as it would he unpatriotic for a 
 German to deny the value of the interpretation of 
 German character as found in the " Northern Iliad/' 
 
 " The Nibelungen," says Carlyle, " is welcomed as a 
 precious national possession, recovered after six cen- 
 turies of neglect, and takes undisputed place among 
 the sacred hooks of German literature; . . . and to 
 look with natural eyes on that part of it wliieli 
 stands visibly above ground and record his own ex- 
 periences thereof is what any reasonable mortal can 
 do if he will take heed. It belongs to the English 
 Teutons as well as to the Germans. It is a firm 
 sunny island amid chaos, worth visiting.** 
 
 That Carlyle shows true teacherly instinct in plac- 
 ing the Nibelungen as a " real child's-book," no one 
 can doubt who has made a deep and careful study of 
 the natural development of child-mind. The child 
 is only the primitive man with all the development 
 before him which the human race has experienced. 
 " In poetry primitive man requires only to see ; man 
 of more development wishes to feel; truly enlight- 
 ened man desires to reflect.** As in nations so in 
 children, — in the first stages of mental development 
 we see them possessed of a rude eagerness for that 
 which is full of natural force, for the stories that are 
 simple and unmotived, for the poetry which is essen-
 
 INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 tially epic. It is through such reading that they 
 bridge over from their myth-making stage into the 
 period when their habits of thought have become 
 scientific. Through the Nibelungen Lied may young 
 people see their early Teutonic ancestors rise "like 
 phoenix and the eagle out of the ashes, renevi^ed with 
 fresh life." Although not real " history/^ the Nibe- 
 lungen is the truest history, since it has always been 
 a rallying-point of Northern patriotic feeling, and it 
 can hardly fail to awaken an enthusiasm in the later 
 and more realistic history of the nation whose child- 
 hood is so delightfully revealed in its pages. 
 
 In the year 1757 the Swiss Professor Bodmer 
 printed an ancient poetical manuscript under the 
 title of " Chriemhilda's Revenge and the Lament," 
 and fifteen years later C. H. Miiller reprinted from 
 Bodmer the Nibelungen Lied as it now stands. Many 
 other early German poems, all of the German Heroic 
 Age, came to light soon after, but none of them so 
 fraught with meaning and interest. It was compiled, 
 however, many years before it was printed, sung long 
 before it was compiled, and believed long before it 
 took definite form in song. Many of the most schol- 
 arly men who have given great attention to the sub- 
 ject agree that it is altogether plausible to believe 
 that it embodies the earliest thoughts of men. That 
 at first a religious or philosophical myth, in later 
 years it incorporated itself with vague traditions of 
 real events, and was modified by Christian influences
 
 8 INTROD VCTION. 
 
 until it passed from the mythological into historic 
 shape. 
 
 In 1130 Saxo Grammaticus was sent to Seeland 
 with a treacherous invitation from one Danish prince 
 to another, and being in sympathy with the prince 
 whom the invitation was intended to destroy, and not 
 daring to break his promise and betray the sender, he 
 sang as an indirect warning that part of the Lied in 
 which Cbriemhilda betrays her brother. This is 
 direct evidence that the poem was in a crystallized 
 form at that date. That it contains characters known 
 in the history of tlie fifth century is evidence that it 
 does not belong in its present poetic form to any 
 earlier date. It is probable that it belongs to the 
 sixth century. The historic personages in it are 
 Attila, or Etzel; Helka, or Erca, his wife; and 
 Dietrich. 
 
 "In the year 453," says Auber Forestier in her 
 Echoes fro'iii Mist-Land, "Attila, King of the Iluns, 
 called the Scourge of God, died suddenly on the 
 night of his marriage with the fair Ildiko, the Ostro- 
 goths being shortly thereafter freed from the Hunnish 
 yoke. These events made a deep impression on the 
 people of South Germany, and busy tradition, ever 
 on the alert for poetic justice, attributing Attila's 
 death to his bride, assumed the murderous deed to 
 have been wrought by her to avenge the destruction 
 of the Burgundians, although it was historically 
 untrue that thev fell through Attila. Then following
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 9 
 
 its tendency to combine mjiliic and real personages 
 and facts, traditions blended these new materials with 
 
 [lTMi}(f{H |tIipl!i|| l|l| Jll» 
 
 
 I 
 
 previonsly existing stories, and thus was 
 created the character of King Etzel, who 
 will be seen to play a comparatively 
 tame part, merely the fruits of his past 
 deeds of greatness being visible," Die- 
 trich of Bern is identified with Theodoric the Great.
 
 10 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The story of Siegfried is considered pui-e myth, 
 " little room being left for doubt tluit it is the story 
 of the Greek Theseus in another dress; u repetition 
 of that great drama of the Greek mythology which 
 begins with the loss of the golden fleece, and ends 
 with the return of Herakles." In the second chap- 
 ter is introduced a part of Tennyson's poem The 
 Pay-dream, that the continuity of the story may not 
 be broken as seems to be the case in Lachman's 
 version. Otherwise tlie translation by Jonathan 
 Birch from Lachman's comjjilation has been followed, 
 keeping as close to the original text and style as 
 possible, paraphrasing except where the quaint verses 
 seemed simple enough to commend themselves more 
 incisively than a paraphrase could do to the imagina- 
 tion of the youthful reader. 
 
 M. E. B. 
 
 Chicago, 1891.
 
 THE STOEY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE RHINE-GOLD. 
 
 RESIDE a waterfall an otter 
 lay, devouring a salmon, 
 when the benignant Odin, 
 the malevolent Loki, and 
 the gladsome Honir passed 
 that way. Loki, the mis- 
 chief-loving god, threw a 
 stone at the harmless crea- 
 ture and killed it, boasting 
 of his deed. They stripped 
 the otter of its skin, and 
 taking it with them, sought shelter in the house of 
 Rodmar who dwelt in the valley hard by. Recog- 
 nizing the skin as that of his son Otter, who some- 
 times in sport took the form of the furry beast, Rod- 
 mar seized the three gods and bound them hand and 
 
 11
 
 12 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 foot, demanding as mucli gold as was necessary to 
 cover the otter-skin, for tlieir ransom. The three 
 gods cast lots among tlieniselves to see wliich one of 
 their nnmber shoukl be released long enough to bring 
 the required treasure, and the lot falling on Loki, the 
 mischievous sprite sped with all haste to the ocean 
 queen, whom he bribed to lend him her net of en- 
 chantment in which she was wont to seize the unwary 
 seamen. In this net Loki caught the dwarf Andvari 
 in the shape of a pike, and threatening to take his 
 life, compelled him to redeem himself by making sur- 
 render of the great hoard of gold and precious stones 
 which the dwarfs had from time immemorial secreted 
 in mountain caverns near the source of the Rhine. 
 
 But the vast treasures of gold and jewels were not 
 sufficient to cover the skin of the otter, which had 
 lengthened and widened until it covered acres of 
 space. One hair remained visible, whereupon Loki 
 forced from the dwarf a gold-breeding ring in the 
 form of a coiled serpent. AYith this ring the last 
 hair of the otter-skin was hidden from sight, and the 
 three gods took their dej)arture. Rodmar looked 
 upon the vast wealth, so suddenly acquired, with 
 great satisfaction, and began to scheme for its safe- 
 keeping, not knowing that a curse had been left with 
 it by the dwarf, a curse which must follow it to the 
 last. His two sons, Fafnir and Regin, besought their 
 father to divide the wealth into three shares, each 
 to take an equal portion; but forgetting the father
 
 THE RHINEGOLD. 13 
 
 in the miser, Rodinur sat down to gaze upon tliis 
 gold, and as he looked into the glittering eyes of the 
 serpent-ring, he became himself a serpent whose huge 
 folds coiled about and protected the treasure. Re- 
 turning from his work in the fields, Fafnir saw the 
 great snake coiled about the gold, and slaying the 
 monster, took possession of the hoard, and guarded it 
 on Glistenheath, himself having become a dragon. 
 Eegin, indignant that his brother had robbed him 
 of his share, called Siegfried to his aid, and for him 
 made the sword Gram, the sword whose sure edge 
 was so keen that it could with eqnal ease cut the 
 lightest down as well as the flinty rock. To Glisten- 
 heath went Eegin accompanied by Siegfried, who 
 killed the dragon; and being warned by Odin's birds 
 that Eegin cherished treacherous intentions toward 
 himself, Siegfried slew Eegin also, and rode away 
 with the hoard and its curse.
 
 14 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 
 
 T^ 
 
 'alhalla is one of the lialls in 
 Odin's bright home at Glads- 
 heim. It is so large that all the 
 armies in the world might move 
 within it. It is covered outside 
 with gold and with shields, and 
 is as bright as the sun. An 
 eagle hovers over it, and a fierce 
 wolf stands before it as guard_ 
 Inside, everything glitters like 
 polished silver. The rafters are made of spears, the 
 ceilings covered with shields, the walls adorned with 
 war-gear. Here Odin daily holds a feast for all 
 the heroes who have ever been slain in battle. They 
 are attended by Odin's servants who have prepared 
 for them the heavenly food, and they drink of the 
 celestial mead brought by Odin's handmaids, the Val- 
 kyries. These handmaids hover over the battle- 
 gi'ound when the conflict rages, and carry from the 
 bloody field the souls of the slain heroes to Valhalla. 
 The most beautiful of these maidens who chose the 
 war-host for Odin was named Brunhilda. But she
 
 SIEOFEIED MEETS THE SLEEPING BEA UTY. 15 
 
 was willful and disobedient, and often snatched her 
 
 friends from the 
 doom of death or 
 helped her favorite 
 heroes to victory. 
 So Odin drove her 
 away from Glads- 
 heim, and she wan- 
 dered off to Isen- 
 land, where she 
 was gladly wel- 
 comed by the old 
 king and the peo- 
 .ple and made prin- 
 cess of the fair 
 realm. This caused 
 Odin to become still more angry, and 
 he gave commands that Brunhilda 
 should be stung with the thorn of 
 Sleep, and he placed around her 
 castle a magic circle of fire, through whose flames a 
 brave knight must ride before she could wake. 
 
 The Sleeping Palace. 
 
 The varying year with blade and sheaf 
 Clothes and rcclothes the happy plains 
 
 Here rests the sap within the leaf, 
 
 Here stays the blood along the veins.
 
 16 TUE STORF OF TUB GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 Faint shadows, vapors lightly cairled, 
 
 Faint murmurs from the meadows speed, 
 
 Like hints and echoes of the world 
 To germs enfolded in the seed. 
 
 II. 
 
 Soft luster bathes the range of urns 
 
 On every slanting terrace-lawn. 
 The fountain to his place returns 
 
 Deep in the garden lake withdrawn. 
 Here droops the banner on the tower, 
 
 On the hall-hearths the festal fires, 
 The peacock in his laurel bower, 
 
 The parrot in his gilded wires. 
 
 III. 
 
 Eoof -haunting martins warm their eggs; 
 
 In these, in those the life is stayed. 
 The mantles from the golden pegs 
 
 Droop sleepily : no sound is made, 
 Not even of a gnat that sings. 
 
 More like a picture seemeth all 
 Than those old portraits of old kings. 
 
 That watch the sleepei-s from the wall. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Here sits the butler with a flask 
 
 Between his knees, half drained ; and there 
 The wrinkled steward at his task, 
 
 The maid-of-honor blooming fair ; 
 The page has caught her hand in his : 
 
 Her lips are severed as to speak : 
 His own are pouted to a kiss : 
 
 The blush is fixed upon her cheek.
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS THE SLEEPING BEA UTY. 17 
 
 V. 
 
 Till all the hundred summers pass, 
 
 The beams, that through the oriel shine, 
 Make prisms in every carven glass, 
 
 And beaker brimmed with noble wine. 
 Each baron at the banquet sleeps, 
 
 Grave faces gathered in a ring. 
 His state the king reposing keeps. 
 
 He must have been a jovial king. 
 
 VI. 
 
 All round a hedge upshoots, and shows 
 
 At distance like a little wood : 
 Thorns, ivies, woodbine, mistletoes, 
 
 And grapes with bunches red as blood : 
 All creeping plants, a wall of green 
 
 Close-matted, burr and brake and brier, 
 And glimpsing over these, just seen 
 
 High up, the topmost palace-spire. 
 
 VII. 
 
 When will the hundred summers die. 
 
 And thought and time be born again, 
 And newer knowledge, drawing nigh. 
 
 Bring truth that sways the souls of men ? 
 Here all things in their place remain. 
 
 As all are ordered, ages since. 
 Come, Care and Pleasure, Hope and Pain, 
 
 And bring the fated fairy Prince. 
 
 The Sleeping Beauty. 
 I. 
 Year after year unto her feet, 
 
 She lying on her couch alone, ^ 
 
 Across the purpled coverlet 
 
 The maiden's jet-black hair has grown,
 
 18 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 On either side her tranced form 
 
 Forth streaming from a braid of pearl ; 
 
 The slumbrous light is rich and warm, 
 And moves not on the rounded curl. 
 
 II. 
 The silk star-broidered coverlid 
 
 Unto her limbs itself doth mold 
 Languidly ever ; and, amid 
 
 Her full black ringlets downward rolled, 
 Glows forth each softly-shadowed arm 
 
 With bracelets of the diamond bright ; 
 Her constant beauty doth inform 
 
 Stillness with love, and day with light. 
 
 III. 
 She sleeps ; her breathings are not heard 
 
 In palace chambers far apart. 
 The fragrant tresses are not stirred 
 
 That lie upon her charmed heart. 
 She sleeps : on either hand upswells 
 
 The gold-fringed pillow lightly pressed : 
 She sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells 
 
 A perfect form in perfect rest. 
 
 The Arrival of Siegfried. 
 I. 
 All precious things, discovered late, 
 
 To those that seek them issue forth ; 
 For love in sequel works with fate, 
 
 And draws the veil from hidden worth. 
 He travels far from other skies — 
 
 His mantle glitters in the rocks — 
 A fairy Prince with joyful eyes, 
 
 And lighter-footed than the fox.
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 19 
 
 II, 
 
 The bodies and the bones of those 
 
 That strove in other days to pass 
 Are withered in the thorny close, 
 
 Or scattered blanching on the grass. 
 He gazes on the silent dead : 
 
 " They perished in their daring deeds." 
 This proverb flashes through his head, 
 
 ' ' The many fail : the one succeeds. " 
 III. 
 He comes, scarce knowing what he seeks : 
 
 He breaks the hedge ; he enters there : 
 The color flies into her cheeks : 
 
 He trusts to light on something fair ; 
 For all his life the charm did talk 
 
 About his path, and hover near 
 "With words or promise in his walk, 
 
 And whispered voices at his ear. 
 
 IV. 
 
 More close and close his footsteps wind : 
 
 The Magic Music in his heart 
 Beats quick and quicker, till he find 
 
 The quiet chamber far apart. 
 His spirit flutters like a lark. 
 
 He stoops — to kiss her — on his knee. 
 "Love, if those tresses be so dark, 
 
 How dark those hidden eyes must be 1" 
 
 Brunhilda Awakes. 
 I. 
 A touch, a kiss ! the charm was snapt. 
 
 Then rose a noise of striking clocks. 
 And feet that ran, and doors that clapt. 
 And barking dogs, and crowing cocks.
 
 20 TUB SIORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 A fuller light illumined all, 
 
 A breeze through all the garden swept, 
 A sudden hubbub shook the hall, 
 
 And sixty feet the fountain leapt. 
 
 The hedge broke in, the banner flew, 
 
 The butler drank, the steward scrawled, 
 The fire shot up, the martin flew, 
 
 The parrot screamed, the peacock squalled, 
 The maid and page renewed their strife, 
 
 The palace banged and buzzed and clackt, 
 And all the long-pent stream of life 
 
 Dashed downward in a cataract. 
 
 III. 
 
 And last with these the king awoke. 
 
 And in his chair himself upreared. 
 And yawned and rubbed his face, and spoke : 
 
 "By holy rood, a royal beard ! 
 How say you ? we have slept, my lords. 
 
 My beard has grown into my lap." 
 The barons swore, with many words, 
 
 'Twas but an after-dinner's nap. 
 
 IV. 
 
 " Pardy," returned the king, *' but still 
 
 My joints are somewhat stiff or so. 
 My lord, and shall we pass the bill 
 
 I mentioned half an hour ago ?" 
 The chancellor, sedate and vain. 
 
 In courteous words returned reply : 
 But dallied with his golden chain, 
 
 And, smiling, put the question by.
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS TIJE SLEEPING BE A UTZ 21 
 
 All the people in tlie palace felt grateful to Siegfried 
 for the service done them. The king and his chan- 
 cellor, the page, the waiting-maid, the brave men and 
 the fair ladies, and the princess Brnnhilda all united 
 in boundless praise to the hero, and besought him 
 to remain with them in Isenland. After much per- 
 suasion Siegfried yielded to their request, and the 
 most beautiful rooms in the palace were fitted up 
 for him. Brunhilda plighted her troth to Siegfried, 
 who loved her ardently, and he continued at her court 
 for many months. But he wearied of idleness, and 
 longed for a braver life and pined for his native 
 land. One day the two birds of Odin came to him 
 and counseled him to depart, and mounting his noble 
 steed, he r 'e forth on new quests. 
 
 K^^L-^A
 
 22 
 
 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS KEIEMHILDA. 
 
 N Burguiulie tliere lived and throve 
 
 a truly handsome maid : 
 Such as in all the countries round 
 
 was not, might well ha said. 
 Kriemhilda fair, the maiden hight, 
 
 — a beauteous dame was she ; 
 On her account did many a knight 
 
 lose life and high degree. 
 
 \rW '; '^1^? -Tn!' < " Three rich and nobly-meaning kings 
 hor kin and guardians were : 
 Gunther and Gemot twain were 
 named — both knights beyond 
 compai'c ; 
 The third one Giselher was called,— young, strong, and 
 
 versed in arms. 
 These brother-princes heeding watched an only sister's 
 charms." 
 
 These kings dwelt at Worms in Rhenish Burgundy, 
 and there they held their court, which was the resort 
 of lofty knights who came thither to pay homage 
 and frank-fees to their lords. Queen Utie, their mo- 
 ther, a wealthy dame, had outlived their royal father, 
 Dankrath, who in his early days had Avon chivalric 
 honors, and when he died had left his sons an ample 
 realm.
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS KRIEMHILDA. 23 
 
 Kriemhilda, tlie fair and innocent, dreamed that 
 she cherished a noble falcon which, soaring, was 
 fiercely clutched by two wrathful eagles. Awaking, 
 she told the dream of ill-omen to her mother, who 
 interjireted it as a projihecy that the maid sliould 
 wed a noble knight doomed to die through treachery. 
 Kriemhilda, therefore, vowed never to wed, that no 
 husband should ever bring her such woe ; however 
 zealous the crowd of suifors •might be, her heart re- 
 mained ^^ntouched, Siegfried being yet unknown to 
 her. 
 
 At the court of his father, good King Siegismund, 
 in the Netherland, Siegfried had heard praises of 
 the beauty, the lofty mind, and virtuous character of 
 this maiden, and being under an enchantment which 
 made him entirely forgetful of Brunhilda, whom he 
 had left in Isenland, he purposed to wed the high- 
 born damsel of Burgundy. The rumor of this heart- 
 affair soon reached King Siegismund's ears, and his 
 mind was filled with dire forebodings, for ho knew 
 the strength of rjunther's court, and he tried to turn 
 the mind of the young man from the wooing. But 
 finding his son resolved in his purpose, the monarch 
 thought ii. the wiser course to acquiesce and send the 
 knight forth in style becoming a great prince. 
 
 With eleven accomplished knights, in suits of 
 ruddy gold, Siegfried departed from the Netherland 
 and in seven days arrived before Worms. Advanc- 
 ing in a stately line, their helms flashing, their
 
 24 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 swords reaching to the spur, they mude a dazzling 
 show, and tlie people of Guntlicr's land l)egan to stare 
 and peer, while his serving-men ran out to meet them. 
 
 " The stately men of Burgundie — esquire as well as knight — 
 Advanced to meet them as was fit ; moreo'er 'twas 
 
 courtly right 
 That they with promptitude should greet such visit to 
 
 their lord : 
 They eased the strangers of their steeds and shields witii 
 
 one accord." 
 
 They would have led the horses to the stalls, but 
 Siegfried checked them, saying that he was not sure 
 that they should care to remain in Gunther's realm, 
 and begged to be informed of that king's present resi- 
 dence; whereupon one of the Burgundians replied 
 with much civility that the sovereign sat at council 
 with his chiefs, and bade him enter in. 
 
 The tidings reached King Gunther's ears that 
 dauntless unknown knights had come to Worms, and 
 he marveled and was sorely vexed that none could 
 give any account of whence they came or why they 
 were so resplcndently armed and arrayed. Calling a 
 page, he bade him summon his uncle, llagen — a 
 traveled knight who had become acquainted with 
 almost every warrior of renown — that he might iden- 
 tify the strangers. Standing at the window, Ilagen 
 turned his keen eyes toward the spot where the 
 travelers stood.
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS KRIEMIIILDA. 25 
 
 " Said he, ' Come how or whence tliey may unto our 
 Rhenisli States, 
 They are forsooth true princes born, or royal delegates. 
 Stout are the horses they have rode, and their apparel's 
 
 good : 
 From whatsoever land they come, they are of gentle 
 blood ! 
 
 " 'I'm fain to own, though traveled much, beyond our 
 
 Burgundie, 
 It ne'er befell by any chance that I did Siegfried see : 
 Yet will I vouch on best belief — not doubting I am right. 
 That yonder stately striding chief is he, that valiant 
 
 knight ! 
 
 " 'Therefore I counsel that the prince be courteously re- 
 ceived ; 
 And we deserve not such rebuke as he deals out when 
 
 grieved. 
 Besides, his form of finest mold induces courtesy : 
 He has effected by his arm rare feats of potency,' " 
 
 Then royal Guntlier went forth to receive the 
 valorous knights, inquiring with kindly courtesy what 
 errand had brought them to the Ilhine-land; to which 
 Siegfried replied that, being a knight soon to inherit 
 a crown, he came to them to receive i)ublic recogni- 
 tion ; failing in which he should wrest from the kings 
 of Burgundy in mortal fight their lands and burghs. 
 Hagen was well aware of Siegfried's i^rowess, and 
 counseled them to acknowledge the rights of the 
 brave prince, sharing tlie best with him as if they 
 were all of one brotherhood. The servants of Sieg-
 
 'i(> THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 fried wore led away to dainty apai-tments, while the 
 l)riiice, as ^lest of King (Junllier, Ava.s royally enter- 
 tained. 
 
 During Siegfried's visit to Gunther messengers 
 arrived from the Saxons and Danes with a declara- 
 tion of war against the Bnrgnndians. The anxiety 
 of the king brought sorrow into his face; perceiving 
 which, Siegfried armed himself and Avent forth to the 
 conflict, and by his miraculous valor brought the war 
 to a speedy end, Never had so large a trophy-train 
 been seen as came to AYorms enthralled through 
 Siegfried's valiant hand. Two kings and many high- 
 l)orn captives were of the train, and (Junthcr's heart 
 l)eat high with love and gratitude to the hero who 
 had helped him to so great a conquest. Sir Sieg- 
 fried now bethought himself to return to his father's 
 kingdom; but when his will was made known to 
 Gunther, the king begged him to tarry awhile longer, 
 Tlie knight agreed; he had not yet caught a glimpse 
 of Kriemhilda. 
 
 Whitsunday was ajiproaching, and with it a festal- 
 tide. On all sides the high-born guests were seen 
 approaching. Elevated seats sliining with cloth of 
 gold were prepared for the dukes and i)rinces, to 
 charm whom courtly ladies vied with each otlier in 
 rich attire. Many thousand knights, superl>ly dressed, 
 rode to the jousting-field, where groups of knights 
 wielded mimic lances in sportive rivalry. King Gun- 
 ther had in liis mind the intention to surprise Sieg-
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS KIUEMIIILDA. 27 
 
 fried, so he Ltidc the splendid Kriemhihhi and the 
 ladies of his court to appear at the festival. 
 
 " Then were the presses, chests, and drawers rummaged for 
 dresses new ; 
 
 And all that splendor could advance was quickly brought 
 to view. 
 
 Of clasps and bracelets, fringe and lace, there was a goodly 
 show ; 
 
 For dames and maids attired themselves, right sumptu- 
 ously I trow." 
 
 " The bland king then comnuinduient gave that five score 
 
 valiant men 
 Should tend upon his sister fair, and Utie, there and 
 
 then. 
 They carried, every one of them, drawn sword in dexter 
 
 hand, 
 And were all members of the court as held in Burgund- 
 
 land." 
 
 Like the morning star, bright harbinger of day, 
 emerging from tlie clouds of eve, Kriemliilda came, 
 in lier rose-and-lily beauty before the eyes of Sieg- 
 fried, who, growing pallid and then red, as despair 
 and love alternately seized his soul, said to himself, 
 "How could I ever be so witless as to think of thee, 
 tliou lovely one! But I were better dead tlum to shun 
 thee." Then Gunther, the beloved brother and good 
 sovereign, gave comnumds that in presence of his 
 noble knights the valiant chief who had rendered so 
 great aid to them in their distress should be led to
 
 28 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 his fair sister, that she might greet the hero. With 
 gentle courtesy and bashful pride he met the maiden, 
 
 ^\ 
 
 4" 
 
 wlio tried to hide her embarrassment. Yet stolen, 
 tender glances passed between them as he took her
 
 SIEGFRIED MEETS KRIEMIIILDA. 29 
 
 white hand, and it was decreed that, according to 
 custom, she should kiss the brave knight. The greet- 
 ing being over, the knight received a side-hint to 
 leave the maiden, from those wdio knew churchly 
 usage, and she entered the minster -nave with many 
 dames, while Siegfried waited impatiently until mass 
 was done. When she came from the minster porch, 
 Kriemhilda invited the dauntless knight to join her. 
 
 " ' Keward you God, Sir Siegfried !' so spake the youthful 
 dame : 
 ' In all you've done so gloriously — that all our chiefs of 
 
 fame 
 Do hold you in such high respect — I joy in what I 
 
 hear! ' 
 Sir Siegfried from that moment held the maiden passing 
 dear. 
 
 " ' So will I ever do and serve ! ' said loyal Sicgefried ; 
 'And never shall my drowsy head the doAvaiy pillow 
 heed, 
 Until I've done their every wish, if life be spared to me ! 
 This pledge of services I make, through purest love of 
 thee.' 
 
 "Now during twelve successive days, as each morn did 
 
 arrive, 
 One saw the lovely maid and knight — as if by chance — 
 
 contrive 
 That side by side they'd walk to court — she waving royal 
 
 right. 
 This gentle act took place aluue from great love to the 
 
 knight."
 
 30 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 Gladness, high banqueting, and joyful shouts daily 
 proceeded from the royal Gunther's hall until the 
 festival ended and the guests rode away in groups. 
 Siegfried, despairing to obtain the maid, thought to 
 take leave of the Burgundian court, when a new ven- 
 ture in behalf of Gunther presented itself and he was 
 prevailed upon to remain in the company of fair 
 Kriemhilda's brothers.
 
 THE WOOING OF BRUNHILD. 
 
 31 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE WOOING OF BRUNHILD. 
 
 ING GUNTHER had 
 
 heard of the famed prin- 
 cess of Isenland. Reports 
 of her wondrous beauty 
 and dignity had appealed 
 to his imagination, and 
 he resolved to woo her 
 for his bride. 
 
 " Eke poiHrrous stone she far 
 could hurl, and bound 
 beyond the mass : 
 Sucb knigbt as suitored for her love had Brunhild to 
 
 surpass. 
 Three several games the wooer brave must win ere she 
 
 would wed : 
 Failed he in one — forthwith was he dispatched by loss of 
 head !" 
 
 When the great strength of Brnnhilda aiul the 
 peril of wooing her were known, King Gunther made 
 up his mind to cross the sea whate'er the upshot, 
 and he invited Siegfried to accompany him to help
 
 A////' 'I'
 
 THE WOOINO OF BRUNHILD. 33 
 
 him to win the powerful maid, promising if need be 
 to jeopardize his honor and his life in return. 
 " That will I do," said Siegfried, " if on success thoH 
 wilt accord me thy sister : I ask as my reward Kriem- 
 hild the beautiful ; it is the only recompense I claim 
 should fortune favor us/' " Such vouch I unto thee, 
 sir knight, and give my hand thereto," quoth Gunther; 
 "and more, if we bring Queen Brunhild into our 
 Burgund land, at that time shall Kriemhilda the fair 
 become Siegfried's wedded wife." Thereupon the 
 two celebrated heroes swore a solemn oath. 
 
 Siegfried did not fail to take with him the veiling- 
 cloak, with which to render himself invisible — the 
 cloak which he had won from the renowned dwarf 
 Alberic of the hoard. Brave knights prepared to go 
 with them on board the ship. The gilded shields 
 were carried down to where the ship was moored, and 
 helms and other arms were selected for the trip. 
 Steeds were brought to palace doors, while many 
 pretty damsels stood with scalding tears of woe in 
 their eyes as they watched from the jutting windows 
 to see the ship get under sail. On board was an 
 ample store of wine and choice viands. To clear the 
 quay Siegfried took in hand a stout boat-hook, while 
 Gunther plied the ashen oar, and by their united 
 strength they soon gained the deejier current and the 
 ship sailed steadily out to sea. On the morning of 
 the twelfth day the gallant bark drew near to Brun- 
 hild's land, a land unknoAvn to all save Siegfried.
 
 34 rilE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 Eiofhtv-six turrets could be seen from the outer side 
 of the wall. Within Avere tliree palaces and one most 
 spacious liall composed through- 
 out of grass-green blocks of marble. 
 In this hall Bruuhilda sat in state 
 amidst her court. The castle-gate 
 was soon unlocked and the portals 
 thrown wide open, while Brun- 
 hilda's liegemen sprang to give 
 quick greetings to the unknown 
 chivalry and welcome them to 
 their lady's land. When Brun- 
 hilda saw Sir Siegfried among 
 the knights, she turned 
 
 and, with all kindliness addressing him, inquired the 
 purport of his coming. " Behold my king and sov-
 
 THE WOOING OF BRUNHILD. 35 
 
 ereign lord, Guntlicr the rich and strong, whose 
 only object is thy love. I left my native home as 
 his true vassal; otherwise I should never have come." 
 
 " Said she, ' If sootli he be thy lord, and thou liis liegeman 
 
 true, 
 And he bo able to effect the games I have in view- 
 Coming off conqueror therein — then will I be his wife. 
 Should I gain one, — then all of you make forfeiture of 
 
 life! 
 
 " ' He must the stone with potence hurl, and leap to where 
 
 it lies; 
 Moreover with me the jav'lin tlirow; to ponder well were 
 
 wise ! 
 For 'twere light thing through games like these to lose 
 
 both life and fame ! 
 He yet has time to change his mind.' So said the royal 
 
 dame." 
 
 The fleet Sir Siegfried thereon went to Gunther 
 and bade him frankly tell the queen his thoughts and 
 purposes, and advised him to assume a very dauntless 
 air, since he would craftily be his guard. Then said 
 King Gunther to the queen : " Most beautiful Brun- 
 hilda, I take your terms however stern; nay, though 
 they were harsher, I had consented to them straight 
 through ardent love of thee.*' When the beauteous 
 queen heard what Gunther had to say she ordered 
 the games to begin at once; and for that purpose 
 bade them take her war-gear to the field, her vest of 
 mail of ruddy gold and her shield adorned Avitli gems.
 
 36 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 While that was taking place Siegfried hastened un- 
 missed to the ship and put on the tarn-kappe, the 
 cloak of invisibility, that he might not be seen by 
 any one. Without delay he hurried back to Gun- 
 ther's side. 
 
 Then a weighty javelin was brought to the queen, 
 a ponderous instrument, shar]) and strong, with keen 
 blades of steel let in on either side. Yet it was 
 light to her and she never threw it wide of the mark. 
 To the queen was brought also a stone so large 
 that a dozen knights could hardly lift it. She 
 quickly bared her lily arm by pushing up her sleeve, 
 and buckled on the shield. Siegfried in his veiling- 
 cloak standing close to Gunther whispered to him 
 to make a dumb show of doing the work which he 
 himself would really effect. The maiden poised her 
 javelin high in air and hurled it at Gunther's heart, 
 but it entered the shield which Siegfried bore upon 
 his stalwart arm. 
 
 Sparks flew from the polished steel like lightning 
 from the storm-cloud. Both Siegfried and Gunther 
 reeled under the blow, and the purple blood flowed 
 from the mouth of the knight. The tarn-kai)pe had 
 saved them. Siegfried then wrenched the cutting 
 spear from the shield and hurled it at the haughty 
 queen, who fell beneath the blow; but she soon re- 
 gained her footing, and springing full of spite to 
 where the cumbrous stone lay, she raised it from off 
 the ground and flung it with gi'eat power to an as-
 
 TEE WOOING OF BRUNHILD. 37 
 
 tounding distance, leaping with a single bound to 
 where it struck. 
 
 Upon this, Siegfried, taking Gunther deftly posed 
 under the tarn-kappe, ran to the missile and cast it 
 beyond the mark, carrying Gunther the whole leap's 
 length. Then Brunhilda called her courtiers and 
 said to them, "Henceforth ye are King Gunther's 
 lieges;" whereupon they put off their weapons and 
 did homage to the king of the Rhine. Gunther 
 bowed to his new vassals in the most courtly manner, 
 and Brunhilda, taking his hand, gave him rights and 
 power to rule within her ample realm. 
 
 All were joyous and glad to greet so brave a king. 
 The active knight, Sir Siegfried, slipped back to the 
 ship, where he hid his cloak ere he hied him to the 
 hall of rejoicing. 
 
 "'Thus far we gloriously have sped,' said Siegfried to 
 Brunhild. 
 ' You'll no more show such haughtiness, or be so way- 
 ward-willed ! 
 For you have found there lives who can o'ermaster 
 
 strength of thine. 
 Now, noble lady, please you go with us unto the Rhine.' "
 
 38 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE MARRIAGE OF GUNTHER WITH BRUNHILDA, 
 AND SIEGFRIED WITH KRIEMHILDA. 
 
 HE king sat at the festive 
 :^i^ board beside the queen 
 !(^ Brunhild, 
 
 ^^ AVho ne'er had felt such 
 C>-<>tLi inward pang as when 
 she saw Kriemhild 
 Seated by Siegefried the 
 bold : to weep the maid 
 began, 
 And o'er her splendid dam- 
 ask cheek the burning 
 teardrop ran." 
 
 To her the king 
 turned with anxious 
 look, asking the cause 
 of her tears ; when Brunhilda replied that it troubled 
 her to know that the king's sister was so unmeetly 
 matched to a mere liegeman. Gunther begged 
 her to be silent on the question, since he would 
 in the future explain to her how Kriemhilda had 
 made an honorable marriage. But the frame of 
 Brunhilda's mind was such that it needed only a
 
 MARRIAGES OF OUNTHER AND SIEGFRIED. 39 
 
 slight provocation to arouse her temper, and when 
 they were come to their nuptial chamber she snatched 
 an enchanted girdle from her waist and bound King 
 Gunther's hands and feet and bore him to a giant 
 nail, where she hung him 'gainst the wall, forbidding 
 him to utter any tender words lest her slumbers be 
 disturbed. At dawn he began to supplicate for his 
 freedom, and she loosed the cord but forebore the 
 least display of affection. The king felt sick at heart 
 as he met the courtiers in their robes of state that 
 day, and he meditated on his un- 
 happy lot. 
 
 Conformably with a custom 
 widely known, King Gunther and 
 Brunhilda agreed 
 to visit the minster ^ 
 choir, where holy 
 mass was sung. Sieg- 
 fried and Kriem- 
 hilda accompanied 
 them, the regal four 
 wearing diadems of 
 state. Esquires were 
 duly dubbed that 
 day, receiving swords ^ 
 and knightly spurs 
 in honor of the 
 queen ; and there 
 was great jubilating throughout Gunther's land.
 
 40 TUB STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 The ladies sat at the windows, to view the busy 
 field where polished shields glittered in the sun. 
 Gunther sat apart grieving, when the noble Sieg- 
 fried, who surmised his ill-usage at the hands of 
 Brunhilda, wistfully inquired the cause of his woe. 
 The host in sorrow confided to Siegfried, who bade 
 him take courage. The knight then said, " When 
 supper is over I will go to your nuptial chamber 
 masked in my cloak of invisibility, where I will so 
 punish the haughty queen that she will henceforth 
 prove submissive to you," After Brunhilda left the 
 supper attended by her maids, Siegfried continued 
 for awhile at the board with the fair Kriemhilda, 
 when he suddenly disappeared from her sight, which 
 caused the gentle wife much alarm. Without ado 
 Siegfried joroceeded to Gunther's apartments and 
 provoked Brunhilda into a violent wrath, when she 
 threw him against a tressel with great force. Then 
 she began to bind him hand and foot, with the inten- 
 tion of hanging him on a nail as she had done to 
 Guntlier the preceding night, for she believed she 
 Avas contending with her husband, since the chamber 
 was but dimly lighted and Siegfried's cloak com- 
 pletely disguised him. Siegfried was nearly squeezed 
 to death between the oaken press and the wall and 
 almost lost hia life, but calling up his utmost energy, 
 he caught Brunhilda and threw her with such force 
 that she was glad to beg for mercy, and she promised 
 never to wage warfare upon her lord again.
 
 MARRIAGES OF GUNTHER AND SIEGFRIED. 41 
 
 Siegfried, with great dexterity, drew a ring from 
 her hand so that she never felt the jewel go, and tak- 
 ing her magic girdle, he slipped away without her 
 perceiving that she had been overcome by another 
 
 hand than that of her hiTsband, and the trembling 
 king received her protestations of reform. 
 
 Siegfried gave the girdle and the ring to Kriem- 
 hilda, and he did not withhold from her the story of 
 Brunhilda's punishment.
 
 42 TUB STORY OF TllE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 THE QUARREL OF THE QUEEXS. 
 
 ;^?-^FTER some time reports 
 reached the upper Rhine 
 ^[•^ that many knights in 
 Siegmund's land were al- 
 ways fully armed and 
 ready to meet any foe 
 at their monarch's call. 
 Alarmed at this, King 
 Gunther resolved to do 
 likewise. Siegfried, be- 
 side his father's realm, 
 held sway over the Nib- 
 lungen land and was more 
 rich and powerful than 
 any of his kin. The hoard which he had won made 
 him richer in gold and gems than any other hero, 
 and this he had given to Kriemhilda as her wedding 
 gift. Brunhilda, still under tlie impression that 
 Siegfried was Gunther's liegeman, often wondered 
 with much bitterness of feeling how it came that 
 Kriemhilda carried herself so high and why Siegfried
 
 THE QUARREL OF THE QUEENS. 43 
 
 was neither compelled to do service nor pay frank- 
 fee for his land. 
 
 She could not understand why such homage should 
 fail, so she cunningly pressed the king to know if she 
 should see the fair Krierahilda and Siegfried once 
 more in Burgundy, and implored him to bid them to 
 the Burgundian court. 
 
 Gunther tried to reconcile matters by pleading that 
 their country was too far away, when Brunhilda re- 
 joined with haughtiness that the vassal never dared to 
 disobey his liege-lord if summoned by him to appear. 
 Gunther could not refrain from smiling at Brunhilda's 
 feudal law. Then she begged him to invite them as 
 guests near of kin, saying that she doubted not Kriem- 
 hilda had done right to pledge herself to the liegeman, 
 and she fain would feel once more the influence of her 
 kindly-tempered mind. After much persuasion the 
 yielding king dispatched thirty of his best knights 
 to the Netherlands with a cordial invitation to an on- 
 coming festival, and he sent greetings from Queen Utie 
 and Brunhilda. 
 
 The maids and pages of Siegfried's court flocked 
 to see the Burgund knights as they rode up, and 
 spoke the best of all they knew to please the new- 
 come messengers. The brave host and his lovely 
 wife gave courtly audience to the knights and enter- 
 tained them royally for many days, while Siegfried 
 waited to see some absent nobles ere accepting the in- 
 vitation. 'J'he chiefs of Siegfried's court, finding
 
 44 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 their lord inclined to favor the visit to Bur^^iudy, 
 cautioned him to take along a thousand knights, and 
 the good King Siegismund volunteered to join the 
 company with a hundred liegeman more. The 
 stranger-knights were then allowed to dejiart, bearing 
 the joyful tidings, their sumpters being 2)acked with 
 costly gifts, more in number than they could well 
 carry. 
 
 Siegfried and Siegismund clothed their people most 
 splendidly. Whatever fancy or comfort could sug- 
 gest was lavishly dealt out to the dames and gallant 
 knights who formed Siegfried's train. The messen- 
 gers arrived at Gunther's court in due season, when 
 the king sprang from his regal chair in excess of joy 
 to see his knights so soon returned, while Brunhilda 
 received them with great dignity. The margrave 
 Garie, leader of the knights, spoke for the company, 
 assuring them of the gladness their message had 
 spread in the Netherlands. Nor did he fail to inform 
 them of the gifts from rich King Siegfried. Brun- 
 hilda inquired jealously if Kriemhilda had retained 
 her beauty, while the mother asked after her health. 
 Stern Ilagen looked upon the splendid gifts which 
 were openly displayed in court and said, " lie well 
 may give with such sumptuousness, for he can never 
 spend a tithing of the wealth which he possesses. He 
 has made the hoard of Niblungen his by his own hand. 
 What if that hoard should some day get into our own 
 laud ?"
 
 THE QUARREL OF THE QUEENS. 45 
 
 The household of the king, elate at the coming 
 of Kriemhilda, coulrl never tire in their prejiarations. 
 Many a stately cliair was made, and many a design to 
 add to the pleasure of the coming guests. Numerous 
 large packing-chests full of rich garments were sent 
 on by Siegfried before himself and the fair Kriemhilda 
 mounted horse, and with their friendly comj^any they 
 rode forth toward upper Ehineland. They left behind 
 them their little son, destined, alas I never again to see 
 father or mother. The high-born strangers were re- 
 ceived with joy. The kings greeted each other with 
 royal courtesy, the active knights helped the sprightly 
 maidens from their saddles, and the lovely queens 
 saluted each other by a close embrace. The retinue 
 on either side held out the friendly hand, whilst lov- 
 ing kisses passed between the ladies of each court. 
 Erelong the noble guests were shown to resting-rooms, 
 but one might have noticed Brunhilda's jealous eyes 
 casting keen glances at queen Kriemhilda's face, 
 whose color was more brilliant and her beauty more 
 lustrous than in former years. The company were 
 feasted bounteously ; the serving-men with readiness 
 displayed their waiting-wit; royal Gunther sat at 
 board amongst his guests, and Sir Siegfried Avas 
 appointed to his accustomed place of honor. Twelve 
 hundred knights, each one of lofty mien, sat with him, 
 Brunhilda thinking to herself how wonderful it was 
 that a liegeman dared to be so grand. 
 
 A tournament was to take place, and on the preced-
 
 46 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 ing evening a great banquet, where wine gave zest to 
 mirth, was held in King (hmther's hall, and through 
 the carelessness of the waiters many costly dresses were 
 soiled. So as soon as the nightly hours were fled, 
 the great chests were rummaged over and numerous 
 dresses sparkling with gems and jewelry were taken 
 by gentle ladies' hands to be worn that day. Before 
 it could be called broad-day there came from the pal- 
 ace-hall great numbers of gay knights and spruce 
 esquires. The mass was sung by many pious lips be- 
 fore King Gunther. After which there were trials 
 of horsemanship. Anon the trumpet's clangor was 
 heard in mighty blasts and sounds of hoarsely rum- 
 bling drums and shrill pipes. The stately knights 
 bestrode their steeds, and the grand tournament began. 
 The two queens, surrounded by jiretty maids, were 
 stationed in the jutting window where they could 
 see all of the jousting-sports. At length Kriem- 
 hilda broke silence, saying her Siegfried was so great 
 a knight that by right he should be the ruler over all 
 of the land. " Behold him moving there before those 
 other knights as the brightly shining moon leads on 
 the starry host. Possessing so perfect a chief, have I 
 not cause to boast ?" Then Brunhild's brow dark- 
 ened and she replied, " However great your husband 
 be in deed or beauty, yet you must allow that your 
 brother by high birth should be placed before him and 
 all other kings." At this Kriemhilda bridled up and 
 made angry retort ; but Brunhilda said, " I heard each
 
 THE QUARREL OF THE QUEENS. 
 
 47 
 
 of them acknowledge to the other that Siegfried was 
 liegeman to Gunther. I have ever held him since 
 as a vassal paying fee." " Does Brunhild indeed 
 think that my brother 
 
 ^m^mm^^y^:^: 
 
 ^^mm: 
 
 would make me his 
 vassal's wife ?" quoth 
 Kriemhilda, "then 
 were I allied to a pre- 
 tense, and henceforth 
 I beg Queen Brunhild 
 that she desist from 
 such sland'rous tales." 
 "I'll not desist," said 
 Queen Brunhild, " but 
 reassert my right. Dost 
 thou suppose that I 
 will resign the service 
 of so many useful 
 knights who, as well as 
 thy spouse, are owing 
 gage ?" " You shall 
 desist," said the beauti- 
 ful Kriemhild, who 
 could not suppress 
 her rage, "you shall 
 desist. To make such claim shows a dishonest 
 mind. You shall have no service from him. By 
 right of rank I'll brook no more such haughtiness 
 from you, and to show you that I take preced- 
 
 bi;.
 
 48 THE STOIiY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 ence, this day will I enter minster-church before 
 
 you." 
 
 The two queens like competitors now separated 
 their retinues, and Siegfried's wife ordered her train to 
 don their richest clothes, which mandate they obeyed 
 most gladly. So richly were they attired that all 
 description would be vain. Arrived at minster-porch 
 fair Brunhilda commanded Kriemhilda and her court 
 to stand aside that the Queen of Burgundy might 
 pass before the wife of the liegeman, when Kriem- 
 hilda, so excited was her soul, taunted her proud 
 hostess with the victories gained over her by Siegfried 
 through the virtues of the cloak of invisibility, all of 
 this being a secret to her as yet. Stung to the heart 
 by such cruel taunts, Brunhilda's tears began to flow, 
 and Kriemhild went onward into the church, taking 
 precedence of the queen. 
 
 When mass was done, Brunhilda waited with- 
 out the porch, and as Kriemhilda was about to 
 pass, commanded her to halt and retract the insult 
 or produce evidence of the truth of what she had 
 said. Thereon said Kriemhilda, "Unworthy dame, 
 behold a voucher in the ring upon my finger. 
 This did Siegfried snatch from you when he over- 
 threw you." Said Brunhild, " The ring was stolen 
 from me many years since, and now am I on the thief's 
 track." "I will not bear the odium of a thief!" re- 
 turned Kriemhild, "and I further prove by your 
 girdle I have on that I am not charged with falsehood." 
 
 I
 
 THE QUARREL OF THE QUEENS. 49 
 
 When Brunhild beheld the silken cord she was 
 o'erwhelmed with shame, since therewith she would 
 have bound her lord. Then said Brunhildu, sob- 
 bing, "Fetch the noble monarch of the Rhine to 
 me and he shall hear presently how I have been 
 grossly slandered by his sister." The king came 
 promptly with his knights, and pensively beheld his 
 beloved queen bathed in tears. " Tell me, my hon- 
 ored queen," quoth he, " the cause of thy grief." " I 
 complain in that thy sister with malicious spite would 
 rob me of my high repute," replied Brunhilda. Said 
 Gunther, " If that be so, she hath done an evil deed." 
 
 Thereon King Gunther bade his knights to call Sieg- 
 fried hither; who, when he beheld the disconsolate 
 queens, asked on what grounds their unseemly tears 
 and accusations were based. Quoth Gunther, court- 
 eously, " My wife has told me a truly wondrous tale. 
 She says that tlirough your open boasts she hath been 
 robbed of her high repute. ITast thou woven scan- 
 dals about her ?" " Not I," said dauntless Siegfried; 
 "and if Kriemhilda hath so spoken, before these 
 worthy knights I do solemnly aver that she shall 
 repent thereof. However fair wives are, they should 
 be well schooled to suppress wantonness of speech. 
 Do you instruct your charming wife, and I will surely 
 tutor mine, since this feminine fray hath brought us 
 shame and vexation." 
 
 This assurance appeased the wrath, of Gunther 
 but not the anger of Brunhilda. Her heart was
 
 50 TUE STOliY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 wounded with a grief that knows no remedy save 
 death. In earnest converse the courtly trains de- 
 parted, Kriemhilda to her dainty apartments, 
 lirunhikhi wofully to sob out her wrongs in presence 
 of the Tronyie chief, her husband's uncle, Hagen. 
 
 Amongst King Gunther's men a strong com- 
 passion for Brunhilda began to gi'ow, and Sieg- 
 fried's death was debated. Kriemhilda's brother 
 Gemot chose to follow Brunhilda's chiefs, but Gisel- 
 her spake his mind that Sir Siegfried did not deserve 
 to be secretly plundered of his life through so slight an 
 offense. Then Hagen with great wrath declared that 
 for so great an indignity against the monarch's wife 
 Siegfried should die, and that, too, by Hagen's hand; 
 and from that day by wily speech he urged King 
 Gunther that if he were quit of Siegfried, gi'eat por- 
 tions of his lands would fall to the Burgundian king. 
 
 Gunther felt great distress at these suggestions, 
 and counseled Hagen to abandon his fierce rage, since 
 . it would almost seem as if Siegfried had been ap- 
 pointed protector over them through divine power, 
 and reminded Hagen of the knight's o'erpowering 
 strength and prowess. " Be of stout heart, my hon- 
 ored lord," said Hagen ; " I take it upon myself to re- 
 venge Brunhilda's sorrows; and do you say to your 
 guests that I purpose marching with all my forces 
 against a certain foe, so that Sir Siegfried shall proffer 
 help. By that stratagem shall I get from his wife the 
 secret through which he shall lose liis life."
 
 THE DEATH OF SIEGFRIED. 
 
 51 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE DEATH OF SIEGFRIED. 
 
 "N" the fourth morning after 
 these events, thirty-two 
 strange horsemen came to 
 Worms. The news was 
 quickly spread among the 
 knights that they came from 
 distant foes to announce im- 
 mediate war. Permission was 
 accorded them to go before the 
 
 Ml. 
 
 king, whereon they announced 
 
 that Gunther's old enemies, thej^.
 
 52 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 kings of Denmark, had sent an open declaration of 
 war. 
 
 The simulated messengers were shown to their 
 apartments, and Siegfried, not suspecting that this 
 was a conspiracy against himself, proffered his sup- 
 port to the Burgundian king. In consequence of 
 this show of good-will Gunther seemed much cheered, 
 and pretended to accept his friendly offer. Siegfried 
 counseled his sire, good King Sigmund, to remain 
 at Gunther's court while he rode forth to battle. 
 The royal banner was unfurled as if the army were 
 about to move from thence, and few of the knights 
 knew that the war was a pretense. Battle-helms 
 and coats-of-mail were bound to the chargers, and 
 many a knight was equipped to march at the trum- 
 pet's call. 
 
 "Thrice happy me !" said Kriemhilda, " that my 
 husband should be one who can support my dearest 
 kin in their need; hence will I be of good cheer." 
 Nevertheless she feared for Siegfried's safety, and 
 appealed to Hagen to befriend her lord in case of 
 danger. Hagen gladly promised to respond to her 
 wishes and shield him from all peril, whether he 
 should walk or ride, and asked in Avhat way Siegfried 
 would be most certain to lose his life. Thus beguiled, 
 poor Kriemhilda imparted to the crafty knight the 
 secret of Siegfried's charmed life; how that hero had 
 slain the dragon, and bathing in its blood, had ren- 
 dered himself invulnerable in all points save one
 
 THE DEATH OF 81E0FR1ED. 53 
 
 small spot between his shoulders, which a leaf from a 
 linden-tree covered so that the blood did not reach 
 it. Said Hagen, " I advise you forthwith to sew upon 
 his garment some small mark by which I may know 
 how best to protect the spot amid the din of the con- 
 flict." " That will I do/' replied Kriemhilda, little 
 thinking that she was betraying her lord; and 
 Hagen went on his way smiling. 
 
 Then the conspirators were in their most cheerful 
 vein, and next morning, at the rise of the sun, Sir Sieg- 
 fried rode forth with his thousand knights, closely fol- 
 lowed by Hagen, who, when he saw the mark which 
 Kriemhilda had embroidered, caused two messengers 
 to meet them bringing news of peace from Denmark. 
 Siegfried was so vexed at returning peaceably to the 
 court at "Worms that Gunther's men had much ado 
 to cause him to halt. Gunther loaded him with 
 thanks for his kind intentions, and proposed that 
 they should ride into the woods and try the charms 
 of the hunt, since no excuse remained for carrying on 
 the war. 
 
 ' They returned to the castle for tracksmen and 
 hounds, determined at the next dawn to set out on 
 the path of the wolf and the deer in the forest. 
 
 Before departing, Siegfried went to Kriemhilda's 
 chamber to bid her farewell. " God grant," he said, 
 "when I return I find thee in glad health," and 
 therewith he planted kisses on her lips and folded her 
 to his heart. Now slie remembered tlie secret mark
 
 54 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 which she hud embroidered for Hagen's notice, a7id as 
 it crossed her mind she began to weep bitterly. " My 
 dear lord, I pray you, do not go to the hunt," she 
 said. " I dreamed last night that you would pursue 
 the prey over the heath, when two wild boars gave 
 you chase, and the field-flowers all turned red. My 
 heart forbodes some dire mishap. Go not, dear lord. 
 Remain at Worms and heed my fears, lest revenge 
 rankle in the minds of Brunhilda's chiefs and they 
 purpose ill to you." 
 
 But the gentle knight, feeling no enmity himself, 
 could not be persuaded, and once more caressing his 
 wife, with her reluctant leave departed. 
 
 The hunting-jDarty, in search of pastime, rode far 
 out into the woods, followed by the king and Sieg- 
 fried. The tracksmen took their f)roper stations, 
 ready to drive the game or show the paths. The 
 men and hounds were equally parted, and the hunters 
 took their diverse ways. Sir Siegfried, with an old, 
 huntsman, a single hound, and a well-trained beagle, 
 separated from the rest, and soon had slain many wild 
 creatures, amongst them two monstrous boars, when 
 the knight tied up his hound and desisted from 
 further sport. 
 
 Four-and-twenty hounds had been loosed by the 
 other huntsmen, and so much game had been cap- 
 tured that Hagen and his friends began to triumph 
 in the thought that they had proved themselves 
 better hunters than Siegfried; but when they all
 
 THE DEATH OF 8IE0 FRIED. 55 
 
 were come to headquarters, it was found that the 
 knight had brought to camp more game than all of 
 the other hunters combined. On his way to the camp 
 he had captured a bear whose four paws he bound so 
 firmly that it could do no harm. At the hearth- 
 spot he unloosed him to give sport to the company, 
 when the bear, affrighted at the noise, ran into the 
 kitchen-camp, upsetting caldrons and dispensing 
 roasts which lay in the ashes. The cooks and basting- 
 boys rolled over each other in affright, and the hunts- 
 men with all their hounds followed the beast, whose 
 course lay toward the mountains. But none could 
 approach the grisly monster save Siegfried, who fell 
 upon him with his sword Balmung, and shortly dis- 
 l^atched him. Those who saw the conflict praised 
 his matchless strength, and they all returned to where 
 the hearth-fire glowed. There they formed a goodly 
 company around the table, which was decked in royal 
 fashion, but no wine had yet arrived. Then said 
 Siegfried, " I marvel that from the royal kitchen they 
 have sent no wine. Seven sumpters bearing the Joy- 
 giving draught should have been here ere our feast. 
 As that could not be, why did you not encamp closer 
 to the Rhine ?" To this Hagen replied, " Noble and 
 lofty knight, I see a matchless stream of bright water. 
 It may prove a welcome beverage; so please you we 
 will go to it." Then said Siegfried, " Let us have a 
 running-match to the spring where we shall quench 
 our thirst. The highest praise be his who first gains
 
 56 rilE STORY OF THE GERMAN TLTAT). 
 
 the distant object." "So bo it," said stout Hagen; 
 " and if you gain, I will kneel at your feet." 
 
 Then did they doft' their hunting-suits, and bound 
 like two fierce panthers down the pathway, Siegfried 
 carrying, his shield, his javelin, and the sword which 
 he prized so greatly. lie gained the race, and quickly 
 putting aside his sword and javelin, knelt at the spring 
 to quench his thirst. As he lay extended there Hagen 
 thrust his sword through the broidered mark to Sieg- 
 fried's heart; and though wounded unto death, the 
 hero arose and smote him so powerfully that the 
 plains and hills resounded with the blows. Ere long 
 death's pale seal was stamped upon Siegfried's manly 
 face, and amid the sweet field-flowers the matchless 
 king fell. 
 
 With his dying breath the wounded knight spake 
 out : " All regret is for my wife, Kriemhilda, so 
 dear to me. Let her receive protecting graciousness 
 and brother-love." The flowers all about were red 
 with Siegfried's blood, and so died the gallant chief 
 of the Netherlands. The knights laid him on a red- 
 gold shield, and consulted together how they might 
 best succeed in concealing the true cause of his death, 
 and they agi'eed to tell Kriemhilda that her spouse 
 would hunt alone and so was slain by robbers. Then 
 said the ireful Hagen, " What care I who knows that 
 it was I who killed the knight who could so wound 
 our own high-born queen ?"
 
 THE BURIAL OF SIEGFRIED. 
 
 57 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE BURIAL OF SIEGFRIED. 
 
 AGEN gave commands to his men 
 to place the red-gold shield bear- 
 ing the lifeless form and the 
 powerful weapons of Siegfried 
 before Kriemhilda's door, where 
 she perforce mnst find it. At 
 ^ 'A^ the usual time the minster 
 i^>^^ bell summoned the pious 
 lv i^V to prayers, and Kriemhilda 
 '' i' "^1 rose and waked her maids, 
 ^ and bade them bring a light 
 and send her robing-maid to 
 her. As they left the cham- 
 ber to go to mass, Kriemhilda saw the slaughtered 
 Siegfried, and she cried out in heart-rending tones, 
 " Woe's me ! there liest thou with thy shield un- 
 injured by noble combatants in fight, which proves 
 that thou hast been treacherously slain. Would that 
 I knew who did the deed ! His death should be ray 
 only care," The dames and maids all joined her
 
 58 THE STOUT OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 in a shrill lament. Then the much-afflicted queen 
 speedily summoned Sir Siegfried's loyal knights, who 
 sprang from their downy beds and hurried to where 
 Kriemhilda knelt beside her chief. King Siegmund 
 came and pressed his dead son to his heart, and wail- 
 ings of distress echoed through the halls in Gunther's 
 palaces, till the thick walls of Worms returned the 
 echoes. 
 
 All that was done could not in the least console Sieg- 
 fried's distressed wife. The knights of the Netherland 
 bound on their shields, burning to avenge their lord's 
 death tliere and then ; but Kriemhilda and Siegmund 
 counseled them to wait for vengeance until some more 
 propitious time, since they must of necessity be over- 
 powered by numbers. Then they ordered a cunning 
 smith to provide a gold and silver coffin in which 
 they laid tlie gentle king, and the mourners followed 
 it to the minster. Guntlier and his men stood at 
 the minster porch as the procession came up to it, 
 wliile mournful peals were ringing, and holy priests 
 chanted funeral dirges. As Hagen approached the 
 bier, the wounds of the slaughtered man began to 
 bleed afresh, and Hagen's guilt was plain to the holy 
 men and to Kriemhilda, although Gunther declared 
 that the hero had been slain by forest-robbers. Then 
 said the sad wife, " It was thou who slewest the knight, 
 and through his friends and the Almighty God shalt 
 thou feel my vengeance." When it was known that 
 the priests chanted within the church, crowds went 
 
 1
 
 THE BURIAL OF SIEGFRIED. 59 
 
 there, taking oblations for Siegfried's soul and sacri- 
 fices of prayers. 
 
 He did not want for friendly hearts among enemies 
 and snares. Gold was doled out bounteously for the 
 repose of his dear soul, and a hundred masses were 
 sung for him daily. When the singing was over, 
 the people retired to the tov/n ; l)ut Kriemhilda and 
 her friends tarried to wail and watch through the 
 night, and the weeping queen raised the fair head of 
 the handsome knight, and kissing his pale lips, fell 
 fainting to the ground. The noble Siegfried was 
 consigned to the earth, and his friends neither ate 
 nor drank for three days. ^
 
 60 
 
 rua STORY OF TUE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 CUAPTER IX. 
 
 kkiemhilda's revenge. 
 
 OOD King Siegmund sought au- 
 dience with Kriemhilda and said 
 to the widowed queen, "We have 
 become unwelcome guests at the 
 Burgundian court; therefore let us 
 ride to the kingdom which is mine. 
 There thou 
 
 gal crown shall be at 
 
 thy command, as well as fee-service from the Niblung 
 
 land." But Kriemhilda's mother began to inter-
 
 KRIEMHILBA'S REVENGE. 61 
 
 cede, begging that she should live contentedly with 
 her kin ; to whom she replied, " That cannot be ; 
 how could I bear to have him in sight who hath 
 worked such woe on me ?" Then the youthful 
 Giselher said, " Sister so dear to me, thou must re- 
 main with thy mother on score of filial jjiety. Thou 
 shalt remain with thy brother Giselher, who will pro- 
 vide against mischance from thine enemies." Upon 
 this she promised Giselher that she would remain in 
 Burgundy. 
 
 King Siegmund advanced to Kriemhilda with 
 languid step, saying: "Thy slaughtered Siegfried's 
 men stand waiting beside their horses for thy 
 goodly company; we have no liking to remain 
 longer in Burgundy." To him the mournful queen 
 replied, " I am urged to stay in Worms with my kin- 
 dred, since I have none in Niblung realm." King 
 Siegmund, sorely hurt, said mildly, " Be not over- 
 ruled, beloved Kriemhilda; for your child's sake I 
 pray you ride along with us. As he grows toward 
 man's estate he will comfort you. Moreover you will 
 find our knights your loyal friends." 
 
 But Kriemhilda remained unmoved, her intent 
 being to stay i^ear her buried lord, that she might the 
 better avenge his death. Without escort the Niblung 
 knights rode homeward cursing the festival, with 
 many a resolve to visit Worms again and scourge the 
 enemies of their slaughtered king. 
 
 During three years and six months Kriemhilda
 
 62 
 
 777^: STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 mourned her buried lord with pious love. No word 
 to Gunther passed her lips, nor did she see Hagen the 
 whole time lonor. "With base accord it was planned 
 
 by Gunther and Ha- 
 gen to bring Kriem- 
 hilda's marriage- 
 morning gift 
 to Burgundy. 
 W hen Sieg- 
 fried's treas- 
 urer saw the 
 troops from 
 Burgundy 
 
 coming to claim 
 the hoard, he 
 liastily spoke his mind that 
 the marriage-gift could 
 not be withheld from tlie widowed queen. The 
 hoard was quickly transported to the Rhine, and 
 Queen Kriemhilda received it into her custody. 
 The vaults and towers of Worms were filled be-
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 63 
 
 yond what they could well contain with the riches. 
 Kriemhilda gave great largesses to poor and rich, 
 which made Hagen counsel thus with Gunther: "If 
 she live, we all shall see that she will gain liege-service 
 from many knights, to your gi'eat loss and pain." 
 Gunther replied that he had promised never more to 
 do her wrong, and that she should have the gold 
 which was her own. Hagen, in ire, resolved to rob 
 her of her treasure; and ere long, when with her 
 brother she rode forth from AVorms on a visit, he pos- 
 sessed himself of all the hoard and sunk it beneath 
 the waters of the Ehine. Thus Kriemhilda was op- 
 pressed with fresh sorrows. 
 
 It happened about those times that Etzel, ruler of 
 the Huns, whose good Queen Helcha had died long 
 years before, desired another bride. Being told of 
 the Burgund widow, the powerful king sent his chan- 
 cellor Rudeger to tender consort-honors to Kriem- 
 hilda. Taking with him a valiant band of Hunnish 
 warriors to ward off the attack of thieves, he soon 
 arrived in Burgund-land, where he was cordially 
 received by Gunther, and he soon made his embassy 
 known. Then said Gunther, being courteous-minded, 
 " Kriemhilda would but follow my wishes should she 
 feel inclined to take the Hunnish king as her wedded 
 lord. You shall know of her decision ere three days 
 are over." 
 
 Then Gunther called a council to know if his 
 friends and kin were of one accord that she should
 
 64 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 marry Etzel. They all agreed except Hagen, who at 
 once foresaw the revenge Kriemhilda would take if 
 she had so jiowerful a king as champion. 
 
 " In anger then spake Giselher, the handsome Utie's son, 
 ' Shall we then all at your advice the traitor's garb put on ? 
 "What honor dictates for her good must verily take place: 
 Howe'er Sir Hagen counsel may, I'll serve with honest 
 face ! ' 
 
 " When that the wily Hagen heard, he was of restless mind: 
 Then Giselher and Gerenot, knights royal, brave, and 
 
 kind, 
 And reigning Gunther, rich in gold, spake out with one 
 
 assent : 
 ' If 'tis Kriemhilda's wish to wed, she shall have our con- 
 sent ! ' " 
 
 Margi-ave Garie went at once with delight to tell 
 the welcome news to Kriemhilda, who received him 
 most graciously; but when she heard his message she 
 exclaimed : " Forbid it Heaven that my friends should 
 mock me, the overburdened child of grief I" and 
 none could persuade the queen or arouse her self-love. 
 The courtly knight then humbly implored her to re- 
 ceive King Etzel's messenger, which favor she will- 
 ingly accorded. Xothing could hap more to please 
 the noble Eudeger than that she would see King 
 Etzel's messenger, who found her in the simple dress 
 she wore every day, while her dames and waiting- 
 maids wore very splendid gear. She rose to meet the 
 margrave, who proffered her King Etzel's royal love
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 65 
 
 and further pledged her twelve ample realms, thirty 
 duchies, and a host of powerful knights ; and he swore 
 a knightly oath to enforce vengeance on any one who 
 should do her wrong. " Perchance I may at last 
 work out revenge for Siegfried's death," thought 
 Kriemhilda, " since King Etzel has large forces of 
 knighthood and liegemen over whom I am to hold 
 control, and with his great riches I can award pres- 
 ents." Anon she told Sir Kudeger that she would go 
 to the land of the Huns. Then did Eckwart, her 
 trusty chamberlain, and his five hundred gallant 
 knights plight their eternal constancy to the fair 
 Kriemhilda, that they should ride forth and abide in 
 Hunland as her lieges; and the active Giselher swore 
 that if his dear sister should ever be in trouble he 
 would rashly ride into any danger even in Etzel's land 
 for her sake. Her dames and maids took costly 
 dresses from out the old cedar-chests, and other rich 
 garmentry long hoarded there, with twelve chests of 
 the purest gold ever wrought, to send before them 
 into their lady's new kingdom. And they mounted 
 prancing steeds and Joined the retinue of those who 
 for sheer loyalty would henceforth abide with her. 
 
 Now when the king knew the whole report, he rode 
 gallantly forth to meet his bride-elect. Many were 
 the languages of the bold knights who went before 
 him or followed after. Never was such an imposing 
 host seen. Then were squadrons from Greece and 
 Russia, savages, pagans, and Christians from east and
 
 66 
 
 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 from west, each oue in the costume of his own land, 
 and each performing feats according to his native 
 custom. As Etzel proceeded his cavalcade was con- 
 stantly increased by powerful potentates and their 
 liegemen. Kriemhilda met the good king with a 
 smile and a kindly kiss, and pending the time that 
 
 the king held conversa- 
 tion with her the youth- 
 ful knights sought her 
 smile by knightly feats. 
 Christian and pagan did 
 the same, although much 
 unlike their style. 
 
 When the interview 
 was ended they all rode 
 to Vienna, where the 
 wedding ceremony took 
 place with all due form 
 and under pleasant aus- 
 pices. Kriemhilda made 
 herself beloved of those 
 whom she had never seen 
 before, by giving costly gifts. And the marriage- 
 rite hilarities lasted seventeen days. There never 
 was a gi-eater festival or a more brilliant display 
 of new garments; nor were there ever given at 
 great espousals with heart-consent so many cloaks of 
 choice stuffs and liberal measurements. Friends and 
 visitors vied in giving to one another such boons as
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 67 
 
 one saw the other crave ; over-generous knights gave 
 until they had nothing left. Kriemhilda wept secret 
 tears for Siegfried, but outwardly preserved a smiling 
 face and gay demeanor. The cavalcade moved on 
 towards Etzel's burgh, where all were received with 
 profuse hospitality and the most lofty homage waa 
 done to Kriemhilda, and the whole realm rejoiced. 
 
 Day after day Kriemhilda practiced to acquire friends 
 through her lofty virtues, her kindness, and her gifts. 
 She often thought to herself that some day she would 
 ask the king to invite her near kin to the realm of 
 Hungary for a visit. Thirteen years had elapsed be- 
 fore she made Jier wish known to her lord, and when 
 the good king knew her mind he at once called his 
 minstrel-men of gentle birth and sent them with full 
 purses and rich garments to King Gunther, graciously 
 imploring him to attend a summer festival in Hun- 
 land, himself and all his court. 
 
 When the messengers reached Worms they were 
 welcomed with good cheer, and they bowed to the 
 king in the most lowly manner and tendered greet- 
 ings from the king and queen of Hungary, and also 
 their invitations to ride into Etzel's land. 
 
 In a counsel of selected friends Gunther debated 
 whether it were well to accept the invitation, and 
 with one accord they all assented save Hagen 
 only. Foreboding ill, he counseled them to re- 
 member the latent vengeance .Kriemhilda had always 
 cherished. Then out spoke Gemot : " Thy fear pro-
 
 68 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 ceeds from a giiilty conscience; wlio shall annul 
 our will to see our sister, Etzel's queen ?" And 
 anotlier knight bade Hagen stay at AYorms, safe 
 from every foe, drinking the choicest wines, wearing 
 splendid garments and wooing stately dames. Then 
 Hagen counseled them that if they would go forth 
 into Hungary, to go fully armed; which counsel Gun- 
 ther thought wise to follow, and he bade his marshal 
 to gather troops that they might be prepared against 
 the Huns if they met with treachery. They dismissed 
 the uneasy minstrels, that they might return to their 
 king with divers presents of rare worth and an accept- 
 ance of the royal invitation. 
 
 King Etzel wJixed red with sheer delight when the 
 minstrels came into his presence with the tidings 
 and gifts, and ail through his burgh new chairs were 
 ordered for the loved visitors to come anon. 
 
 Queen Utie besought her sons with love and cau- 
 tion to remain at home, since she had dreamed that 
 all the feathered tribes of Burgundy were dead. But 
 her warnings were unheeded, and with ten thousand 
 knights Gunther and liis brothers set out to visit 
 their sister. Hagen, who knew the gi'ouud well, was 
 leader of the host and rode a space before, keeping up 
 the sjiirit of the warriors. Coming to the Danube, 
 which had overflowed its banks, the kings felt puzzled 
 how to cross it, and Hagen started out well armed to 
 find the ferryman. A little up-stream he heard a 
 splashing in the water occasioned by water-nympha
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 69 
 
 enjoying a cool bath. Sir Hagen got a glimpse of 
 them and slyly, advanced when they dived below and 
 laughed merrily at their escape. The hero took their 
 clothing and began to retreat, when they called out to 
 him that if he would return the raiment they would 
 tell him the outcome of King Gunther's visit into 
 Hungary. Thereon he pledged to return the cloth- 
 ing as soon as they should reveal his fate. One of the 
 nymphs then assured him of a happy visit in King 
 Etzel's land and great honors in consequence; whereon 
 the knight returned them the garments, which they 
 quickly removed far beyond his reach. Loudly 
 spake out another nymph to warn the chief that the 
 first had spoken untruly lest she should not recover 
 the clothes, and warned him of a miserable deatli for 
 all the knights unless they at once retreated to their 
 own land. And she taught him how to decoy the 
 ferryman by craft and obtain his boat, if the warriors 
 should persist in going into Hungary. 
 
 The grim and avaricious ferryman could be induced 
 only through excessive bribes to take him across ; and 
 coming to blows, Hagen seized his own two-edged 
 sword and severed the boatman's head from its trunk 
 and threw him overboard. With tliis presage of ill- 
 fortune. Sir Hagen ferried tlio knights over and the 
 ladies of the train, besides all the freight. When the 
 awful news spread from troop to trooj) that the ferry- 
 man had been slain, the jiroud helmets of the troops 
 were seen to stoop and cheeks to grow pale, for thoughts
 
 70 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 of quickly coming deiitli came over the minds of the 
 vast multitude. On their route toward Etzel's burgh, 
 as the weary travelers approached Rudeger's land, they 
 found Sir Eckwart fast asleep, when Sir Hagen slyly 
 took from him his sword and arm-clasps of gold. 
 Waking, Sir Eckwart lamented loudly, and Ilagen re- 
 turned them on pledge that he should ride to the 
 castle of Sir Rudeger to intercede for their hospitality. 
 When from his burgh Rudeger descried EckAvart 
 coming on a, foaming steed, he thought the knight 
 had met with foes and he went to the castle-gate to 
 meet him. Then Sir Eckwart acquainted his host 
 with Hagen *s message, and Rudeger bade him return 
 in all haste to give them welcome to the castle-burgh. 
 And Rudeger's men mounted in haste to do their 
 lord's bidding, while the margrave went to inform his 
 wife, Gotlind the good, and their fair child, and bid 
 them receive in most courteous way the kings of Bur- 
 gundy, That tlie dames readily promised, and with- 
 out more ado brought from tlieir chests a store of 
 splendid dresses. False color was rarely seen on the 
 woman's cheeks, but they wore on their heads light 
 bands of ruddy gold to bind their shiny hair so that 
 it should not be blown about by the winds. AVhen 
 the Burgundian guests approached the liechlaren 
 lord, he welcomed them warmly, both knight and 
 yeomanry, and with due thought to tlie latter he gave 
 command that their tents should be pitched on the 
 dry and open plain near the castle, where the horses
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 71 
 
 could graze and the men find grassy beds. The very 
 noble margravine and her daughter came gently walk- 
 ing from the burgh, and stood together surrounded by 
 their fairest dames in dresses of brocade glittering 
 with gorgeous gems. (/ 
 
 Thirty-and-six of the handsome women, each at- 
 tended by an esquire, advanced to meet the Burgun- 
 dian knights, and the margrave bade his daughter kiss 
 the kings and their three greatest knights, as was the 
 custom. The illustrious visitors sojourned four days 
 at Eudeger's hall, and were entertained sumptuously 
 with banquetings and pastimes, and sent on their way 
 provided with liberal gifts, Eudeger himself escorting 
 them to the boundary of his realm. Giselher took 
 leave of the margrave's lovely daughter, to whom he 
 had plighted his troth, with most affectionate salute, 
 and many a dame shed briny tears as they rode away. 
 
 The messengers, riding with speed, now came into 
 Etzel's court, bringing accounts of the arrival of the 
 Burgundians on Hunnish ground ; and Etzel bade his 
 queen receive them graciously. Kriemhilda hastened 
 to a window to see if her friends were in view, and 
 afar off descried the Burgund host. When the good 
 king heard that, he laughed for very joy. Tlien said 
 Etzel's queen, " Here come my kin in panoply, with 
 blazing shields tliat mock tlie sun. Whoever desires 
 my gold and bears my ills in mind, him will I hold in 
 my heart's core." Then did many a Hunnish knight 
 peer anxiously to get sight of Hagen, the slayer of
 
 72 
 
 TEE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 Siegfried. He was a chief of stately form, with broad 
 chest, amj)le shoulders, gi'ay hair, long legs and stout 
 thighs. His face had a fierce mien, and he strode 
 with a warlike air. Palatial apartments were given 
 to the valiant knights, but the yeomanry were placed 
 at a great distance from their leaders ; so had Kriem- 
 hilda planned that they might meet a woful fate. 
 
 As Sir Gunther, the king of the 
 Rhine, was entering the palace-hall, 
 King Etzel sprang from his 
 seat of state and gave him sncli 
 a kindly welcome as kings sel- 
 dom get. Greeting the brave 
 brothers also, and the knights 
 of high degree, Etzel brought 
 them to the royal seat whereon 
 himself had sat, and regaled 
 them with wine in golden bowls. 
 And he told them with all 
 honesty of soul that he had 
 *^^^|fi| long marveled that his con- 
 ~ ^^=1^ sort's friends had never felt 
 disposed to ride into the Hunnish realm. When 
 the supper was announced, Etzel sat amidst his 
 guests, who were served with all that tongue could 
 desire ; and when the eve had spent itself, the weary 
 travelers were dismissed to their dreams. 
 
 The Huns crowded to see the Burgundian visitors, 
 but were warned in the most discourteous manner
 
 KRIEMHILDA'S REVENGE. 73 
 
 to stand back by Volcher, the minstrel-knight, called 
 the fiddle-man. Soon the gallant guests laid them- 
 selves to rest on downy beds filled with feathers, 
 beneath canopies of bright Arab silk and coverlids 
 of snowy ermine. Fearing lest Kriemhilda's ven- 
 geance should meet them unaware, Hagen stood 
 sentinel through the night, and brave Volcher bore 
 him company. He sat upon a stone and played his 
 viol until its sweet tones had lulled all the com- 
 pany to sleep. 
 
 During the night the two watchers descried 
 many of the Huns peering at the sleepers from 
 behind the palace-doors and from other lurking- 
 places. Volcher would have fallen on them to slay 
 them, but Hagen counseled caution. Thereon did 
 Volcher shout to the Huns, who ran in fear. The 
 queen received each report from the Hunnish knights, 
 and quickly changed her mode of plot. She laid all 
 her misfortunes before the brother of King Etzel, 
 promising great riches and a beautiful wife if he 
 would only avenge her wrongs. 
 
 When the knight bethought him to win a beau- 
 teous wife through daring deeds, he kindled a 
 brawl which resulted in his own death and the re- 
 pulse of his men by the Burgundian yeomanry. 
 But Etzel's knights advanced on the unarmed yeo- 
 manry and slew nine thousand of them in retalia- 
 tion for the life of the king's brother. The festivities 
 were turned into scenes of general slaughter, and
 
 74 THE STORY OF THE GERMAN ILIAD. 
 
 many were the challenges accepted and combats 
 fought. 
 
 When other resources failed, King Etzel called in 
 Sir Rudeger and all of his forces, and the unwilling 
 margrave entered into the conflict with the beloved 
 guests he had so generously entertained at his own 
 
 castle. The war con- 
 tinued until nearly every 
 Burgundian knight was 
 ^ slain. Then the queen 
 went to Hagen and de- 
 manded the restoration 
 of her Nibelungen hoard, 
 plied that the 
 
 place of its concealment should never be revealed 
 as long as the king lived. So Kriemhilda caused her 
 brother's head to be severed from his body and taken 
 to Hagen, who still refused to tell where the hoard 
 was hidden. Kriemhilda's wrath and vengeance 
 being thus aggravated beyond bounds, she seized
 
 KRIEMHILDA'8 REVENGE. 75 
 
 Siegfried's sword Balmung and smote Hagen's head 
 from off its trunk. 
 
 " ' Alas! ' the Hun king sighing said, ' how does the matter 
 
 stand 
 That he, the boldest of all knights, should fall by woman's 
 
 hand? 
 He who in onslaught was the first, the bravest that bore 
 
 shield ! 
 Although he was mine enemy, I fain to sorrow yield.' 
 
 " Then spake the ancient Hildebrand, 'She shall no gainer 
 
 be 
 Through this same deed of deadly hate, whate'er becomes 
 
 of me ! ' 
 Thereon did Master Hildebrand run at the fair Kriemhild, 
 And smote so with his keen-edged sword that he the Hun 
 
 queen killed." 

 
 STORIES RELATED TO THE MYTH 
 OF BRUNHILDA. 
 
 I. 
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 
 
 In times past there lived a king and queen who 
 said to each other every da}^ of their lives, " Would 
 that we had a child !" and yet they had none. But it 
 happened once that when the queen was bathing, 
 there came a frog out of the water, and he squatted 
 on the ground and said to her, " Thy wish shall be 
 fulfilled : before the year has gone by a daughter shall 
 be born to thee." 
 
 And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the 
 queen bore a daughter so beautiful that the king 
 could not contain himself for joy, and he ordained a 
 great feast. Not only did he bid to it his relations, 
 friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women, 
 that they might be kind and favorable to the child. 
 There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as 
 
 * This story is taken f i-om Lucy Crane's translation from the 
 German of Grimm. The pupils will readily perceive that it is 
 greatly modernized from the earlier story of Brunhild. 
 
 76
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 11 
 
 he had only provided twelve golden plates for them 
 to eat from, one of them had to be left out. How- 
 ever, the feast was celebrated with all splendor; and 
 as it drew to an end, the wise women stood forward 
 to present to the child their wonderful gifts: one 
 bestowed virtue, one beauty, a third riches, and so on, 
 whatever there is in the world to wish for. And 
 when eleven of them had said their say, in came the 
 uninvited thirteenth, burning to revenge herself, and, 
 without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud 
 voice, 
 
 " In the fifteenth year of her age the princess shall 
 prick her finger with a spindle and shall fall down 
 dead V 
 
 And without speaking one more word, she turned 
 away and left the hall. Every one was terrified at her 
 saying, when the twelfth came forward, for she had not 
 yet bestowed her gift, and though she could not do 
 away with tlie evil prophecy, yet she could soften it; 
 so she said, 
 
 " The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep 
 sleep for a hundred years." 
 
 !Now the king, being desirous of saving his child 
 even from this misfortune, gave commandment that 
 all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up. 
 The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of 
 the wise women ; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, 
 and kind and clever, that no one who saw her could 
 help loving her.
 
 78 STORIES RELATED TO THE BRUNHILD A MYTH. 
 
 It happened one da}^, she being already fifteen 
 years old, that the king and the queen rode abroad, 
 and the maiden was left behind alone in the castle. 
 She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, 
 and into all the clianibers and parlors, as the fancy 
 took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She 
 climbed the narroAV winding stair which led to a little 
 door with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she 
 turned the key and the door opened, and there in the 
 little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently 
 spinning her flax. 
 
 " Good-day, mother," said the princess. " What are 
 you doing ?" 
 
 " I am spinning," answered the old woman, nodding 
 her head. 
 
 " What thing is that that twists round so briskly ?" 
 asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her 
 hand she began to spin ; but no sooner had she touched 
 it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked 
 her finger with it. In that very moment she fell back 
 upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. 
 
 And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the 
 king and queen, who had returned and were in the 
 great hall, fell fast asleep, and with them the whole 
 court. The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the 
 yard, the pigeons on the roof, the files on the wall, 
 the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still 
 and slept like the rest; and the cook who was going 
 to pull the scullion's hair for some mistake he had
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 79 
 
 made, let him go and went to sleep. The wind slept, 
 and not a leaf fell from the sleeping trees about the 
 castle. 
 
 Then round about that place there grew a hedge 
 of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole 
 castle was hidden from view, and nothing of it 
 could be seen but the vane on the roof. And a 
 rumor went abroad in all that country of the beautiful 
 sleeping Eosamond, for so the princess was called; 
 and from time to time many kings' sons came and 
 tried to force their way through the hedge; but it 
 was impossible for them to do so, for the thorns lield 
 fast together like strong hands, and the young men 
 were caught by them, and not being able to get free, 
 there died a lamentable death. 
 
 Many a long year afterwards there came a king's son 
 into that country, and heard an old man tell how there 
 should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, 
 and that there a beautiful enchanted princess named 
 Eosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her 
 the king and queen and the whole court. The old 
 man had been told by his grandfather that many 
 king's sons had sought to pass the thorn-hedge, but 
 had been caught and pierced by the thorns, and had 
 died a miserable death. Then the young man said, 
 "Nevertheless, I do not fear to try; I shall make my 
 way through and see the lovely Eosamond." The 
 good man tried to dissuade him, but he would not 
 listen to his words.
 
 80 STORIES RELATED TO THE BRUNHILD A MYTH. 
 
 For now the hundred years were at an end, and the 
 day had come when Rosamond should be awakened. 
 When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it 
 was changed into a hedge of large, beautiful flowers, 
 which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then 
 closed behind him in a thick hedge. When he 
 reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled 
 hunting-dogs lying asleep, and on the roof the 
 pigeons were sitting with their heads under their 
 wings. And when he came indoors, the flies on the 
 walls were asleep, the cook in the kitchen had his 
 hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen- 
 maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to pluck. 
 Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the 
 whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their 
 thrones, slept the king and the queen. 
 
 And still he went farther, and all was so quiet 
 that he could hear his own breathing; and at last 
 he came to the tower, and went up the winding 
 stair, and opened the door of the little room where 
 Eosamond lay. When he saw her looking so lovely 
 in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and 
 presently he stooped and kissed her, and she awaked, 
 and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on 
 him. And she rose, and they went forth together, 
 and the king and the queen and the whole court 
 waked up, and gazed on eachi other with great eyes 
 of wonderment. The horses in the yard got up 
 and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 
 
 81 
 
 wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their 
 
 £-^r=,^ t-j, heads from under their wings, 
 
 ^>4^ V (^ }o ^ looked round, and flew into the 
 
 ^^^&^V'^^~ field, the flies on the wall crept 
 
 x^ 
 
 
 
 on a little farther, the kitchen 
 fire leapt up and blazed and 
 cooked the meat, the joint on the spit 
 began to roast, the cook gave the scullion
 
 82 STORIES RELATED TO THE BRUNHILD A MYTH 
 
 such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the 
 maid went on plucking the fowl. 
 
 Then the wedding of the Prince and Kosamond was 
 held with all splendor, and they lived together very 
 happily until their lives ended.
 
 PROSERPINE. 
 
 83 
 
 II. 
 
 PKOSEKPINE, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY OF GREEK 
 CLASSIC LITERATURE. 
 
 Ceres, goddess of the golden grain, was the first to 
 turn up the clods with 
 the crooked plow; she 
 was the first to give corn 
 and other wholesome 
 food to the earth; she 
 gave wheat also and all 
 the fruit-yielding seeds, 
 
 * This story is compiled 
 from Riley's translation of 
 Ovid. It is Greek in spirit, 
 though coming to us 
 through a Latin poet and 
 colored by Latin thought. 
 Fiske says of the story : 
 ' ' In the myth of the Sleep- 
 ing Beauty, the earth-god- 
 dess sinks into her long 
 winter sleep when pricked 
 by the point of the spindle" 
 (frost). ' ' In her cosmic 
 palace (the universe) all is 
 locked in icy repose, naught thriving save the ivy which 
 defies the cold, until the kiss of the golden-haired sun-god 
 reawakens life and activity."
 
 84 STORIES BELATED TO THE BRUNHILD A MYTH. 
 
 and she possessed great treasures of gold and silver 
 in the earth. Oeres had one daughter whose name 
 was Proserpine, and in the springtime, when all 
 the land was covered with flowers, men said to each 
 other, " Proserpine has come ; the daughter of the 
 earth is here in all her beauty." 
 
 In the middle of a great island there is a beautiful 
 city near a lake of deep waters. A forest surrounds 
 the lake on every side, and with its foliage, as though 
 with an awning, keeps out the rays of the sun. The 
 boughs keep the place cool, and the moist ground pro- 
 duces flowers of purple hue. There it is perpetual 
 spring. In this grove Proserpine played, plucking 
 violets and lilies. And it came to pass, as she filled her 
 basket in child-like eagerness with the lovely flowers, 
 while her young companions strove to outdo her, that 
 Pluto, the god of the infernal regions, beheld her, and 
 seized her that he might carry her ofl: to his drear 
 abode as his bride. For Pluto's heart had been pierced 
 by the arrow of Cupid through a command laid upon 
 him by Venus, the goddess of Love. 
 
 It was said that a struggling giant lay in the realms 
 of Pluto, a giant whom Pluto kept weighed down 
 under great mountains, ^tna was upon his head, 
 and other mountains upon his limbs and feet. The 
 giant often cast forth flames and smoke from his 
 mouth in his attempts to throw off the load, and roll 
 away the cities and mountains from his body. 
 
 Pluto stood in great dread lest, as the giant shook
 
 PROSERPINE. 85 
 
 the earth, the ground should open and the day be let 
 in to affright the trembling ghosts. So he surveyed 
 all the land and the foundations under it to be sure 
 that no place was insecure, and he drove forth from 
 his dark abode in his chariot drawn by black horses, 
 and he wandered about the mountains. Then Venus 
 said to her little winged son, "Thou subduest the 
 gods above and the deities who rule in the waters. 
 Why are the realms beneath the earth exempt from 
 thy power and mine ? A third part of the world is 
 at stake. The daughter of Ceres, too, has never been 
 conquered by Love. Do thou aim thy dart at this 
 dread ruler of the Dead while he drives his coal-black 
 steeds through the groves of Proserpine, and the god 
 shall be joined to Proserpine in wedlock, and hence- 
 forward we shall hold sway in the realms of Tartarus." 
 So Cupid opened his quiver and took one of his 
 thousand unerring darts, and bending his bow, struck 
 Pluto in the breast with the barbed arrow, and the 
 god at once beheld the maiden and loved her. 
 
 Affrighted at the overpowering strength of the 
 grim monarch, Proserpine called to her mother and 
 her companions, while the flowers she had collected 
 fell scattered over the ground. Pluto drove on, 
 encouraging his horses, calling each by name as he 
 shook the reins which were dyed by rust. He was 
 borne through deep lakes and pools smelling strong 
 of sulphur and boiling fresh from out the earth, 
 which burst asunder where he threw down his royal
 
 86 STORIES RELATED TO THE BRUNHILBA MTTH. 
 
 scepter and opened a way down to Tartarus, to which 
 Phito descended with his young bride. In the mean- 
 time Ceres sought for her beautiful daughter through- 
 out all lands and in every sea. Aurora, coming with 
 her ruddy locks in the morning, never beheld her 
 resting, and the evening star saw her still wandering 
 and searching. 
 
 At night she lighted pine branches and carried 
 them through the frosty darkness; and when daylight 
 dulled the light of the stars, she sought her daughter 
 from the rising of the sun to its setting. Tired out 
 and thirsty, she came to a cottage and knocked at the 
 door ; upon which an old woman, coming out and see- 
 ing a goddess, gave her water distilled from pearled 
 barley. But a boy of impudent countenance stood 
 before the goddess and ridiculed her, whereupon his 
 body contracted into a diminutive form smaller than 
 a lizard and more speckled, and he slunk away into a 
 hiding-place. 
 
 It would be an endless task to relate through what 
 lands and seas the goddess passed searching for her 
 child. At last she found the girdle which the maiden 
 had thrown away as a sign of her marriage, and the 
 mother knew that Proserpine was stolen and carried 
 ofE as a bride. Upon this Ceres tore her hair and 
 struck her breast again and again. And with re- 
 vengeful hands she broke the plows that had 
 turned up the clods, and in her anger vowed that 
 death should come to the husbandmen and the oxen
 
 PROSERPINE. 87 
 
 that cultivated the fields, and she ordered the land to 
 deny a return of the grain which had been sown in it, 
 and to render all seed corrupt. The fertility of the 
 soil was gone. The corn died in the blade, burned 
 by the heat of the sun, or rotted by the showers. 
 The stars and the winds injured it; the greedy birds 
 picked it up as soon as it was sown, and the darnel, 
 the thistles, and the unconquerable weeds choked the 
 crops of wheat. Then a water-nymph raised her 
 head from a stream and said, "0 thou mother of 
 the virgin sought over the whole world, cease at 
 length thy boundless toil, and be not angered with 
 this region of earth, for it is faithful to thee. This 
 land does not deserve it. Proserpine is the powerful 
 spouse of the Infernal King." 
 
 The mother, on hearing these words, stood amazed, 
 and for a long time was like one stupefied. When 
 she could command herself, she departed in her chariot 
 through the air, and coming before Jupiter with 
 disheveled hair, said to him : " I have come, Jupiter, 
 as a suppliant to thee. I pray thee to have regard 
 for my daughter so long sought for. She is found at 
 last. I pray that she may be restored to me." But 
 Jupiter replied, " The king of the Stygian abodes 
 is my brother, and therefore it is no disgrace that he 
 is thy son-in-law. This deed is no injury to thee, 
 but rather an honor. Nevertheless, if no food has 
 passed the maiden's lips, she shall be restored to thee." 
 Then Ceres resolved to fetch her daughter from the
 
 88 STOEIES RELATED TO THE BRUN HILDA MYTH. 
 
 realms of the Dead. But the Fates would not permit 
 it, for the damsel had eaten seven grains from a 
 pomegi'anate which she had plucked in the garden of 
 Hades. Then Jupiter, being the mediator between 
 his brother and the disconsolate Ceres, divided the 
 rolling year between them ; and Proserpine, a common 
 divinity between the regions of the dead and those of 
 the living, was commanded to remain six months 
 with her mother on the earth, and six months with 
 her husband in his kingdom below. When Ceres 
 heard this command her countenance changed, 
 and her brow, which of late might appear sad even to 
 Pluto himself, beamed with gladness, as the sun which 
 has lately been covered with clouds shines forth when 
 the clouds are dispersed. Then the goddess of the 
 fertile earth sent Triptolemus forth with her chariot 
 to teach agriculture to men. The earth blossomed, 
 and mortals rejoiced that the famine was over and 
 that Avinter's gloom was gone. 
 
 Note. — Since editing this story, the author lias visited Sicily 
 where Ovid places the scene, and the town of Eleusis in 
 Greece where Ceres was worshiped and where the ruins of 
 a magnificent temple dedicated to her still remain. There 
 is a good carriage-road from Athens out to Eleusis, a dis- 
 tance of twelve miles. Leaving Athens and passing along 
 what was called the " sacred way," through great olive-groves, 
 one reaches the ruins of an old temple called Daphni. Over 
 this road processions used to go on their way to worship Ceres 
 at Eleusis. One can see where their chariot-wheels have worn 
 the rocks. The meadows were all abloom with lovely flowers 
 of every color. On leaving the carriage to gather some of
 
 PROSERPINE. 89 
 
 them, the American Consul's wife called out, " Take care ! Pluto 
 will catch you !" 
 
 At the well where Ceres was said to have met the king's daugh- 
 ters who were kind to her and tried to comfort her, the marble 
 curbing has deep ridges worn in it by the ropes with which 
 people have drawn water from it for ages. There are traces 
 of a temple to Triptolemus at the foot of the hill on which 
 stood the temple of Ceres. Some of the stones are visible in 
 the walls of a modern church. The temple to Ceres or Demeter 
 must have been wonderfully grand, for the marble pillars 
 which lie along the ground are exceedingly large and finely 
 carved. There is a large grotto, called Pluto's Cave, just 
 below the temple's foundations. A scrubby fig thrusts a few 
 leaves from the big bare rock. 
 
 The scenery all about the locality is a marvel of beauty. It 
 is no wonder that this myth was transplanted by Roman 
 writers to Sicily, for that, too, is a land of bewildering loveli-
 
 STORIES RELATED TO THE MYTH 
 OF SIEGFRIED. 
 
 I. 
 
 PH(EBUS APOLLO, THE SIEGFKIED OF GREEK LITER- 
 ATURE. 
 
 It is said that Leto (Darkness) wandered over 
 many lands, seeking in vain for a place of rest. At 
 last she came to Delos, the land of light, and said that 
 if she could find a home there, the place should be- 
 come glorious. It should be the birthplace of Phoe- 
 bus ApollOjt and men should come from all parts of 
 the earth to make his holy temple rich with their 
 gifts. Here Phoebus Apollo was born, and at his 
 birth the earth laughed beneath the smile of heaven, 
 and Delos, although but a stony island, was covered 
 
 * This story is compiled from Riley's translation of Ovid. 
 
 f Professor Cox says; " He [Phoebus Apollo] is called the son 
 of Leto because night, as going before his rising, may be called 
 the mother of the sun. Delos means bright land. Phoebus 
 was at first only a name for the sun, but in later times he was 
 regarded as the god of light, who was not confined to his habi- 
 tation in the sun. Apollo is a name explained by some as 
 meaning the destroyer, because the sun's rays, when powerful, 
 can destroy the life of animals and plants." 
 
 90
 
 PH(EBUS APOLLO. 
 
 91 
 
 with flowers of gold. The nymphs wrapped him in 
 a spotless robe. The goddess of justice fed him with 
 nectar and ambrosia, and the babe took a harp with 
 golden strings in his hands and sang songs to teach 
 men the will of Jove. While 
 yet a child he wore a girdle 
 of gold about his waist,* but 
 the girdle became a golden 
 sword and he carried a 
 quiver filled with golden 
 arrows which never 
 missed the mark. 
 
 Phoebus passed through 
 many lands, until he came to 
 a fountain where he would 
 gladly have built a home. 
 But the god of the fountain 
 told him that he could not 
 find a peaceful home in that 
 land, and advised him to go on until he came to Crisa. 
 This he did, and built himself an altar close to Mount 
 Parnassus. On the shrine which he had built he kin- 
 dled an undying fire, and he taught the people how to 
 worship him. He charged them to deal truly, and to 
 
 * The pupil will observe that these descriptions are really 
 notices of various phenomena of nature. The sun is wrapped 
 in white clouds (spotless robes). He is surrounded by a belt of 
 light (a girdle of gold). His quiver is filled with arrows which 
 never miss the mark (the sun's rays). His goldeu sword cor- 
 responds to the Balmung of Siegfried.
 
 92 STORIES RELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 be kind to all who came with their gifts to his temple. 
 There he slew Python,* a great monster of daxkness, 
 which kept the people away from his temple. This 
 monster was a great serpent which arose from the wet 
 earth, and it was a source of terror to all the people 
 living near the mountain. Phoebus had never before 
 used such arms except to shoot the timid goats and 
 the deer, but now he sent a thousand of his arrows 
 against the Python, and the poison of the serpent 
 oozed forth through a thousand wounds. To keep the 
 fame of this deed in the minds of men, Phoebus com- 
 manded that there should be games in which young 
 men should run races, drive chariots, and box with 
 one another, the conqueror receiving as a prize a 
 crown of beechen leaves. 
 
 Phoebus grew so proud of this victory that Cupid 
 became angry. He too carried a bow and quiver 
 full of arrows, and claimed to be the most skillful 
 archer. Then Cupid said to Phoebus: "Let thy bow 
 shoot all things, Phoebus; my arrow shall pierce 
 thee, and thy glory shall be less than mine.*' And 
 Cupid flew through the air with his beating wings 
 and stood upon the mountain of Parnassus. And he 
 drew from his quiver two arrows, one which would 
 breed hatred, the other love. The arrow of love was 
 
 * The pupil will recognize in the Python the great dragon 
 slain by Siegfried. The sun dries up the stagnant waters of 
 shallow pools and the pestilential vapors of malarial, swampy 
 districts ; i.e., slaj-s dragons and serpents.
 
 PHCEBUS APOLLO. 93 
 
 of gold and had a sharp point. The arrow of hatred 
 was bhmt and contained lead. Cupid shot the golden 
 arrow at Apollo, but he pierced the heart of a beauti- 
 ful maiden with the blunt arrow. At once Apollo 
 loved the maiden and tried to seize her, but she fled 
 from him with hatred. Swifter than the wind did 
 she fly from him, her hair streaming in the breeze. 
 Apollo called to her, " nymph ! Stop, I pray thee. 
 I am not an enemy. Thou fly est from me as the 
 Iamb flies from the wolf, and as the deer flies from 
 the lion. It is because I love tbee that I follow thee, 
 and that I may woo thee for my bride. Run more 
 slowly, I pray thee! I myself will follow more 
 slowly. I am not a rude dweller on the mountains. 
 I am not a shepherd. I am a god in disguise, watch- 
 ing the herds. Thou knowest not, rash maiden, from 
 whom thou art flying. Great cities pay service to 
 thee. Jupiter is my father. I am a prophet of the 
 future, and I disclose the present and the past. I 
 teach songs which harmonize with the strings. My 
 arrows never fail to reach the mark. But there is an 
 arrow more unerring than my own which has made 
 this wound in my heart. The healing art is my dis- 
 covery, and medicines are prepared by me." 
 
 The maiden flew from him, in spite of his fair 
 speech, with more timid step. Her garments fluttered 
 in the wind, and her careless locks spread out behind 
 her on the light breeze, and thus her flight gave in- 
 creased beauty to her. The youthful god had no
 
 94 STORIES RELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 longer patience to wa.ste liis compliments, and lie fol- 
 lowed her footsteps with a hastening pace, as the 
 gi'eyhoiind pursues the hare, which imagines itself 
 already caught or barely delivered from the dog's bite. 
 He who followed, aided by the wings of love, proved 
 the swifter, and the maiden's strength being gone, 
 she grew pale and cried aloud to the deity of a river, 
 "O father, if thou art indeed divine, give me thy 
 aid!" Hardly had she ended her prayer when a 
 heavy dullness seized her. Her body w^as covered with 
 a thin bark; her hair grew into green leaves, her 
 arms into branches; her feet, the moment before so 
 swift, adhered to the earth by sluggish roots. A 
 leafy canopy overspread her features. Her fine nature 
 alone remained with her.* This, too, Apollo admired. 
 He threw his arms around the lovely tree and felt the 
 heart throbbing beneath the bark which he kissed, 
 exclaiming, " Since I cannot win thee for my wife, 
 thou shalt be my tree. My golden hair, my harp, and 
 my quiver shall always be adorned by thy leaves, 
 laurel! Thou shalt be presented to the chieftains 
 when the glad voices of soldiers sing songs of triumph. 
 Thou shalt stand as a faithful guardian at the gate- 
 posts of Augustus, and thou shalt protect the oalj 
 
 * Apollo pursues Daphne; that is, the sun pursues the dawn, 
 ■which ever flies toward the west until it is lost in the distant 
 forests (is changed into laurel-trees). Siegfried pursues Brun- 
 hild through fire, finds her, deserts her " under an enchant- 
 ment," and pursues Kriemhilda.
 
 PHCEBUS APOLLO. 95 
 
 placed in tlie center/' Apollo had ended his speech, 
 and the laurel seemed to bow its head.* 
 
 * Tlie pupil will readily distinguisli liow mucli of this story 
 belongs to Greek thouglit, and wliat part of it is modernized by 
 the poet to suit bis own age — tbe age of Augustus Csesar. In 
 the story of Siegfried, wbicb is mucb more modernized, be will 
 see little resemblance to Apollo except in tbe slaying of tbe 
 dragon, tbe use of solar weapons, and tbe origin or birtb from 
 darkness or mist-land. Siegfried's deatb amid red field-flowers, 
 and bis bearse — a red-gold sbield, — are doubtless related to tbe 
 ruddy golden sunsets — tbe " undying flame upon tbe altar " of 
 Apollo.
 
 96 STORIES BELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH 
 
 PERSEUS. 
 
 Acrisius, king of Argos, had been warned by an 
 oracle that his daughter Danae would give birth to 
 a son who would slay him and usurj) his throne, in 
 consequence of which the king decreed that his 
 daughter should never marry; and he gave command 
 that a great brazen tower should be built close to the 
 sea, and that Danae should be imprisoned in it that 
 no mortal might ever see her. But Jupiter saw the 
 beautiful girl and loved her, and changing his form 
 into a shower of gold, he shone into the room where 
 the maiden sut, and he became again a god in form, 
 and wooed and won the captive. 
 
 To Jupiter and Danae was born Perseus, the hero 
 who should slay the great monster whose malarial 
 breath created untold suffering among mortals, and 
 whose evil eye caused all people who came under its 
 gaze to turn to stone. 
 
 The precaution of the king of Argos had come to 
 
 * This story is compiled for the most part from Riley's trans- 
 lation of the Metamorphoses of Ovid. 
 
 The reader will readily discern that Perseus and Siegfried 
 are one, Perseus being the more ancient character. Both of 
 them possess the shield of invisibility, 'both of them slay the 
 great serpent or dragon, both of them are the offspring of a 
 golden light (the power of the sun).
 
 PERSEUS. 97 
 
 naught; he had insulted the gods, and had not ac- 
 knowledged his grandson Perseus when, having grown 
 to manhood, he flew through the yielding air bearing 
 the head of the viperous monster which he had slain. 
 
 As Perseus flew over the sands of the Libyan 
 desert, bloody drops fell from the Gorgon's head, and 
 the ground quickened them into serpents. Thereafter 
 all the region was infested with snakes. Perseus was 
 carried on by the fitful winds through boundless 
 space, borne like a Avatery cloud, now here, now there, 
 and he looked down on the earth, which seemed very 
 far off. As the day declined, he stopped in the 
 western part of the Avorld, in the kingdom of Atlas. 
 There he sought a little rest before Lucifer should 
 usher forth the fires of Aurora, who drove the chariot 
 of the morning. 
 
 Atlas was the son of a giant, and he surpassed all 
 other men in the vastness of his body. Under this 
 king was the extremity of the earth, and the sea 
 Avhich holds its waters under the panting horses of 
 the sun, and receives the wearied chariot. Atlas 
 possessed a thousand flocks and herds which wandered 
 undisturbed over the pastures, and the trees in his 
 garden were covered with branches laden with golden 
 apples; golden leaves, too, glistened on every twig. 
 " My friend," said Perseus, " I am a son of Jupiter 
 and I pray that thou wilt extend hospitality to me 
 and give me a resting-place for the night." But 
 Atlas remembered an ancient oracle which said that
 
 98 STORIES RELATED TO TEE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 his trees should be stripped of their golden fruit by a 
 son of Jove; and dreading this, he had inclosed his 
 orchard with solid walls, and had given it into the 
 keeping of a huge dragon; he had expelled all 
 strangers from his territories also. And so he replied 
 to Perseus, "Begone! Get thee far hence, lest the 
 glory of those exploits to which thou falsely pre- 
 tendest be far from protecting thee." He added 
 violence to his threats, and tried to drive him from 
 his doors, first by using persuasive words and after- 
 wards by abuse. 
 
 Now when Perseus saw how much larger and 
 stronger Atlas was than himself he said, " Since my 
 friendship is of so little value to thee, accept this 
 present;" and turning his face away, he held out 
 the head of the horrid Gorgon, Medusa. Huge as 
 Atlas was, yet he could not resist the charm, and 
 was changed at once into a mountain; his shoulders 
 and his hands became mountain-ridges, and what was 
 formerly his head became the summit of a mountain. 
 His bones became stones, and, enlarged on every side, 
 he grew to an immense height, and the heavens and 
 all the stars rested upon him. 
 
 The god of the winds, ^olus, had shut them up in 
 their eternal prison; and Lucifer, who calls men to 
 their work in the morning, had risen in all his splen- 
 dor in the lofty sky when Perseus once more began 
 his journey. He bound wings unto his ankles, which 
 helped him to rise into the air, and girded weapons
 
 PERSEUS. 99 
 
 onto his side. As he flew along over lands and seas, he 
 looked down and beheld innumerable nations, among 
 them the people of Ethiopia and the lands of Cepheus, 
 where the innocent Andromeda was chained to a rock 
 to suffer punishment on account of her mother's im- 
 piety; for she had boasted that her daughter's beauty 
 was gi'eater than that of the daughters of Xereus, king 
 of the sea. When Perseus saw Andromeda, with her 
 arms bound to the hard rocks, the light breeze blow- 
 ing her hair about, and her eyes filled with tears, he 
 thought her at first to be a work of marble. He 
 was so captivated Avith her beauty that he almost 
 forgot to wave his wings in the air. When he had 
 lighted on the ground he addressed her, saying: "0 
 beautiful maiden, undeserving of these cruel chains, 
 but rather of the pleasing bonds by which lovers are 
 united, tell me the name of this land, and of thyself 
 and why thou art punished." At first Andromeda 
 was silent and hardly dared to reply to the hero, who 
 urged her until she confessed the name of the coun- 
 try and her mother's offense. 
 
 Before she had had time to finish her story there 
 was a great rushing of waves and roaring of waters, 
 and a terrible monster approached with its head 
 raised out of the boundless ocean, and it covered the 
 wide expanse with its breast. The virgin shrieked 
 aloud, fo^ it had been decreed by the god Ammon 
 that she should be devoured by the sea-beast. Her 
 father and mother, who were there, clung to Androm-
 
 100 STORIES RELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 eda with loud lamentations of woe. Then Perseus 
 said, " There is but little time for giving aid, but 
 there will be an abundance of time for mourning if 
 the maiden be slain. If I were to demand thy 
 daughter in marriage, I ought to be preferred before 
 all others as your son-in-law, for I am the son of 
 Jupiter and the conqueror of the Gorgon with the 
 snaky locks. I pray that the maiden may be my 
 bride if I rescue her by my valor."' Her parents 
 embraced the condition, for who could hesitate at 
 such a moment ? They entreated his aid, and 
 promised a kingdom as a dowry. The monster came 
 on, its head high above the waters like a great ship, 
 when suddenly the youth rose into the air, casting 
 a black shadow upon the surface of the Avater in 
 front of the monster. When the great serpent saw 
 the shadow on the water, he imagined it to be 
 the hero himself, and began to vent his fury upon 
 it. As the eagle of Jupiter fastens its talons on the 
 back of a snake when attacking it, so that it may not 
 turn its head and inflict a poisonous bite, so did 
 Perseus throw himself upon the back of the monster, 
 close to its neck, and thrust his sword up to the very 
 hilt into its shoulder, as it roared aloud. Tortured 
 by the grievous wound, it sometimes raised itself 
 aloft in the air and sometimes plunged beneath the 
 waves, wheeling about like a savage boar affrighted 
 by a pack of hounds. Rising on his wings, Perseus 
 avoided the bites of the monster, and again descend-
 
 PERSEUS. 101 
 
 ing with renewed vigor, he wounded it with his in- 
 vincible sword. Fountains of blood sprang from the 
 monster's mouth and wet the wings of Perseus. 
 Fearing to trust himself on dripping pinions, Perseus 
 alighted on a rock which projected over the water 
 and renewed the attack, thrusting his sword through 
 the entrails of the beast. 
 
 At this a shout of applause arose from the shore, 
 a shout which reached to the abode of the gods, and 
 the king and queen saluted the hero as their son-in- 
 law and the preserver of their house. AVhen Androm- 
 eda was released from her chains she walked along 
 the sand with Perseus, well pleased that she should 
 be the reward as well as the cause of his labors. He 
 washed his hands in the sea-water, and to preserve 
 the Gorgon's head and keep it from doing mischief 
 he hid it under some soft earth, and strewed sea- 
 weeds over it. The fresh weeds, being still alive, 
 imbibed the poison and turned into hard coral. So 
 what was a plant in the sea became a stone out of it. 
 
 Then Perseus built three altars out of turf, one to 
 Mercury, one to Minerva, and one to Jupiter. On 
 these altars he sacrificed a cow to Minerva, a calf to 
 the wing-footed Mercury, and a bull to the greatest 
 of the deities, Jupiter. Then he took Andromeda, 
 without any dowry as his bride. Hymen and Cujaid 
 went before them waving their torches, and fires were 
 heaped with perfumes. Garlands were hung from 
 the houses, which resounded with the music of Ivres
 
 102 STORIES BELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 and pipes and songs. The folding-doors were thrown 
 open and gilded halls were displayed, where the king 
 and queen and their nobles sat down with the bride 
 and her husband to a sumptuous feast. When the 
 banquet was over, Perseus began to inquire concern- 
 ing the habits and manners of the people of that 
 country, and as soon as he had learned these things 
 the company besought him that he would tell his 
 adventures in obtaining the head of the Gorgon with 
 the snaky locks. So Perseus began his story. 
 
 lie told them that there was a grotto situated under 
 the cold mountain of Atlas safe in its solid bulwark. 
 At the entrance of this cave there dwelt two sisters, 
 who shared the use of a single eye. This eye they were 
 accustomed to shift from one to the other. Once, Avhile 
 it was being handed over, he obtained possession of it 
 by putting his hand in the way. And though he was 
 far from the land of the Gorgon s, and the way was 
 rocky and pathless and over mountains bristling with 
 woods on their craggy sides, he had arrived safe at 
 the abode of the monsters, where he saw stony figures 
 of men and wild beasts that had been petrified at the 
 sight of Medusa. As he went on, he saw in the shield 
 which he bore — a shield that Minerva had lent him 
 and which rendered him invisible — the reflection of 
 the image of Medusa. Gazing into the shield so 
 that he should not look directly upon her face, and 
 seeing that she was sound asleep, he took her head off 
 from her neck and flew hastily away, still rendered 
 invisible by the shield of Minerva. As he flew, gory
 
 PERSEUS. 103 
 
 drops fell from the severed neck, and two winged 
 horses sprang from them. When Perseus had related 
 these tales, one of the nobles at the feast inquired 
 why it was that Medusa alone of all the Gorgons 
 wore snaky locks, when Perseus replied : 
 
 " Medusa was the most famed for her beauty, daring 
 to compare her beautiful hair with that of Minerva. 
 Having thus provoked the goddess, the daughter of 
 Jove changed her hair into hideous snakes." 
 
 While the hero, the son of Danae, was relating 
 these things in the midst of the company, the royal 
 courts were filled with a warlike multitude. A 
 clamor arose unlike any that celebrates a marriage- 
 feast, a clamor which portended dreadful warfare. 
 It was as if the banquet had suddenly changed into a 
 tumult, or the sea, when calm, had been disturbed by 
 a boisterous wind. The leader of the onslaught, 
 Phineus, rushed forward, shaking a brazen spear at 
 Perseus and crying, " Behold, I am come to avenge 
 the wrong done me ! Thou hast deprived me of the 
 wife who was promised me. Thy wings shall not 
 save thee, nor thy father Jupiter deliver thee from 
 my power." 
 
 He hurled his lance at Perseus, when King Ce- 
 pheus cried out, " What art thou doing ? What fancy 
 impels thee, my brother, to commit this crime ? Was 
 not Andromeda bound to the rock ? And thou didst 
 give her no assistance. It was not Perseus who took her 
 away from thee, but the angry daughters of Nereus, 
 and the horned Ammon, and the monster of the sea."
 
 104 STOEIES RELATED TO TUE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 Phineus gave no answer to his brother, but 
 looked alternately at him and Perseus, uncertain 
 which to attack first. At last he hurled his spear at 
 Perseus with all the force that rage could afford, but 
 it stood fixed in a cushion. Then Perseus leapt off 
 from the couch, and would have pierced the breast of 
 his foe with the same weapon, thrown back, but 
 Phineus had gone behind an altar for protection, and 
 it was an act of impiety against the gods to attack 
 any suppliant at the shrine. The spear struck one 
 of the followers of Phineus, however, and slew him, at 
 which the whole multitude burst into an ungovernable 
 rage and hurled their weapons with indiscriminate fury. 
 
 Then came Minerva, the warlike goddess, and 
 held before Perseus her shield of Invisibility which 
 gave him new courage, and he rushed on his foe, 
 striking right and left with his invincible sword until 
 he had slain more than a hundred of them. Then 
 having regained the head of Medusa, he held it up 
 where those who were still living might see it, and 
 they began to change into stone. The cowardly 
 Phineus, who was still clinging to the altar, saw 
 statues varying in form growing around him, and turn- 
 ing away his eyes cried out as a suppliant, " Perseus, 
 thou hast conquered; remove the dreadful monster, 
 whatever it may be; take it away, I pray thee. It 
 was not hatred that urged me to make war, nor was 
 it a desire for a kingdom. I was fighting to prevent 
 thee from taking my promised wife from me. Thy
 
 PERSEUS. 105 
 
 cause was better than mine in valor, mine was better 
 in point of time. I am not sorry to yield to thee. 
 Grant me but one boon: save my life; the rest be 
 thine." 
 
 To this Perseus replied, " Thou shalt not be hurt 
 by my weapon, but I will give thee an everlasting 
 monument which may forever be seen in the house 
 of my father-in-law — and my wife may comfort her- 
 self with the form of her betrothed." 
 
 Having said this, Perseus held the head of the 
 Medusa where Phineus must gaze upon it, and he be- 
 came a statue. His timid features, his suppliant 
 countenance, his hands hanging down, and his 
 cowardly attitude, all were preserved in stone. 
 
 Then Perseus went on until he came to the island 
 of Seriphus, where Polydectes was king. While 
 Perseus was yet a babe, Acrisius had set him afloat 
 on the sea in a chest, together with his mother, 
 Danae. The chest floated on the waters and was 
 carried here and there until it became entangled in 
 the net of a fisherman whose name was Dicte. The 
 fisherman took the castaways to his home on the 
 island of Seriphus and treated them with great kind- 
 ness, and there they remained until Perseus had 
 grown up. 
 
 Polydectes, the king, seeing the beautiful Danae, 
 loved her and would have enslaved her, since he was 
 about to marry Hippodamia. Fearing Perseus, who 
 had grown to be a strong youth, he sent him away
 
 106 STORIES BELATED TO THE SIEGFRIED MYTH. 
 
 from the island, forbidding liim ever to retnrn until 
 he could bring with him the head of the Medusa. 
 Now when Perseus returned, he found his mother cling- 
 ing with tears to an altar for protection from the 
 king; and there, too, was the fisherman, Dicte, upon 
 whom the king intended to inflict some terrible pun- 
 ishment because he had taken part with the un- 
 fortunate woman. When Perseus came into the 
 presence of Polydectes, the king was surprised and 
 angry and demanded the head of the Gorgon, little 
 expecting that Perseus had brought it. " Have a 
 regard for your eyes," said Perseus to the king, " for 
 I will give you proof that I have indeed brought the 
 head which you desired;" and holding up the frightful 
 object, the king at once was changed into stone. 
 
 The Gorgon's head having served its purpose, Per- 
 seus gave it to Minerva, that she might keep her foes 
 alarmed with terror, and she placed it upon her breast, 
 where she wore it as a shield; but Danae became a 
 constellation in the heavens. 
 
 AM^ii^ 
 
 -^■v'^/i^/^ry^^
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 NiBELUNGEN LiED, ne'bel-oong'eri leet (the Lay of the Chil- 
 dren of the Mist). "A grand old German poem which may 
 well be compared with the Iliad of the Greeks." — James 
 Baldwin. 
 
 Odin, d'din (the All-Father). Odin is chief of the Norse 
 gods. The word is another form of Woden, and from it is 
 derived our word "Wednesday (Woden's day). According 
 to the solar theory of the origin of the myths, Odin is the 
 life-giving breath or air of heaven. He is the same as Zeus 
 (zuse) of the Greeks, and perhaps the Jupiter of the Latins. 
 He is the giver of rain and the protector of sailors. Two 
 ravens, Thought and Memory, sat on his shoulders and 
 brought him news of what was passing in the world below. 
 A trace of the worship of Odin survives to the present day. 
 As a leader of souls he corresponds to Mercury or Hermes. 
 Odin had one great eye (the sun) in the middle of his fore- 
 head, and so is often compared with Cyclops. 
 
 HoENiR, hoen'ir or hd'nir (light). Hoenir was one of the 
 three most ancient gods. He rejoiced in illuminating the 
 soul with understanding. 
 
 LoKi, Id'hee (heat). Loki is the god of mischief or evil. 
 He is father of the death-goddess Hela, of the Fends wolf, 
 " the bane of the moon," and the great mid-gard worm or 
 snake which encircles the earth. Thus he is the parent of 
 death in all its guises. He pervades all nature, is the sym- 
 bol of sin, cunning, treachery, and malice. 
 
 107
 
 108 APPENDIX. 
 
 RODMAE, rod'mar. The father of Fafnir, Regin, and 
 Otter. 
 
 Regin, re'gin. The cunning blacksmith, teacher of 
 Siegfried. One of that class of beings who give vigor and 
 warmth to living things. 
 
 Fafnir, fafnir. A dragon which Siegfried slays. 
 Fafnir is simply darkness or cold, the negation of life and 
 light. He is probably the same monster as the Python of 
 Greek mythology. Fafnir is the worm or serpent which 
 guards the golden treasures; in other words, the golden sun- 
 light with its gladdening and revivifying powers. Fafnir is 
 the cloud or darkness which steals the light. The name 
 dragon denotes anything keen-sighted. Fafnir is, how- 
 ever, a serpent of darkness. 
 
 Andvari, ahnd-vah'ree (cautious or wary spirit). A 
 dwarf who guarded the great Hoard or Rhine-gold. 
 
 Siegfried or Sigurd, seeg freed, see'gurd (the sunbeam). 
 The hero of the Nibelungen stories. He is often called the 
 "Northern Achilles," being, like that hero, invulnerable 
 except in one spot. Achilles dies by an arrow- wound in the 
 heel, Siegfried by a wound in the shoulder. Siegfried cor- 
 responds also to the Greek Apollo, the sun-god. The wintry 
 sleep of nature is symbolized by Brunhilda. The kiss of 
 Siegfried is the revivifying power of the sun which awakens 
 the earth in springtime ; it is the overcoming of frost or 
 winter by the sun's force. His golden locks are the sun's 
 rays. He slays Fafnir, the power of cold or darkness, 
 which keeps the golden treasures, earth's products, se- 
 creted. 
 
 Brunhilda, hroon-hil' da (the maid of Spring). She an- 
 swers to the "Sleeping Beauty" of the Germans, and to 
 the Persephone of Greek mythology. Her sleep is the 
 sleep of earth in winter; her power is the power of spring, 
 which enables the earth to burst from the icy fetters of cold
 
 APPENDIX. 109 
 
 and darkness. She is conquered by Siegfried as the earth 
 yields to the power of sunlight. 
 
 Valhalla, val-hal'la (the Hall of the Slain). The house 
 of Odin where he dwells with all the gods. 
 
 Gladsheim, glads'hime. A hall in Valhalla correspond- 
 ing to the Elysian Fields of the Greeks. 
 
 IsENLAND. " Probably upper Yssel," a geographic myth. 
 In the Elder Edda the inaccessible hall of Brunhilda is " on 
 an island far over the sea." 
 
 Utie, oo'tee. The mother of Kriemhilda. 
 
 Kriemhilda, or Chriemhild, kreem'hil-da. She is the 
 same as Gudrun or Grimhilda. 
 
 Dankrath, dahnk'rahth. The father of Siegfried. 
 
 Hageh, hah'gen (prickly thorn). " A descendant of the 
 power of darkness." The slayer of Siegfried. The power 
 of winter to overcome summer. 
 
 Balmung, hal'moong. Also called Gram (the Wrath). 
 The invincible sword of Siegfried. It answers to the spear 
 of Achilles, the sword of Perseus, the sword Excalibur of 
 King Arthur, the arrow of William Tell, and the arrow of 
 Philoctetes. They are all solar weapons, the all-penetrat- 
 ing rays of the sun. 
 
 Valkyr, val'kijr. One of the twelve nymphs of Val- 
 halla. She was armed and mounted on a swift horse, and 
 hovered over the field of battle to lead the soul of the slain 
 hero to Valhalla. 
 
 Proserpine or Persephone, pro-ser'2yl-ne,per-seph'o-ne. 
 The goddess of the Spring. "As Demeter is the earth, 
 which is full of mineral treasures as well as of fruit-giving 
 seeds, the idea of wealth was connected with her name, and 
 the loss of Proserpine was the taking away of her treasures. 
 So in the Norse tales, the Niflungs (Nibelungs, or the chil- 
 dren of the mist) hide away the treasures of the earth, un- 
 til they are compelled to yield them up again by one to
 
 110 APPENDIX. 
 
 wiuim they must submit, as Hades submits to the bidding 
 of Hermes." 
 
 Ceres or Demeter, see'res, de-me'te?: A daughter of 
 Saturn the goddess of corn and tillage. 
 
 Pluto, plu'to. Pluto is a Greek name for Hades 
 {liadez) as the guardian of the hidden treasures of the 
 earth. He corresponds to the dwarf Andvari, who guards 
 the treasure in the story of Siegfried. 
 
 Oupin, on'pid. The son of Venus and god of love. The 
 story of Cupid and Pysche is well lold by Walter Pater in 
 his volume Marius the Epicurean. 
 
 Venus or Aphrodite, ve'nus, aph-ro-di'te. Hesiod re- 
 lates that Venus was born in the sea. The word Aphrodite 
 means " risen from sea-foam." Venus w'as the goddess of 
 love. In some respects she corresponds to Demeter. 
 
 Jupiter or Zeus, ja'pi-tet\ zuse. The supreme deity of 
 the Greeks; the son of Saturn. "As the Hindus spoke 
 of Dyaus-pitar, and the Greeks of Zeus Pater, so the Latins 
 and Romans called him Jupiter, which means father Zeus. 
 By the Anglo-Saxons he was called Tin (a word which is 
 still seen in our Tuesday)."— Prof. Cox. 
 
 Triptolemus, trip-tol'e-mus. The god of agriculture. 
 He taught men how to sow and how to utilize grain. 
 
 Fa(EBVS, fee'bas (bright, pure). A name for Apollo — god 
 of the sun. Often used to signify the sun. 
 
 Apollo, a-pol'lo (to destroy). He was the god of arch- 
 ery, music, prophecy, and medicine. 
 
 Parnassus, par-nas'sus. A mountain in Greece to the 
 northwest of Athens. There was a temple to Apollo on the 
 mountain, and it was said to have been the home of the 
 Muses. 
 
 Python, py'thon. " The great dragon or snake which 
 appears in all solar legends. It is the snake that Apollo 
 kills, and the dragon Fafnir of the glistening heath in the 
 tale of Siegfried."— Cox.
 
 APPENDIX. Ill 
 
 AcRisius, a-cris'i-us. 
 
 Perseus, per'suse or per'se-us. 
 
 Danae, dan'a-e. 
 
 Andromeda, an-drom'e-da. 
 
 Ammon, am' 111071. "Jupiter, with the surname of 
 Ammon, had a temple in the desert of Libya, where he was 
 worshiped under tlie sliape of a rain." Jupiter Ammon 
 decreed that Andromeda shoukl be devoured by a monster 
 sent against the Ethiopians by Nereus. 
 
 Medusa, me-du'sa. The youngest and most beautiful 
 of the three Gorgons. Her face was terrible to behold and 
 was surrounded by snakes. The Gorgons were all described 
 by the ancients as horrid aged women. 
 
 Phineus, phi'nuse or phin'e-us. 
 
 PoLYDECTES, pol-y-dec'tez. 
 
 DiCTE, dic'te. 
 
 The Cup of Enchantment — In Chapter III. it is men- 
 tioned that Siegfried deserts Brunhilda and forgets her 
 because he is under an enchantment. In this I have fol- 
 lowed Wagner's version as found in his opera " The Twilight 
 of the Gods." It is an important point if we consider Sieg- 
 fried's character from the humane and human rather than 
 from the mythical and poetic standpoint. It is the only way 
 to justify him to our reason and sense of propriety and ]et 
 him remain a great hero to us. Wagner took this interpre- 
 tation from the Thidrek Saga, an early northern tradition. 
 According to this Saga, Hagen is the son of Alberich, the 
 dwarf who owned the hoard. His intention is to have his 
 father regain the gold. Hence Hagen's spite against Sieg- 
 fried who has won the treasure. Hagen leads Gunther to 
 proffer the cup of enchantment to Siegfried in order that 
 he shall forget Brunhilda, so that the more powerful knight 
 shall help him to win Brunhilda for himself. The cup is 
 given to Kriemhilda, who presents it to Siegfried, and imme- 
 diately he loves the maiden who gives him the draught.
 
 112 APPENDIX. 
 
 There is still another version — that Utie, the mother of 
 Kriemhilda, is the one who proffers Siegfried the cup of en 
 chantment, and she does it in the interest of her daughter. 
 The cup of enchantment, when looked at from the poetic 
 and mythical side, means the power which compels the rays 
 of the sun to seek the fertile valleys. Kriemhilda is, doubt- 
 less, in a mythical sense an earth-goddess ; she typifies the 
 beauty and fertility of lands lying farther to the south and 
 near river-banks. Brunhilda is fiercer and more northern. 
 In all solar legends the hero deserts his bride and pursues 
 another, just as the sun pursues one day and sets, only to 
 rise again and pursue another. No one pretends to justify 
 the sun for his fickleness in shining brightly first on one 
 day and then on another. He has tasted of the cup of 
 enchantment — is under the law of gravitation. 
 
 INFLUENCE OF THE NIBELUNGEN LIED THROUGH 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 In every great century known to history there has been 
 some wonderful visitation of genius to society, a genius 
 which has left all the beaten paths and led the thoughts of 
 the people in a direction wholly uulooked for. It is more 
 marvelous than a dream that in an age which prides it- 
 self on its inventions, its materialism, its physicality, a 
 great poem, for centuries almost forgotten, should come 
 forth like a world-spirit, from its abiding-place in the 
 libraries of antiquarians, and through the lips of a poet and 
 musician assert its right to overturn the table of the money- 
 changers and purify the temples. Such has been the des- 
 tiny of the Nibelungen Lied in Germany and in all civilized 
 countries. 
 
 Richard "Wagner, the poet, artist, and musician, whose 
 mission it was to be the medium through whom the Nibe-
 
 APPENDIX. 113 
 
 lungen Lied should once more sway the hearts of men and 
 elevate their lives, was born at Leipsic, May 23, 1813. 
 
 "His father," says George P. Upton in his Biographies 
 of the Musicians, "was superintendent of police, a post 
 which, owing to the constant movement of troops during 
 the French war, was one of special importance. He soon 
 fell a victim to an epidemic which broke out among the 
 troops passing through. The mother, a woman of a very 
 refined and spiritual nature, then married the highly gifted 
 actor, Ludwig Geyer, who had been an intimate friend of 
 the family, and removed with him to Dresden, where he 
 held a position at the court theater and was highly esteemed. 
 There Wagner spent his childhood and early youth. Be- 
 sides the great patriotic uprisings of the German people, 
 
 artistic impressions were the first to stir his soul 
 
 The step-father, during a sickness which overtook him, 
 heard Richard play two melodies. The boy heard him say 
 in an undertone : ' Can it be that he has a talent for music ?' 
 He had destined him to be an artist, being himself as good 
 a painter as he was an actor. He died, however, before the 
 boy had reached his seventh year, bequeathing to him only 
 the information imparted to his mother, that he ' would 
 have made something of him.' Wagner in the first sketch 
 of his life relates that for a long time he dwelt upon 
 this utterance of his step-father; and that it impelled him 
 to aspire for greatness. . . . The study of Greek, Latin, 
 mythology, and ancient history so completely captivated 
 the active mind of the boy that his teacher advised him 
 seriously to devote himself to philological studies. As he 
 had played music by imitation, so he now tried to imitate 
 poetry, A poem, dedicated to a dead school-mate, even 
 won a prize. . . . His richness of imagination and feel- 
 ing displayed itself in early youth. In his eleventh year he 
 would be a poet I A Saxon poet, Apel, imitated the Greek 
 tragedies, why should he not do the same ? He had already
 
 114 APPENDIX. 
 
 translated the first twelve books of Homer's Odyssey, and 
 had made a metrical version of Romeo's monologue, after 
 having, simply to understand Shakespeare, thoroughly ac- 
 quired a knowledge of English." Mr. Upton proceeds to 
 tell us of a grand tragedy based on Hamlet and King Lear 
 which the boy undertook to write, killing off forty-two of 
 his characters in the progress of the play, so that he was 
 obliged for want of persons to let their ghosts appear ; and 
 that this absurd attempt at poetry led him to music, where 
 he learned to appreciate the seriousness of art. He re- 
 solved to become a musician, and under the influence of the 
 symphonies of Beethoven composed both music and poetry. 
 Passing over his early life and work, the composition of 
 " Rienzi " and " Lohengrin," his marriage to Minna Planer, 
 and his struggles with poverty, we find him in the midst 
 of political entanglements. 
 
 Wagner gave an address to a political club in Di'esden, a 
 speech which was mild in tone but nevertheless provoked 
 the police authorities to give him a reprimand. Having 
 heard that they had issued a warrant for his arrest, he re- 
 tired to Weimar, where his friend, the musician Liszt, lived, 
 and the great composer welcomed him, and, hearing that his 
 arrest was ordered to take effect at once, escorted him part 
 way to Paris. Wagner hoped to find recognition in France 
 for his work, but failing to do so went to Switzerland, 
 where, amid the lakes and forests of the land of William 
 Tell, he composed his greatest works. 
 
 Wagner's musical creed was that the great musical error 
 of the world consisted in the fact that music, which was a 
 mere mode or form of expression, had become the end, 
 while the end of expression, the drama, had been made 
 the means. 
 
 The drama itself had been of no interest to the audience. 
 People had formed the habit of going to hear certain tunes 
 or melodies, solos or duets.
 
 APPENDIX. 115 
 
 Wagner taught that the theme, the great idea in the 
 drama, itself should be the center of interest, and that it 
 should be national in its character and should be based 
 upon and identified with the history of the people — that part 
 of their history which had been most poetic and ennobling. 
 The music itself should spring from the requirements of the 
 text and should explain and reinforce it. His desire was to 
 redeem the stage, to force it to leave its triviality and teach 
 the people only what was great and sincere. 
 
 Among the mountains of Switzerland he was still in the 
 depths of poverty, but he turned his thoughts continually 
 upon the riches of ancient legend and history and worked 
 to build up a national art. 
 
 It is doubtless true that he recognized in the story of 
 Siegfried more than its human and heroic side, namely, its 
 development from the solar phenomena ; for he says, in re- 
 lation to it, ' ' Man received his first impressions from sur- 
 rounding nature, and in it no effect is so strong as that of 
 light." 
 
 " Thus he begins," says Mr. Upton, " the ' Nibelungen' 
 of 1850. 
 
 " The day, the sun, appears as the very condition of life. 
 Praise and adoration are bestowed upon it in contrast with 
 the dark night which breeds terror. Thus light becomes 
 the cause of all existence, Father, God. The daybreak 
 appears as the victory of light, and naturally there grow 
 out of it at last moral impressions. This influence of 
 nature is the foundation of their conceptions of divinity, 
 the division into distinct religions depending upon the 
 character of different tribes. The tribal traditions of the 
 Franks, as the noblest type of Germans, has the advantage 
 of a steady development from its ancient origin into his- 
 toric life. ... As the day surrenders to the night and 
 summer is followed by winter, so Siegfried finally is con- 
 quered and the god is changed to mortal man. Now that
 
 116 APPENDIX. 
 
 he has fallen, he kindles in the human heart a deeper 
 sympathy." 
 
 Wagner's literary ability ; his innate delicacy and exqui- 
 site sensibilities ; his love for the Nibelungen ; his faith in 
 art, and his struggles to render it worthy of Germany in 
 spite of his poverty ; his hopes, disappointments, and vic- 
 tories, are all portrayed in his letters to his most faithful 
 friend, Liszt. 
 
 He says : ' ' The ' Rhinegold ' is done, but I also am done 
 for. ... It is with genuine despair that I always re- 
 sume art ; if I am to do this, if I am to dive into the waves 
 of artistic fancy in order to find contentment in a world of 
 imagination, my fancy should at least be buoyed up, my 
 imagination suj^ported. I cannot live like a dog; I cannot 
 sleep on straw and drink bad whiskey. I must be coaxed 
 in one way or another if my mind is to accomplish the ter- 
 ribly difficult task of creating a non-existing world. . , . 
 If I am to regain the faculty of holding out, something 
 must be done in the direction of sustaining my art; before 
 all, I must have money." 
 
 " Dearest friend, this suffering is becoming at last intol- 
 erable. Always to submit to things, never, even at the 
 risk of one's own perdition, to give a turn to the wheel of 
 suffering and to determine its direction — that must at last 
 arouse the meekest of men to revolt, I must now act, do 
 something. Again and again the thought comes to me of 
 retiring to some distant corner of the world, although I 
 know full well that this would mean only flight, not the 
 conquest of a new life, for I am too lonely. But I must at 
 least begin something that will make my life, such as it is, 
 sufficiently tolerable to enable me to devote myself to the 
 execution and completion of my work, which alone can 
 divert my thoughts and give me comfort. While here I 
 chew a beggar's crust, I hear from Boston that ' Wagner 
 nights ' are given there. Every one persuades me to come
 
 APPENDIX. 117 
 
 over ; they are occupying themselves with me with increas- 
 ing interest ; I might make much money there. ' Make 
 much money ! ' Heavens ! I don't want to make money 
 if I can only go the way shown me by art. My work is 
 truly the only thing which still ties me to the desire of life. 
 When I think of sacrifices and demand sacrifices, it is for 
 this work; in it alone I discover an object of my life. For 
 its sake I must hold out here, where I have got a foothold 
 and have settled down to work. ... So I sit down 
 again, cross my arms, and surrender myself to pure, unal- 
 loyed suffering. I can do nothing except create my Nibe- 
 lungen; and even that I am unable to do without great 
 and energetic help. . . . We do not respect the world. 
 Its honor, its glory, or by whatever name its shams may be 
 called, are nothing to us. It belongs to Alberich, to no one 
 else. . . . For the sake of that most beautiful of my 
 life-dreams. Young Siegfried, I shall have to finish the 
 Nibelungen pieces." 
 
 Ki chard Wagner died on the 13th of February, 1883, 
 having not only finished "the Nibelungen pieces," but 
 having seen them successfully put upon the stage. As his 
 body was conveyed along the Grand Canal to Bayreuth, the 
 magnificent funeral-march from Siegfried was performed 
 while a vast multitude of people moved in solemn proces- 
 sion. "Not only the German people, the German nation, 
 the whole world mourns to-day by the coffin of one of its 
 greatest sons," were the words of a director to his audience 
 at Aachen when the news of Wagner's death reached them. 
 
 "The Nibelungen pieces" are indeed finished and the 
 master is at rest. But the music and the poem sweep on, 
 gathering in strength and power. At Bayreuth, a little 
 town in Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany, a 
 magnificent theater was erected in 1876 at a cost of 300,000 
 thalers (about $225,000), under the direction of Wagner 
 himself and through the patronage of the king of Bavaria.
 
 118 APPENDIX. 
 
 Here great " Wagner festivals " are held as often as once 
 in four years under the supervision of Frau Wagner, tho 
 second vsrife of the great musician, also the daughter of 
 Liszt. A few notes from the New York Evening Post 
 written by a traveler in Germany who attended the festival 
 in August, 1891, will be of interest, since they give a graphic 
 idea of the extent of Wagner's influence. 
 
 " Apart from all considerations regarding the refined 
 pleasure and entertainment given by works of art, creative 
 genius has a ' practical ' value which our economists have 
 not perhaps sufficiently considered. Take the case of 
 Richard Wagner, who for more than forty years was abused, 
 slandered, misrepresented, and hunted down like a wild 
 beast by his countrymen, and see what he has done for 
 them. During the past year 883 performances of his operas 
 were given in 79 German cities, the list being headed by 
 Berlin (64), Munich (54), Dresden (51), Vienna (48), Ham- 
 burg (40), Bremen (39). Think of all the vast sums 
 these performances brought into the pockets of managers 
 (who could not exist to-day without Wagner), of singers, 
 players, costumers, scene-painters, photographers, printers ; 
 think of all the innumerable ramifications of trade con- 
 nected with such a complex organization as an opera-house, 
 and you must admit that Wagner was a national benefactor 
 of the first order, altogether apart from the value of his 
 works and the great name added to the nation's legion of 
 honor, which the Germans repudiated as long as possible, 
 much to the surprise of other nations who are proud of 
 their men of genius and do not either ignore them during 
 lifetime, or, if they protest against such treatment, try to 
 club them into submission and silence. 
 
 "The little Bavarian town of Bayreuth is notable, not 
 only as the place where Wagner's operas are given most 
 conscientiously just as their author intended them to be 
 given, but as the place where the practical value of operatic
 
 APPENDIX. 119 
 
 genius is made most evident. The fine buildings erected 
 by the brother-in-law of Frederick the Great more than a 
 century ago were growing gray with age, and no one ever 
 looked on them but the sleepy, stagnant population of the 
 town itself till 1876, when "Wagner brought royalty, genius 
 talent, curiosity, and envy to the place to hear his Nibe- 
 lung Tetralogy, in a theater specially built for the purpose. 
 
 " In many ways they have made great progress since 
 1876. The money which then flowed into the local coffers 
 encouraged the magistrates to build the very next year a 
 fine system of water-works at considerable expense, thus 
 adding much to the comfort and security of tourists. Many 
 new houses have been built, streets improved and named 
 after Wagner and his operas, and there is that general evi- 
 dence of prosperity which comes with ihe influx of about 
 2,000,000 marks every other year (apart from the prices paid 
 for tickets), which is .not a small sum for a town of 25,000. 
 In 1876 the population was only about 20,000, and this rapid 
 increase, after a century of stagnation, is entirely due to 
 the Wagner festivals." 
 
 All through that part of his life when the struggle was 
 hardest, Wagner had to bear the malicious spite of petty 
 editors and journalists who were bought wy) by the musi- 
 cian's jealous competitors for musical fame. But he out- 
 lived the ignominy, the scandals, the contempt, and left the 
 world to contemplate in him a character 
 
 "TOO HIGH FOR RIVALRY."
 
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