Gunther

“ Gunther is his name; a great King is he, and nothing will content him but to carry you back with him to the Rhine."
Queen Brunhild answered, "If he is the master and you the man, then let him know that he must match me in my games and conquer me. If he prevail, then will I be his wedded wife; but if I prevail, then must he die, he and you and all his comrades." Then spake Sir Hagen, "Lady, tell us now the games at which my master must contend; and know that you must strive full hard, if you would conquer him, for he has a full trust that he will win you for his bride." ”

“ And he added thereto a marvel, a deed of magic might,
That he bore in his leap King Gunther, by the power of the Hood of Night.
Lo, now is the great leap taken; behind on the earth lay the stone.
Gunther it was, the war-thane, whom men saw there alone.
Then the face of Brunhild the lovely with helpless anger burned.
—Lo, Siegfried from King Gunther the imminent death hath turned!
Then unto the host of her vassals Queen Brunhild looked, and she cried,
When she saw that hero standing safe on the lists’ far side:
“O ye my friends and liegemen, hitherward come straightway! ”

“ Until the King besought him, and thus did Gunther pray:
He said unto him: “For my love’s sake thitherward shouldst thou ride,
And withal for the sake of Kriemhild, the maiden lovely-eyed,
To the end that the royal maiden with me may requite thy pain.”
When heard was her name of Siegfried, the knight was exceeding fain.
“Lay on me what charge thou pleasest,” he answered, “all shall be done:
With joy shall it be accomplished for the sake of that lovely one
Whom I bear in my heart enshrinèd!—who am I, to deny or defer?
Even all that thou requirest will I perform for her.” ”

“ Gunther and Hagen, the fierce warriors, went hunting with false intent in the forest, to chase the boar, the bear, and the wild bull, with their sharp spears. What fitter sport for brave men?
Siegfried rode with them in kingly pomp. They took with them good store of meats. By a cool stream he lost his life, as Brunhild, King Gunther’s wife, had devised it.
But or he set out, and when the hunting-gear was laid ready on the sumpters that they were to take across the Rhine, he went to Kriemhild, that was right doleful of her cheer. He kissed his lady on the mouth. ”

“ That Hagen spake unto Gunther: “Lo now, if this woman endure
In life but a little longer, she shall win to her fealty
So great an array of champions, that in evil case shall we be.”
Answered and spake King Gunther: “Her own is the treasure, I trow.
What have I to do to hinder? Let her hands as she will bestow.
Hardly I won her pardon for that first wrong that I wrought.
Let her share as she will her silver and her gold; unto me is it nought.”
To the King made answer Hagen: “Who suffers a woman to rule—
Be she who she may—such a treasure, of a surety he is but a fool. ”

“ And he spake, and he prayed King Gunther the cause thereof to declare.
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“Exceeding sorely I marvel,” the hero Siegfried said,
“Wherefore thine olden joyance this day is utterly fled,
The gracious cheer that aforetime made the hearts that love thee light.”
Answered and spake to him Gunther, that royal-goodly knight:
“In sooth may I suffer not all men in my sorrow of soul to have part:
I must keep my grief deep-hidden, I must bear it alone in mine heart:
Unto tried friends only and steadfast may a man unveil his pain.” ”

“ Gunther, mighty king, why have ye so acted against me, banished man? What have I done to you? I stand alone, bereft of all my comfort. Ye thought it not enow of bitter need, when ye did kill Knight Rudeger, our friend. Now ye have robbed me of all my men. Forsooth I never had wrought you heroes sorrow such as this. Think on yourselves and on your wrongs. Doth not the death of your kinsmen and all the hardship grieve the minds of you good knights? Alas, what great dole Rudeger's death doth give me! Never in all the world hath more of sorrow happed to any man. ”

“ Gunther held out his hand in welcome:
"Come thou in friendship, Siegfried," he begged; and Siegfried gave Grane's bridle into Hagen's hand.
"Care well for the horse, Hagen; for it is of the mightiest strain ever known, and dear to me as my eyes; but how do you know my name?" he asked curiously of Gunther.
"Thou hast the appearance of that bold knight of whom all have heard. There can be no braver in the world, and if thou art not he I know not who thou art," Gunther answered, and, unseen by Siegfried, he motioned his sister to leave the hall before they entered it. ”

“ Twelve brave and valiant men-at-arms could scarcely bear it. This she threw at all times, when she had shot the spear. The Burgundians' fear now grew amain.
"Woe is me," cried Hagen. "Whom hath King Gunther chosen for a love? Certes she should be the foul fiend's bride in hell."
Upon her fair white arm the maid turned back her sleeves; with her hands she grasped the shield and poised the spear on high. Thus the strife began. Gunther and Siegfried feared Brunhild's hate, and had Siegfried not come to Gunther's aid, she would have bereft the king of life. ”

“ Then Giselher to meet them, the young Prince, hied him with speed:
Came Gernot beside him, his brother, and in eager haste he cried,
When he marked how no King Gunther was there by Siegfried’s side:
“Now welcome to thee, Lord Siegfried! I beseech thee, tell this thing,
Where left ye in your departing my brother, Gunther the King?
The mighty strength of Brunhild, I fear me, hath reft him from us;
So for us should his princely wooing have issue dolorous.”
“Cast to the winds your foreboding: to you and to all true friends
My noble comrade in emprise his loving service sends. ”

“ Vassals! Come! Hither come ye with your arms!" he shouted, blowing again a sharp blast upon the horn. In response the warriors of Gunther began to pour from the hall, and to run in great excitement to the river-bank.
"What do we gather for? Whom shall we fight? Is our Lord, Gunther, in danger?"
"He comes hither with a Valkyrie maid, and ye are to make sacrifices to the Gods. Kill ye a boar for Froh, a goat for Donner, and for Fricka kill a sheep. After ye have done those things, take the drinking horns and drink yourselves drunk in honour of the Gods." ”

“ Cried they: "Well is thy friendship / in burgh and country known
By sorrow of thy making. / Gladly had we foregone
The pleasure of thy coming / from Worms across the Rhine.
Our country hast thou orphaned, / thou and brother eke of thine."
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In angry mood King Gunther / unto them replied:
"An ye this mighty hatred / appeased would lay aside,
Borne 'gainst us knights here homeless, / to both a gain it were
For Etzel's wrath against us / we in sooth no guilt do bear." ”

“ King Gunther purposed in his heart to marry a wife. No daughter of his own land would he woo, though there were many fair maidens in the Rhineland. But there came to him tidings of a Queen that dwelt beyond the sea; not to be matched was she for beauty, nor had she any peer for strength. Her love she proffered to any warrior who could vanquish her at three games, hurling of the spear, and putting the stone, and leaping. But if the suitor himself should be vanquished, then must he lose his head. Such were the conditions of her wooing, and many brave warriors had died for her. ”

“ A great rout of joy and pleasure was daily seen in front of Gunther's hall, without and eke within, from many a daring man. Ortwin and Hagen began to do great marvels. Whatever any wished to play, these lusty knights were fully ready; thus they became well known to all the guests and so the whole of Gunther's land was decked with honor. Those who had lain wounded were now seen coming forth; they, too, would fain have pastime with the troop and guard themselves with bucklers and hurl the shaft. Enow there were to help them, for there was great store of men. ”

“ There was a frightful outcry then from all, and Gunther, remembering the truth, knowing that Siegfried had been betrayed by magic, and had believed himself to be serving Gunther without harm, felt remorse and knelt beside the body. Hagen turned away and went into the hills, while the vassals gathered about, prepared to take the body to the hall of the Gibichungs. As the funeral procession moved off, to the measure of wonderful music, the moon rose, its light flooded all the valley, and touched the corpse. ”

“ Slade was not offended by the rebuff. Holding most men in antagonism, he had conceived a violent admiration for Gunther and as he was the man above all others whom he wished to impress, he imitated his taciturnity, turning his imagination on the probable groups behind the three double doors, which once had closed on a famous conspiracy in a palace of turbulent medieval Florence.
Gunther at this moment was probably the most powerful personal force in the United States, and, what was more extraordinary, in an era of public antipathy to its newly created magnates, enjoyed universal respect. ”

“ The two valiant knights, Hagen of Trony and Sir Dietrich, parted, and Gunther’s man looked back for a comrade that he soon espied. He saw Folker, the cunning fiddler, by Giselher, and bade him come with him, for well he knew his grim mood. He was in all things a warrior bold and good.
The knights still stood in the court. These two alone were seen crossing the yard to a large hall at a distance. They feared no man. They sat down before the house, on a bench opposite Kriemhild’s chamber. Their goodly apparel shone bright on their bodies. ”

“ The rough warriors break into laughter, and in uncouth jollity stamp with their feet and spear-butts. "Great good fortune is indeed abroad on the Rhine when Hagen the grim grows jovial!" Not the faintest smile illumines the bleak face. At sight of Gunther's skiff approaching, he checks the men's laughter. Moving among them, with careful foresight he drops seed toward fruits of trouble: "Be loyal to your sovereign mistress, serve her faithfully; if she should suffer wrong, be swift to avenge her!" ”

“ Made answer to him King Gunther: “Of a truth good counsel is this;
And to send as our tidings-bearer were none so meet, I wis,
As thou thyself, friend Hagen; thou unto my land ride on.
Our royal journey may no man better than thou make known.”
“Now nay, Lord King, of heralds nowise the best should I be.
Let me as thy treasure-warder tarry still on the sea:
Here will I bide with the women, and guard their costly array
Till unto the land Burgundian we have brought them on their way.
Not so; pray rather Siegfried to bear this message for thee:
Well can he do thine errand with wisdom and courtesy. ”

“ With all their fellowship they hied them to the hall, where they found the king and with him many a valiant man. The lords rose from their seats; through their great chivalry this was done. How right courteously he met the messengers! Gunther and Gernot greeted the stranger and his vassals warmly, as was his due. He took the good knight Rudeger by the hand and led him to the seat where he sat himself. Men bade pour out for the guests (full gladly this was done) passing good mead and the best of wine that one might find in the land along the Rhine. ”

“ Now Gunther liked not the idea of another man being braver than he. But he only said, "I should like much to see the fair Brunhilde; but if I could not pierce the flame, how could I persuade Siegfried to do so in my stead, seeing this is his own quest?" ”

“ Farraday would watch her from another room, or talk with her in his slow, kind way, and Wallace always drew her into his absurd games or his sessions at the piano. But Gunther neither watched nor chattered, he simply was, seeming to draw a silent and complete satisfaction from her nearness. Of the men he took only cursory notice, talking sometimes with Stefan on art, or with Farraday on life, but never seeking their society.
Indoors Gunther seemed negative, outdoors he became godlike. The Elliots possessed a little Norwegian sleigh they had brought from Europe. ”

“ So he dies as he had lived, joyous and unafraid, the curse, while having its way with him to the extent of securing his destruction, crippled as ever before, when the death by which it would punish is embraced like a bride.
For a long moment all stand motionless and heavily silent. It really seems impossible that a spear-thrust could extinguish that glowing,—that superabundant,—that splendid life. Night deepens. At a sign from Gunther, the men lift the dead, laid upon his shield, to their shoulders, and in solemn procession start upon the rocky path homeward. ”

“ The king gained full many a one with willing mood. Then Hagen of Troneg bade his brother Dankwart lead eighty of their warriors to the Rhine. In knightly guise they came; these doughty men took with them harness and trappings into Gunther's land. Then came bold Folker, a noble minstrel he, with thirty of his men for the journey to Kriemhild's court. They had clothing such as a king might wear. Gunther bade make known, he would to the Hunnish land. I'll do you now to wit who Folker was. He was a noble lord, the liege of many doughty knights in Burgundy. ”

“ Wherefore for good cause ever glad heart and proud is mine.”
But again made answer Brunhild: “Be he goodly as ye will,
And stately and noble-hearted, one standeth above him still,
Gunther, the flower of knighthood, thine high-born brother: in sooth,
High stands he above all earth-kings, and this thou knowest for truth.”
But again made answer Kriemhild: “My lord is of such high worth,
That with fullest right have I praised him for the mightiest man on earth.
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In many a thing is he worthy of honour’s chiefest meed.
Doth thine heart not tell thee, Brunhild, he is Gunther’s peer indeed?” ”