Legends of the middle ages, narrated with special reference to literature and art

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CORONATION OF CHARLEMAGNE.— L^vy.

Legends of the middle ages

NARRATED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
LITERATURE AND ART

BY

AUTHOR OF "myths OF GREECE AND ROME,'' " MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS,"
"CONTES ET LEGENDES."

" Saddle the Hippogriffs, ye Muses nine.
And straight ua^U ride to the land of old Romance .*'

WiEI-AND.

NEW YORK • : • CINCINNATI • : • CHICAGO

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

Copyright, 1896, by
American Book Company.

LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
B — P2

<J^

DEDICATED
TO MY SISTER,

ADfiLE E. GUERBER,

" Men lykyn jestis for to here,
And romans rede in diuers manere

" Of Brute that baron bold of hond,
The first conqueroure of Englond ;
Of kyng Artour that was so riche,
Was non in his tyme him Uche.

" How kyng CharUs and Rowlond fawght
With sarzyns nold they be cawght ;
Of Tristrem and of Ysoude the swete,
How tney with love first gan mete;

" Stories of diuerce thynggis,
Of pryncis, prelatis, and of kynggis ;
Many songgis of diuers ryme,
As english, frensh, and latyne."

Cursor Mundi.

PREFACE.

THE object of this work is to familiarize young students with
the legends which form the staple of mediaeval literature.

While they may owe more than is apparent at first sight to the
classical writings of the palmy days of Greece and Rome, these
legends are very characteristic of the people who told them, and
they are the best exponents of the customs, manners, and beliefs
of the time to which they belong. They have been repeated in
poetry and prose with endless variations, and some of our greatest
modem writers have deemed them worthy of a new dress, as is
seen in Tennyson's " Idyls of the King," Goethe's " Reineke
Fuchs," Tegn6r's " Frithiof Saga," Wieland's " Oberon," Morris's
" Story of Sigurd," and many shorter works by these and less
noted writers.

These mediaeval legends form a sort of literary quarry, from
which, consciously or unconsciously, each writer takes some
stones wherewith to build his own edifice. Many allusions in the
literature of our own day lose much of their force simply because
these legends are not available to the general reader.

It is the aim of this volume to bring them within reach of all,
and to condense them so that they may readily be understood.
Of course in so limited a space only an outline of each legend
can be given, with a few short quotations from ancient and modern
writings to illustrate the style of the poem in which they are em-
bodied, or to lend additional force to some point in the story.

This book is, therefore, not a manual of mediasval literature,

S

6 PREFACE.

or a series of critical essays, but rather a synopsis of some of
the epics and romances which formed the main part of the cul-
ture of those days. Very httle prominence has been given to
the obscure early versions, all disquisitions have been carefully
avoided, and explanations have been given only where they .
seemed essential.

The wealth and variety of imagination displayed in these leg-
ends will, I hope, prove that the epoch to which they belong has
been greatly mahgned by the term " dark ages," often appUed to it.
Such was the favor which the legendary style of composition
enjoyed with our ancestors that several of the poems analyzed
in this volume were among the first books printed for general
circulation in Europe.

Previous to the invention of printing, however, they were famil-
iar to rich and poor, thanks to the scalds, bards, trouveres, trou-
badours, minstrels, and minnesingers, who, like the rhapsodists
of Greece, spent their lives in wandering from place to place,
relating or reciting these tales to all they met in castle, cottage,
and inn.

A chapter on the Romance literature of the period in the differ-
ent countries of Europe, and a complete index, will, it is hoped,
fit this volume for handy reference in schools and libraries, where
the author trusts it may soon find its own place and win a warm
welcome.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. Beowulf 9

II. GuDRUN 22

III. Reynard the Fox 35

IV. The NiBELUNGENLlED 53

v; Langobardian Cycle of Myths 86

VI.^The Amblings loo

VII.'^Dietrich von Bern no

VIII. Charlemagne and his Paladins .... 129

IX. The Sons of Aymon 152

X. HuoN OF Bordeaux ....... 163

XI. Titurel and the Holy Grail 182

XII. Merlin 204

XIII. The Round Table 214

XIV. Tristan and Iseult 234

XV. The Story of Frithiof 246

XVI. Ragnar Lodbrok 269

XVII. The Cid 282

XVIII. General Survey of Romance Literature . . 301

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Coronation of Charlemagne— L6vy Frontispiece

Funeral of a Northern Chief — Cormon To face page i8

GuDRUN AND THE SwAN— Kepler " 31

Brown the Bear caught in the Log— Wagner. . . " 40

Reynard preparing for Battle— Kaulbach " 51

Gunther winning his Bride— Keller " 60

Siegfried's Body borne home by the Huntsmen

— Pixis " 71

AsPRiAN SLAYING THE LiON— Keller " 90

FaLKE KILLS THE GlANT— Keller " 112

The Victorious Huns— Checa " 121

The Tomb of Theodoric " 128

The Death of Roland— Keller " 145

HUGN BEFORE THE PoPE— Gabriel Max " 164

HuON and Amanda leap overboard— Gabriel Max " 175

Parzival uncovering the Holy Grail— Pixis .... " 189

Arrival of Lohengrin— Pixis " 203

The Beguiling of Merlin— Burne-Jones " 212

Sir Lancelot du Lac— Sir John Gilbert . " 220

Elaine— Rosenthal " 228

Iseult signals Tristan— Pixis " 242

The Lovers at Balder's Shrine— Kepler " 256

Frithiof at the Court of King Ring— Kepler. . . " 264

Strategy of Hastings— Keller " 277

The Cid's Last Victory— Rochegrosse " 299

LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

CHAPTER I.

BEOWULF.

" List ! we have learnt a tale of other years,
Of kings and warrior Danes, a wondrous tale.
How Eethelings bore them in the brunt of war.''

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

The most ancient relic of literature of the spoken languages
of modem Europe is undoubtedly the epic poem "Beowulf,"
which is supposed to have been composed by the Anglo-Saxons
previous to their invasion of England. Although the poem prob-
ably belongs to the fifth century, the only existing manuscript is
said to date from the ninth or tenth century.

This curious work, in rude alliterative verse (for rhyme was in-
troduced in England only after the Norman Conquest), is the
most valuable old English manuscript in the British Museum.
Although much damaged by fire, it has been carefully studied by
learned men. They have patiently restored the poem, the story
of which is as follows :

Hrothgar (the modern Roger), King of Denmark, was a de-
scendant of Odin, being the third monarch of the celebrated
dynasty of the Skioldungs. They proudly traced origin of the
their ancestry to Skeaf, or Skiold, Odin's son, who Skioldungs.
mysteriously drifted to their shores. He was then but an infant,
and lay in the middle of a boat, on a sheaf of ripe wheat, sur-
rounded by priceless weapons and jewels. As the people were

9

10 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

seeking for a ruler, they immediately recognized the hand of
Odin in this mysterious advent, proclaimed the child king, and
obeyed him loyally as long as he Uved. When he felt death
draw near, Skeaf, or Skiold, ordered a vessel to be prepared, lay
down in the midst on a sheaf of grain or on a funeral pyre, and
drifted out into the wide ocean, disappearing as mysteriously as
he had come.

Such being his lineage, it is no wonder that Hrothgar became a

mighty chief; and as he had amassed much wealth in the cotirse

Construction of ^ long Hfc of warfare, he resolved to devote part

of Heorot. gf it to the Construction of a magnificent hall, called

Heorot, where he might feast his retainers and listen to the heroic

lays of the scalds during the long winter evenings.

" A hall of mead, such as for space and state
The elder time ne'er boasted ; there with free
And princely hand he might dispense to all
(Save the rude crowd and men of evil minds)
The good he held from Heaven. That gallant work.
Full well I wot, through many a land was known
Of festal halls the brightest and the best."

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

The inauguration of this hall was celebrated by a sumptuous
entertainment; and when all the guests had retired, the king's
bodyguard, composed of thirty-two dauntless warriors, lay down
in the hall to rest. When morning dawned, and the servants
appeared to remove the couches, they beheld with horror the
floor and walls all stained with blood, the only trace of the knights
who had gone to rest there in full armor.

Gigantic, blood-stained footsteps, leading directly from the fes-
tive hall to the sluggish waters of a deep mountain lake, or fiord,
The monster fumished the only clew to their disappearance.
Grendei. Hrothgar, the king, beholding these, declared that
they had been made by Grendei, a descendant of the giants,
whom a magician had driven out of the country, but who had
evidently returned to renew his former depredations.

BEOWULF.

' A haunter of marshes, a holder of moors.

Secret
The land he inhabits ; dark, wolf-haunted ways
Of the windy hillside, by the treacherous tarn;
Or where, covered up in its mist, the hill stream
Downward flows."

Beowulf CKc^ry^s tr.).

As Hrothgar was now too old to wield a sword with his former
skill, his first impulse was, of course, to offer a princely reward
to any man brave enough to free the country of this terrible
scourge. As soon as this was known ten of his doughtiest
knights volunteered to camp in the hall on the following
night, and attack the monster Grendel should he venture to
reappear.

But in spite of the valor of these experienced warriors, and of
the efficacy of their oft-tried weapons, they too succumbed. A
minstrel, hiding in a dark corner of the hall, was the only one
who escaped Grendel's fury, and after shudderingly describing
the massacre he had witnessed, he fled in terror to the kingdom
of the Geates (Jutes or Goths). There he sang his lays in the
presence of Hygelac, the king, and of his nephew Beowulf (the
Bee Hunter), and roused their deepest interest by describing the
visit of Grendel and the vain but heroic defense of the brave
knights. Beowulf, having listened intently, eagerly questioned
the scald, and, learning from him that the monster still haunted
those regions, impetuously declared his intention to visit Hroth-
gar's kingdom, and show his valor by fighting and, if possible,
slaying Grendel.

" He was of mankind
In might the strongest,
At that day
Of this life,
Noble and stalwart.
He bade him a sea ship,
A goodly one, prepare.

12 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Quoth he, the war king,
Over the swan's road.
Seek he would
The mighty monarch,
Since he wanted men."

^^(?a/«^ (Longfellow's tr,).

Although very young, Beowulf was quite distinguished, and had
already won great honors in a batde against the Swedes. He had
Beowulf and ^Iso proved his endurance by entering into a swim-
Breka. xcivag match with Breka, one of the lords at his
uncle's court. The two champions had started out, sword in
hand and fully armed, and, after swimming in concert for five
whole days, they were parted by a great tempest.

" Then were we twain there on the sea
Space of five nights, till the floods severed us,
The welling waves. Coldest of weathers.
Shadowy night, and the north wind
Battelous shocked on us ; wild were the waters.
And were the mere-fishes stirred up in mind."

Beowulf.

Breka was driven ashore, but the current bore Beowulf toward
some jagged cliffs, where he desperately clung, trying to resist the
fury of the waves, and using his sword to ward off the attacks of
hostile mermaids, nicors (nixies), and other sea monsters. The
gashed bodies of these slain foes soon drifted ashore, to Hygelac's
amazement ; but when Beowulf suddenly reappeared and explained
that they had fallen by his hand, his joy knew no bounds. As
Breka had returned first, he received the prize for swimming ; but
the king gave Beowulf his treasured sword, Nageling, and praised
him publicly for his valor.

Beowulf had successfully encountered these monsters of the
deep in the roaring tide, so he now expressed a hope that he
might prevail against Grendel also ; and embarking with fourteen
chosen men, he sailed to Denmark, where he was challenged by

BEOWULF. 13

the coast guard and warmly welcomed as soon as he had made
his purpose known.

" 'What men are ye,

War gear wearing,

Host in harness.

Who thus the brown keel

Over the water street

Leading, come

Hither over the sea ? ' "

Beowulf (Longfellow's tr.).

Hrothgar received Beowulf most hospitably, but vainly tried to
dissuade him from his perilous undertaking. Then, after a sump-
tuous banquet, where the mead flowed with true northern lavish-
ness, Hrothgar and his suite sadly left the hall Heorot in charge
of the brave band of strangers, whom they never expected to see
again.

As soon as the king had departed, Beowulf bade his companions
lie down and sleep in peace, promising to watch over them, yet
laying aside both armor and sword ; for he knew Beowulf and
that weapons were of no avail against the monster, Grendei.
whom he intended to grapple with hand to hand should it really
appear.

" ' I have heard
That that foul miscreant's dark and stubborn flesh
Recks not the force of arms : — such I forswear,
Nor sword nor burnish'd shield of ample round
Ask for the war ; all weaponless, hand to hand
(So may great Higelac's smile repay my toil)
Beowulf will grapple with the mighty foe.' "

^^owK^ (Conybeare's tr.).

The warriors had no sooner stretched themselves out upon the
benches in the hall than, overcome by the oppressive air as well
as by mead, they sank into a profound sleep. Beowulf alone re-
mained awake, watching for Grendel's coming. In the early
morning, when all was very still, the giant appeared, tore asun-

14 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

der the iron bolts and bars which secured the door, and striding
into the hall, enveloped in a long, damp mantle of clammy mist,
he pounced upon one of the sleepers. He tore him limb from
Hmb, greedily drank his blood, and devoured his flesh, leaving
naught but the head, hands, and feet of his unhappy victim.
This ghastly repast only whetted the fiend's ravenous appetite,
however, so he eagerly stretched out his hands in the darkness to
seize and devour another warrior. Imagine his surprise and dis-
may when he suddenly found his hand caught in so powerful a
grasp that all his efforts could not wrench it free!

Grendel and Beowulf struggled in the darkness, overturning
tables and couches, shaking the great hall to its very foundations,
and causing the walls to creak and groan under the violence of
their furious blows. But in spite of Grendel's gigantic stature,
Beowulf clung so fast to the hand and arm he had grasped that
Grendel, making a desperate effort to free himself by a jerk, tore
the whole limb out of its socket ! Bleeding and mortally wounded,
he then beat a hasty retreat to his marshy den, leaving a long,
bloody trail behind him.

" Soon the dark wanderer's ample shoulder bore
A gaping wound, each starting sinew crack'd.
And from its socket loosed the strong-knit joint. —
The victory was with Beowulf, and the foe.
Howling and sick at heart, fled as he might,
To seek beneath the mountain shroud of mist
His joyless home ; for well he knew the day
Of death was on him, and his doom was seal'd."

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

As for Beowulf, exhausted but triumphant, he stood in the mid-
dle of the hall, where his companions crowded around him, gazing
in speechless awe at the mighty hand and limb, and the clawlike
fingers, far harder than steel, which no power had hitherto been
able to resist.

At dawn Hrothgar and his subjects also appeared. They heard
with wonder a graphic account of the night's adventures, and

BEOWULF.

15

gazed their fill upon the monster's limb, which hung like a trophy
from the ceiling of Heorot. After the king had warmly congratu-
lated Beowulf, and bestowed upon him many rich gifts, he gave
orders to cleanse the hall, to hang it with tapestry, and to prepare
a banquet in honor of the conquering hero.

While the men were feasting, listening to the lays of the scalds,
and carrying the usual toasts, Wealtheow, Hrothgar's beauti-
ful wife, the Queen of Denmark, appeared. She
pledged Beowulf in a cup of wine, wHich he gal- ored by the
lantly drained after she had touched it to her lips. ''"^^""
Then she bestowed upon him a costly necklace (the famous
Brisinga-men, according to some authorities) 1 and a ring of the
finest gold.

" ' Wear these,' she cried, ' since thou hast in the fight
So borne thyself, that wide as ocean rolls
Round our wind-beaten cliffs his brimming waves,
All gallant souls shall speak thy eulogy.' "

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

When the banquet was ended, Hrothgar escorted his guests to
more pleasant sleeping apartments than they had occupied the
night before, leaving his own men to guard the hall, where Gren-
del would never again appear. The warriors, fearing no danger,
slept in peace ; but in the dead of night the mother of the giant,
as grewsome and uncanny a monster as he, glided into the hall,
secured the bloody trophy still hanging from the ceiling, and car-
ried it away, together with -(Eschere (Askher), the king's bosom
friend.

When Hrothgar learned this new loss at early dawn he was
overcome with grief ; and when Beowulf, attracted by the sound
of weeping, appeared at his side, he moi-u-nfully told him of his
irretrievable loss.

" 'Ask not after happiness;
Sorrow is renewed
To the Danes' people.

1 See Guerber's Myths of Northern Lands, p. 127.

i6 LEGENDS OF TBE MIDDLE AGES.

^schere is dead,

Yrmenlaf 's

Elder brother,

The partaker of my secrets

And my counselor,

Who stood at my elbow

When we in battle

Our mail hoods defended,

When troops rushed together

And boar crests crashed.' "

^££7OT7/^ (Metcalfe's tr.).

The young hero immediately volunteered to finish his work

and avenge ^schere by seeking and attacking Grendel's mother

in her own retreat ; but as he knew the perils of

Beowulf and . .. -,,. n i-'j*

Grendel's this expedition, Beowulf first gave explicit direc-
mother. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ disposal of his personal property in
case he never returned. Then, escorted by the Danes and Geates,
he followed the bloody track until he came to a cliff overhanging
the waters of the mountain pool. There the bloody traces ceased,
but ^Scheie's gory head was placed aloft as a trophy.

" Now paused they sudden where the pine grove clad
The hoar rock's brow, a dark and joyless shade.
Troublous and blood-stain'd roU'd the stream below.
Sorrow and dread were on the Scylding's host,
In each man's breast deep working ; for they saw
On that rude cliff young ^schere's mangled head."

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

Beowulf gazed down into the deep waters, saw that they also
were darkly dyed with the monster's blood, and, after taking leave
of Hrothgar, bade his men await his return for two whole days
and nights ere they definitely gave him up for lost. He then
plunged bravely into the bloody waters, swam about seeking for
the monster's retreat, and dived deep. At last, descrying a phos-
phorescent gleam in the depths, he quickly made his way thither,
shrewdly conjecturing that it must be Grendel's hiding place. But

BEOWULF. 17

on his way thither he was repeatedly obliged to have recourse to his
sword to defend himself against the clutches of countless hideous
sea monsters which came rushing toward him on all sides.

" While thro' crystal gulfs were gleaming
Ocean depths, with wonders teeming;
Shapes of terror, huge, unsightly,
Loom'd thro' vaulted roof translucent."

J. C. Jones, Valhalla.

A Strong current seized Beowulf, and swept him irresistibly
along into the slimy retreat of Grendel's mother. She clutched
him fast, wrestled with him, deprived him of his sword, flung him
down, and finally tried to pierce his armor with her trenchant
knife. Fortunately, however, the hero's armor was weapon-proof,
and his muscles were so strong that before she could do him any
harm he had freed himself from her grasp. Seizing a large sword
hanging upon a projection of rock near by, he dealt her a mighty
blow, severing her head from the trunk at a single stroke. The
blood pouring out of the cave mingled with the waters without,
and turned them to such a lurid hue that Hrothgar and his men
sorrowfully departed, leaving the Geates alone to watch for the
return of the hero, whom they feared they would never see again.

Beowulf, in the mean while, had rushed to the rear of the cave,
where, finding Grendel in the last throes, he cut off his head also.
He seized this ghastly trophy and rapidly made his way up
through the tainted waters, which the fiery blood of the two mon-
sters had so overheated that his sword melted in its scabbard and
naught but the hilt remained.

" That stout sword of proof.
Its warrior task fulfiU'd, dropp'd to the ground
(So work'd the venom of the felon's blood)
A molten mass."

Beowulf {CoTiyhtax^^ 5 tr.).

The Geates were about to depart in sorrow, notwithstanding
the orders they had received, when they suddenly beheld their

1 8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

beloved chief safe and sound, and bearing the evidences of his
success. Then their cries of joy echoed and reechoed from the
neighboring hills, and Beowulf was escorted back to Heorot, where
he was almost overwhelmed with gifts by the grateful Danes. A
few days later Beowulf and his companions returned home, where
the story of their adventures, and an exhibition of all the treas-
ures they had won, formed the principal topics of conversation.

Several years of comparative peace ensued, ere the land was
invaded by the Friesians, who raided the coast, burning and plun-

Death of dering all in their way, and retreated into their ships

Hygeiac. before Hygelac or Beowulf could overtake and
punish them. The immediate result of this invasion was a coun-
ter-movement on Hygelac's part. But although he successfully
harried Friesland, he fell into an ambush just as he was about
to leave the country, and was cruelly slain, his nephew Beowulf
barely escaping a similar untoward fate.

When the little army of the Geates reached home once more,
they either buried or consumed Hygelac's remains, with his
Weapons and battle steed, as was customary in the North. This
ceremony ended. Queen Hygd, overwhelmed with grief, and fear-
ing the almost inevitable dissensions arising during the long mi-
nority of an infant king, convened the popular assembly known as
the Thing, and bade the people set her own child's claims aside
in favor of Beowulf. This proposal was hailed with enthusiasm ;
but Beowulf refused to usurp his kinsman's throne, and raising
Hardred, Hygelac's infant son, upon his shield, he declared that
he would protect and uphold him as long as he lived. The people,
following his example, swore fealty to the new king, and faith-
fully kept this oath until he died.

Hardred, having attained his majority, ruled wisely and well ;
but his career was cut short by the sons of Othere, the discoverer
of the North Cape. These youths had rebelled against their
father's authority and taken refuge at Hardred's coiu't ; but when
the latter advised a reconciliation, the eldest youth angrily drew
his sword and slew him.

FUNERAL OF A NORTHERN CHIEF. — Cormon.

BEOWULF. 19

This crime was avenged, with true northern promptitude, by
Wiglaf, one of the king's followers ; and while the second youth
effected an escape, Beowulf was summoned by the Beowulf made
Thing to accept the now vacant throne. As there "''"e-

were none to dispute his claims, the hero no longer refused to
rule, and he bravely defended his kingdom against Eadgils,
Othere's second son. Eadgils was now king of Sweden, and
came with an armed host to avenge his brother's death ; but he
only succeeded in losing his own life.

A reign of forty years of comparative peace brought Beowulf
to extreme old age. He had naturally lost much of his former
vigor, and was therefore somewhat dismayed when a terrible,
fire-breathing dragon took up its abode in the mountains near
by, where it gloated over a hoard of glittering gold.

" The ranger of the darksome night,
The Firedrake, came."

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

A fugitive slave, having made his way unseen into the monster's
den during one of its temporary absences, bore away a small por-
tion of this gold. On its return the Firedrake dis-

, , , , , , . . , . The Firedrake.

covered the theft, and became so furious that its
howling and writhing shook the mountain like an earthquake.
When night came on its rage was still unappeased, and it flew all
over the land, vomiting venom and flames, setting houses and
crops afire, and causing so much damage that the people were
almost beside themselves with terror. Seeing that all their at-
tempts to appease the dragon were utterly fruitless, and being
afraid to attack it in its lair, they finally implored Beowulf to
deliver them as he had delivered the Danes, and to slay this op-
pressor, which was even worse than the terrible Grendel.

Such an appeal could not be disregarded, and in spite of his
advanced years Beowulf donned his armor once more. Accom-
panied by Wiglaf and eleven of his bravest men, he then went
out to seek the monster in its lair. At the entrance of the moun-

2 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

tain gorge Beowulf bade his followers pause, and advancing alone
to the monster's den, he boldly challenged it to come forth and
begin the fray. A moment later the mountain shook as the mon-
ster rushed out breathing fire and flame, and Beowulf felt the first
gust of its hot breath, even through his massive shield.

" First from his lair
Shaking firm earth, and vomiting as he strode
A foul and fiery blast, the monster came."

Beowulf (Conybeare's tr.).

A desperate struggle followed, in the course of which Beowulf's
sword and strength both failed him. The Firedrake coiled its
long, scaly folds about the aged hero, and was about to crush him
to death when the faithful Wiglaf, perceiving his master's immi-
nent danger, sprang forward and attacked the monster so fiercely
as to cause a diversion and make it drop Beowulf to concentrate
its attention upon him.

Beowulf, recovering, then drew his dagger and soon put an end
to the dragon's Ufe ; but even as it breathed its last the hero sank
fainting to the ground. Feeling that his end was near, he warmly
thanked Wiglaf for his timely aid, rejoiced in the death of the
monster, and bade his faithful follower bring out the concealed
treasure and lay it at his feet, that he might feast his eyes upon
the ghttering gold he had won for his people's use.

" Saw then the bold thane
Treasure jewels many,
Glittering gold
Heavy on the ground.
Wonders in the mound
And the worm's den,
The old twilight flier's.
Bowls standing ;
Vessels of men of yore,
With the mountings fall'n off.
There was many a helm
Old and rusty,

BEOWULF. 21

Armlets many

Cunningly fastened.

He also saw hang heavily

An ensign all golden

High o'er the hoard,

Of hand wonders greatest,

Wrought by spells of song,

From which shot a hght

So that he the ground surface

Might perceive.

The wonders overscan."

The mighty treasure was all brought forth to the light of day,
and the followers, seeing that all danger was over, crowded round
their dying chief. He addressed them affection- Death of
ately, and, after recapitulating the main events of Beowulf,
his career, expressed a desire to be buried in a mighty mound on
a projecting headland, which could be seen far out at sea, and
would be called by his name.

" ' And now.

Short while I tarry here — when I am gone,

Bid them upon yon headland's summit rear

A lofty mound, by Rona's seagirt cliff;

So shall my people hold to after times

Their chieftain's memory, and the mariners

That drive afar to sea, oft as they pass.

Shall point to Beowulf's tomb.' "

Beowulf (^o'a^h&sx^ s tn).

These directions were all piously carried out by a mourning
people, who decked his mound with the gold he had won, and
erected above it a Bauta, or memorial stone, to show how dearly
they had loved their brave king Beowulf, who had died to save
them from the fury of the dragon.

CHAPTER II.

GUDRUN.

Maximilian I., Emperor of Germany, rendered a great service
to posterity by ordering that copies of many of the ancient na-
tional manuscripts should be made. These copies were placed
in the imperial library at Vienna, where, after several centuries
of almost complete neglect, they were discovered by lovers of
early literatxu-e, in a very satisfactory state of preservation. These
manuscripts then excited the interest of learned men, who not
only found therein a record of the past, but gems of literature
which are only now beginning to receive the appreciation they
deserve.

Among these manuscripts is the poem " Gudrun," belonging to
the twelfth or thirteenth century. It is evidently compiled from
Origin of poem two or more much older lays which are now lost,

of Gudrun. ^^t which are alluded to in the Nibelungenlied.
The original poem was probably Norse, and not German like the
only existing manuscript, for there is an undoubted parallel to
the story of the kidnaping of Hilde in the Edda. In the Edda,
Hilde, the daughter of Hogni, escapes from home with her lover
Hedin, and is pursued by her irate father. He overtakes the
fugitives on an island, where a bloody conflict takes place, in
which many of the bravest warriors die. Every night, however,
a sorceress recalls the dead to Hfe to renew the strife, and to
exterminate one another afresh.

The poem " Gudrun," which is probably as old as the Nibe-
lungenlied, and almost rivals it in interest, is one of the most valu-

GUDRUN. 23

able remains of ancient German literature. It consists of thirty-
two songs, in which are related the adventures of three genera-
tions of the heroic family of the Hegelings. Hence it is often
termed the " Hegeling Legend."

The poem opens by telHng us that Hagen was the son of Sige-
band, King of Ireland, which was evidently a place in Holland,
and not the well-known Emerald Isle. During a Kidnaping
great feast, when countless guests were assembled °^ Hagen.
around his father's hospitable board, this prince, who was then
but seven years of age, was seized by a griffin and rapidly borne
away.

"Young Hagen, loudly crying, was filled with dire dismay;
The bird with mighty pinions soared high with him away."

Gttdrun (Dippold's tr.).

The cries of the child, and the arrows of Sigeband's men at arms,
were equally ineffectual in checking the griffin, which flew over
land and sea, and finally deposited its prey in its nest on the top
of a great cliff on a desert island. One of the little griffins, wish-
ing to reserve this delicate morsel for its own delectation, caught
the boy up in its talons and flew away to a neighboring tree. The
branch upon which it perched was too weak to support a double
load, however, and as it broke the frightened griffin dropped Ha-
gen into a thicket. Undismayed by the sharp thorns, Hagen
quickly crept out of the griffin's reach and took refuge in a cave,
where he found three httle girls who had escaped from the griffins
in the same way.

One of these children was Hilde, an Indian princess; the
second, Hildburg, daughter of the King of Portugal ; and the third
belonged to the royal family of Isenland. Hagen The three
immediately became the protector of these little maidens,
maidens, spending several years in the cave with them. He
ventured out only when the griffins were away, to seek berries
or shoot small game with a bow which he had made in imitation
of those he had seen in his father's hall.

24 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Years passed by before Hagen found the corpse of an armed
wan-ior, which had been washed ashore during a storm. To ap-
propriate the armor and weapons for which he had so long and
vainly sighed was the youth's first impulse ; his second was to
go forth and slay the griffins which had terrorized him and his
little companions for so many years. The griffins being dis-
posed of, the young people roamed about the island at will, keep-
ing a sharp lookout for any passing vessel which might convey
them home. At last a sail came in sight! Hagen, the first
to see it, climbed up on a rock and shouted with all his young
strength to attract the crew's attention.

" With might young Hagen shouted, and did not cease to shout,
Howe'er the roaring tempest the wild waves tossed about."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.)-

The sailors reluctantly drew near, gazing fearfully upon the
three maidens, who, clad in furs and moss, resembled mermaids
or wood nymphs. But when they heard their story they gladly
took them on board. It was only when the island was out of
sight, and when they were in mid-ocean, that Hagen discovered
that he had fallen into the hands of Count Garadie, his father's
inveterate enemy, who now proposed to use his power to treat the
young prince as a slave. But Hagen's rude fare, and the con-
stant exposure of the past few years, had so developed his strength
and courage that he now flew into a Berserker rage,i flung thirty
men one after another into the sea, and so terrified his would-be
master that he promised to bear him and the three maidens in
safety to his father's court.

As Sigeband had died without leaving any other heir, Hagen

was warmly welcomed home, and ascending the vacant throne,

Hagen made he took to wife Hilde, the fair maiden with whom

king. he had shared his game and berries for so many

years. The royal couple were very happy, and Hagen ruled so

wisely that he became a terror to his enemies and a blessing to

1 See Guerber's Myths of Northern Lands, p. 29.

GUDRUN. 25

his own subjects. Even when engaged in warfare he proved him-
self an upright and generous man, never attacking the poor and
weak.

" On warlike enterprises into his enemies' land
He spared the poor from ravage of fire with powerful hand ;
Whenever he encountered a warrior overbearing,
He broke his burgs and slew him with dire revenge unsparing."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

Hagen and Hilde eventually became the parents of an only
daughter, who was called by her mother's name, and grew up so
beautiful that many suitors soon came to Ireland

Hilde's suitors.

to ask for her hand. Hagen, who loved his daugh-
ter dearly and was in no haste to part from her, first replied that
she was far too young to think of marriage ; but when this plea
was disputed he declared that Hilde should only marry a man
who would defeat her father in single fight.

As Hagen was unusually tall and strong, as well as uncom-
monly brave, he was considered well-nigh invincible. The suit-
ors, dismayed at this declaration, reluctantly withdrew, even
though they were all valiant men. In those days Hettel (who
corresponds to Hedin in the Edda story) was king of northern
Germany and of the Hegelings. He too heard marvelous ac-
counts of Hilde's beauty, and, as he was still unmarried, longed
to secure her as wife. But knowing that Hagen, in his anger,
was likely to slay any ambassador who came to his court with a
proposal of marriage, Hettel vowed that he would rather forego
the alliance than run the risk of losing any of his tried friends and
faithful servants.

" Then said the royal Hetel : ' The people all relate
That whosoe'er will woo her incurs her father's hate.
And for the maid has perished full many a noble knight ;
My friends shall never suffer for me such woeful plight.' "

Giidrun (Dippold's tr.).

His faithful followers, Wat, Horant, and Frute, perceiving that
his heart was set upon the maiden, finally volunteered to go and

26 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

get her, saying that they could easily bear her away by stratagem,
although they did not dare to ask for her openly. So they loaded

strate of '^^^"^ vessel with merchandise, hid their weapons,
Betters so that they should be taken for the traders they

followers. professed to be, and sailed boldly into Hagen's
port, where, spreading out their wares, they invited all the people
to buy.

Attracted by the extraordinary bargains they offered, the peo-
ple came in crowds, and soon all the inhabitants of Balian were
busy talking about the strange peddlers and praising their wares.
These stories soon came to the ears of both queen and princess,
who, summoning the merchants into their presence, asked who
they were and whence they came.

All three replied that they were warriors, and that, being ban-
ished from Hettel's court, they had been forced to take up their
present occupation to make a living. To prove the truth of their
assertions, Wat exhibited his skill in athletic sports, while Horant
delighted all the ladies by his proficiency in the art of minstrelsy.

" When now the night was ended and there drew near the dawn,
Horant began his singing, so that in grove and lawn
The birds became all silent, because he sang so sweetly ;
The people who were sleeping sprang from their couches fleetly.

" The cattle in the forests forsook their pasture ground; •
The creeping creatures playing among the grass around.
The fishes in the water, — all in their sports were ceasing.
The minstrel might most truly rejoice in art so pleasing.

" Whate'er he might be singing, to no one seemed it long;
Forgotten in the minster were priest and choral song,
Church beJls no longer sounded so sweetly as before.
And every one who heard him longed for the minstrel sore."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

These soft strains so pleased the younger Hilde that she soon
sent for the minstrel again, and Horant, finding her alone, made
use of this opportunity to tell her of Hettel's love and longing.

GUDRUN. 27

She was so touched by this declaration of love that he easily won
from her a promise to flee with him and his companions as soon
as a suitable opportunity occurred.

The pretended merchants, having now achieved the real object
of their journey, disposed of their remaining wares. They then in-
vited the king and his family to visit their ship, and cleverly man-
aging to separate the willing princess from her parents and train,
they sailed rapidly away, leaving the angry father to hurl equally
ineffectual spears, curses, and threats after them.

The Hegehngs sailed with their prize direct to Waleis, in Hol-
land (near the river Waal), where the impatient Hettel came to
meet them, and tenderly embraced his beautiful ,, .

^ Marriage of

young bride. There their hasty nuptials were cele- Hettei and
brated ; but, as they were about to sail away on the "''^*'

morrow, Hettel became aware of the rapid approach of a large
fleet. Of course the foremost vessel was commanded by Hagen,
who had immediately started out in pursuit of his kidnaped daugh-
ter. Landing with all his forces, he challenged his new-made
son-in-law to fight.

" King Hagen, full of anger, leaped forward in the sea.
Unto the shore he waded; no braver knight than he !
Full many pointed arrows against him were seen flying,
Like flakes of snow, from warriors of Hetel's host defying."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

The result of this battle was that Hettel was wounded by Hagen,
who, in his turn, was injured by Wat, and that the distracted
Hilde suddenly flung herself between the contending parties, and
by her tears and prayers soon brought about a reconciliation.
Hagen, who had tested the courage of his new son-in-law and had
not found it wanting, now permitted his daughter to accompany
her husband home to Matelan, where she became the mother of
a son, Ortwine, and of a daughter, Gudrun, who was even fairer
than herself.

Ortwine was fostered by Wat, the dauntless hero, who taught

28 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

him to fight with consummate skill ; while Hilde herself presided
over the education of Gudrun, and made her so charming that
Gudrun's many suitors soon came, hoping to find favor in
suitors. her eyes. These were Siegfried, King of Moor-
land, a pagan of dark complexion ; Hartmut, son of Ludwig,
King of Normandy ; and, lastly, Herwig of Zealand. Although
the latter fancied that he had won some favor in the fair Gudrun's
sight, Hettel dismissed him as well as the others, with the answer
that his daughter was yet too young to leave the parental roof.

Herwig, who was not ready to give the maiden up, then re-
membered that Hettel had won his own bride only after he had
measured his strength with her father's ; so he collected an army,
invaded Matelan, and proved his courage by encountering Hettel
himself in the fray. Gudrun, who stood watching the battle from
the palace window, seeing them face to face, loudly implored
them to spare each other, an entreaty to which they both lent a
willing ear.

" Fair Gudrun saw the combat, and heard the martial sound.
Like to a ball is fortune, and ever turns around.

" Then from the castle chamber the royal maid cried out:
' King Hetel, noble father, the blood flows all about
Athwart the mighty hauberks. With gore from warlike labor
The walls are sprinkled. Herwig is a most dreadful neighbor.' "

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

Herwig had in this encounter proved himself no despicable foe ;
so Hettel, preferring to have him as a friend, no longer opposed
his betrothal, but even promised that the wedding festivities
should be celebrated within a year. Herwig tarried in Matelan
with his betrothed until he heard that Siegfried, King of Moor-
land, jealous of his successful wooing of Gudrun, had invaded
his kingdom and was raiding his unprotected lands.

These tidings caused the brave young warrior to bid Gudrun
a hasty farewell and sail home as quickly as possible, Hettel
promising to follow him soon and help him repel the invaders,

GUDRUN. 29

who were far superior in number to his small but oft-tried host.
While Herwig and Hettel were thus occupied in warring against
one of the disappointed suitors, Hartmut, the other, „
hearing that they were both away, invaded Matelan naped by
and carried off Gudrun and all her attendants to Hartmut.
Normandy. He paused only once on his way thither to rest for
a short time on an island called Wiilpensand, at the mouth of the
Scheldt.

The bereaved Hilde, who had seen her beloved daughter thus
carried away, promptly sent messengers to warn Hettel and Her-
wig of Gudrun's capture. These tidings put an immediate stop
to their warfare with Siegfried, who, joining forces with them,
sailed in pursuit of the Normans in the vessels of a party of pil-
grims, for they had none of their own ready for instant departure.

Hettel, Herwig, and Siegfried reached Wiilpensand before the
Normans had left it, and there took place a frightful conflict, in
the course of which King Ludwig slew the aged TheAvaipen-
Hettel. The conflict -raged until nightfall, and al- ^^^-^ battle,
tliough there were now but few Hegelings left, they were all ready
to renew the struggle on the morrow. What was not their chagrin,
therefore, on discovering that the Normans had sailed away with
their captives during the night, and were already out of sight !

It was useless to pursue them with so small an army ; so the
Hegehngs sorrowfully returned home, bearing Hettel's lifeless
body back to the disconsolate Hilde. Then they took counsel,
and discovered that so many able fighting men had perished dur-
ing the last war that they would be obliged to wait until the ris-
ing generation was able to bear arms before they could invade
Normandy with any hope of success.

" Then spoke old Wat, the hero : ' It never can befall
Before this country's children have grown to manhood all.' "

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

Gudrun, in the mean while, had arrived in Normandy, where
she persisted in refusing to marry Hartmut. On her way thither

30 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

the haughty princess had even ventured to remind King Ludwig
that he had once been her father's vassal, and so roused his anger
that he threw her overboard. But Hartmut immediately plunged
into the water after her, rescued her from drowning, and when he
had again seen her safe in the boat, angrily reproved his father
for his hasty conduct.

" He said : 'Why would you drown her who is to be my wife,
The fair and charming Gudrun ? I love her as my life.
Another than my father, if he had shown such daring.
Would lose his life and honor from wrath of mine unsparing.' "

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

After this declaration on the part of the young heir, none
dared at first treat Gudrun with any disrespect ; and GerUnda and

Gudrun a Ortrun, the mother and sister of Hartmut, wel-
captive. comed her as she landed on their shores. Ger-
linda's friendliness was a mere pretense, however, for she hated
the proud maiden who scorned her son's proffered love. She
therefore soon persuaded her son to give the gentle captive entirely
into her charge, saying that she would make her consent to be-
come his bride. Hartmut, who was about to depart for the war,
and who Uttle suspected his mother's cruel intentions, bade her
do as she pleased ; and he was no sooner out of sight than poor
Gudrun was degraded to the rank of a servant, and treated with
much harshness and often with actual violence.

During three whole years Gudrun endured this cruelty in
silence; but when Hartmut returned she was restored to her
former state, although she still persisted in refusing his passionate
suit. Discouraged by her obstinacy, the young man weakly con-
sented to abandon her again to Geriinda's tender mercies. The
princess was now made to labor harder than ever, and she and
Hildburg, her favorite companion and fellow captive, were daily
sent down to the shore to wash the royal linen.

It was winter, the snow lay thick on the ground, and Gudrun
and her companion, barefooted and miserably clad, suffered un-

GUDRUN AND THE SWAN. — Kepler,

GUDRUN. 31

told agonies from the cold. Besides, they were nearly ex-
hausted, and the hope of rescue, which had sustained them dur-
ing the past twelve years, had almost forsaken them. Their
deliverance was near, however, and while Gudrun was washing
on the shore, a mermaid, in the guise of a swan, came gently near
her, and bade her be of good cheer, for her sufferings would soon
be at an end.

" 'Rejoice in hope,' then answered the messenger divine;

' Thou poor and homeless maiden, great joy shall yet be thine.

If thou wilt ask for tidings from thy dear native land,

To comfort thee, great Heaven has sent me to this strand.' "

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

The swan maiden then informed her that her brother Ortwine
had grown up, and that he would soon come with brave old Wat
and the longing Herwig to deliver her.

The next day, in spite of the increased cold, Gerlinda again
roughly bade the maidens go down to the shore and wash, refus-
ing to allow them any covering except one rough linen garment.

" They then took up the garments and went upon their way.
' May God let me,' said Gudrun, ' remind you of this day.'
With naked feet they waded there through the ice and snow ;
The noble maids, all homeless, were filled with pain and woe."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

Gudrun and Hildburg had barely begun their usual task, how-
ever, ere a small boat drew near, in which they recognized Her-
wig and Ortwine. All unconscious of their identity Gudrun's
at first, the young men inquired about Gudrun. She -JeUverance.
herself, to test their affection, replied that the princess was dead,
and did not allow them to catch a glimpse of her face until she
beheld Herwig's emotion at these tidings, and heard him protest
that he would be faithful to her unto death.

" There spoke the royal Herwig : ' As long as lasts my life,
I'll mourn for her; the maiden was to become my wife.' "

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

32 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The lovers, who had been equally true, now fell into each
other's arms. Ortwine was overjoyed at finding his sister and her
companion, having long secretly loved the latter, so he poured
out an avowal of his passion, and won from Hildburg a promise
to be his wife. The first moments of joyful reunion over, Herwig
would fain have carried Gudrun and Hildburg back to camp with
him ; but Ortwine proudly declared that he had come to claim
them openly, and would bear them away from Normandy hon-
orably, in the guise of princesses, rather than by stealth.

Promising to rescue them on the morrow, the young men took
leave of the maidens. Hildburg conscientiously finished her task,
but Gudrun proudly flung the linen into the sea and returned to
the palace empty-handed, saying that it did not become her to do
any more menial labor, since she had been kissed by two kings.
Gerlinda, hearing her confess that she had flung the linen into the
sea, ordered her to be scourged ; but when Gudrun turned upon
her and proudly announced that she would take her revenge on the
morrow, when she would preside over the banquet hall as queen,
Gerlinda concluded that she had decided to accept Hartmut.

The mother, therefore, flew to him to impart the joyful tidings.
In his delight he would fain have embraced Gudrun, who, however,
haughtily bade him refrain from saluting a mere washerwoman.
Becoming aware only then of her sorry plight, the prince with-
drew, sternly ordering that her maidens_ should again be restored
to her, that her every command should be fulfilled as if she were
already queen, and that all should treat her with the utmost re-
spect. These orders were executed without delay, and while
Hartmut was preparing for his wedding on the morrow, Gudrun,
again clad in royal attire, with her maidens around her, whispered
the tidings of their coming dehverance. Morning had barely
dawned when Hildburg, gazing out of the window, saw the
castle entirely surrounded by the Hegelings' forces ; and at cock-
crow old Wat's horn pealed forth a loud defiance, rousing the
Normans from pleasant dreams, and caUing them to battle instead
of to the anticipated wedding.

GUDRUN. 33

" The morning star had risen upon the heavens high,
When to the castle window a beauteous maid drew nigh,
In order to espy there and watch the break of day.
Whereby from royal Gudrun she would obtain rich pay.

" There looked the noble maiden and saw the morning glow.
Reflected in the water, as it might well be so,
Were seen the shining helmets and many bucklers beaming.
The castle was surrounded; with arms the fields were gleaming."

Gudrun (Dippold'^ tr.).

The battle was very fierce, and the poem enumerates many of
the cuts and thrusts given and received. Clashing swords and
streams of gore now monopolize the reader's attention. In the
fray Herwig slew King Ludwig. Gudrun was rescued by Hart-
mut from the hands of Gerlinda, who had just bidden her servants
put her to death, so that her friends should not take her alive.
Next the Norman prince met his rival and fought bravely. He
was about to succumb, however, when his sister Ortrun, who
throughout had been gentle and loving to Gudrun, implored her
to save her brother's life. Gudrun, touched by this request,
called out of the casement to Herwig, who, at a word from her,
sheathed his sword, and contented himself with taking Hartmut
prisoner.

The castle was duly plundered, the whole town sacked, and
Wat, bursting into the palace, began to slay all he met. The
women, in terror, then crowded around Gudrun, Death of
imploring her protection. Among these were Or- Qeriinda.
trun and Gerlinda ; but while Gudrun would have protected the
former at the cost of her hfe, she allowed Wat to kill the latter,
who had deserved such a death in punishment for all her cruelty.

When the massacre was over, the victors celebrated their tri-
umph by a grand banquet, at which Gudrun, fulfilling her boast,
actually presided as queen.

" Now from the bitter contest the warriors rested all.
There came the royal Herwig into King Ludwig's hall,

3

34 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Together with his champions, their gear with blood yet streaming.
Dame Gudrun well received him ; her heart with love was teeming."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

When the banquet was over, the Hegelings set sail, taking
with them the recovered maidens, all the spoil they had won, and
their captives, Hartmut and Ortrun ; and on reaching Matelan
they were warmly welcomed by Hilde, who was especially re-
joiced to see her daughter once more.

"The queen drew near to Gudrun. Could any one outweigh
The joy they felt together, with any wealth or treasure ?
When they had kissed each.other their grief was changed to pleasure."

Gudrun (Dippold's tr.).

Shortly after their return home a fourfold wedding took place.
Gudrun married her faithful Herwig, Ortwine espoused Hildburg,

A fourfold Siegfried consoled himself for Gudrun's loss by tak-

wedding. jug the fair Ortrun to wife, and Hartmut received
with the hand of Hergart, Hervidg's sister, the restitution not only
of his freedom but also of his kingdom.

At the wedding banquet Horant, who, in spite of his advanced
years, had lost none of his musical skill, played the wedding
march with such success that the queens simultaneously flung
their crowns at his feet, — an offering which he smilingly refused,
telling them that crowns were perishable, but that the poet's song
was immortal.

" The aged minstrel drew his harp still closer to his breast,
Gazed at the jeweled coronets as this thought he expressed :
' Fair queens, I bid you wear them until your locks turn gray ;
Those crowns, alas ! are fleeting, but song will live alway.' "

NiENDORF (H. A. G.'s tr.).

CHAPTER III.

REYNARD THE FOX.

Among primitive races, as with children, animal stories are much
enjoyed, and form one of the first stages in literature. The old-
est of these tales current in the middle ages is the epic of Reineke
Fuchs, or Reynard the Fox. This poem was carried by the ancient
Franks across the Rhine, became fully acclimated in France,
and then returned to Germany by way of Flanders, where it was
localized.

After circulating from mouth to mouth almost all over Europe,'
during many centuries, it was first committed to writing in the
Netherlands, where the earliest manuscript, dating from the
eleventh or twelfth century, gives a Latin version of the tale.

" The root of this saga lies in the harmless natural simplicity
of a primeval people. We see described the delight which the
rude child of nature takes in all animals, — in their origin of
sKm forms, their gleaming eyes, their fierceness, animal epics,
their nimbleness and cuiming. Such sagas would naturally have
their origin in an age when the ideas of shepherd and hunter
occupied a great portion of the intellectual horizon of the people ;
when the herdman saw in the ravenous bear one who was his
equal, and more than his equal, in force and adroitness, the cham-
pion of the woods and wilds; when the hunter, in his lonely
ramble through the depths of the forest, beheld in the hoary
wolf and red fox, as they stole along,— hunters like himself,—
mates, so to say, and companions, and whom he therefore ad-
dressed as such. ... So that originally this kind of poetry was

35

36 . LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

if'
the exponent of a peculiar sort of feeling prevailing among the

--■'people, and had nothing whatever to do with the didactic or

satiniefalthough at a later period satiric allusions began to be

interwoven with it."

The story has been rewritten by many poets and prose writers.
It has been translated into almost every European language, and
was remodeled from one of the old mediaeval poems by Goethe,
who has given it the form in which it will doubtless henceforth
be known. His poem " Reineke Fuchs " has been commented
upon by Carlyle and translated by Rogers, from whose version
all the following quotations have been extracted.

As was the custom among the Franks under their old Mero-
vingian rulers, the animals all assembled at Whitsuntide around
The animals' their king, Nobcl the Kon, who ruled over all the

assembly. forest. This assembly, like the Champ de Mars,
its prototype, was convened not only for the purpose of deciding
upon the undertakings for the following year, but also as a special
ttbunal, where all accusations were made, all complaints heard,
and justice meted out to all. The animals were all present, all ex-
cept Reynard the fox, who, it soon became apparent, was accused
of many a dark deed. Every beast present testified to some crime
committed by him, and all accused him loudly except his nephew,
Grimbart the badger.

" And yet there was one who was absent,
Reineke Fox, the rascal ! who, deeply given to mischief,
Held aloof from half the Court. As shuns a bad conscience
Light and day, so the fox fought shy of the nobles assembled.
One and all had complaints to make, he had all of them injured ;
Grimbart the badger, his brother's son, alone was excepted."

The complaint was voiced by Isegrim the wolf, who told with

much feeling how cruelly Reynard had bhnded three of his be-

Compiaints loved children, and how shamefully he had insulted

against .....

Reynard. his Wife, the fair lady Gieremund. This accusation
had no sooner been formulated than Wackerlos the dog came

REYNARD THE FOX. 37

forward, and, speaking French, pathetically described the finding
of a little sausage in a thicket, and its purloining by Reynard, who
seemed to have no regard whatever for his famished condition.

The tomcat Hintze, who at the mere mention of a sausage
had listened more attentively, now angrily cried out that the
sausage which Wackerlos had lost belonged by right to him, as
he had concealed it in the thicket after stealing it from the mil-
ler's wife. He added that he too had had much to suffer from
Reynard, and was supported by the panther, who described how
he had once found the miscreant cruelly beating poor Lampe
the hare.

"Lampe he held by the collar,
Yes, and had certainly taken his life, if I by good fortune
Had not happened to pass by the road. There standing you see him.
Look and see the wounds of the gentle creature, whom no one
Ever would think of ill treating."

The king, Nobel, was beginning to look very stern as one after
another rose to accuse the absent Reynard, when Grimbart the
badger courageously began to defend hitn, and vindication of
artfully turned the tables upon the accusers. Tak- Reynard,
ing up their complaints one by one, he described how Reynard,
his uncle, once entered into partnership with Isegrim. To obtain
some fish which a carter was conveying to market, the fox had
lain as if dead in the middle of the road. He had been picked
up by the man for the sake of his fur, and tossed up on top of
the load of fish. But no sooner had the carter's back been turned
than the fox sprang up, threw all the fish down into the road to
the expectant wolf, and only sprang down himself when the cart
was empty. The wolf, ravenous as ever, devoured the fish as fast
as they were thrown down, and when the fox claimed his share
of the booty he had secured, Isegrim gave him only the bones.i

Not content with cheating his ally once, the wolf had induced
the fox to Steal a suckling pig from the larder of a sleeping peas-
ant. With much exertion the cunning Reynard had thrown the

1 For Russian version see Guerber's Contes et L^gendes, vol. i., p. 93.

38 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

prize out of the window to the waiting wolf ; but when he asked
for a portion of the meat as reward, he was dismissed with noth-
ing but the piece of wood upon which it had been hung.

The badger further proceeded to relate that Reynard had
wooed GieremuHd seven years before, when she was still un-
mated, and that if Isegrim chose to consider that an insult, it
was only on a par with the rest of his accusations, for the king
could readily see that Reynard was sorely injured instead of being
guilty.

Then, encouraged by the favorable impression he had pro-
duced, Grimbart airily disposed of the cases of Wackerlos and
Hintze by proving that they had both stolen the disputed sau-
sage, after which he went on to say that Reynard had undertaken
to instruct Lampe the hare in psalmody, and that the ill treatment
which the panther had described was only a little wholesome cas-
tigation inflicted by the teacher upon a lazy and refractory pupil.

" Should not the master his pupil
Sometimes chastise when he will not observe, and is stubborn in evil?
If boys were never punished, were thoughtlessness always passed over,
Were bad behavior allowed, how would our juveniles grow up ? "

These plausible explanations were not without their effect, and
when Grimbart went on to declare that, ever since Nobel pro-
claimed a general truce and amnesty among all the animals of
the forest, Reynard had turned hermit and spent all his time in
fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, the complaint was about to be
dismissed.

Suddenly, however, Henning the cock appeared, followed by
his two sons, Kryant and Kantart, bearing the mangled remains
story of Hen- of a hen upon a bier. In broken accents the
ning the cock, bereaved father related how happily he had dwelt
in a convent henyard, with the ten sons and fourteen daughters
which his excellent consort had hatched and brought up in a
single summer. His only anxiety had been caused by the con-
stant prowling of Reynard, who, however, had been successfully

REYNARD THE FOX. 39

kept at a distance by the watchdogs. But when the general truce
had been proclaimed, the dogs were dismissed. Reynard, in the
garb of a monk, had made his way into the henyard to show.
Henning the royal proclamation with the attached seal, and to
assure him of his altered mode of living.

Thus reassured, Henning had led his family out into the forest,
where, alas! Reynard was lurking, and where he killed all but five
of Henning's promising brood. They had not only been killed,
but devoured, with the exception of Scratch-foot, whose mangled
remains were laid at the monarch's feet in proof of the crime, as
was customary in the mediaeval courts of justice.

The king, angry that his truce should thus have been broken,
and sorry for the evident grief of the father, ordered a sumptuous
funeral for the deceased, and commanded that a stqne should be
placed upon her grave, bearing the epitaph :

" ' Scratch-foot, daughter of Henning, the cock, the best of the hen
tribe.
Many an egg did she lay in her nest, and was skillful in scratching.
Here she lies, lost, alas ! to her friends, by Reineke murdered.
AH the world should know of his false and cruel behavior,
As for the dead they lament.' Thus ran the words that were
written."

Then the king, having taken advice with his council, solemn-
ly bade Brown the bear proceed immediately to Malepartus,
Re)mard's home, and summon him to appear at Reynard and
court forthwith, to answer the grave charges which **'* ''^^'■•
had been made against him. But he warned his messenger to
behave circumspectly and to beware of the wiles of the crafty
fox. The bear rather resented these well-meant recommenda-
tions, and, confidently asserting his ability to take care of himself,
set out for Reynard's abode.

On his way to the mountains he was obHged to pass through
an arid, sandy waste, and reached Malepartus weary and over-
heated. Standing before the fortress, which rejoiced in many laby-

40 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

rinthine passages, he loudly made known his errand ; and when
Reynard, peeping cautiously out, had ascertained that Brown was
alone, he hastened out to welcome him.

With great volubility the fox commiserated his long journey,
and excused the delay in admitting him under plea of an indis-
position caused by eating too much honey, a diet which he ab-
horred.

At the mere mention of honey the bear forgot all his fatigue,
and when his host lamented the fact that he had nothing else to
offer him, he joyfully declared no food could suit him better, and
that he could never get enough of it.

" ' If that is so,' continued the Red one, ' I really can serve you,
For the peasant Riisteviel lives at the foot of the mountain.
Honey he has, indeed, such that you and aU of your kindred
Never so much together have seen.' "

Oblivious of everything else at the thought of such a treat.
Brown the bear immediately set out in Reynard's company, and
they soon came to the peasant's yard, where a half-split tree
trunk lay in full view. Reynard then bade his companion thrust
his nose well down into the hollow and eat his fiU of honey. As
soon as he saw that the bear had thrust not only his nose, but
both fore paws, into the crack, Reynard cleverly removed the
wedges, the tree clapped together, and he left the bear a prisoner
and howling with pain.

These sounds soon attracted the peasant's attention, and he
and his companions all fell upon the captive bear with every
imaginable weapon, and proceeded to give him a sound beating.
Frantic with pain and terror, the unfortunate bear finally suc-
ceeded in wrenching himself free, at the cost of the skin on his
nose and fore paws, and, after tumbling the fat cook into the water
swam down the stream and landed in a thicket to bewail his mis-
fortunes. Here he was found by the fox, who added insult to
injury by making fun of him, and reproved him for his gluttony,
until the bear again plunged into the stream and swam away.

BROWN THE BEAR CAUGHT IN THE LOG. -Wagner.

REYNARD THE FOX. 41

Then, painfully making his way back to Nobel, Brown presented
himself at court all bleeding and travel-stained, and poured forth
a doleful account of his mission.

The king, after consulting with his principal courtiers, declared
it the right of any man to be thrice summoned, and, conceding
that the bear's manners were not of a conciliatory Reynard and
natiure, selected Hintze the cat to bear his message "'^ =**■
to Malepartus. The cat, disheartened by unfavorable omens, was
nevertheless compelled to go on this unwelcome journey.

Reynard welcomed him cordially, promised to accompany him
to court on the morrow, and then asked what kind of refresh-
ment he could offer. When Hintze had confessed his preference
for mice, the fox replied that it was very fortunate, as there were
plenty of them in the parson's barn. Hintze immediately asked ,
to be led thither, that he might eat his fill.

" ' Pray do me the kindness
Hence to lead and show me the mice, for far above wild game
Give me a mouse for delicate flavor.' "

Reynard then conducted Hintze to the parson's barn, and
pointed out a httle opening through which he had passed to steal
chickens, and where he knew that Martin, the parson's son, had
laid a trap to catch any intruder. Hintze at first demurred, but,
urged by Reynard, crept in and found himself caught in a noose.
Reynard, pretending to take the cat's moans for cries of joy, ban-
teringly inquired whether that was the way they sang at court, as
the caterwauling grew louder.

These sounds finally reached the ears of little Martin, who, ac-
companied by his father, came into the barn to catch the intruder.
Poor Hintze, frightened at the sight of the bludgeon the parson
carried, flew at his legs, scratching and biting him, until the saintly
man fainted. Then, taking advantage of the confusion, Hintze
managed to slip out of the noose and effect his escape. He re-
turned to court minus one eye, and there poured out the story of
his wrongs.

42 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The wrath of the king was now terrible to behold, and assem-
bling his council, he bade them decide how he should punish the
Reynard and wretch who had twice ill treated his messengers.

the badger. Grimbart the badger, seeing that public opinion
was decidedly against his relative, now begged that a third sum-
mons should be sent, and ofiEered to carry the message himself.
He furthermore declared that, even according to their own show-
ing, the cat and bear had come to grief through their greediness ;
and then he promptly departed.

Grimbart found Reynard in the bosom of his family, dehvered
his message, and frankly advised the fox to obey the king's sum-
mons and appear at court, where, perchance, he might yet man-
age to save himself ; while if he remained at home the king would
besiege his fortress and slay him and all his family. Reynard lis-
tened favorably to this advice, and, after bidding his wife a tender
farewell, and committing his beloved children to her care, he set
out with Grimbart to go to court.

On the way the recollection of his many transgressions began
to lie very heavily upon his heart. The fear of death quickened
his conscience, and, longing to make his peace with Heaven, he
expressed a great wish to confess his sins and receive absolution.
As no priest was near at hand, he begged Grimbart the badger
to listen to him, and penitently confessed all the misdeeds we
have already recounted. He also added that he once bound Ise-
grim to the rope of the convent bell at Elkinar, where his frantic
tugging rang the bell, until the monks, crowding around him,
cudgeled him severely. Reynard related, too, how he once in-
duced Isegrim to enter the priests' house through a window and
crawl along some beams in search of ham and bacon. As the
wolf was carefully feeling his way, however, the mischievous fox
pushed him and made him fall on the sleeping people below, who,
awakening with a start, fell upon him and beat him. These and
sundry other sins having duly been confessed, the badger bade
the fox chastise himself with a switch plucked from the hedge,
lay it down in the road, jump over it thrice, and then meekly kiss

REYNARD THE FOX. 43

that rod in token of obedience. Then he pronounced Reynard
absolved from his former sins, and admonished him to lead an
altered life in future.

" ' My uncle, take care that your future amendment
In good works be visible. Psalms you should read, and should visit
Churches with diligence ; fast at the seasons duly appointed ;
Him who asks you point out the way to ; give to the needy
Willingly ; swear to forsake all evil habits of living,
All kinds of theft and robbing, deceit and evil behavior.
Thus can you make quite sure that you will attain unto mercy ! ' "

The fox solemnly promised amendment, and with sanctimonious
mien continued his journey. But as he and the badger passed a
convent, and some plump hens crossed their path, Reynard forgot
all his promises and began to chase the chickens. Sharply re-
called to a sense of duty by Grimbart, Reynard reluctantly gave
up the chase, and the two proceeded without further drawback
to the court, where Reynard's arrival created a great sensation.

" When at the Court it was known that Reineke really was coming,
Ev'ry one thronged out of doors to see him, the great and the httle.
Few with friendly intent ; for almost all were complaining.
This, however, in Reineke's mind was of little importance;
Thus he pretended, at least, as he with Grimbart the badger,
Boldly enough and with elegant mien now walked up the high street.
Jauntily swung he along at his ease, as if he were truly
Son of the king, and free and quit of ev'ry transgression.
Thus he came before Nobel the king, and stood in the palace
In the midst of the lords; he knew how to pose as unruffled."

With consummate skill and unparalleled eloquence and impu-
dence, Reynard addressed the king, lauding himself as a faithful
servant, and commiserating the fact that so many Reynard at
envious and backbiting people were ready to accuse '=°"''*-
him. Nobel the king, in whose mind the recollection of the treat-
ment inflicted upon Brown the bear and Hintze the cat was still
very vivid, answered him sternly, and told him that it would be

44 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

difficult for him to acquit himself of those two charges, to say
nothing of the many others brought against him. Reynard, still
undismayed, demanded with well-feigned indignation whether he
was to be held responsible for the sins of those messengers whose
misfortunes were attributable to their gluttonous and thievish
propensities only.

But in spite of this specious pleading, all the other animals
came crowding around with so many grievous charges that mat-
Re nard con- ^^"^^ began to look very dark indeed for the fox.

demned to In Spite of all Reynard's eloquence, and of the
death. fluent excuses ever on his tongue, the council pro-
nounced him guilty, and condemned him to die an ignominious
death. Reynard's enemies rejoiced at this sentence, and dragged
him off with cheerful alacrity to the gallows, where all the ani-
mals assembled to witness his execution.

On the way to the place of punishment Reynard tried to think
of some plan by means of which he could save himself even at
the eleventh hour ; and knowing that some scheme would occur
to him if he could only gain a little time, he humbly implored
permission to make a public confession of his manifold sins ere
he paid the penalty of his crimes. Anxious to hear all he might
have to say, the king granted him permission to speak ; and the
fox began to relate at length the story of his early and innocent
childhood, his meeting and alliance with Isegrim the wolf, and
his gradual induction by him into crooked paths and evil ways.
He told, too, how the cruel wolf, presuming on his strength, had
ever made use of it to deprive him, the fox, of his rightful share
of plunder ; and concluded by saying that he would often have
suffered from hunger had it not been for the possession of a great
treasure of gold, which had sufficed for all his wants.

" ' Thanks be to God, however, I never suffered from hunger;
Secretly have I fed well by means of that excellent treasure,
All of silver and gold in a secret place that securely
Hidden I keep; with this I've enough. And, I say it in earnest,
Not a wagon could carry it off, though sevenfold loaded.' "

REYNARD THE FOX. 45

At the word " treasure " Nobel pricked up his ears and bade
Reynard relate how this hoard was obtained and where it was
concealed. The artful fox, seeing the king's evident interest,
rapidly prepared more hes, and, speaking to the king and queen,
declared that ere he died it would be better for him to reveal the
carefully guarded secret of a conspiracy which would have re-
sulted in the king's death had it not been for his devotion.

The queen, shuddering at the mere thought of the danger her
royal consort had run, now begged that Reynard might step down
from the scaffold and speak privately to her and to Nobel. In this
interview Reynard, still pretending to prepare for immediate
death, told how he discovered a conspiracy formed by his father,
Isegrim the wolf. Brown the bear, and many others, to slay the
king and seize the scepter. He described the various secret con-
ferences, the measures taken, and his father's promise to defray all
the expenses of the enterprise and to subsidize mercenary troops
by means of the hoard of King Ermenrich, which he had discov-
ered and concealed for his own use.

Reynard then continued to describe his loyal fears for his be-
loved sovereign, his resolve to outwit the conspirators, and his
efforts to deprive them of the sinews of war by discovering and
abstracting the treasure. Thanks to his ceaseless vigilance, he
saw his father steal forth one night, uncover hiS hoard, gloat over .
the gold, and then efface the traces of his search with the ut-
most skill.

" ' Nor could one,

Not having seen, have possibly known. And ere he went onwards
Well he understood at the place where his feet had been planted.
Cleverly backwards and forwards to draw his tail, and to smooth it.
And to efface the trace with the aid of his mouth.'"

Reynard then told the king how diUgently he and his wife, Erme-
lyn, labored to remove the gold and conceal it elsewhere, and how
the conspiracy came to naught when no gold was found to pay
the troops. He mournfully added that his loyalty further deprived
him of a loving father, for the latter had hung himself in despair

46 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

when he found his treasure gone and all his plans frustrated. With
hypocritical tears he then bewailed his own fate, saying that, al-
though ready to risk all for another, there was no one near him
to speak a good word for him in his time of bitterest need.

The queen's soft heart was so touched by this display of feel-
ing that she soon pleaded for and obtained Reynard's pardon from

Reynard Nobel, who freely granted it when the fox promised

pardoned. (g gjye him his treasure. Most accurately now he
described its place of concealment, but said that he could not
remain at court, as his presence there was an insult to royalty,
seeing that he was under the Pope's ban and must make a pilgrim-
age ere it could be removed.

The king, after imprisoning Isegrim, Brown, and Hintze (the
chief conspirators according to Reynard's tale), and ascertaining
that the place the fox so accurately described really existed, bade
Reynard depart, and at his request procured for him a fragment
of Brown's hide to make a wallet, and a pair of socks from Ise-
grim and his wife, who were very loath to part with their foot
covering. The king, queen, and court then accompanied Reynard
a short way on the first stage of his journey, and turned back,
leaving Bellyn the ram and Lampe the hare to escort him a
little farther. These innocent companions accompanied Reynard
to Malepartus, and while Bellyn waited patiently without, Lampe
entered the house with Reynard. Lady Ermelyn and her two
young sons greeted Reynard with joy, listened breathlessly to the
account of his adventures, and then helped him to slay and eat
Lampe, who, he declared, had brought all these evils upon him.

Reynard and his family feasted upon the body of poor Lampe
the hare, whose head was then securely fastened in the wallet
made of Brown's skin. This the fox carefully carried out and
placed upon Bellyn's back, assuring him volubly the while that
it contained important dispatches, and that in order to insure him
a suitable reward for his good offices he had told Nobel the king
that the ram had given him valuable assistance in preparing the
contents of the wallet.

REYNARD THE FOX. 47

" ' Yet, as soon as you see the king, and to still better favor
Wish to attain with him, 'twere well to bring to his notice
That you have sagely given advice in composing the letters,
Yea, and the writer have help'd. ' "

Thus instructed, and reassured concerning the absence of
Lampe, whom Reynard described as enjoying a chat with Ermelyn,
Bellyn bounded off to court, where he did not fail to vaunt that
he had helped Reynard prepare the contents of the wallet. Nobel
pubhcly opened it, and when he drew out Lampe's bleeding head
his anger knew no bounds. Following the advice of his courtiers,
Bellyn, in spite of all his protestations, was given in atonement
to the bear and the wolf, who the king now feared had been un-
justly treated. They were then released from imprisonment and
reinstated to royal favor, and twelve days of festivity ensued.

In the midst of the dance and revelry a bloody rabbit appeared
to accuse Reynard of tearing off one of his ears, while the garru-
lous crow, Merkinau, related how the same unscru- Reynard again
pulous wretch had pretended death merely to befool '" disgrace.
Sharfenebbe, his wife, and induce her to come near enough for
him to bite off her head. Nobel the king, upon hearing these
complaints, immediately swore that within six days he would
besiege Reynard in his castle, would take him prisoner, and would
make him suffer the penalty of his crimes.

Isegrim the wolf and Brown the bear rejoiced at these tid-
ings, while Grimbart the badger, seeing the peril his uncle had
incurred, hastened off secretly to Malepartus to warn him of his
danger and support him by his advice. He found Reynard sit-
ting complacently in front of his house, contemplating two young
doves which he had just secured as they were making their first
a,ttempt to fly. Grimbart breathlessly related the arrival of Bel-
lyn, the royal indignation at the sight of Lampe's head, and the
plan for siurounding and capturing Reynard in his safe retreat.

In spite of this disquieting news Reynard's composure did not
desert him ; but after vowing that he could easily acquit himself of
these crimes if he could only win the king's ear for a moment, he

48 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

invited his kinsman to share his meal and taste the delicate mor-
sels he had secured. Grimbart the badger, seeing that the fox was
Grimbarfs "ot inclined to flee, now advised him not to await
advice. ^jje king's coming and expose his wife and children
to the horrors of a siege, but boldly to return to court.

" 'Go with assurance before the lords, and put the best face on
Your affairs. They will give you a hearing. Lupardus was also
Willing you should not be punish'd before you had fully
Made your defense, and the queen herself was not otherwise minded.
Mark this fact, and try to make use of it.' "

Once more Reynard bade a tender farewell to his wife and sons,
resisting all the former's entreaties to seek safety in flight, and,
relying upon his cunning, set out with Grimbart to visit the court.
On his way he again pretended repentance for his former sins,
and resuming his confession at the point where he had broken
off, he told how maliciously he had secured a piece of the bear's
hide for a wallet, and socks from Isegrim and his wife. He then
went on to relate just how he had murdered Lampe, charged the
innocent Bellyn with the ambiguous message which had cost him
his life, torn off one of the rabbit's ears, and eaten the crow's wife.
Lastly, he confessed how he had gone out in company with the
wolf, who, being hungry and seeing a mare with a little foal, had
bidden Reynard inquire at what price she would sell it. The mare
retorted that the price was written on her hoof. The sly fox,
understanding her meaning, yet longing to get his companion
into trouble, pretended not to know how to read, and sent the
wolf to ascertain the price. The result was, of course, disastrous,
for the mare kicked so hard that the wolf lay almost dead for
several hours after.

"So he went and asked the lady, ' What price is the filly?
Make it cheap.' Whereupon she replied, ' You've only to read it;
There you will find the sum inscribed on one of my hind feet.'
'Let me look,' continued the wolf; and she answered, 'With
pleasure.'

REYNARD THE FOX. 49

" Then she lifted upwards her foot from the grass ; it was studded
With six nails. She struck straight out, and not by a hair's

breadth
Missed she her mark. She struck on his head, and straightway he

fell down,
Lying as dumb as the dead. "

Waxing more and more eloquent as they drew nearer court and
his fears increased, Reynard began to moralize. He excused him-
self for Lampe's murder on the plea of the latter's aggravating
behavior, said that the king himself was nothing but a robber living
by raipine, and proceeded to show how even the priests were guilty
of manifold sins, which he enumerated with much gusto.

They had scarcely finished this edifying conversation when they
came across Martin the ape, on his way to Rome ; and Reynard
hastened to implore him to secure his release from the Pope's ban,
through the intercession of the ape's uncle, the cardinal, whose
interest it was to serve him. Martin the ape not only promised
his good offices at the papal court, but bade Reynard not hesitate
to consult his wife should he find himself in any predicament at
court.

Thus supported, Reynard again made his appearance at court,
to the utter amazement and surprise of all ; and although he was
well aware that his situation was more dangerous Reynard at
than ever, his assurance did not seem at all impaired. court.

Kneeling with pretended humility before the king, he artfully
began his address by lamenting the fact that there were so many
unscrupulous people ever ready to accuse the innocent ; and when
the king angrily interrupted him to accuse him of maiming the
rabbit and devovming the crow, he began his defense.

First Reynard explained that since Martin the ape had under-
taken to free him from his ban, his journey to Rome was of course
unnecessary. Then he related how the rabbit, dining at his house,
had insulted and quarreled with his children, from whose clutches
he had had much trouble to save him. The crow's death was
caused by a fish bone she had swallowed. Bellyn, the traitor, had
4

50 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

slain Lampe himself, and evidently put his head in the wallet in-
stead of some treasures which Reynard had intrusted to their care
for the king and queen.

The king, who had listened impatiently to all this discourse,
angrily retired, refusing to believe a word, while Reynard sought
The ape's inter- the ape's wife, Frau Riickenau, and bade her in-
cession. tercede for him. She entered the royal tent, re-
minded the king of her former services, and seeing his mood
somewhat softened, ventured to mention how cleverly Reynard
once helped him to judge between the rival claims of a shepherd
and a serpent. The latter, caught in a noose and about to die,
had implored a passing shepherd to set it free. The peasant had
done so after exacting a solemn oath from the serpent to do him
no harm. But the serpent, once released, and suffering from the
pangs of hunger, threatened to devotu: the peasant. The latter
called the raven, \^olf, and bear, whom he met by the way, to
his aid; but as they all hoped to get a share of him, they all
decided in favor of the serpent's claim to eat him.

The case by this time had become so intricate that it was laid
before the king, who, unable to judge wisely, called Reynard to
his aid. The fox declared that he could only .settle so difficult a
matter when plaintiff and defendant had assumed the relative posi-
tions which they occupied at the time of dispute. Then when
the snake was safely in the noose once more, Reynard decided
that, knowing the serpent's treachery, the peasant might again set
him loose, but need not do so unless he chose.

" ' Here now is each of the parties
Once again in his former state, nor has either the contest
Won or lost. The right, I think, of itself is apparent.
For if it pleases the man, he again can deliver the serpent
Out of the noose ; if not, he may let her remain and be hang'd there.
Free he may go on his way with honor and see to his business,
Since she has proved herself false, when she had accepted his kindness ;
Fairly the man has the choice. This seems to me to be justice,
True to the spirit. Let him who understands better declare it.' "

KEYNARD PREPARING FOR BATTLE. — Kaulbach.

REYNARD THE FOX. 51

The king, remembering this celebrated judgment, and skillfully
reminded by Frau Riickenau of the bear's and the wolf's rapacity,
consented at last to give Reynard a second hearing. The fox now
minutely described the treasures he sent to court, — a magic ring
for the king, and a comb and mirror for the queen. Not only was
the fable of the judgment of Paris engraved on the latter, but also
that of the jealous donkey, who, imitating his master's lapdog, and
trying to climb into his lap, received nothing but blows. There
was also the story of the cat and the fox, of the wolf and the
crane, and, lastly, the account of the miraculous way in which
his father, a noted leech, had saved Nobel's sire by making him
eat the flesh of a wolf just seven years old.

The pleader then reminded the king of a noted hunting party,
where Isegrim, having secured a boar, gave the king one quarter,
• the queen another, reserved a half for himself, and gave the fox
nothing but the head. This division was of course very disloyal,
and the fox showed that he thought so by dividing a calf more
equitably ; i.e., giving the queen one half, the king the other, the
heart and liver to the princes, the head to the wolf, and reserving
only the feet for himself.

Reynard prided himself upon these tokens of loyalty, and then,
seeing that he had made a favorable impression, he volunteered, in
spite of his small size, to meet the wolf in battle and p^^, between
leave the vindication of his claims to the judgment the fox and
of God. This magnanimous behavior filled the king *''* '"° '
with admiration, and the trial was appointed for the following
day, the intervening hours being granted to both combatants
for preparation. Reynard, still advised by Frau Riickenau, was
shaved smooth, rubbed with butter until he was as slippery as
could be, and instructed to feign fear and run fleetly in front of
the wolf, kicking up as much sand as possible, and using his brush
to dash it into his opponent's eyes and thus bhnd him.

The combat took place. The wolf, blinded by the sand in his
eyes, was so infuriated that he finally pounced upon the fox, who,
however, managed yet to get the upper hand and come off victor.

52 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

generously granting life to his foe, whom he had nearly torn and
scratched to pieces. Reynard, having thus won the victory, en-
joyed the plaudits of the crowd, while the wolf, being vanquished,
was pubHcly derided, and borne off by his few remaining friends
to be nursed back to health, if possible.

"Such is ever the way of the world. They say to the lucky,
'Long may you live in good health,' and friends he finds in abun-
dance.
When, however, ill fortune befalls him, alone he must bear it.
Even so was it here ; each one of them wish'd to the victor
Nearest to be, to show himself off."

The king pronounced Reynard guiltless of all charges, and
made him one of his privy councilors. But the fox, after thank-
Reynard's ing the king for his favors, humbly besought per-
acquittai. mission to return home, where his wife was await-
ing him, and departed, escorted by a deputation of his friends.

According to some versions of the tale, Reynard contented
himself with blinding the wolf and maiming him for life ; accord-
ing to others, he bided his time, and when the king was ill, told
him that nothing could save him short of the heart of a wolf just
seven years old. Of course no wolf of the exact age could be
found but Isegrim, so he was sacrificed to save the king, who
recovered. As for Reynard, he enjoyed great honor as long as
he Hved, and his adventures have long been the deUght of the
people, whom his tricks never failed to amuse.

"Highly honor'd is Reineke now ! To wisdom let all men
Quickly apply them, and flee what is evil, and reverence virtue !
This is the end and aim of the song, and in it the poet
Fable and truth hath mixed, whereby the good from the evil
Ye may discern, and wisdom esteem ; and thereby the buyers
Of this book in the ways of the world may be daily instructed.
For it was so created of old, and will ever remain so.
Thus is our poem of Reineke's deeds and character ended.
May God bring us all to eternal happiness. Amen ! "

CHAPTER IV.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED.

Germany's greatest epic is, without doubt, the ancient poem
entitled " Nibelungenlied," or the " Lay," " Fall," or " Calamity
of the Nibelungs." Although nothing certain is

, -1 ,,,..,., Origin of poem.

known concernmg the real authorship of this beau-
tiful work, it is supposed to have been put into its present form
either by the Austrian minstrel von Kurenberg or by the German
poet von Ofterdingen, some time previous to the year 1210, the
date inscribed on the oldest manuscript of that poem now extant.

According to the best authorities on ancient German literature,
the " NibelungenUed " is compiled from preexisting songs and
rhapsodies, forming five distinct cycles of myths, but all referring
in some way to the great treasure of the Nibelungs. One of these
cycles is the northern Volsunga Saga,i where Sigurd, Gudnin,
Gunnar, Hogni, and Atli, the principal characters, correspond to
Siegfried, Kriemhild, Gunther, Hagen, and Etzel of the " Nibe-
lungenlied." The story of the German poem, which can be given
only in outline, is as follows :

Dankrat and Ute, King and Queen of Burgundy, were the for-
tunate parents of four children : three sons, Gunther, Gemot, and
Giselher; and one beautiful daughter, Kriemhild. When the
king died, his eldest son, Gunther, succeeded him, and reigned
wisely and well, residing at Worms on the Rhine, his capital and
favorite city.

As was customary in those days, Kriemhild lived a peaceful

1 See Guerber's Myths of Northern Lands, p. 225.
53

54 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

and secluded life, rarely leaving her mother's palace and protec-
tion. But one night her slumbers, which were usually very
Kriemhiid's peaceful, were disturbed by a tormenting dream,
dream. which, upon awaking, she hastened to confide to
her mother, thinking that, as Ute was skilled in magic and dreams,
she might give a favorable interpretation and thus rid her of her
haunting fears.

" A dream was dreamt by Kriemhild, the virtuous and the gay,
How a wild young falcon she train'd for many a day,
Till two fierce eagles tore it."

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Ute declared that the falcon her daughter had seen in her
dream must be some noble prince, whom she would love and
marry; while the two eagles were base murderers, who wotdd
eventually slay her beloved. Instead of reassuring Kriemhild,
this interpretation only saddened her the more, and made her
loudly protest that she would rather forego all the joys of mar-
ried estate than have to mourn for a beloved husband.

In those days there flourished farther down the Rhine the
kingdom of the Netherlands, governed by Siegmund and Siege-
Siegfried's lind. They were very proud of their only son and
home. \it\x, young Siegfried, who had already reached
man's estate. To celebrate his knighthood a great tournament
was held at Xanten on the Rhine, and in the jousting the young
prince won all the laurels, although great and tried warriors
matched their skill against his in the lists.

The festivities continued for seven whole days, and when the
guests departed they were all heavily laden with the costly gifts
which the king and queen had lavished upon them.

"The gorgeous feast it lasted till the seventh day was o'er.
Siegelind, the wealthy, did as they did of yore ;
She won for valiant Siegfried the hearts of young and old,
When for his sake among them she shower'd the ruddy gold.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 55

" You scarce could find one needy in all the minstrel band;
Horses and robes were scatter'd with ever-open hand.
They gave as though they had not another day to live ;
None were to take so ready as they inclin'd to give."

Nibelungenlied (Leltsom's tr.).

After the departure of all these guests, young Siegfried sought
his parents' presence, told them that he had heard rumors of the
beauty and attractions of Kriemhild of Burgundy, and declared
his wish to journey thither to secure her as his wife.

In vain the fond parents tried to prevail upon him to remain
quietly at home ; the young hero insisted so strongly that he
finally won their consent to his immediate departure. With
eleven companions, all decked out in the richest garments that
the queen's chests could furnish, the young prince rode down the
Rhine, and reached Worms on the seventh day.

The arrival of the gallant little troop was soon noted by Gun-
ther's subjects, who hastened out to meet the strangers and help
them dismount. Siegfried immediately requested Siegfried's
to be brought into the presence of their king, who, arrival in
in the meanwhile, had inquired of his uncle, Hagen, Burgundy,
the names and standing of the newcomers. Glancing down from
the great hall window, Hagen said that the leader must be Sieg-
fried, the knight who had slain the owners of the Nibelungen hoard
and appropriated it for his own use, as well as the magic cloud-
cloak, or Tarnkappe, which rendered its wearer invisible to mortal
eyes.i He added that this same Siegfried was ruler of the Nibe-
lungen land, and the slayer of a terrible dragon, whose blood had
made him invulnerable, and he concluded by advising Gunther
to receive him most courteously.

"Yet more I know of Siegfried, that well your ear may hold :
A poison-spitting dragon he slew with courage bold,
And in the blood then bath'd him ; thus turn'd to horn his skin,
And now no weapons harm him, as often proved has been.

1 For various legends of this cycle see Guerber's Legends of the Rhine,
article Xanten.

56 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" Receive then this young hero with all becoming state ;
'Twere ill advis'd to merit so fierce a champion's hate.
So lovely is his presence, at once all hearts are won,
And then his strength and courage such wondrous deeds have done. "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

In obedience to this advice, Gunther went to meet Siegfried
and politely inquired the cause of his visit. Imagine his dismay,
therefore, when Siegfried replied that he had come to test the
Burgundian's vaunted strength, and to propose a single combat,
in which the victor might claim the lands and allegiance of the
vanquished. Gunther recoiled from such a proposal, and as none
of his warriors seemed inclined to accept the challenge, he and
his brother hastened to disarm Siegfried's haughty mood by their
proffers of unbounded hospitality.

Siegfried sojourned for nearly a year at Gunther's court, dis-
playing his skill in all martial exercises ; and although he never
caught a glimpse of the fair maiden Kriemhild, she often admired
his strength and manly beauty from behind the palace lattice.

One day the games were interrupted by the arrival of a herald

announcing that Ludeger, King of the Saxons, and Ludegast,

King of Denmark, were about to invade Burgundy.

War with the ° ' a }

Saxons and These tidings filled Gunther's heart with terror, for
the enemy were very numerous and their valor was
beyond all question. But when Hagen hinted that perhaps Sieg-
fried would lend them a helping hand, the King of Burgundy
seized the suggestion with joy.

As soon as Siegfried was made aware of the threatened inva-
sion he declared that if Gunther would only give him one thou-
sand brave men he would repel the foe. This offer was too good
to refuse ; so Gunther hastily assembled a chosen corps, in which
were his brothers Gemot and Giselher, Hagen and his brother
Dankwart, Ortwine, Sindolt, and Volker, — all men of remarkable
valor.

" ' Sir king,' said noble Siegfried, ' here sit at home and play,
While I and your vassals are fighting far away ;

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 57

Here frolic with the ladies and many a merry mate,
And trust to me for guarding your honor and estate.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

This little force, only one thousand strong, then marched bravely
out of Worms, passed through Hesse, and entered Saxony, where
it encountered the enemy numbering no less than twenty thou-
sand valiant fighting men. The battle was immediately begun ;
and while all fought bravely, none did such wonders as Siegfried,
who made both kings prisoners, routed their host, and returned
triumphant to Worms, with much spoil and many captives.

A messenger had preceded him thither to announce the suc-
cess of the expedition, and he was secretly summoned and ques-
tioned by Kriemhild, who, in her joy at hearing that Siegfried was
unharmed and victorious, gave the messenger a large reward.

" Then spake she midst her blushes, ' Well hast thou earn'd thy meed,
Well hast thou told thy story, so take thee costliest weed,
And straight I'll bid be brought thee ten marks of ruddy gold.'
No wonder, to rich ladies glad news are gladly told."

Nibelnng;eniied (L^ttsoTs^s tr.),

Kriemhild then hastened to her window, from whence she wit-
nessed her hero's triumphant entrance, and heard the people's
acclamations of joy. The wounded were cared celebration
for, the captive kings hospitably entertained and of Siegfried's

- . .... 1 1 J i victory.

duly released, and great festivities were held to
celebrate the glorious victory. Among other entertainments the
knights tilted in the tournaments, and, by Gernot's advice, Ute,
Kriemhild, and all the court ladies were invited to view the prowess
of the men at arms. It was thus that Siegfried first beheld
Kriemhild, and as soon as he saw her he gladly acknowledged
that she was fairer than he could ever have supposed.

" As the moon arising outglitters every star
That through the clouds so purely glimmers from afar,
E'en so love-breathing Kriemhild dimm'd every beauty nigh.
Well might at such a vision many a bold heart beat high."

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

58 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Siegfried's happiness was complete, however, when he was ap-
pointed the escort of this peerless maiden ; and on the way to and
from the tournament and mass he made good use of his oppor-
tunity to whisper pretty speeches to Kriemhild, who timidly ex-
pressed her gratitude for the sei'vice he had rendered her brother,
and begged that he would continue to befriend him. These
words made Siegfried blush with pride, and then and there he
registered a solemn vow to fulfill her request.

" ' Ever,' said he, ' your brethren I'll serve as best I may,
Nor once, while I have being, will head on pillow lay
Till I have done to please them whate'er they bid me do ;
And this, my Lady Kriemhild, is all for love of you.' "

Nibelungenlzed {lj&i\sota!s tr.).

The festivities being ended, Gunther bestowed many gifts on
the departing guests ; but when Siegfried would also have departed
he entreated him to remain at Worms. This the young hero was
not at all loath to do, as he had fallen deeply in love with the
fair Kriemhild, whom he was now privileged to see every day.

The excitement consequent on the festivities had not entirely

subsided in Worms when King Gunther declared his desire to

win for his wife Brunhild, a princess of Issland,

Brunhild. , , , , , ,

who had vowed to marry none but the man who
could surpass her in casting a spear, in throwing a stone, and in
jumping.

" Then spake the lord of Rhineland : ' Straight will I hence to sea,
And seek the fiery Brunhild, howe'er it go with me.
For love of the stern maiden I'll frankly risk my life ;
Ready am I to lose it, if I win her not to wife. ' "

NibelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

In vain Siegfried, who knew all about Brunhild, tried to dis-
suade him; Gunther insisted upon departing, but proposed to
Siegfried to accompany him, promising him as reward for his as-
sistance Kriemhild's hand as soon as the princess of Issland was
won. Such an offer was not to be refused, and Siegfried imme-

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 59

diately accepted it, advising Gunther to take only Hagen and
Dankwart as his attendants.

After seeking the aid of Kriemhild for a supply of rich cloth-
ing suitable for a prince going a-wooing, Gunther and the three
knights embarked on a small vessel, whose sails The expedition
soon filled, and which rapidly bore them down the *° issiand.
Rhine and over the sea to Issland. When within sight of its
shores, Siegfried bade his companions all carefully agree in rep-
resenting him to the strangers as Gunther's vassal only. Their
arrival was seen by some inquisitive damsels peering out of the
windows of the castle, and reported to Brunhild, who immediately
and joyfully concluded that Siegfried had come to seek her hand
in marriage. But when she heard that he held another man's
stirrup to enable him to mount, she angrily frowned, wondering
why he came as a menial instead of as a king. When the stran-
gers entered her hall she would have greeted Siegfried first had '
he not modestly drawn aside, declaring that the honor was due to
his master, Gunther, King of Burgundy, who had come to Issland
to woo her.

Brunhild then haughtily bade her warriors make all the neces-
sary preparations for the coming contest-; and Gunther, Hap;en,
and Dankwart apprehensively watched the movements of four
warriors staggering beneath the weight of Brunhild's ponderous
shield. Then they saw three others equally overpowered by hef
spear; and twelve sturdy servants could scarcely roll the stone
she was wont to cast.

Hagen and Dankwart, fearing for their master,— who was
doomed to die in case of failure,— began to mutter that some
treachery was afoot, and openly regretted that they had con-
sented to lay aside their weapons upon entering the castle.
These remarks, overheard by Brunhild, called forth her scorn,
and she contemptuously bade her servants bring the strangers'
arms, since they were afraid.

" Well heard the noble maiden the warrior's words the while,
And looking o'er her shoulder, said with a scornful smile,

6o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

' As he thinks himself so mighty, I'll not deny a guest ;
Take they their arms and armor, and do as seems them best.

" ' Be they naked and defenseless, or sheath'd in armor sheen,
To me it nothing matters,' said the haughty queen.
' Fear'd yet I never mortal, and, spite of yon stern brow
And all the strength of Gunther, I fear as little now.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

While these preliminaries were being settled, Siegfried had gone

down to the ship riding at anchor, and all unseen had donned

Siegfried and his magic cloud-cloak and returned to the scene

the Tarnkappe. gf (j^e coming contcst, wherc he now bade Gunther

rely upon his aid.

" ' I am Siegfried, thy trusty friend and true ;
Be not in fear a moment for all the queen can do.'

" Said he, ' Off with the buckler, and give it me to bear;
Now what I shall advise thee, mark with thy closest care.
Be it thine to make the gestures, and mine the work to do.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

In obedience to these directions, Gunther merely made the
motions, depending upon the invisible Siegfried to parry and
make all the attacks. Brunhild first poised and flung her spear
with such force that both heroes staggered and almost fell ; but
before she could cry out victory, Siegfried had caught the spear,
turned it butt end foremost, and flung it back with such violence
that the princess fell and was obliged to acknowledge herself
outdone.

Nothing daunted, however, by this first defeat, she caught up
the massive stone, flung it far from her, and leaping after it,

Brunhild's alighted beside it. But even while she was inwardly

defeat. congratulating herself, and confidently cherishing

the belief that the stranger could not surpass her, Siegfried caught

up the stone, flung it farther still, and grasping Gunther by his

broad girdle, bounded through the air with him and landed far

GUNTHER WINNING HIS BRIDE. — Keller.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 6i

beyond it. Brunhild was outdone in all three feats, and, accord-
ing to her own promise, belonged to the victor, Gunther, to whom
she now bade her people show all due respect and homage.

"Then all aloud fair Brunhild bespake her courtier band,
Seeing in the ring at distance unharm'd her wooer stand :
' Hither, my men and kinsmen, low to my better bow.
I am no more your mistress; you're Gunther's liegemen now.'"

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

The warriors all hastened to do her bidding, and escorted their
new lord to the castle, whither, under pretext of fitly celebrating
her marriage, Brunhild summoned all her retainers from far and
near. This rally roused the secret terror of Gunther, Hagen, and
Dankwart, for they suspected some act of treachery on the part
of the dark-browed queen. These fears were also, in a measure,
shared by Siegfried ; so he stole away, promising to return before
long with a force sufficient to overawe Brunhild and quell all at-
tempt at foul play.

Siegfried, having hastily embarked upon the little vessel, swiftly
sailed away to the Nibelungen land, where he arrived in an in-
credibly short space of time, presented himself at the gates of his
castle, and forced an entrance by conquering theigiant porter, and
Alberich, the dwarf guardian of his treasure. Then making him-
self known to his followers, the Nibelungs, he chose one thousand
of them to accompany him back to Issland to support the Bur-
gundian king.

The arrival of this unexpected force greatly surprised Brunhild.
She questioned Gunther, and upon receiving the careless reply
that they were only a few of his followers, who ^^„^^ ^ ^f
had come to make merry at his wedding, she gave Gunther and
up all hope of resistance. When the usual festivi-
ties had taken place, and the wonted largesses had been distrib-
uted, Gunther bade his bride prepare to follow him back to the
Rhine with her personal female attendants, who numbered no less
than one hundred and sixty-eight.

62 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Brunhild regretfully left her own country, escorted by the thou-
sand Nibelung warriors ; and when they had journeyed nine days,
Gunther bade Siegfried spur ahead and announce his safe return
to his family and subjects. Offended by the tone of command
Gunther had assumed, Siegfried at first proudly refused to obey ;
but when the king begged it as a favor, and mentioned Kriem-
hild's name, he immediately relented and set out.

"Said he, 'Nay, gentle Siegfried, do but this journey take.
Not for my sake only, but for my sister's sake ;
You'll oblige fair Kriemhild in this as well as me.'
When so implored was Siegfried, ready at once was he.

" ' Whate'er you will, command me ; let naught be left unsaid;
I will gladly do it for the lovely maid.
How can I refuse her who my heart has won ?
For her, whate'er your pleasure, tell it, and it is done.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Kriemhild received this messenger most graciously, and gave
immediate orders for a magnificent reception of the new queen,
going down to the river to meet and greet her in the most cordial
and affectionate manner.

A tournament and banquet ensued ; but as they were about to
sit down to the latter, the impatient Siegfried ventured to remind

Marria e of G^i^tl^cr of his promise, and claim the hand of
Siegfried and Kriemhild. In spite of a low-spoken remonstrance
"^■"^ ' ' on Brunhild's part, who said that he would surely
never consent to give his only sister in marriage to a menial, Gunther
sent for Kriemhild, who blushingly expressed her readiness to
marry Siegfried if her brother wished. The marriage was imme-
diately celebrated, and the two bridal couples sat side by side.
But while Kriemhild's fair face was radiant with joy, Brunhild's
dark brows were drawn close together in an unmistakable and
ominous frown.

The banquet over, the newly married couples retired ; but when
Gunther, for the first time alone with his wife, would fain have

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 63

embraced her, she seized him, and, in spite of his vigorous resist-
ance, bound him fast with her long girdle, suspended him from a
hail in the corner of her apartment, and, notwith- Gunther's
standing his piteous entreaties, let him remain there humiliation,
all night long, releasing him only a few moments before the at-
tendants entered the nuptial chamber in the morning. Of course
all seemed greatly surprised to see Gunther's lowering counte-
nance, which contrasted oddly with Siegfried's radiant mien ; for
the latter had won a loving wife, and, to show his appreciation of
her, had given her as wedding gift the great Nibelungen hoard.

In the course of the day Gunther managed to draw Siegfried
aside, and secretly confided to him the shameful treatment he
had received at his wife's hands. When Siegfried heard this he
offered to don his cloud-cloak once more, enter the royal cham-
ber unperceived, and force Brunhild to recognize her husband
as her master, and never again make use of her strength against
him.

In pursuance of this promise Siegfried suddenly left Kriemhild's
side at nightfall, stole unseen into the queen's room, and when
she and Gunther had closed the door, he blew out „ . ., ,

' Brunhild

the lights and wrestled with Brunhild until she subdued by
begged for mercy, promising never to bind him 'egtne
again; for as Siegfried had remained invisible throughout the
struggle, she thought it was Gunther who had conquered her.

" Said she, ' Right noble ruler, vouchsafe my life to spare;
Whatever I've offended, my duty shall repair.
I'll meet thy noble passion ; my love with thine shall vie.
That thou canst tame a woman, none better knows than I.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Still unperceived, Siegfried now took her girdle and ring, and
stole out of the apartment, leaving Gunther alone with his wife ;
but, true to her promise, Brunhild ever after treated her husband
with due respect, and having once for all been conquered, she
entirely lost the fabulous strength which had been her proudest

64 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

boast, and was no more powerful than any other member of her
sex.

After fourteen days of rejoicing, Siegfried and Kriemhild (the
latter escorted by her faithful steward Eckewart) journeyed off
to Xanten on the Rhine, where Siegmund and Siegelind received
them joyfully, and even abdicated in their favor.

Ten years passed away very rapidly indeed. Siegfried be-
came the father of a son, whom he named Gunther, in honor of
his brother-in-law, who had called his heir Siegfried ; and when
Siegelind had seen her little grandson she departed from this
world. Siegfried, with Kriemhild, his father, and his son, then
went to the Nibelungen land, where they tarried two years.

In the mean while Brunhild, still imagining that Siegfried was
only her husband's vassal, secretly wondered why he never came
to court to do homage for his lands, and finally suggested to
Gunther that it would be well to invite his sister and her husband
to visit them at Worms. Gunther seized this suggestion gladly,
and immediately sent one of his followers, Gary, to deliver the
invitation, which Siegfried accepted for himself and his wife, and
also for Siegmund, his father.

As they were bidden for midsummer, and as the journey was
very long, Kriemhild speedily began her preparations ; and when
she left home she cheerfully intrusted her little son to the care
of the stalwart Nibelung knights, httle suspecting that she would
never see him again.

On Kriemhild's arrival at Worms, Brunhild greeted her with
as much pomp and ceremony as had been used for her own re-
ception ; but in spite of the amity which seemed to exist between
the two queens, Brunhild was secretly angry at what she deemed
Kriemhild's unwarrantable arrogance.

One day, when the two queens were sitting together, Brunhild,
weary of hearing Kriemhild's constant praise of her husband,
who she declared was without a peer in the world, cuttingly re-
marked that since he was Gunther's vassal he must necessarily
be his inferior. This remark called forth a retort from Kriemhild,

THE NIBELVXGENLTED. 65

and a dispute was soon raging, in the course of which Kriemhild
vowed that she would publicly assert her rank by taking the pre-
cedence of Brunhild in entering the church. The srunhud
queens parted in hot anger, but both immediately and

proceeded to attire themselves with the utmost mag-
nificence, and, escorted by all their maids, met at the church
door. Brunhild there bade Kriemhild stand aside and make
way for her superior ; but this order so angered the Nibelungen
queen that the dispute was resumed in public with increased
vehemence and bitterness.

In her indignation Kriemhild finally insulted Brunhild grossly
by declaring that she was not a faithful wife ; and in proof of her as-
sertion she produced the ring and girdle which Siegfried had won
in his memorable encounter with her, and which he had impru-
dently given to his wife, to whom he had also confided the secret
of Brunhild's wooing.

Brunhild indignantly summoned Gunther to defend her, and he,
in anger, sent for Siegfried, who publicly swore that his wife had
not told the truth, and that Gunther's queen had in no way for-
feited her good name. Further to propitiate his host, Siegfried
declared the quarrel to be disgraceful, and promised to teach his
wife better manners for the future, advising Gunther to do the
same with his consort.

" ' Women must be instructed,' said Siegfried the good knight,
' To leave off idle talking and rule their tongues aright.
Keep thy fair wife in order. I'll do by mine the same.
Such overweening folly puts me indeed to shame.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

To carry out this good resolution he led Klriemhild home,
where, sooth to say, he beat her black and blue,— an heroic meas-
ure which Gunther did not dare to imitate.

Brunhild, smarting from the public insult received, continued
to weep aloud and complain, until Hagen, inquiring the cause of
her extravagant grief, and receiving a highly colored version of
the affair, declared that he would see that she was duly avenged.

5

66 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" He ask'd her what had happen'd — wherefore he saw her weep ;
She told him all the story ; he vow'd to her full deep
That reap should Kriemhild's husband as he had dar'd to sow,
Or that himself thereafter content should never know."

Nibelungenlted (Lettsom's tr.).

To keep this promise, Hagen next tried to stir up the anger of
Gunther, Gemot, and Ortwine, and to prevail upon them to mur-
der Siegfried ; but Giselher reproved him for these base designs,
and openly took Siegfried's part, declaring :

" ' Sure 'tis but a trifle to stir an angry wife.' "

Nibelungenlted (Lettsom's tr.).

But although he succeeded in quelling the attempt for the time
being, he was no match for the artful Hagen, who continually
reminded Gunther of the insult his wife had received, setting it
in the worst possible light, and finally so worked upon the king's
feelings that he consented to a treacherous assault.

Under pretext that his former enemy, Ludeger, was about to

attack him again, Gunther asked Siegfried's assistance, and began

Hagen's to prepare as if for war. When Kiiemhild heard

treachery, (jja^j jjgj. beloved husband was about to rush into
danger she was greatly troubled. Hagen artfully pretended to
share her alarm, and so won her confidence that she revealed to
him that Siegfried was invulnerable except in one spot, between
his shoulders, where a lime leaf had rested and the dragon's
blood had not touched him.

" ' So now I'll tell the secret, dear friend, alone to thee
(For thou, I doubt not, cousin, wilt keep thy faith with me),
Where sword may pierce my darling, and death sit on the thrust.
See, in thy truth and honor how full, how firm, my trust !

" ' As from the dragon's death-wounds gush'd out the crimson gore,
With the smoking torrent the warrior wash'd him o'er,
A leaf then 'twixt his shoulders fell from the linden bough.
There only steel can harm him ; for that I tremble now.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 67

Pretending a sympathy he was far from feeling, and disguising
his miholy joy, Hagen bade Kriemhild sew a tiny cross On Sieg-
fried's doublet over the vulnerable spot, that he might the better
protect him in case of danger, and, after receiving her profuse
thanks, returned to report the success of his ruse to the king.
When Siegfried joined them on the morrow, wearing the fatal
marked doublet, he was surprised to hear that the rebelHon had
been quelled without a blow ; and when invited to join in a hunt
in the Odenwald instead of the fray, he gladly signified his con-
sent. After bidding farewell to Kriemhild, whose heart was sorely
oppressed by dark forebodings, he joined the hunting party. He
scoured the forest, slew several boars, caught a bear ahve, and
playfully let him loose in camp to furnish sport for the guests
while the noonday meal was being prepared. Then he gaily sat
down, glamoring for a drink. His exertions had made him very
thirsty indeed, and he was sorely disappointed when told that,
owing to a mistake, the wine had been carried to another part
of the forest. But when Hagen pointed out a fresh spring at a
short distance, all his wonted good humor returned, and he mer-
rily proposed a race thither, offering to run in full armor, while
the others might lay aside their cumbersome weapons. This chal-
lenge was accepted by Hagen and Gunther. Although heavily
handicapped, Siegfried reached the spring first; but, wishing to
show courtesy to his host, he bade him drink while he disarmed.
When Gunther's thirst was quenched, Siegfried took his turn, and
while he bent over the water Hagen treacherously removed all
his weapons except his shield, and gliding behind him, drove his
spear through his body in the exact spot where Kriemhild had
embroidered the fatal mark.

Mortally wounded, Siegfried made a desperate effort to avenge
himself ; but finding nothing but his shield within reach, he flung
it with such force at his murderer that it knocked Death of
him down. This last effort exhausted the remain- Siegfried,
der of his strength, and the hero fell back upon the grass, cursing
the treachery of those whom he had trusted as friends.

68 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" Thus spake the deadly wounded : ' Ay, cowards false as hell !
To you I still was faithful ; I serv'd you long and well ; —
But what boots all ? — for guerdon treason and death I've won.
By your friends, vile traitors ! foully have you done.

" ' Whoever shall hereafter from your loins be born.
Shall take from such vile fathers a heritage of scorn.
On me you have wreak'd malice where gratitude was due ;
With shame shall you be banish'd by all good knights and true.' "

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

But even in death Siegfried could not forget his beloved wife ;
and laying aside all his anger, he pathetically recommended her
to Gunther's care, bidding him guard her well. Siegfried expired
as soon as these words were uttered ; and the hunters silently
gathered around his corpse, regretfully contemplating the fallen
hero, while they took counsel together how they might keep the
secret of Hagen's treachery. They finally agreed to carry the
body back to Worms and to say that they had found Siegfried dead
in the forest, where he had presumably been slain by highwaymen.

"Then many said, repenting, 'This deed will prove our bale ;
Still let us shroud the secret, and all keep in one tale, —
That the good lord of Kriemhild to hunt alone preferr'd,
And so was slain by robbers as through the wood he spurr'd.' "

Nihehmgenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

But although his companions were anxious to shield him, Hagen
gloried in his dastardly deed, and secretly bade the bearers de-
posit Siegfried's corpse at Kriemhild's door after nightfall, so that
she should be the first to see it there when on her way to early
mass. As he fully expected, Kriemhild immediately recognized
her husband, and fell senseless upon him ; but when she had re-
covered consciousness she declared, while loudly bewailing her
loss, that Siegfried was the victim of an assassination.

" ' Woe's me, woe's' me forever ! sure no fair foeman's sword
Shiver'd thy failing buckler ; 'twas murder stopp'd thy breath.
Oh that I knew who did it ! death I'd requite with death ! ' "

Nibdnngenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 69

By her orders a messenger was sent to break the mournful tid-
ings to the still sleeping Siegmund and the Nibelungs. They
hastily armed and rallied about her, and would have fallen upon
the Burgundians, to avenge their master's death, had she not re-
strained them, bidding them await a suitable occasion, and prom-
ising them her support when the right time came.

The preparations for a sumptuous funeral were immediately
begun, and all lent a willing hand, for Siegfried was greatly be-
loved at Worms. His body was therefore laid in „ . ,

■' Detection of

State in the cathedral, where all came to view it and Siegfried's
condole with Kriemhild ; but when Gunther drew """^
near to express his sorrow, she refused to listen to him until he
promised that all those present at the hunt should touch the
body, which at the murderer's contact would bleed afresh. ' All
stood the test and were honorably acquitted save Hagen, at
whose touch Siegfried's blood began to flow.

" It is a mighty marvel, which oft e'en now we spy,
That when the blood-stain'd murderer comes to the murder'd nigh,
The wounds break out a-bleeding; then too the same befell,
And thus could each beholder the guilt of Hagen tell."

NibeluKgenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Once more Kxiemhild restrained the angry Nibelung war-
riors from taking immediate revenge, and, upheld by Gemot and
Giselher, who really sympathized with her grief, she went through
the remainder of the funeral ceremonies and saw her hero duly
laid at rest.

Kriemhild's mourning had only begun. All her days and nights
were now spent in bitter weeping. This sorrow was fully shared
by Siegmund, who, however, finally roused himself and proposed
a return home. Kriemhild was about to accompany him, when
her relatives persuaded her to remain in Burgundy. Then the
little band which had come in festal array rode silently away in
mourning robes, the grim Nibelung knights muttering dark threats
against those who had dealt so basely with their beloved master.

70 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" ' Into this same country we well may come again
To seek and find the traitor who laid our master low.
Among the kin of Siegfried they have many a mortal foe.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Eckewart the steward alone remained with Kriemhild, with a
faithfulness which has become proverbial in the German language,
The Nibeiungen and prepared for his mistress a dwelling close by-
hoard, the cathedral, so that she might constantly visit
her husband's tomb. Here Kriemhild spent three years in com-
plete seclusion, refusing to see Gunther, or the detested Hagen ;
but they, remembering that the immense Nibeiungen hoard was
hers by right, continually wondered how she could be induced
to send for it. Owing to Hagen's advice, Gunther, helped by
his brothers, finally obtained an interview with, and was recon-
ciled to, his mourning sister, and shortly after persuaded her to
send twelve men to claim from Alberich, the dwarf, the fabulous
wealth her husband had bestowed upon her as a wedding gift.

" It was made up of nothing but precious stones and gold ;
Were all the world bought from it, and down the value told,
Not a mark the less thereafter were left than erst was scor'd.
Good reason sure had Hagen to covet such a hoard.

" And thereamong was lying the wishing rod of gold,
Which whoso could discover, might in subjection hold
All this wide world as master, with all that dwelt therein.
There came to Worms with Gemot full many of Albric's kin."

Nibelungenlud (Lettsom's tr.).

But although this wealth is said to have filled nearly one hun-
dred and fifty wagons, Kriemhild would gladly have given it all
away could she but have seen her husband by her side once more.
Not knowing what else to do with it, she gave away her gold
right and left, bidding all the recipients of her bounty pray for
Siegfried's soul. Her largesses were so extensive that Hagen,
who alone did not profit by her generosity, and who feared the

',0„,. ,, 71 ;

SIEGFRIED'S BODY BORNE HOME BY THE HUNTSMEN. —Pixis.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 71

treasure might be exhausted before he could obtain a share,
sought out Gunther and told him that Kriemhild was secretly
winning to her side many adherents, whom she would some day
urge to avenge her husband's murder by slaying her kindred.

While Gunther was trying to devise some plan to obtain pos-
session of the hoard, Hagen boldly seized the keys of the tower
where it was kept, secretly removed all the gold, and, to prevent
its faUing into any hands but his own, sank it in the Rhine near
Lochheim.

" Ere back the king came thither, impatient of delay,
Hagen seized the treasure, and bore it thence away.
Into the Rhine at Lochheim the whole at once threw he !
Henceforth he thought t' enjoy it, but that was ne'er to be.

" He nevermore could get it for all his vain desire;
So fortune oft the traitor cheats of his treason's hire.
Alone he hop'd to use it as long as he should live.
But neither himself could profit, nor to another give.''

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

When Gunther, Gemot, and Gifeelher heard what Hagen had
done, they were so angry that he deemed it advisable to with-
draw from court for a while. Kriemhild would fain have left
Biu-gundy forever at this fresh wrong, but with much difficulty
was prevailed upon to remain and take up her abode at Lorch,
whither Siegfried's remains were removed by her order.

Thirteen years had passed by since Siegfried's death in the
Odenwald when Etzel, King of Hungary, who had lost his beau-
tiful and beloved wife, Helche, bade one of his King of Hun-
knights, Riidiger of Bechlaren, ride to Worms and gary a suitor
sue for the hand of Kriemhild in his master's name. °^ '''^™ ' '

Riidiger immediately gathered together a suitable train and
departed, stopping on the way to visit his wife and daughter at
Bechlaren. Passing all through Bavaria, he arrived at last at
Worms, where he was warmly welcomed, by Hagen especially,
who had formerly known him well.

72 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

In reply to Gunther's courteous inquiry concerning the welfare
of the King and Queen of the Huns, Rudiger announced the death
of the latter, and declared that he had come to sue for Kriem-
hild's hand.

"Thereon the highborn envoy his message freely told:
' King, since you have permitted, I'll to your ears unfold
Wherefore my royal master me to your court has sent,
Plung'd as he is in sorrow and doleful dreariment.

" ' It has been told my master. Sir Siegfried now is dead,
And Kriemhild left a widow. If thus they both have sped,
Would you but permit her, she the crown shall wear
Before the knights of Etzel ; this bids me my good lord declare.' "

NibelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

Gunther gladly received this message, promised to do all in his
power to win Kriemhild's consent, and said that he would give
the envoy a definite answer in three days' time. He then con-
sulted his brothers and nobles as to the advisabihty of the pro-
posed alliance, and found that all were greatly in favor of it save
Hagen, who warned them that if Kriemhild were ever Queen of
the Huns she would use her power to avenge her wrongs.

This warning was, however, not heeded by the royal brothers,
who, seeking Kriemhild's presence, vainly tried to make her accept

Rudiger's the Hun's proposal. All she would grant was an

promise. audience to Rudiger, who laid before her his mas-
ter's proposal, described the power of the Huns, and swore to
obey her in all things would she but consent to become his queen.

" In vain they her entreated, in vain to her they pray'd.
Till to the queen the margrave this secret promise made, —
He'd ' full amends procure her for past or future ill.'
Those words her storm-tost bosom had power in part to still."

NibelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

After receiving this promise, Kriemhild signified her consent,
and immediately prepared to accompany Riidiger to King
Etzel's court. Eckewart and all her maidens accompanied her,

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 73

with five hundred men as a bodyguard ; and Gemot and Gisel-
her, with many Burgundian nobles, escorted her to Vergen on
the Danube, where they took an affectionate leave The journey
of her, and went back to their home in Burgundy. *° Hungary.

From Vergen, Kriemhild and her escort journeyed on to Passau,
where they were warmly welcomed and hospitably entertained by
good Bishop Pilgrim, brother of Queen Ute. He would gladly
have detained them, had not Riidiger declared that his master
impatiently awaited the coming of his bride, which had duly been
announced to him.

A second pause was made at Bechlaren, Rudiger's castle, where
Kriemhild was entertained by his wife and daughter, GoteUnde
and Dietelinde, and where the usual lavish distribution of gifts
took place. Then the. procession swept on again across the
country and down the Danube, until they met King Etzel, whom
Kriemhild graciously kissed, and who obtained a similar favor for
his brother and a few of his principal nobles.

After witnessing some tilting and other martial games, the
king and, queen proceeded to Vienna, where a triumphal recep-
tion awaited them, and where their marriage was The marriage
celebrated with all becoming solemnity and great ^* Vienna,
pomp. The wedding festivities lasted seventeen days ; but al-
though all vied in their attempts to please Kriemhild, she remained
sad and pensive, for she could not forget her beloved Siegfried
and the happy years she had spent with him.

The royal couple next journeyed on to Gran, Etzel's capital,
where Kriemhild found innumerable handmaidens ready to do
her will, and where Etzel was very happy with his new consort.
His joy was complete, however, only when she bore him a son,
who was baptized in the Christian faith, and called Ortlieb.

Although thirteen years had now elapsed since Kriemhild had
left her native land, the recollection of her wrongs was as vivid
as ever, her melancholy just as profound, and her thoughts were
ever busy planning how best to lure Hagen into her kingdom so
as to work her revenge.

74 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" One long and dreary yearning she foster'd hour by hour;
She thought, ' I am so wealthy and hold such boundless power.
That I with ease a mischief can bring on all my foes,
But most on him of Trony, the deadliest far of those.

" ' Full oft for its beloved my heart is mourning still ;
Them could I but meet with, who wrought me so much iU,
Revenge should strike at murder, and life atone for life ;
Wait can I no longer.' So murmur'd Etzel's wife."

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Kriemhild finally decided to persuade Etzel to invite all her
kinsmen for a midsummer visit, w^hich the king, not dreaming of

Kriemhiid's her evil purpose, immediately hastened to do. Tviro
p'°'- minstrels, Werbel and Swemmel, were sent with the

most cordial invitation. Before they departed Kriemluld in-
structed them to be sure and tell all her kinsmen that she was
blithe and happy, and not melancholy as of yore, and to use every
effort to bring not only the kings, but also Hagen, who, having
been at Etzel's court as hostage in his youth, could best act as
their guide.

The minstrels were warmly received at Worms, where their invi-
tation created great excitement. All were in favor of accepting
it except Hagen, who objected that Kriemhild had cause for
anger and would surely seek revenge when they were entirely in
her power.

" ' Trust not, Sir King,' said Hagen, 'how smooth soe'er they be.
These messengers from Hungary ; if Kriemhild you will see,
You put upon the venture your honor and your Ufe.
A nurse of ling'ring vengeance is Etzel's moody wife.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

But all his objections were set aside with the remark that he
alone had a guilty conscience ; and the kings bade the minstrels
return to announce their coming, although Ute also tried to keep
them at home. Hagen, who was no coward, seeing them deter-
mined to go, grimly prepared to accompany them, and prevailed
upon them to don their strongest armor for the journey.

TtlE MBELUMGEN'LlEt). ^S

Gunther was accompanied by both his brothers, by Hagen,
Dankwart, Volker (his minstrel), Gary, and Ortwine, and by one
thousand picked men as escort. Before leaving he intrusted his
wife, Brunhild, and his son to the care of Rumolt, his squire, and
bidding farewell to his people, set out for Hungary, whence he
was never to return.

In the mean while the Hungarian minstrels had hastened back
to Gran to announce the guests' coming, and, upon being closely
questioned by Kriemhild, described Hagen's grim behavior, and
repeated his half-muttered prophecy: "This jaunt's a jaunt to
death."

The Burgundians, who in this part of the poem are frequently
called Nibelungs (because they now held the great hoard), reached
the Danube on the twelfth day. As they found neither ford nor
ferry, Hagen, after again prophesying all manner of evil, volun-
teered to go in search of a boat or raft to cross the rapid stream.

He had not gone very far before he heard the sound of voices,
and, peeping through the bushes, saw some swan maidens, or " wise
women," bathing in a neighboring fountain. Steal- Prophecy of the
ing up unperceived, he secured their plumage, swan maidens,
which he consented to restore only after they had predicted the
result of his journey. To obtain her garments, one of the women,
Hadburg, prophesied great good fortune ; but when the pilfered
robes were restored, another, called Siegelind, foretold much woe.

" ' I will warn thee, Hagen, thou son of Aldrian ;
My aunt has lied unto thee her raiment back to get ;
If once thou com'st to Hungary, thou'rt taken in the net.

" ' Turn while there's time for safety, turn, warriors most and least;
For this, and for this only, you're bidden to the feast,
That you perforce may perish in Etzel's bloody land.
Whoever rideth thither, Death has he close at hand.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

After adding that the chaplain alone would return alive to
Worms, she told Hagen that he would find a ferryman on the

^G legejvds of the middle ages.

opposite side of the river, farther down, but that he would not
obey his call unless he declared his name to be Amelrich.

Hagen, after leaving the wise women, soon saw the ferryman's
boat anchored to the opposite shore, and failing to make him
come over for a promised reward, he cried out that his name was
Amelrich. The ferryman immediately crossed, but when Hagen
sprang into his boat he detected the fraud and began to fight.
Although gigantic in size, this ferryman was no match for Hagen,
who, after slaying him, took possession of the boat and skillfully
ferried his masters and companions across the river.

In hope of giving the lie to the swan maidens, Hagen paused
once in the middle of the stream to fling the chaplain overboard,
thinking he would surely drown ; but to his surprise and dismay
the man struggled back to the shore, where he stood alone and
unharmed, and whence he slowly wended his way back to Bur-
gundy. Hagen now knew that the swan maidens' prophecy was
destined to be fulfilled. Nevertheless he landed on the opposite
shore, where he bade the main part of the troop ride on ahead,
leaving him and Dankwart to bring up the rear, for he fully
expected that Gelfrat, master of the murdered ferryman, would
pursue them to avenge the latter's death. These previsions were
soon verified, and in the bloody encounter which ensued, Hagen
came off victor, with the loss of but four men, while the enemy
left more than one hundred dead upon the field.

Hagen joined the main body of the army once more, passed
on with it to Passau, where Bishop Pilgrim was as glad to see his

The first nephews as he had been to welcome his niece, and

warning. from thence went on to the frontiers of Bechlaren.
There they found Eckewart, who had been sent by Riidiger to
warn them not to advance any farther, as he suspected that some
treachery was afoot.

" Sir Eckewart replied :
' Yet much, I own, it grieves me that to the Huns you ride.
You took the life of Siegfried ; all hate you deadly here ;
As your true friend I warn you ; watch well, and wisely fear.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 77

As the Burgundians would have deemed themselves forever
disgraced were they to withdraw from their purpose, they refused
to listen to this warning, and, entering Riidiger's castle, were
warmly received by him and his family. Giselher, seeing the
beauty of the maiden Dietelinde, fell deeply in love with her,
and prevailed upon the margrave to consent to their immediate
marriage, promising, however, to claim and bear away his bride
only upon his homeward journey. Once more gifts were lavished
with mediasval profusion, Gunther receiving a coat of mail, Ger-
not a sword, Hagen a shield, and the minstrel Volker many. rings
of red gold.

Riidiger then escorted the Burgundians until they met the
brave Dietrich von Bern (Verona), who also warned xhe second
them that their visit was fraught with danger, for warning.
Kriemhild had by no means forgotten the murder of the husband
of her youth.

His evil prognostications were also of no avail, and he sadly
accompanied them until they met Kriemhild, who embraced
Giselher only. Then, turning suddenly upon Hagen, she inquired
aloud, in the presence of all the people, whether he had brought
her back her own, the Nibelung hoard. Nothing daunted by this
sudden query, Hagen haughtily answered that the treasure still
lay deep in the Rhine, where he fancied it would rest until the
judgment day.

" ' r faith, my Lady Kriemhild, 'tis now full many a day
Since in my power the treasure of the Nibelungers lay.
In the Rhine my lords bade sink it ; I did their bidding fain,
And in the Rhine, I warrant, till doomsday 'twill remain.'"

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

The queen turned her back contemptuously upon him, and in-
vited her other guests to lay aside their weapons, for none might
enter the great hall armed. This Hagen refused to allow them
to do, saying that he feared treachery ; and the queen, pretending
great grief, inquired who could have filled her kinsmen's hearts

78 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

with such unjust suspicions. Sir Dietrich then boldly stepped
forward, defied Kriemhild, and declared that it was he who had
bidden the Burgundians be thus on their guard.

" ' 'Twas I that the warning to the noble princes gave,
And to their liegeman Hagen, to whom such hate thou bear'st.
Now up, she-fiend ! be doing, and harm me if thou dar'st ! '"

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Although the thirst for revenge now made her a " she-fiend,"

as he termed her, Kriemhild did not dare openly to attack Die-

Aiiiance be- t"ch, whom all men justly feared ; and she quickly

tween Hagen concealed her anger, while Etzel advanced in his

and voiker. ^^^ ^^ welcome his guests, and especially singled
out Hagen, his friend's son. While many of the Burgundians
accompanied the king into the hall, Hagen drew Voiker aside,
and, sitting down on a stone seat near Kriemhild's door, entered
into a life-and-death alliance with him. Kriemhild, looking out
of her window, saw him there and bade her followers go out and
slay him ; but although they numbered four hundred, they hung
back, until the queen, thinking that they doubted her assertions,
volunteered to descend alone and wring from Hagen a confession
of his crimes, while they lingered within earshot inside the build-
ing. Voiker, seeing the queen approach, proposed to Hagen to
rise and show her the customary respect ; but the latter, declaring
that she would ascribe this token of decorum to fear alone, grimly
bade him remain seated, and, when she addressed him, boldly
acknowledged that he alone had slain Siegfried.

" Said he, ' Why question further? that were a waste of breath.
In a word, I am e'en Hagen, who Siegfried did to death.

' ' What I have done, proud princess, I never will deny.
The cause of all the mischief, the wrong, the loss, am I.
So now, or man or woman, revenge it whoso will ;
I scorn to speak a falsehood, — I've done you grievous ill.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 79

But although the warriors had heard every word he said, and
the queen again urged them on to attack her foe, they one and
all withdrew after meeting one of Hagen's threatening glances.
This episode, however, was enough to show the Burgundians very
plainly what they could expect, and Hagen and Volker soon
joined their companions, keeping ever side by side, according to
their agreement.

"Howe'er the rest were coupled, as mov'd to court the train,
Folker and Hagen parted ne'er again,
Save in one mortal struggle, e'en to their dying hour."

NibelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

After banqueting with Etzel the guests were led to their ap-
pointed quarters, far remote from those of their squires; and
when the Huns began to crowd them, Hagen again frightened
them off with one of his black looks. When the hall where they
were to sleep was finally reached, the knights all lay down to
rest except Hagen and Volker, who mounted guard, the latter
beguiling the hours by playing on his fiddle.

Once, in the middle of the night, these self-appointed sentinels
saw an armed troop draw near ; but when they loudly challenged
the foremost men, they beat a hasty retreat. At dawn of day
the knights arose to go to mass, wearing their arms by Hagen's
advice, keeping well together, and presenting such a threatening
aspect that Kriemhild's men dared not attack them.

In spite of all these signs, Etzel remained entirely ignorant of
his wife's evil designs, and continued to treat the Burgundians
like friends and kinsmen.

" How deep soe'er and deadly the hate she bore her kin.
Still, had the truth by any disclos'd to Etzel been.
He had at once prevented what afterwards befell.
Through proud contemptuous courage they scorn'd their wrongs
to teU."

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

After mass a tournament was held, Dietrich and Riidiger virtu-
ously abstaining from taking part in it, lest some mishap should

8o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

occur through their bravery, and fan into flames the smoldering

fire of discord. In spite of all these precautions, however, the

Beginning of threatened disruption nearly occurred when Volker

hostilities. accidentally slew a Hun ; and it was avoided only
by King Etzel's prompt interference.

Kriemhild, hearing of this accident, vainly tried to use it as an
excuse to bribe Dietrich, or his man Hildebrand, to slay her foe.
She finally won over BlodeKn, the king's brother, by promising him
a fair bride. To earn this reward the prince went with an armed
host to the hall where all the Burgundian squires were feasting
under Dankwart's care, and there treacherously slew them all,
Dankwart alone escaping to the king's hall to join his brother
Hagen.

In the mean while Etzel was entertaining his mailed guests,
and had sent for his little son, whom he placed in Gunther's lap,
telling him that he would soon send the boy to Burgundy to be
educated among his mother's kin.

All admired the graceful child except Hagen, who gruffly re-
marked that the child appeared more likely to die early than to
live to grow up. He had just finished this rude speech, which
filled Etzel's heart with dismay, when Dankwart burst into the
room, exclaiming that all his companions had been slain, and
calling to Hagen for aid.

" 'Be stirring, brother Hagen ; you're sitting all too long.
To you and God in heaven our deadly strait I plain :
Yeomen and knights together lie in their quarters slain.' "

Nibelungenlied {X^Vtssyai^ dr.).

The moment Hagen heard these tidings he sprang to his feet,
drew his sword, and bade Dankwart guard the door and pre-

vent the ingress or egress of a single Hungarian.

Then he struck off the head of the child Ortlieb,
which bounded into Kriemhild's lap, cut off the minstrel Werbel's
hand, and began hewing right and left among the Hungarians,
aided by all his companions, who manfully followed his example.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 81

Dismayed at this sudden turn of affairs, the aged King Etzel
" sat in mortal anguish," helplessly watching the massacre, while
Kriemhild shrieked aloud to Dietrich to protect her from her foes.
Moved to pity by her evident terror, Dietrich blew a resounding
blast on his horn, and Gunther paused in his work of destruction
to inquire how he might serve the man who had ever shown him-
self a friend. Dietrich answered by asking for a safe-conduct
out of the hall for himself and his followers, which was immedi-
ately granted.

" 'Let me with your safe-conduct this hall of Etzel's leave,
And quit this bloody banquet with those who follow me ;
And for this grace forever I'll at your service be.' "

Nibelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Dietrich von Bern then passed out of the hall unmolested, lead-
ing the king by one hand and the queen by the other, and closely
followed by all his retainers. This same privilege

J T>"i' t t • ^ 1 11 "^^^ massacre.

was granted to Rudiger and his five hundred men ;
but when these had all passed out, the Burgundians renewed the
bloody fight, nor paused until all the Huns in the hall were slain,
and everything was reeking with blood.

Then the Burgundians gathered up the corpses, which they flung
down the staircase, at the foot of which Etzel stood, helplessly
wringing his hands, and vainly trying to discover some means of
stopping the fight.

Kriemhild, in the mean while, was actively employed in gath-
ering men, promising large rewards to any one who would attack
and slay Hagen. Urged on by her, Iring attempted to force an
entrance, but was soon driven back ; and when he would have
made a second assault, Hagen ruthlessly slew him.

Imfried the Thuringian, and Hawart the Dane, seeing him
fall, rushed impetuously upon the Burgundians to avenge him ; but
both fell under Hagen's and Volker's mighty blows, while their
numerous followers were all slain by the other Burgundians.

82 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" A thousand and four together had come into the hall;
You might see the broadswords flashing rise and fall;
Soon the bold intruders all dead together lay ;
Of those renown'd Burgundians strange marvels one might say."

Nibehingenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

Etzel and the Huns were mourning over their dead; so the
weary Burgundians removed their helmets and rested, while
Kriemhild continued to muster new troops to attack her kinsmen,
who were still strongly intrenched in the great hall.

" 'Twas e'en on a midsummer befell that murderous fight.
When on her nearest kinsmen and many a noble knight
Dame Kriemhild wreak'd the anguish that long in heart she bore,
Whence inly griev'd King Etzel, nor joy knew evermore.

" Yet on such sweeping slaughter at first she had not thought;
She only had for vengeance on one transgressor sought.
She wish'd that but on Hagen the stroke of death might fall;
'Twas the foul fiend's contriving that they should perish all."

Nihelungenlied (Lettsom's tr.).

An attempt was now made by the Burgundians to treat with
Etzel for a safe-conduct. Obdurate at first, he would have
yielded had not Kriemhild advised him to pursue the feud to the
bitter end, unless her brothers consented to surrender Hagen to
her tender mercies. This, of course, Gunther absolutely refused
to do ; so Kriemhild gave secret orders that the hall in which the
Burgundians were intrenched should be set on fire. Surrounded
by bitter foes, blinded by smoke, and overcome by the heat, the
Burgundians still held their own, slaking their burning thirst by
drinking the blood of the slain, and taking refuge from the flames
under the stone arches which supported the ceiling of the hall.

Thus they managed to survive that terrible night ; but when

morning dawned and the queen heard that they were still alive, she

bade Riidiger go forth and fight them. He refused

Riidiger's oath. . .,.,,.

until she reminded him of the solemn oath he had
sworn to her in Worms before she would consent to accompany
him to Hungary.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 83

Now think upon the homage that once to me you swore,
When to the Rhine, good warrior. King Etzel's suit you bore.
That you would serve me ever to cither's dying day.
Ne'er can I need so deeply that you that vow should pay.' "

NihelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

Torn by conflicting feelings and urged by opposite oaths,— for
he had also sworn to befriend the Burgundians,— Riidiger now
vainly tried to purchase his release by the sacrifice of all his pos-
sessions. At last, goaded to madness, he yielded to the king's
and queen's entreaties, armed his warriors, and drew near the hall
where his former guests were intrenched. At first they could not
beheve that Rudiger had any hostile intentions ; but when he
pathetically informed them that he must fight, and recommended
his wife and daughter to their care in case he fell, they silently
allowed him and his followers to enter the hall, and grimly re-
newed the bloody conflict.

Riidiger, after slaying many foes, encountered Gemot wield-
ing the sword he had given him ; and these two doughty cham-
pions finally slew each other. All the followers of Death of
Riidiger also fell ; and when Kriemhild, who was Rudiger.
anxiously awaiting the result of this new attack in the court
below, saw his corpse among the slain, she began to weep and
bemoan her loss. The moumftil tidings of Rudiger's death soon
spread all over the town and came finally to the ears of Dietrich
von Bern, who bade his man Hildebrand go and claim the corpse
from his Burgundian friends.

Hildebrand went thither with an armed force, but some of his
men unfortunately began to bandy words with the Burgundians,
and this soon brought about an impetuous fight. In the ensuing
battle all the Burgundians fell except Gunther and Hagen, while
Hildebrand escaped sore wounded to his master, Dietrich von
Bern. When this hero heard that his nephew and vassals were
all slain, he quickly armed himself, and, after vainly imploring
Gunther and Hagen to surrender, fell upon them with an armed
force. The two sole remaining Burgundians were now so ex-

84 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

hausted that Dietrich soon managed to take them captive. He
led them bound to Kriemhild, and implored her to have pity upon
them and spare their Hves.

" ' Fair and noble Kriemhild,' thus Sir Dietrich spake,
' Spare this captive warrior, who full amends will make
For all his past transgressions ; him here in bonds you see ;
Revenge not on the fetter'd th' offenses of the free.'"

Nibelungenlied Qjtxxsau^ % tr,).

By the queen's orders, Gunther and Hagen were confined in
separate cells. There she soon sought the latter, promising him his

Kriemhiid's liberty if he would but reveal the place where her
cruelty. treasure was concealed. But Hagen, mistrusting
her, declared that he had solemnly sworn never to reveal the
secret as long as one of his masters breathed. Kriemhild, whose
cruelty had long passed all bounds, left him only to have her
brother Gunther beheaded, and soon retmned carrying his head,
which she showed to Hagen, commanding him to speak. But
he still refused to gratify her, and repHed that since he was now
the sole depositary of the secret, it would perish with him.

" ' So now, where lies the treasure none knows save God and me,
And told it shall be never, be sure, she-fiend, to thee ! ' "

N-^elung^enlied (Jlj^UsotiCs tr.).

This defiant answer so exasperated Kriemhild that she seized
the sword hanging by his side, — which she recognized as Sieg-

Kriemhiid fried's favorite weapon, — and with her own hands

slain. cut off his head before Etzel or any of his courtiers

could interfere. Hildebrand, seeing this act of treachery, sprang

impetuously forward, and, drawing his sword, slew her who had

brought untold misery into the land of the Huns.

" The mighty and the noble there lay together dead;
For this had all the people dole and drearihead.
The feast of royal Etzel was thus shut up in woe.
Pain in the steps of Pleasure treads ever here below.

THE NIBELUNGENLIED. 85

" 'Tis more than I can tell you what afterwards befell,
Save that there was weeping for friends belov'd so well;
Knights and squires, dames and damsels, were seen lamenting all.
So end I here my story. This is the Nibelungers' Fall."

NibelungenUed (Lettsom's tr.).

Although the " NibelungenUed " proper ends here, an appen-
dix, probably by another hand, called the " Lament," continues
the story, and relates how Etzel, Dietrich, and Hildebrand, in
turn, extolled the high deeds and bewailed the untimely end of
each hero. Then this poem, which is as mournful as monoto-
nous throughout, describes the departure of the messengers sent to
bear the evil tidings and the weapons of the slain to Worms, and
their arrival at Passau, where more tears were shed and where
Bishop Pilgrim celebrated a solemn mass for the rest of the
heroes' souls.

From thence the funeral procession slowly traveled on to Worms,
where the sad news was imparted to the remaining Burgundians,
who named the son of Gunther and Brunhild as their king, and
who never forgot the fatal ride to Hungary.

CHAPTER V.

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS.

Although the following tales of mythical heroes have some
slight historical basis, they have been so adorned by the fancy of
mediaeval bards, and so frequently remodeled with utter disregard
of all chronological sequence, that the kernel of truth is very hard
to find, and the stories must rather be considered as depicting
customs and times than as describing actual events. They are
recorded in the " Heldenbuch," or " Book of Heroes," edited
in the fifteenth century by Kaspar von der Rhon from materials
which had been touched up by Wolfram von Eschenbach and
Heinrich von Ofterdingen in the twelfth century. The poem of
" Ortnit," for instance, is known to have existed as early as the
ninth century.

According to the poets of the middle ages, the Gepidae and the
Langobards settled in Pannonia (Hungary and the neighboring
The Langobards provinces), where they were respectively governed
and Gepids. ^y Thurisind and Audoin. The sons of these two
kings, having quarreled for a trifle, met in duel soon after, and
the Langobardian prince, having slain his companion, took pos-
session of his arms, with which he proudly returned home.

But when, flushed with victory, he would fain have taken his
seat at his father's board with the men at arms, Audoin gravely
informed him that it was not customary for a youth to claim a
place beside tried warriors until some foreign king had distin-
guished him by the present of a complete suit of armor. Angry
at being thus publicly repulsed, Alboin, the prince, strode out of

86

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 87

his father's hall, resolved to march into Thurisind's palace and
demand of him the required weapons.

When the King of the Gepidse saw his son's murderer boldly
enter his palace, his first impulse was to put him to death ; but,
respecting the rights of hospitahty, he forbore to take immediate
vengeance, and even bestowed upon him the customary gift of
arms as he departed on the morrow, but warned him never to re-
turn, lest he should lose his hfe at the warriors' hands. On leaving
the palace, however, Alboin bore away the image of httle Rosa-
mund, Thurisind's fair granddaughter, whom he solemnly swore
he would claim as wife as soon as she was of marriageable age.

Alboin having thus received his arms from a stranger, the
Langobards no longer refused 'to recognize him as a full-fledged
warrior, and gladly hailed him as king when his father died.

Shortly after Alboin's accession to the throne, a quarrel arose
between the Gepidae and the Langobards, or Lombards, as they
were eventually called ; and war having been de- Aiboin's
clared, a decisive battle was fought, in which Thur- cruelty,
isind and his son perished, and all their lands fell into the con-
queror's hands. With true heathen cruelty, the Lombard king
had the skulls of the Gepidse mounted as drinking vessels, which
he delighted in using on all state and festive occasions. Then,
pushing onwards, Alboin took forcible possession of his new realm
and of the tearful young Rosamund, whom he forced to become
his wife, although she shrank in horror from the murderer of all
her kin and the oppressor of her people.

She followed him home, concealing her fears, and although she
never seemed blithe and happy, she obeyed her husband so im-
plicitly that he fancied her a devoted wife. He was so accus-
tomed to Rosamund's ready compUance with his every wish that
one day, after winning a great victory over the Ostrogoths, and
conquering a province in northern Italy (where he took up his
abode, and which bears the name of his race), he bade her fill her
father's skull with wine and pledge him by drinking first out of
this repulsive cup.

88 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The queen hesitated, but, impelled by Alboin's threatening
glances and his mailed hand raised to strike her, she tremblingly

Rosamund's filled the cup and raised it to her lips. But then,
revolt. instead of humbly presenting it to her lord, she
haughtily dashed it at his feet, and left the hall, saying that though
she had obeyed him, she would never again live with him as
his wife, — a declaration which the warriors present secretly ap-
plauded, for they all thought that their king had been wantonly
cruel toward his beautiful wife.

While Alboin was pondering how he might conciliate her with-
out owning himself in the wrong, Rosamund summoned Helmigis,
the king's shield-bearer, and finding that he would not execute her
orders and murder his master in his sleep, she secured the services
of the giant Perideus. Before the murder of the king became gen-
erally known, Rosamund and her adherents — for she had many
—secured and concealed the treasures of the Crown ; and when
the nobles bade her marry a man to succeed their king, who had
left no heirs, she declared that she preferred Helmigis.

The Langobardian nobles indignantly refused to recognize an
armor-bearer as their king, and Rosamund, fearing their resent-

Death of ment, fled by night with her treasures, and took

Rosamund, refuge with Longinus, viceroy of the Eastern em-
peror, who was intrenched in Ravenna. Captivated by the fugi-
tive queen's exquisite beauty, no less than by her numerous
treasures, Longinus proposed that she should poison Helmigis,
and marry him. Rosamund obediently handed the deadly cup
to her faithful adorer ; but he drank only half its contents, and
then, perceiving that he was poisoned, forced her, at the point
of his sword, to drink the remainder, thus making sure that she
would not long survive him.

Longinus, thus deprived of a beautiful bride, managed to con-
sole himself for her loss by appropriating her treasures, while the
Langobardian scepter, after having been wielded by different
kings, fell at last into the hands of Rother, the last influential
monarch of a kingdom which Charlemagne conquered in 774.

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 89

Rother established his capital at Bari, a great seaport in Apu-
lia ; but although his wealth was unbounded and his kingdom ex-
tensive, he was far from happy, for he had neither
wife nor child to share his home. Seeing his
loneliness, one of his courtiers, Duke Berchther (Berchtung) of
Meran, the father of twelve stalwart sons, advised him to seek a
wife ; and when Rother declared that he knew of no princess
pretty enough to please his fastidious taste, the courtier produced
the portrait of Oda, daughter of Constantine, Emperor of the East.
Rother fell desperately in love with this princess at first sight.
In vain Berchther warned him that the emperor had the unpleas-
ant habit of beheading all his daughter's would-be suitors ; Rother
declared that he must make an attempt to secure this peerless
bride, and was only with great difficulty persuaded to resign the
idea of wooing in person.

When Berchther had prevailed upon him to send an imposing
embassy of twelve noblemen, richly appareled, and attended by
a large suite, Rother asked who would undertake the mission.
All the warriors maintained a neutral silence, until seven of
Berchther's sons volunteered their services, and then five other
noblemen signified their readiness to accompany them.

To speed them on their way, Rother escorted them to the port,
and, standing on the pier, composed and sang a marvelous song.
He bade them remember the tune, and promised them that when-
ever they heard it they might be sure their king was very near.

Arrived at Constantinople, the ambassadors made known their
errand, but were immediately cast into prison, in spite of the
empress's intercession in their behalf. Here the Embassy to
noblemen languished month after month, in a foul Constantinople,
dungeon, while Rother impatiently watched for their return.
When a whole year had elapsed without his having heard any
tidings, he finally resolved to go in disguise to Constantinople, to
ascertain the fate of his men and win the lovely princess Oda for
his bride.

Berchther, hearing this decision, vowed that he would accom-

go LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

pany him ; but although all the noblemen were anxious to escort
their beloved king, he took only a few of them with him, among
whom was Asprian (Osbom), king of the northern giants, with
eleven of his tallest men.

Rother embarked with this little train, and sailed for Constan-
tinople over the summer seas ; and as he sat on deck, playing on

Rother and his harp, the mermaids rose from the deep to sport
Constantine. around his ship. According to a prearranged plan,
Rother presented himself before Constantine as a fugitive and
outlaw, complaining bitterly of the King of the Lombards, who, he
declared, had banished him and his companions. Pleased with
the appearance of the strangers, Constantine gladly accepted their
proffered services, and invited them to a banquet, in the course
of which he facetiously described how he had received Rother's
ambassadors, who were still languishing in his dampest dungeons.
This boastful talk gradually roused the anger of the giant Asprian,
who was but little accustomed to hide his feelings ; and when the
emperor's pet lioness came into the hall and playfully snatched
a choice morsel out of his hand, he impetuously sprang to his
feet, caught her in his powerful grasp, and hurled her against the
wall, thus slaying her with a single blow.

Constantine was somewhat dismayed when he saw the strength,
and especially the violence, of the new servants he had secured ;
but he wisely took no notice of the affair, and, when the banquet
was ended, dismissed Rother and his followers to the apartments
assigned them. The Lombard king now freely distributed the
immense treasures he had brought with him, and thus secured
many adherents at court. They sang his praises so loudly that
at last the princess Oda became very anxious to see this noted
outlaw.

Bribing Herlind, one of her handmaidens, to serve her secretly,.
Oda sent her to Rother to invite him to visit her. The maiden

Rother and acquitted herself adroitly of this commission ; but
Oda. tjie Langobardian monarch, pretending exagger-

ated respect, declared th0,t he would never dare present himself

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 9 1

before her beautiful mistress, to whom, however, he sent many
rich gifts, among which were a gold and a silver shoe. Herlind
returned to her mistress with the gifts ; but when Oda would fain
have put on the shoes, she discovered that they were both for the
same foot. She then feigned a resentment she was far from feel-
ing, and bade the handmaiden order her father's new servant to
appear before her without delay, bringing a shoe for her other foot,
unless he wished to incur her lasting displeasure. Overjoyed at
this result of his ruse, which he had foreseen, Rother entered the
princess's apartments unnoticed, proffered his most humble apol-
ogies, fitted a pair of golden shoes on her tiny feet, and, taking
advantage of his position as he bent on one knee before her, de-
clared his love and rank, and won from Oda a solemn promise
that she would be his wife.

The lovers spent some very happy hours together in intimate
conversation, and ere Rother left the apartment he prevailed up-
on the princess to use her influence in behalf of his imprisoned
subjects. She therefore told her father that her peaceful rest had
been disturbed by dreams, in which heavenly voices announced
that she should suffer all manner of evil unless Rother's ambassa-
dors were taken from prison and hospitably entertained. Oda
then wrung from Constantine a promise that the men should be
temporarily released, and feasted at his own board that selfsame
evening. This promise was duly redeemed, and the twelve am-
bassadors, freed from their chains, and refreshed by warm baths
and clean garments, were sumptuously entertained at the emperor's
table. While they sat there feasting, Rother entered the hall, and,
hiding behind the tapestry hangings near the door, played the
tune they had heard on the day of their departure. The hearts
of the captives bounded for joy when they heard these strains,
for they knew that their king was near and would soon effect
their release.

A few days later, when the young ambassadors had fully re-
covered their health and strength, Constantine was dismayed to
learn that Imelot, King of Desert Babylonia, was about to make

92 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

war against him, and wondered how he could successfully en-
counter such a universally dreaded opponent. Rother, seeing

War with his perplexity, immediately volunteered his services,
imeiot. adding that if Constantine liberated the ambassa-
dors, who were mighty men of valor, and allowed them to fight,
there would be no doubt of his coming off conqueror in the war.
The Eastern emperor gladly followed this advice, and soon set
out with Rother and all his companions. The two armies met
one evening and encamped opposite each other, intending to
begin the fight at sunrise on the morrow. During the night,
however, Rother and his companions stole into the enemy's camp,
slew Imelot's guards, and having bound and gagged him, Asprian
carried him bodily out of his tent and camp, while his companions
routed all the mighty Babylonian host.

A few hours later they returned to the camp of Constantine,
where they lay down to rest. The emperor, entering their tent
on the morrow to chide them for their laziness, saw the captive
Imeiot, and heard the story of the night's work. He was so de-
lighted with the prowess of his allies that he gladly consented to
their return to Constantinople to announce the victory, while he
and his army remained to take possession of Desert Babylonia
and of all of Imelot's vast treasures.

Rother and his companions returned in haste to Constantinople
and rushed into the palace ; but instead of announcing a victory
they told the empress and Oda that Constantine had been de-
feated, that Imeiot was on the way to seize the city, and that
the emperor had sent them on ahead to convey his wife and
daughter to a place of safety, with their most valuable treasures.

The empress and Oda, crediting every word of this tale, made
immediate preparations for departure, and soon joined Rother on

Kidnaping the pier, where his fast sailing vessel was ready
of Oda. to start. All the Langobardians had already em-
barked, and Rother escorted the princess on board, bidding the
empress wait on the quay until he returned for her. But as soon
as he and his fair charge set foot upon deck, the vessel was pushed

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 93

off, and Rother called out to the distressed empress that he had
deceived her in order to carry away her daughter, who was now
to become the Langobardian queen.

Constantine, on his return, was of course very angry at having
been so cleverly duped, and vainly tried to devise some plan for
recovering the daughter whom he loved so well. When a magi-
cian came, therefore, and promised to execute his wishes, he
gladly provided him with vessel and crew to sail to Bari. The
magician, disguised as a peaceful merchant, spread out his wares
as soon as he was anchored in port, and by a series of artful ques-
tions soon ascertained that Rother was absent, and that Oda was
at home, carefully guarded by the principal nobles of the realm.
When he also learned that one of these noblemen had a crippled
child, the magician informed the people who visited his vessel to
inspect his wares, that the most precious treasure in his possession
was a magic stone, which, in a queen's hands, had the power of
restoring cripples.

The rumor of this miraculous stone reached the court, and the
nobleman persuaded the kind-hearted queen to go down to the
vessel to try the efficacy of the stone. As soon as Oda was on
board, the vessel set sail, bearing her away from her husband and
back to her father's home, where she was welcomed with great
demonstrations of joy.

Rother, coming back from the war shortly after her disappear-
ance, immediately prepared a vessel to go in pursuit of her, select-
ing his giants and bravest noblemen to accompany him. Once
more they landed at a short distance from Constantinople, and
Rother bade his men hide in a thicket, while he went into the
city, disguised as a pilgrim, and carrying under his robe a hunt-
ing horn, which he promised to sound should he at any time find
himself in danger.

He no sooner entered the city than he noticed with surprise
that all the inhabitants seemed greatly depressed. He questioned
them concerning their evident sadness, and learned that Imelot,
having effected his escape from captivity, had invaded the king-

94 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

dom, and vowed that he would not retreat unless Oda married his
ugly and hunchbacked son that very day.

These tidings made Rother press on to the palace, where,
thanks to his disguise, he effected an easy entrance. Slipping
imeiot again unnoticed to his wife's side, he dropped into the
defeated. ^yp beside her a ring upon which his name was
engraved. Quick as a flash Oda recognized and tried to hide it ;
but her hunchbacked suitor, sitting beside her, also caught sight
of it. He pointed out the intruder, cried that he was Rother in
disguise, and bade his guards seize him and hang him. Rother,
seeing that he was discovered, boldly stepped forward, declared
that he had come to claim his wife, and challenged the cowardly
hunchback, who, however, merely repeated his orders, and ac-
companied his guards to a grove outside the city to see his cap-
tive executed. Just as they were about to fasten the fatal noose
around his neck, Rother blew a resounding blast upon his horn,
in answer to which call his followers sprang out of their ambush,
slew guards, Imeiot, and hunchback, routed the imperial forces,
recovered possession of Oda, and sailed home in triumph to
Lombardy. Here Oda bore her husband a lovely little daughter
called Helche (Herka), who eventually married Etzel (Attila),
King of the Huns.

Another renowned Lombardian king is Ortnit (Otnit), whose

realm included not only all Italy, from the Alps to the sea, but

also the island of Sicily. He had won this province

by his fabulous strength, which, we are told, was

equivalent to that of twelve vigorous men.

In spite of all outward prosperity, Ortnit was lonely and un-
happy. One day, while he was strolling along the seashore at
sunset, he saw a misty castle rise slowly out of the waves. On
its topmost tower he beheld a fair maiden, with whom he fell
deeply in love at first sight. As he was gazing spellbound at the
lady's beauty, castle and maiden suddenly vanished ; and when
Ortnit asked his uncle, Ylyas (Elias), Prince of the Reussen, what

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 95

this fantastic vision might mean, he learned that the castle was
the exact reproduction of the stronghold of Muntabure, and the
maiden a phantom of Princess Sidrat, daughter of the ruler of
Syria, which the Fata Morgana, or Morgana the fay, had permitted
him to behold.

" As the weary traveler sees,
In desert or prairie vast,
Blue lakes, overhung with trees,
That a pleasant shadow cast ;

" Fair towns with turrets high,
And shining roofs of gold,
That vanish as he draws nigh,
Like mists together rolled."

Longfellow, Fata Morgana.

Of course Ortnit vowed that he would go and ask the maiden's
hand in marriage; and although his uncle warned him that
Machorell, the girl's father, beheaded all his daughter's suitors, to
use their heads as decorations for his fortifications, the young
king persisted in this resolve.

Forced to go by sea in order to reach Syria, Ortnit had to
delay his departure until suitable preparations had been made.
During that time his mother vainly tried to dis- ortnitandthe
suade him from the undertaking. Finally, seeing magic ring,
that nothing could deter him from going in search of the lovely
maiden he had seen, she slipped a ring on his hand, and bade him
ride out of town in a certain direction, and dismount under a
lime tree, where he would see something marvelous.

" ' If thou wilt seek the adventure, don thy armor strong;
Far to the left thou ride the towering rocks along.
But bide thee, champion, and await, where grows a linden tree j
There, flowing from the rock, a well thine eyes will see.

" ' Far around the meadow spread the branches green ;
Five hundred armed knights may stand beneath the shade, I ween.
Below the linden tree await, and thou wilt meet full soon
The marvelous adventure ; there must the deed be done.' "

Htldmbuch (Weber's tr.).

96 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ortnit obeyed these instructions, dismounted in a spot which
seemed strangely familiar, and, gazing inquisitively around him,
became aware of the presence of a lovely sleeping infant. But
when he attempted to take it in his arms he found himself sprawl-
ing on the ground, knocked over by a single blow from the child's
tiny fist. Furious at his overthrow, Ortnit began wrestling with
his small assailant; but in spite of his vaunted strength he suc-
ceeded in pinioning him only after a long struggle.

Unable to free himself from Ortnit's powerful grasp, the child

now confessed that he was Alberich, king of the dwarfs, and

promised Ortnit a marvelous suit of armor and the

Alberich. , „ ,.,,,, , . ,

sword Rosen — which had been tempered m drag-
ons' blood, and was therefore considered invulnerable — if he
would only let him go.

" ' Save me, noble Otnit, for thy chivalry !
A hauberk will I give thee, strong, and of wondrous might ;
Better armor never bore champion in the fight.

" ' Not eighty thousand marks would buy the hauberk bright.
A sword of mound I'll give thee, Otnit, thou royal knight ;
Through armor, both of gold and steel, cuts the weapon keen ;
The helmet could its edge withstand ne'er in this world was seen.' "

Heldenlmch (Weber's tr.).

The king consented, but the moment he set the dwarf free he
felt him snatch the ring his mother had given him off his hand,
and saw him mysteriously and suddenly disappear, his voice
sounding tauntingly now on one side, now on the other. Some
parley ensued before the dwarf would restore the ring, which was
no sooner replaced on the hero's hand than he once more found
himself able to see his antagonist.

Alberich now gravely informed Ortnit that in spite of his infan-
tile stature he was very old indeed, having lived more than five
hundred years. He then went on to tell him that the king, whom
Ortnit had until then considered his father, had no claim to the
title of parent, for he had secretly divorced his wife, and given

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 97

her in marriage to Alberich. Thus the dwarf was Ortnit's true
father, and declared himself ready now to acknowledge their re-
lationship and to protect his son.

After giving Ortnit the promised armor and sword, and direct-
ing him to turn the magic ring if ever he needed a father's aid,
Alberich vanished. Ortnit, returning to town, in- ortnit in
formed his mother that he had seen his father ; and Tyre,

as soon as the weather permitted he set sail for Suders (Tyre).
Ortnit entered the harbor as a merchant, and exhibited his wares
to the curious people, while Alberich, at his request, bore a chal-
lenge to Machorell, threatening to take Tyre and the castle of
Muntabure unless he were willing to accept Ortnit as son-in-law.

The dwarf acquitted himself nobly of his task, and when
Machorell scornfully dismissed him, he hastened back to Tyre,
bidding Ortnit lose no time in surprising and taking possession of
the city. This advice was so well carried out that Ortnit soon
found himself master of the city, and marching on to Muntabure,
he laid siege to the castle, restoring all his men as soon as they were
wounded by a mere touch of his magic ring. Alberich, whom
none but he could see, was allowed to lead the van and bear the
banner, which seemed to flutter aloft in a fantastic way. The
dwarf took advantage of this invisibility to scale the walls of the
fortress imseen, and hurled down the ponderous machines used
to throw stones, arrows, boiling pitch, and oil. Thus he greatly
helped Ortnit, who, in the mean while, was performing unheard-of
deeds of valor, which excited the admiration of Princess Sidrat,
watching him from her tower.

Alberich next gUded to this maiden's side, and bade her has-
ten to the postern gate early on the morrow, if she would see the
king. As Ortnit had been told that he would find ortnit and
her there, he went thither in the early dawn, and Liebgan.
pleaded his cause so eloquently that Sidrat eloped with him to
Lombaidy. There she became his beloved queen, was baptized
in the Christian faith, and received the name of Liebgart, by
which she was ever afterward known.
7

98 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The happiness of Ortnit and Liebgart was very great, but the
young queen did not feel that it was quite complete until a giant

The magic and his wife came from her father's court bringing
eggs- concihatory messages, and a promise that Macho-

rell would visit his daughter in the early spring. They also
brought countless valuable presents, among which were two huge
eggs, which the giants said were priceless, as from them could
be hatched magic toads with lodestones in their foreheads. Of
course Liebgart's curiosity was greatly excited by this gift, and
learning that the giant couple would see to the hatching of the
eggs and the bringing up of the toads if a suitable place were
only provided for them, she sent them into a mountain gorge
near Trient, where the chmate was hot and damp enough for the
proper hatching of the toads.

Time passed by, and the giantess Ruotze hatched dragons or
lind-worms from the huge eggs. These animals grew with alarm-
ing rapidity, and soon the governor of the province sent word
to the king that he could no longer provide food enough for the
monsters, which had become the terror of the whole countryside.
They finally proved too much even for the giants, who were
obliged to flee. When Ortnit learned that ordinary weapons
had no effect upon these dragons, he donned his magic armor
and seized his sword Rosen. He then bade Liebgart a tender
farewell, telling her that if he did not retiun she must marry none
but the man who wore his ring, and sallied forth to deliver his
people from the ravenous monsters whom he had thoughtlessly
allowed to be bred in their midst.

Ortnit soon dispatched the giant and giantess, who would fain
have hindered his entrance into the fatal gorge. Then he encoun-
tered the dwarf Alberich, and was warned that he would fall victim
to the pestilent dragons, which had bred a number of young
ones, destined, in time, to infest all Europe.

In spite of these warnings, Ortnit declared that he must do his
best for the sake of his people ; and having given the magic ring
back to Alberich, he continued on his way. All day long he vainly

LANGOBARDIAN CYCLE OF MYTHS. 99

sought the monsters in the trackless forest, until, sinking down
exhausted at the foot of a tree, he soon fell asleep. This slumber
was so profound that it was like a lethargy, and Death of
the wild barking of his dog failed to waken him so ortnit.
that he could prepare for the stealthy approach of the great
dragon. The monster caught the sleeping knight in his power-
ful claws, and dashed him against the rocks until every bone in
his body was broken into bits, although the magic armor remained
quite whole.

Then the dragon conveyed the corpse to his den, where the
httle dragons vainly tried to get at the knight to eat his flesh,
being daunted by the impenetrable armor, which would not give
way.

In the mean while Liebgart was anxiously awaiting the return
of her beloved husband ; but when she saw his dog steal into
the palace in evident grief, she knew that Ortnit was dead, and
mourned for him with many a tear. As he had left no heir to
succeed him, the nobles soon crowded around Liebgart, implor-
ing her to marry one of them and make him king of Lombardy ;
but she constantly refused to listen to their wooing.

Angry at her resistance, the noblemen then took possession of
treasiure, palace, and kingdom, and left poor Liebgart so utterly
destitute that she was forced to support herself by Liebgart
spinning and weaving. She carried on these occu- dethroned,
pations for a long time, while patiently waiting for the coming
of a knight who would avenge Ortnit's death, wear his ring, claim
her hand in mairiage, and restore her to her former exalted posi-
tion as queen of Lombardy.

CHAPTER VI.

THE AMBLINGS.

While Ortnit's ancestors were ruling over Lombardy, Anzius
was Emperor of Constantinople. When about to die, this mon-
arch confided his infant son, Hugdietrich, to the
care of Berchther of Meran, the same who had ac-
companied Rother on his journey to Constantinople.

When Hugdietrich attained marriageable age, his tutor felt it
incumbent upon him to select a suitable wife for him. One prin-
cess only, Hildburg, daughter of Walgund of Thessalonica, seemed
to unite all the required advantages of birth, beauty, and wealth ;
but unfortunately this princess's father was averse to her marry-
ing, and, to prevent her from having any lovers, had locked her
up in an isolated tower, where none but women were ever ad-
mitted.

Berchther having informed his ward of his plan, and of the diffi-
culties concerning its fulfillment, Hugdietrich immediately made
up his mind to bring it about, even if he had to resort to strata-
gem in order to win his bride. After much cogitation he let his
hair grow, learned all about woman's work and ways, donned
female garments, and journeyed off to Thessalonica, where he
presented himself before the king as a princess in distress, and
claimed his chivalrous protection. Walgund welcomed the pre-
tended princess warmly, and accepted her gifts of gold and em-
broidery. As soon as he had shown the latter to his wife and
daughter, they expressed a lively desire to see the stranger and
have her teach them to embroider also.

THE AMELIXGS. loi

Hugdietrich, having thus effected an entrance into the princess's
tower as embroidery teacher, soon managed to quiet Hildburg's
alarm when she discovered that the pretended „ .

^ Marriage of

pnncess'was a suitor in disguise, and wooed her so Hugdietrich
successfully that she not only allowed him to take ^"'^ ""'^'""■b-
up his abode in the tower, but also consented to a secret union.
All went on very well for some time, but finally Hugdietrich
felt it his duty to return to his kingdom ; and parting from his
young wife, he solemnly promised to return ere long to claim her
openly.

On reaching home, however, he found himself unexpectedly
detained by a war which had just broken out ; and while he was
fighting, Hildburg anxiously watched for his return. Birth of
Month after month passed by without any news of Woifdietrich.
him, till Hildburg, in her lonely tower, gave birth to a little son,
whose advent was kept secret by the ingenuity and devotion of
the princess's nurse.

When the queen presented herself at the door unexpectedly one
day, this servant hastily carried the child out of the building, and
set him down on the grass in the moat, intending to come and
get him in a few moments. She could not do so, however, as
the queen kept her constantly beside her, and prolonged her visit
to the next day.

" In the moat the new-born babe meanwhile in silence lay,
Sleeping on the verdant grass, gently, all the day.
From the swathing and the bath the child had stinted weeping ;
No one saw, or heard its voice, in the meadow sleeping. "

Heldenbuch (Weber's tr.).

When the faithful nurse, released at last, rushed out to find
her charge, who could creep about, she could discover no trace
of him ; and not daring to confide the truth to Hildburg, she in-
formed her that she had sent the child out to nurse.

A few days later, Berchther of Meran arrived at Thessalonica,
saying that Hugdietrich had fallen in love with Hildburg on
hearing a description of her charms from the exiled princess, his

102 LEGE.VDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

sister, and openly suing in his name for her hand. Instead of
giving an immediate answer to this proposal, Walgund invited
the ambassador to hunt with him in a neighboring forest on the
morrow.

Accidentally separated from their respective suites, Walgund and
Berchther came to a thicket near the princess's tower, and peering

Rescue of through the underbrush to discover the meaning of
■Woifdietrich. gome Strange sounds, they saw a beautiful little boy
sitting on the grass, playfully handling some young wolf cubs,
whose struggles he seemed not to mind in the least. While the
two men were gazing spellbound at this strange sight, they saw
the mother wolf draw near, ready to spring upon the innocent
child and tear him limb from limb. As Berchther skillfully flung
his spear past the child and slew the wolf, Walgund sprang for-
ward and caught the babe in his arms, exclaiming that if he were
only sure his grandchildren would be as handsome and fearless as
this little boy, he would soon consent to his daughter's marriage.

As the child was so small that it still required a woman's ten-
der care, Walgund next proposed to carry it to the tower, where
his daughter and her attendants could watch over it until it was
claimed ; and as Berchther indorsed this proposal, it was immedi-
ately carried out. Hildburg received the charge with joy, re-
vealed by her emotion that the child was her very own, and told
her father all about her secret marriage with Hugdietrich, whom
Walgund now graciously accepted as son-in-law.

In memory of this adventure the baby rescued from the beast
of prey was called Woifdietrich, and he and his mother, accom-
panied by a nobleman named Sabene, were escorted in state to
Constantinople, where Hugdietrich welcomed them with joy.
Here they dwelt in peace for several years, at the end of which,
a war having again broken out, Hugdietrich departed, confiding
his wife and son to the care of Sabene, who now cast aside all
his pretended virtue. After insulting the queen most grossly, he
began to spread lying reports about the birth of the young heir,
until the people, doubting whether he might not be considered

THE AMBLINGS. 103

a mere foundling, showed some unwillingness to recognize him
as their future prince.

Hugdietrich, returning home and hearing these remarks, also
began to cherish some suspicions, and, instead of keeping Wolf-
dietrich at court, sent him to Meran, where Berch- woifdietrich
ther brought him up with his twelve stalwart sons, '° Meran.
every one of whom the young prince outshone in beauty, courage,
and skill in all manly exercises.

In the mean while Hildburg had borne two other sons, Bogen
and Waxmuth, to Hugdietrich ; but seeing that Sabene was still
trying to poison people's minds against the absent Woifdietrich,
and deprive him of his rights, she finally sought her husband,
revealed the baseness of Sabene's conduct, and had him exiled.
Hugdietrich's life was unfortunately cut short a few months after
this, and when he felt that he was about to die, he disposed of all
his property, leaving the sovereignty of Constantinople to Woif-
dietrich, and making his younger sons kings of lands which he
had conquered in the south.

As soon as he had breathed his last, however, the nobles of the
land, who had all been won over by Sabene's artful insinuations,
declared that they would never recognize Wolf- HUdbure
dietrich as their ruler, but would recall Sabene to banished by
watch over the two younger kings, and exercise ^ ^°*"

the royal power in their name. These measures having been car-
ried out, Sabene avenged himself by banishing Hildburg, who,
turned out of the imperial palace at night, was forced to make
her way alone and on foot to Meran, where her son Woifdietrich
received her gladly and promised to protect her with his strong
right arm.

At the head of a small troop composed of Berchther and his
sons, Woifdietrich marched to Constantinople to oust Sabene ;
but, in spite of all his valor, he soon found himself defeated, and
forced to retreat to the castle of Lilienporte. Here he intrenched
himself, rejoicing at the sight of the strong battlements, and
especially at the provisions stored within its ijiclosure, which

104 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

would suffice for all the wants of the garrison for more than
seven years.

In vain Sabene besieged this castle ; in vain he constructed
huge engines of war ; the fortress held out month after month.

Siege of At the end of the third year, Wolfdietrich, seeing

Liiienporte. that their provisions would not hold out forever,
resolved to make his escape alone, and go in search of allies to
save his trusty friends. He soon obtained the consent of Berch-
ther and of his mother for the execution of this scheme.

While a skirmish was going on one day, Wolfdietrich escaped
through the postern gate, and, riding into the forest, rapidly dis-
appeared in the direction of Lombardy, where he intended to
ask the aid of Ortnit. Riding through the deserts of Roumeha,
where his guardian had bidden him beware of the enchantments
of the witch Rauch-Else, he shared his last piece of bread with
his faithful steed, and, faint with hunger and almost perishing
with thirst, plodded painfully on.

Finally horse and rider could go no farther, and as the latter
lay in a half swoon upon the barren soil, he was suddenly roused
by the appearance of a hideous, bearUke female,
who grufBy inquired how he dared venture upon
her territory. The unhappy Wolfdietrich recognized Rauch-Else
by the description his guardian, Berchther, had given of her, and
would have fled, had strength remained him to do so ; but, faint-
ing with hunger, he could only implore her to give him something
to eat.

At this appeal Rauch-Else immediately produced a peculiar-
looking root, of which he had no sooner tasted than he felt as
strong and rested as ever before. By the witch's advice he gave
the remainder of the root to his horse, upon whom it produced
the same magic effect ; but when he would fain have expressed
his gratitude and ridden away, Rauch-Else told him that he be-
longed to her by decree of fate, and asked him to marry her.

Not daring to refuse this proposal, which, however, was very
distasteful in4eed, Wolfdietrich reluctantly assented, expressing a

THE AMELINGS. 105

wish that she were not quite so repulsive. No sooner were the
words fairly out of his mouth than he saw her suddenly trans-
formed into a beautiful woman, and heard her declare that his
" yes " had released her from an evil spell, and allowed her to re-
sume her wonted form and name, which was Sigeminne, Queen
of Old Troy.

Slowly proceeding to the seashore, the young couple embarked
in a waiting galley and sailed directly to Sigeminne's kingdom,
where they lived happily together, Wolfdietrich woifdietrich
having entirely forgotten his mother, tutor, and and Sigeminne.
companions, who were vainly awaiting his return with an army
to deliver them.

" By the hand she led Wolfdietrich unto the forest's end ;
To the sea she guided him ; a ship lay on the strand.
To a spacious realm she brought him, hight the land of Troy."

Heldenhuch (Weber's tr.).

Wolfdietrich's happiness, however, was not to endure long ; for
while he was pursuing a stag which his wife bade him secure
for her, a magician named Drusian suddenly presented himself
before Sigeminne and spirited her away.

Wolfdietrich, finding his wife gone, resolved to go in search of
her, and not to rest until he had found her. Then, knowing that
nothing but cunning could prevail against the magician's art, he
donned a magic silken vest which his wife had woven for him,
which could not be penetrated by weapon or dragon, and cover-
ing it with a pilgrim's garb, he traveled on until he came within
sight of the castle of Drusian.

Worn out by his long journey, he sat down for a moment to
rest ere he began the ascent of the steep mountain upon which
the castle stood ; and having fallen asleep, he was roughly awak-
ened by a giant, who bore him ofE prisoner to the fortress, where
he saw Sigeminne.

" He led the weary pilgrim into the castle hall.
Where brightly burned the fire, and many a taper tall.

io6 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

On a seat he sat him down, and made him right good cheer.
His eyes around the hall cast the hero without fear.''

Heldenbuch (Weber's tr.).

Wolfdietrich concealed his face in the depths of his cowl, and
remained quietly seated by the fire until evening came. Then

Death of the giant turned to the mourning queen, declaring

Sigeminne. tij^t he had been patient long enough, and that she
must now consent to marry him and forget her husband. Hardly
had these words been spoken when Wolfdietrich, the pretended
pilgrim, fell upon him, and refused to let him go until he had ac-
cepted his challenge for a fair fight and had produced suitable
arms. The young hero selected an iron armor, in preference to
the gold and silver mail offered him, and boldly attacked the giant,
who finally succumbed beneath his mighty blows. Sigeminne,
thus restored to her husband's arms, then returned with him to
Old Troy, where they ruled happily together until she died of a
mortal illness.

When she breathed her last, Wolfdietrich, delivered from the
spell she had cast upon him by making him partake of the magic
root, suddenly remembered his mother, Berchther, and his faith-
ful companions, and, filled with compunction, hastened off to help
them. On his way he passed through many lands, and finally
came to a fortified town, whose walls were adorned with human
heads set up on spikes. He asked a passer-by what this singu-
lar decoration might mean, and learned that the city belonged to
a heathen king, Belligan, who made it a practice to slay every
Christian who entered his precincts.

Wolfdietrich immediately resolved to rid the earth of this mon-
ster, and riding boldly into the city, he cried that he was ready

BeUigan slain ^° "^^^' ^^ '^"8 ™ ^'^ favorite game of dagger

by Woifdie- throwing. This challenge was promptly accepted,

the preparations all made, and although the heathen

king was protected by his daughter's magic spells, he could not

withstand the Christian knight, who pierced him through and

through, and left him dead,

THE AMBLINGS. 107

" Speedily Wolfdietrich the third knife heaved on high.
Trembling stood Sir Belligan, for he felt his death was nigh.
The pagan's heart asunder with cunning skill he cleft ;
Down upon the grass he fell, of life bereft."

Heldenbuch (Weber's tr.).

But as Wolfdietrich attempted to leave the castle, waves sud-
denly surrounded him on all sides, threatening to drown him,
until, suspecting that this phenomenon was produced by the
princess's magic arts, he seized her and held her head under
water until she died. Then the waves immediately subsided and
permitted him to escape unharmed.

Wolfdietrich next came to some mountains, where he encoun-
tered a giantess, who told him the story of Ortnit's death, and so
roused his compassion for the unfortunate Liebgart that he vowed
to slay the dragon and avenge all her wrongs. To enable him
to reach his destination sooner the giantess bore him and his horse
over the mountains, fifty miles in one day, and set him down near
Garden (Guarda), where he saw Liebgart and her sole remaining
attendant sadly walking up and down.

Struck by Liebgart's resemblance to the dead Sigeminne, Wolf-
dietrich stood quietly in the shade long enough to overhear her
sigh and say that she wished the brave Wolfdietrich would come
along that way and avenge her husband's death.

In answer to these words the hero presented himself impetu-
ously before her, swore he would do all in his power to fulfill her
wishes, and having received from her fair hand a -wolfdietrich
ring, which she declared would bring the wearer «"<» Liebgart.
good luck, he hastened off to the mountain gorge to encounter
the dragons. On the way thither, Wolfdietrich met Alberich,
who cautioned him not to yield to the desire for slumber if he
would overcome the foe ; so pressing on in spite of almost over-
powering lassitude, he met the dragon.

Notwithstanding all his efforts Wolfdietrich soon found himself
carried off to the monster's cave, where he was flung down to
serve as pasture for the young lind-worms. They would surely

lo8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

have devoured him had he not been protected by Sigeminne's
magic shirt, which they could not pierce.

Looking about him for some weapon to defend himself with,
Wolfdietrich suddenly saw Ortnit's ring and his sword Rosen,
Ortnit's sword which he Seized, and wielded the latter to such

and ring. good purpose that he soon slew all the dragons.
He then cut out their tongues, which he packed in a bag the
dwarfs brought him, and triumphantly rode off to find Liebgart
and tell her of his success. But, as he lost his way in the forest,
it was several days before he reached the town where she dwelt,
and as he rode through the gates he was indignant to hear that
Liebgart was about to marry a knight by the name of Gerhart,
who had slain the dragon, brought home its head, and claimed
the fulfillment of an old promise she had made to marry her
husband's avenger. Wolfdietrich spurred onward, entered the
castle, denounced the impostor Gerhart, and proved the truth of
his assertions by producing the dragons' tongues. Then, turning
to the queen, Wolfdietrich stretched out his hand to her, humbly
asking whether she would marry him. At that moment Liebgart
saw Ortnit's ring glittering on his finger, and, remembering her
husband's last words, immediately signified her consent.

The happy couple spent a whole year together in restoring
order, peace, and prosperity to the Lombards, before Wolfdietrich
left his wife to go and succor the companions whom he had
neglected so long. Landing with his army near Constantinople,
Wolfdietrich, disguised as a peasant, made his way into the city,
and learned that Berchther and his sons had been put in prison.
There the former had died, but the latter were still languishing in
captivity. Wolfdietrich bribed the jailer to bear them a cheering
message and strengthening food, and led his army against Sabene,
whom he utterly routed.

After recovering possession of Constantinople, granting full
forgiveness to his erring brothers, executing Sabene, and liberat-
ing his companions, to whom he intrusted the sovereignty of
the empire, Wolfdietrich returned to Lombardy, and from thence

THE AMBLINGS. log

proceeded with Liebgart to Romaburg (Rome), where he was
duly crowned emperor.

To reward Herbrand, Berchther's eldest son, for his faithfulness,
Wolfdietrich gave him the city of Garden and all its territories,
a realm which subsequently was inherited by his son Hildebrand,
a hero whom we shall have further occasion to describe.

Hache, another of Berchther's sons, received as his share all the
Rhine land, which he left to his son, the trusty Eckhardt (Ecke-
wart) who ever and anon appears in northern hterature to win
mortals back to virtue and point out the road to honor. Wolf-
dietrich and Liebgart were the happy parents of a son called
Hugdietrich, like his grandfather; and this king's second son,
Dietmar, was the father of the famous Dietrich von Bern, the
hero of the next chapter of this volume.

CHAPTER VII.

DIETRICH VON BERN.

Dietrich von Bern, whose name is spelled in eighty-five differ-
ent ways in the various ballads and chronicles written about him,
has been identified with the historical Theodoric of Verona, whose
" name was chosen by the poets of the early middle ages as the
string upon which the pearls of their fantastic imagination were
to be strung."

This hero is one of the principal characters in the ancient Ger-
man " Book of Heroes," and his adventures, which are recorded
in many ancient manuscripts, and more especially in the Wilkina
saga, are about as follows :

Dietmar, the second son of Hugdietrich, or of Samson accord-
ing to other authorities, became the independent ruler of Bern
Parentage of ( Verona), and refused to recognize his elder brother,

Dietrich. Ermenrich, Emperor of the West, as his liege lord.
The young prince had married Odilia, the heiress of the con-
quered Duke of Verona, who bore him a son called Dietrich.
Gentle and generous when all went according to his wishes, this
child was uncontrollable when his anger was roused, and his
breath then came from his lips in a fiery toirent, scorching his
opponent, and consuming all inflammable articles.

When Dietrich was but five years of age his training was in-
trusted to Hildebrand, son of Herbrand, one of the Volsung
race ; and so well did the tutor acquit himself of this task that he
soon made his pupil as accomplished a warrior as himself. Their
tastes were, moreover, so similar that they soon became insepa-

IIO

DIETRICH VON BERN. Ill

rable friends, and their attachment has become as proverbial
among northern nations as that of David and Jonathan, Damon
and Pythias, or Orestes and Pylades.

Hearing that a giant, Grim, and a giantess, Hilde, were com-
mitting great depredations in a remote part of his father's terri-
tories, and that no one had been able to rout or slay them, young
Dietrich set out with Master Hildebrand to attack them. They
had not ridden long in the forest before they became aware of the
presence of a tiny dwarf, Alberich (Alferich, Alpris, or Elbegast),
and pouncing upon him, they held him fast, vowing that he
should recover his hberty only upon condition of pointing out
the giants' lurking place.

The dwarf not only promised the desired information, but gave
Dietrich the magic sword Nagelring, which alone could pierce
the giants' skin. Then he led both heroes to the The sword
cave, where Grim and Hilde were gloating over a Nagelring.
magic helmet they had made and called Hildegrim. Peering
through a fissure of the rock, Hildebrand was the first to gaze
upon them, and in his eagerness to get at them he braced his
shoulder against the huge mass of stone, forced it apart, and thus
made a passage for himself and for his impetuous young pupil.

As Nagelring, the magic sword, had been stolen from him,
Grim attacked Dietrich with a blazing brand snatched from the
fire, while Hildebrand and Hilde wrestled together. The encoun-
ter was short and fierce between the young hero and his gigantic
opponent, who soon succumbed beneath Nagelring's sharp blows.
Then Dietrich, turning, came just in time to save his master from
Hilde's treacherous blade. But, although one stroke of Nagelring
cut her in two, the heroes were dismayed to see the severed parts
of her body knit together in a trice, and permit Hilde, whole once
more, to renew the attack.

To prevent a repetition of this magical performance, Dietrich,
after again cutting her in two, placed his sword between the sev-
ered parts, and, knowing that steel annuls magic, left it there until
all power to unite was gone and Hilde was really dead. The two

112 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

heroes then returned home in triumph with Nagelring and Hilde-
grim, the two famous trophies, which Dietrich took as his share
of the spoil, leaving to Hildebrand an immense treasure of gold
which made him the richest man of his day. This wealth enabled
Hildebrand to marry the noble Ute (Uote or Uta), who helped him
to bring up Dietrich's young brother, then but a babe.

Although the young prince of Bern imagined that he had ex-
terminated all the giants in his land, he was soon undeceived;
for Sigenot, Grim's brother, coming down from the Alps to visit
him, and finding him slain, vowed to avenge his death. The
brave young prince, hearing that Sigenot was terrorizing all the
neighborhood, immediately set out to attack him, followed at a
distance by Hildebrand and the latter's nephew, Wolfhart, who
was always ready to undertake any jotu-ney, provided there was
some prospect of a fight at the end.

Dietrich soon came to a forest, where, feeling hungry, he slew
an elk and proceeded to roast some of its flesh upon a spit.
While he was thus engaged he heard shrill cries, and looking up,
he saw a giant holding a dwarf and about to devour him. Ever
ready to succor the feeble and oppressed, Dietrich caught up his
swOrd and attacked the giant, who made a brave but fruitless
defense. The dwarf, seeing his tormentor dead, then advised
Dietrich to fly in haste, lest Sigenot, the most terrible of all the
mountain giants, should come to avenge his companion's mur-
der. But, instead of following this advice, Dietrich persuaded
the dwarf to show him the way to the giant's retreat.

Following his tiny guide, Dietrich cHmbed up the snow-clad
mountains, where^ in the midst of the icebergs, the ice queen.
Capture of Die- Virginal, suddenly appeared to him, advising him to
trich by giant retreat, as his venture was perilous in the extreme,
igenot. Equally undeterred by this second warning, Dietrich
pressed on ; but when he came at last to the giant's abode he
was so exhausted by the ascent that, in spite of all his courage,
he was defeated, put in chains, and dragged into the giant's den.

Hildebrand, in the mean while, following his pupil, awaited

(liiiBHlBHUi^uaUliilUIULILlWiiJ^^^ 111 1 1 \\i UMMU lliiiii

tOpp p 1J2 )

FALKE KILLS THE GIANT. — Keller.

DIETRICH VON BERN. 113

his return at the foot of the mountains for eight days, and then,
seeing that he did not appear, he strode up the mountain side.
The giant encountered him, stunned him with a great blow, and
dragged him into the den, where, thinking him senseless, he
leisurely began to select chains with which to bind him fast.
Hildebrand, however, sprang noiselessly to his feet, seized a
weapon lying near, and stealing behind a pillar, which served
him as a shield, he attacked Sigenot, and stretched him lifeless at
his feet.

A moment later he heard Dietrich calling him from the depths
of the cave. To spring forward and free his pupil from his chains
was the work of a moment, and then, following the Dietrich res-
dwarf, who openly rejoiced at the death of his foe, cued by Hiide-
the two heroes visited the underground kingdom. brand.

There they were hospitably entertained, their wounds were healed,
and the king of the dwarfs gave them the finest weapons that
they had ever seen.

While hunting in the Tyrolean mountains shortly after this en-
counter, Dietrich confided to Hildebrand that he had fallen in
love with the ice fairy, Virginal, and longed to see her again.
This confidence was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a
dwarf, who presented himself as Bibung, the unconquerable pro-
tector of Queen Virginal, but who in the same breath confessed
that she had fallen into the hands of the magician Ortgis. The
latter kept her imprisoned in one of her own castles, and at every
new moon he forced her to surrender one of the snow maidens,
her lovely attendants, whom he intended to devour as soon as
they were properly fattened.

Dietrich's eyes flashed with anger when he heard of his lady-
love's distress, and bidding the dwarf show him the way, he forth-
with set out to rescue her. They had not gone very far before
they beheld the ice queen's palace glittering far above their heads ;
and as they eagerly climbed upward to reach it, they heard cries
of terror, and saw a beautiful girl rush down the pathway, closely
pursued by the magician and his mounted train.
8

114 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Dietrich allowed the maiden to pass him, and then stepped
boldly into the middle of the path, where he and Hildebrand
Magician Ortgis soon succeeded in slaying the magician and all his
slain. jjien. Jambas, the son of Ortgis, alone effected

his escape ; but Dietrich and his master closely pursued him, took
forcible possession of his castle, set the captive snow maidens
free, and fearlessly slew all the monsters which Jambas conjured
up to destroy them. Then, resuming their interrupted journey,
Dietrich and Hildebrand soon came face to face with the self-
styled unconquerable guardian of the ice queen. He had been
hiding during the fray, and now implored them to hasten forward,
as his mistress was besieged by Jambas. The magician's son was
anxious to secure Virginal and all her maidens, but his principal
aim was to appropriate the great carbuncle shining in the queen's
crown, as it gave the possessor full power over the elements, the
mountains, and all who ventured within reach of them.

Thus urged to greater speed, the heroes toiled upward faster
and faster, and soon came near the glittering castle of Jeraspunt,
and the besiegers. The latter were on the point of overpower-
ing the garrison and gaining possession of the queen. When
Dietrich saw her on the battlement, wringing her hands in de-
spair, he rushed impetuously forward, crying that he had come
to save her. He struck right and left, and did such good exe-
cution with his sword that the mountains shook, the icebergs
cracked, and great avalanches, rolling down into the abysses,
carried with them the bodies of the slain which he hurled down
from the drawbridge.

In a very short time the enemy was completely routed, and

Dietrich was joyfully welcomed by Virginal, who, touched by his

Rescue of the devotion, consented to forsake her glittering castle,

ice queen. j-q relinquish her sway over the mountains, and to
follow him down into the green valley. Their wedding was cele-
brated in Jeraspunt, which was all hung in bridal white ; and the
ice queen and her maidens wore misty veils and crowns of glitter-
ing diamonds, which sparkled and flashed and lit up the whole

DIETRICH VON BERA\ 115

scene with fairylike splendor. Some versions of the story tell,
however, that the queen soon grew homesick down in the green
valley, and, deserting her hero husband, returned to her palace
on the mountain top, where she still rules supreme.

Dietrich's numerous adventures soon became the theme of the
wandering bards and minstrels, and thus the rumor of his courage
came to the ears of Heime, the son of the northern stud keeper
Studas. After distinguishing himself at home by slaying a dragon,
this youth obtained from his father the steed Rispa and the sword
Blutgang, with which he set out to test Dietrich's courage, vow-
ing that he would serve him forever if conquered by him.

" King Tidrick sits in till Bern ;

He rooses [boasts] him of his might;
Sae mony has he in battle cow'd,
Baith kemp [rough] and doughty knight."

The Eiiin Langshanks (Jamieson's tr.).

Heime soon reached Bern, boldly challenged Dietrich, and when
defeated entered his service, after procuring for his master's ex-
clusive use the matchless steed Falke, which could carry even such
a gigantic man as Dietrich without showing any signs of fatigue,
and which served him faithfully for many a year.

The rumor of Dietrich's courage also came to Heligoland,
where Wieland (Wayland, or Volund), the smith, dwelt with his
sonWittich(Witig). The latter, determined to cross

\ ^' _ Wittich.

swords with the hero of Bern, persuaded his father
to give him the celebrated sword Mimung, by the help of which
he hoped to overcome every foe. Wieland also fashioned a com-
plete suit of armor for his son, gave him much good advice, and
parted from him, bidding him to prove himself worthy of his an-
cestors, and to call upon his grandmother, the mermaid Wachilde,
if he were ever in great distress.

Thus instructed Wittich departed, and on the way to Bern fell
in with Hildebrand, Heime, and Hornbogi, another of Dietrich's
noted warriors. They concealed their names, encouraged the

ii6 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Stranger to talk, and soon learned where he was going and on
what errand. Master Hildebrand, hearing of the magic sword,
and anxious to preserve his pupil from its blows, allowed Wittich
to fight single-handed against twelve robbers in a mountain pass.
As the youth disposed of them all without receiving a scratch,
Hildebrand substituted his own sword blade for that which Wit-
tich bore, one night while the latter was peacefully sleeping at an
inn. This exchange remained unnoticed until Wittich arrived in
Bern. There, while fighting with Dietrich, the blade suddenly
snapped in two.

Loudly reproaching his father, Wieland, for having provided him
with such an unreliable weapon, Wittich was about to announce
himself conquered, when Hildebrand, reaUzing that he had not
acted honorably, gave him back his own blade. Dietrich, to his
surprise and dismay, found himself conquered in this second en-
counter, and was forced to acknowledge that he owed his life only
to Wittich's magnanimity. But the northern hero soon confessed
in his turn that had it not been for his magic sword he would
have been obHged to yield to Dietrich, and voluntarily offered
his services to him, thus becoming one of his train.

" Sae gladly rode they back to Bern;
But Tidrick maist was glad ;
And Vidrich o' his menyie a'
The foremost place aye had."

The Eitin Langshanks CJamieson's tr.).

Dietrich's next adventure, which is recorded in the " Eckenlied,"
was with the giant Ecke, who held Bolfriana, the widowed Lady
of Drachenfels, and her nine daughters, in his power. The hero
of Bern encountered the giant by night, and, in spite of his aver-
sion to fighting at such a time, was compelled to defend himself
against the giant's blows. He was about to succumb when his
steed Falke, scenting his danger, broke loose from the tree to
which it had been tied, and stamped Ecke to death.

Dietrich now rode on to Drachenfels, where he encountered

t)lETkICH roJV BERK\ It^

Fasolt, Ecke's brother, and, after defeating him also, and deliver-
ing the captive ladies, went back to Bern, where Fasolt joined his
chosen warriors. Dietrich, moreover, delivered the knight Sin-
tram from the jaws of a dragon, and made him one of his follow-
ers. Then, having appropriated Ecke's sword, the great Eckesax,
Dietrich was about to give Nagelring to Heime ; but hearing that
the latter had stood idly by while Wittich fought single-handed
against twelve robbers, he banished him from his presence, bidding
him never return until he had atoned for his dishonorable conduct
by some generous deed.

Heime, incensed at this dismissal, sulkily withdrew to the Fal-
ster wood on the banks of the Wisara (Weser), where he became
chief of a body of brigands, ruthlessly spoiled travelers, and daily
increased the hoard he was pihng up in one of his strongholds.

But, although Dietrich thus lost one of his bravest warriors, his
band was soon reenforced by Hildebrand's brother Ilsan, who,
although a monk, was totally unfitted for a religious hfe, and
greatly preferred fighting to praying. There also came to Bern
Wildeber (Wild Boar), a man noted for his great strength. He
owed this strength to a golden bracelet given him by a mermaid
in order to recover her swan plumage, which he had secured.

As Dietrich was once on his way to Romaburg (Rome), whither
his uncle Ermenrich had invited him, he accepted the proffered
service and escort of DietKeb the Dane. This war- oietiieb the
rior, seeing that the emperor had forgotten to pro- Dane,

vide for the entertainment of Dietrich's suite, pledged not only his
own steed and weapons, but also his master's and Hildebrand's,
leading a jolly life upon the proceeds.

When the time of departure came, and Dietrich called for his
steed, Dietlieb was forced to confess what he had done. The
story came to Ermenrich's ears, and he felt called upon to pay the
required sum to release his guest's weapons and steeds, but con-
temptuously inquired whether Dietlieb were good at anything be-
sides eating and drinking, wherein he evidently excelled. Enragfed
by this taunt, Dietlieb challenged Ermenrich's champion warrior,

Il8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Walther von Wasgenstein (Vosges), and beat him at spear and
stone throwing. He next performed feats hitherto unheard of,
and won such applause that Ermenrich not only paid all his debts,
but also gave him a large sum of money, which this promising
young spendthrift immediately expended in feasting all the men
at arms.

Dietlieb's jests and jollity so amused Isung, the imperial min-
strel, that he left court to follow him to the land of the Huns,
where the fickle youth next offered his services to Etzel (Attila).
The King of the Huns, afraid to keep such a mercurial person
near him, gave him the province of Steiermark (Styria), bidding
him work off all surplus energy by defending it against the numer-
ous enemies always trying to enter his realm.

Some time after this, Dietlieb returned to his old master in sor-
row, for his only sister, Kunhild (Similde, or Similt), had been

The dwarf Carried away by Laurin (Alberich), king of the
Laurin. dwarfs, and was now detained prisoner in the Tyro-
lean mountains, not far from the vaunted Rose Garden. This
place was surrounded by a silken thread, and guarded most
jealously by Laurin himself, who exacted the left foot and right
hand of any knight venturing to enter his garden or break off a
single flower from its stem.

As soon as Dietrich heard this, he promised to set out and res-
cue the fair Kunhild. He was accompanied by Dietlieb, Hilde-
brand, Wittich, and Wolfhart ; and as they came to the Rose Gar-
den, all the heroes except Dietrich and Hildebrand began to
trample the dainty blossoms, and tried to break the silken cord.

"Wittich, the mighty champion, trod the roses to the ground.
Broke down the gates, and ravaged the garden far renowned ;
Gone was the portals' splendor, by the heroes bold destroyed ;
The fragrance of the flowers was past, and all the garden's pride. "

Heldenbuck (Weber's tr.).

While they were thus employed, the dwarf Laurin donned his
glittering girdle of power, which gave him the strength of twelve

DIETRICH VON BERN. 119

men, brandished a sword which had been tempered in dragons'
blood and could therefore cut through iron and stone, and put
on his ring of victory and the magic cap of darkness, Tarnkappe
(Helkappe).

Dietrich, carefully instructed by Hildebrand, struck off this cap,
and appropriated it, as well as the girdle of strength and the ring
of victory. He was so angry against Laruin for resisting him
that the dwarf king soon fled to Dietlieb for protection, promis-
ing to restore Kunhild, unless she preferred to remain with him
as his wife.

This amicable agreement having been made, Laurin led the
knights down into his subterranean palace, which was illuminated
by carbuncles, diamonds, and other precious stones. Here Kun-
hild and her attendant maidens, attired with the utmost magnifi-
cence, welcomed them hospitably and presided at the banquet.

"Similt into the palace came, with her little maidens all;
Garments they wore which glittered brightly in the hall.
Of fur and costly ciclatoun, and brooches of the gold ;
No richer guise in royal courts might mortal man behold."

Heldenhuch (Weber's tr.).

The wines, however, were drugged, so the brave knights soon
sank into a stupor ;• and Laurin, taking a base advantage of their
helplessness, deprived them of their weapons, bound them fast,
and had them conveyed into a large prison. Dietlieb was placed
in a chamber apart, where, as soon as he recovered his senses,
Laurin told him that he and his companions were doomed to die
on the morrow.

At midnight Dietrich awoke. Feeling himself bound, his wrath
burned hot within him, and his breath grew so fiery that it con-
sumed the ropes with which he was pinioned. He then re-
leased his captive companions, and, while they were bewaihng
their lack of weapons, Kunhild stealthily opened the door. Noise-
lessly she conducted them into the great hall, bade them resume
possession of their arms, and gave each a golden ring, of dwarf

I20 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

manufacture, to enable them to see their tiny foes, who were else
invisible to all of mortal birth.

Joined by Dietlieb, who had also been liberated by Kunhild,
the knights now roused Laurin and his host of giants and dwarfs,
and, after an encounter such as mediaeval poets love to describe
at great length, routed them completely. Laurin was made pris-
oner and carried in chains to Bern, where Kunhild, now full of
compassion for him, prevailed upon Dietrich to set him free, pro-
vided he would forswear all his malicious propensities and spend
the remainder of his life in doing good.

When this promise had been given, Laurin was set free ; and
after marrying Kunhild, he went to live with her in the beautiful
Rose Garden and the underground palace, which peasants and
simple-hearted Alpine hunters have often seen, but which the
worldly wise and skeptical have always sought in vain.

The mere fact of his having come off victor in one Rose Gar-
den affair made Dietrich hail with joy the tidings brought by a
Rose Garden Wandering minstrel, that at Worms, on the Rhine,

at Worms. Kriemhild (Grimhild, Gutrun, etc.), the Burgundian
princess, had a similar garden. This was guarded by twelve
brave knights, ever ready to try their skill against an equal num-
ber of warriors, the prize of the victor being a rose garland and
kisses from the owner of this charming retreat.

Eager to accept this challenge, Dietrich selected Hildebrand,
Wittich, Wolfhart, and five other brave men ; but as he could think
of no others worthy to share in the adventure, Hildebrand sug-
gested that Rudiger of Bechlaren, Dietlieb of Steiermark, and his
own brother, the monk Ilsan, would be only too glad to help them.
This litde band soon rode into Worms, where Dietrich and his
men covered themselves with glory by defeating all Kriemhild's
champions, and winning the rose gariands as well as the kisses.

The knights, if we are to believe the ancient poem, appreciated
the latter reward highly, with the exception of the rude monk Ilsan,
who, we are told, scrubbed the princess's delicate cheek with his
rough beard until the blood flowed.

DIETRICH VON BERN. 121

" And when Chrimhild, the queen, gave him kisses fifty-two,
With his rough and grisly beard full sore he made her rue.
That from her lovely cheek 'gan flow the rosy blood :
The queen was full of sorrow, but the monk it thought him good."

Heldeniuch (Weber's tr.).

Then Ilsan carried his garlands back to the monastery, where
he jammed them down upon the monks' bald pates, laughing
aloud when he saw them wince as the sharp thorns pierced them.

On his way home Dietrich visited EtzeL King of the Huns, and
further increased his train by accepting die services of Amalung,
Hornbogi's son, and of Herbrand the wide-traveled. On his ar-
rival at Bern, he found that his father, Dietmar, was dead, and
thus Dietrich became King of the Amalingland (Italy).

Shortly after his accession to the throne, he went to help Etzel,
who was warring against Osantrix, King of die Wilkina land
(Norway and Sweden). With none but his own campaign
followers, Dietrich invaded the Wilkina land, and against the

, , , , . • ij xT-ij i_ J Wilkina land.

throughout that glorious campaign old Hildebrand

rode ever ahead, bearing aloft his master's standard, and deahng

many memorable blows.

In one encounter, Wittich was thrown from his horse and
stunned. Heime, who had joined the army, seeing him appar-
ently lifeless, snatched the sword Mimung out of his nerveless
grasp and bore it triumphantly away. Wittich, however, was
not dead, but was soon after made prisoner by Hertnit, Earl of
Greece, Osantrix's brother, who carried him back to the capital,
where he put him in prison.

When the campaign against the Wilkina men was ended, Die-
trich and his army returned to Bern, leaving Wildeber in Hungary
to ascertain whether Wittich were really dead, or whether he still
required his companions' aid.

Wishing to penetrate unrecognized into the enemy's camp, Wil-
deber slew and flayed a bear, donned its skin over his armor, and,
imitating the uncouth antics of the animal he personated, bade
the minstrel Isung lead him thus disguised to Hertnit's court.

122 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

This plan was carried out, and the minstrel and dancing bear
were hailed with joy. But Isung was greatly dismayed when Hert-
Wittich rescued nit insisted upon baiting his hunting hounds against
byWiideber. ^^ \iQ&x, who, however, Strangled them all, one
after another, without seeming to feel their sharp teeth. Hertnit
was furious at the loss of all his pack, and sprang down into the
pit with drawn sword; but all his blows glanced aside on the
armor concealed beneath the rough pelt. Suddenly the pretended
bear stood up, caught the weapon which the king had dropped,
and struck off his head. Then, joining Isung, he rushed through
the palace and delivered the captive Wittich ; whereupon, seizing
swords and steeds on their way, they all three rode out of the city
before they could be stopped.

When they arrived in Bern they were warmly welcomed by
Dietrich, who forced Heime to give the stolen Mimung back
to its rightful owner. The brave warriors were not long allowed
to remain inactive, however, for they were soon asked to help
Ermenrich against his revolted vassal, Rimstein. They besieged
the recalcitrant knight in his stronghold of Gerimsburg, which
was given to Walther von Wasgenstein, while Wittich was re-
warded for his services by the hand of Bolfriana, the Lady of
Drachenfels, and thus became the vassal of Ermenrich.

The estates of Ermenrich were so extensive and so difficult to

govern that he was very glad indeed to secure as prime minister

a capable nobleman by the name of Sibich. Un-

Sibich. ■'

fortunately, this Sibich had a remarkably beautiful
wife, whom the emperor once insulted during her husband's
absence. As soon as Sibich returned from his journey his wife
told him all that had occurred, and the emperor's conduct so en-
raged the minister that he vowed that he would take a terrible
revenge.

The better to accomplish his piurpose, Sibich concealed his
resentment, and so artfully poisoned Ermenrich's mind that the
latter ordered his eldest son to be slain. To get rid of the second
prince, Sibich induced him to enter a leaky vessel, which sank as

DIETRICH VOK BERN. 123

soon as he was out at sea. Then, when the prime minister saw
the third son, Randwer, paying innocent attentions to his fair
young stepmother, Swanhild, daughter of Siegfried and Kriem-
hild, he so mahciously distorted the affair that Ermenrich ordered
this son to be hung, and his young wife to be trampled to death
under the hoofs of wild horses.

Sibich, the traitor, having thus deprived the emperor of wife
and children, next resolved to rob him of all his kin, so that he
might eventually murder him and take undisputed possession of
the empire. With this purpose in view, he forged letters which
incited the emperor to war against his nephews, the Harlungs.
These two young men, who were orphans, dwelt at Breisach,
under the guardianship of their tutor, the faithful Eckhardt. They
were both cruelly slain, and the disconsolate tutor fled to the
court of Dietrich, little thinking that Ermenrich would soon turn
upon this his last male relative, also.

Dietrich, forsaken by Virginal, and anxious to marry again, had,
in the mean while, sent his nephew Herbart to Arthur's court in
the Bertanga land (Britain), to sue for the hand Herbart and
of Hilde, his fair young daughter. But Arthur, Hiide.

averse to sending his child so far away, would not at first permit
the young ambassador to catch a ghmpse of her face, and sent her
to church guarded by ten warriors, ten monks, and ten duennas.

In spite of all these safeguards, Herbart succeeded in seeing
the princess, and after ascertaining that she was very beautiful,
he secured a private interview, and told her of his master's wish
to call her wife. Hilde, wishing to know what kind of a man
her suitor was, begged Herbart to draw his portrait ; but finding
him unprepossessing, she encouraged Herbart to declare his own
love, and soon eloped with him.

Dietrich had no time to mourn for the loss of this expected
bride, however, for the imperial army suddenly Dietrich in
marched into the Amaling land, and invested the ='''•=•

cities of Garden, Milan, Raben (Ravenna), and Mantua. Of
course these successes were owing to treachery, and not to valor.

124 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

and Dietrich, to obtain the release of Hildebrand and a few
other faithful followers, who had fallen into the enemy's hands,
was forced to surrender Bern and go off into exile.

As he had thus sacrificed his kingdom to obtain their freedom,
it is no wonder that these men proudly accompanied him into
banishment. They went to Susat, where they were warmly wel-
comed by Etzel and Helche (Herka), his wife, who promised to
care for Diether, Dietrich's brother, and have him brought up
with her own sons.

There were in those days many foreigners at Etzel's court, for
he had secured as hostages Hagen of Tronje, from the Btu-gun-
dians ; the Princess Hildegunde, from the Franks ; and Walther
von Wasgenstein from the Duke of Aquitaine.

During the twenty years which Dietrich now spent in the land
of the Huns fighting for Etzel, peace was concluded with Bur-

■Waither of S'^^'^Yj ^"'^ Hagen was allowed to return home.
Aquitaine and Walther of Aquitaine (or von Wasgenstein), whose

Hildegunde. , , , .

adventures are related m a Latm poem of the eighth
or ninth century, had fallen in love with Hildegunde. Seeing
that Etzel, in spite of his promises to set them both free, had no
real intention of doing so, he and his ladylove cleverly effected
their escape, and fled to the Wasgenstein (Vosges), where they
paused in a cave to recruit their exhausted strength.

Gunther, King of Biu-gundy, and Hagen of Tronje, his ally,
hearing that Walther and Hildegunde were in the neighborhood,
and desirous of obtaining the large sum of gold which they had
carried away from Etzel's court, set out to attack them, with a
force of twelve picked men. But Hildegunde was watching
while Walther slept, and, seeing them draw near, warned her
lover. He, inspired by her presence, slew all except Gunther
and Hagen, who beat a hasty retreat.

They did not return to Worms, however, but lay in ambush
beside the road, and when Walther and Hildegunde passed by
they attacked the former with great fury. In spite of the odds
against him, the poem relates that Walther triumphantly defeated

DIETRICH VON BERN. 125

them both, putting out one of Hagen's eyes and cutting off one
of Gunther's hands and one of his feet.

The conflict ended, Hildegunde bound up the wounds of all
three of the combatants, who then sat down to share a meal
together, indulged in much jocularity about their wounds, and,
parting amicably, sought their respective homes. Walther and
Hildegunde were next joyously welcomed by their relatives, duly
married, and reigned together over Aquitaine for many a long
year.

In the mean while Dietrich had been engaged in warring
against Waldemar, King of Reussen (Russia and Poland), in be-
half of Etzel, who, however, forsook him in a cowardly way, and
left him in a besieged fortress, in the midst of the enemy's land,
with only a handful of men. In spite of all his courage, Dietrich
would have been forced to surrender had not Riidiger of Bech-
laren come to his rescue. By their combined efforts, Waldemar
was slain, and his son was brought captive to Susat.

Dietrich and his noble prisoner were both seriously wounded ;
but while Queen Helche herself tenderly cared for the young
prince of Reussen, who was her kinsman, Dietrich Dietrich and
lay neglected and alone in a remote part of the Q"==n Heiche.
palace. The young prince was no sooner cured, however, than
he took advantage of Etzel's absence to escape, although Helche
implored him not to do so, and assured him that she would have
to pay for his absence with her life.

In her distress Helche now thought of Dietrich, who, weak and
wounded, rose from his couch, pursued the fugitive, overtook and
slew him, and brought his head back to her. The Queen of the
Huns never forgot that she owed her life to Dietrich, and ever
after showed herself his faithful friend.

Twenty years had passed since Dietrich left his native land ere
he asked to return. Helche promised him the aid of her sons, Erp
and Ortwine, whom she armed herself, and furnished one thou-
sand men. Etzel, seeing this, also offered his aid, and Dietrich
marched back to the Amahng land with all his companions, and

126 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

with an army commanded by the two Hun princes and Riidiger's
only son, Nudung.

The van of the army took Garden and Padauwe (Padua), and
with Dietrich at its head made a triumphant entrance into Bern.
But, hearing that Ermenrich was coming against him, Dietrich
now went to meet him, and fought a terrible battle near Raben
in 493. The hero of Bern distinguished himself, as usual, in this
fray, until, hearing that Nudung, the two Hun princes, and his
young brother, Diether, had all been slain, he became almost in-
sane with grief.

In his fury he wildly pursued Wittich, his former servant and
Diether's murderer, and would have slain him had the latter not
saved himself by plunging into the sea. Here his ancestress, the
swan maiden Wachilde, took charge of him, and conveyed him
to a place of safety. Then, although victorious, Dietrich dis-
covered that he had no longer enough men left to maintain him-
self in his reconquered kingdom, and mournfully returned to Susat
with the bodies of the slain.

It was during his second sojourn at the court of the Huns that

Dietrich married Herrat (Herand), Princess of Transylvania, a

Marriage of relative of Helche. The latter died soon after their

Dietrich and union. Three years later Etzel married Kriem-

hild, Siegfried's widow; and now occurred the

fall of the brave Nibelung knights, recorded in the "Nibelun-

genlied." Dietrich, as we have seen, took an active part in the

closing act of this tragedy, and joined in the final lament over

the bodies of the slain.

Ten years after the terrible battle of Raben, Dietrich again re-
solved to make an attempt to recover his kingdom, and set out
with only a very few followers. As Ermenrich had succumbed,
either under the swords of Swanhild's brothers, as already re-
lated, or by the poison secretly administered by the traitor Sibich,
the crown was now offered to Dietrich, who was glad to accept it.

All the lost cities were gradually recovered, and Hildebrand,
coming to Garden, encountered his son Hadubrand (Alebrand),

DIETRICH VON BERN. 127

who, having grown up during his absence, did not recognize him,
and challenged him to fight. Mighty blows were exchanged be-
tween father and son, each of whom, in the pauses of the combat,
anxiously besought the other to reveal his name. It was only
when their strength was exhausted that Hadubrand revealed
who he was, and father and son, dropping their bloody swords,
embraced with tears.

" So spake Hadubrand,
Son of Hildebrand :
' Said unto me
Some of our people,
Shrewd and old,
Gone hence already.

That Hildebrand was my father called, —
I am called Hadubrand.
Erewhile he eastward went,
Escaping from Odoaker,
Thither with Theodoric
And his many men of battle.
Here he left in the land,
Lorn and lonely,
Bride in bower,
Bairn ungrown,
Having no heritage.' "

Song of Hildebrand (Bayard Taylor's tr.).

Hildebrand then rejoined his wife, Ute, and Dietrich, having
slain the traitor Sibich, who had made an attempt to usurp the
throne, marched on to Romaburg (Rome), where he was crowned
Emperor of the West, under the name of Theodoric. Some time
after his accession, Dietrich lost his good wife Herrat, whom,
according to some accounts, he mourned as long as he lived.
According to others he married again, taking as wife Liebgart,
widow of Ortnit.

Etzel, according to this version, having been lured by Aldrian,
Hagen's son, into the cave where the Nibelungen hoard was kept,
was locked up there, and died of hunger while contemplating the

128 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

gold he coveted. His estates then became the property of Die-
trich, who thus became undisputed ruler of nearly all the southern
part of Europe.

In his old age Dietrich, weary of life and imbittered by its
many trials, ceased to take plea&ure in anything except the chase.

D- t • h d *-*'^^ ^^^' '^^'^^ ^^ ^^^ bathing in a limpid stream,

the coal-black his servant came to tell him that there was a fine

stag in sight. Dietrich immediately called for his

horse, and as it was not instantly forthcoming, he sprang upon a

coal-black steed standing near, and was borne rapidly away.

The servant rode after as fast as possible, but could never
overtake Dietrich, who, the peasants aver, was spirited away, and
now leads the Wild Hunt upon the same sable steed, which he
is doomed to ride until the judgment day.

In spite of this fabulous account, however, the tomb of Theo-
doric is still to be seen near Verona, but history demonstrates the
impossibihty of the story of Dietrich von Bern, by proving that
Theodoric was not born until after the death of Attila, the un-
mistakeable original of the Etzel in the " Heldenbuch."

CHAPTER VIII.

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS.

One of the favorite heroes of early mediaeval literature is
Charlemagne, whose name is connected with countless romantic
legends of more or less antique origin. The son of Pepin and
Bertha the " large footed," this monarch took up his abode near
the Rhine to repress the invasions of the northern barbarians,
awe them into submission, and gradually induce them to accept
the teachings of the missionaries he sent to convert them.

As Charlemagne destroyed the Irminsul, razed heathen tem-
ples and groves, abolished the Odinic and Druidic forms of wor-
ship, conquered the Lombards at the request of The champion
the Pope, and defeated the Saracens in Spain, he °^ Christianity,
naturally became the champion of Christianity in the chronicles
of his day. All the heroic actions of his predecessors (such as
Charles Martel) were soon attributed to him, and when these
legends were turned into popular epics, in the tenth and eleventh
centuries, he became the principal hero of France. The great
deeds of his paladins, Roland, Oliver, Ogier the Dane, Renaud
de Montauban, and others, also became the favorite theme of
the poets, and were soon translated into every European tongue.

The Latin chronicle, falsely attributed to Bishop Turpin, Charle-
magne's prime minister, but dating from 1095, is one of the oldest
versions of Charlemagne's fabulous adventures now extant. It
contains the mythical account of the battle of Roncesvalles (Vale
of Thorns), told with infinite repetition and detail so as to give
it an appearance of reality.

9 129

130 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Einhard, the son-in-law and historian of Charlemagne, records a
partial defeat in the Pyrenees in 111-11^, and adds that Hroud-

Chanson de landus was slain. From this bald statement arose
Roland. tjjg mediasval " Chanson de Roland," which was
still sung at the battle of Hastings. The probable author of the
French metrical version is Turoldus ; but the poem, numbering
originally four thousand lines, has gradually been lengthened,
until now it includes more than forty thousand. There are early
French, Latin, German, Italian, Enghsh, and Icelandic versions
of the adventures of Roland, which in the foxurteenth and fif-
teenth centuries were turned into prose, and formed the basis of
the " Romans de Chevalerie," which were popular for so many
years. Numerous variations can, of course, be noted in these
tales, which have been worked over again by the Italian poets
Ariosto and Boiardo, and even treated by Buchanan in oiu' day.

It would be impossible to give in this work a complete syn-
opsis of all the chansons de gestes referring to Charlemagne and
his paladins, so we will content ourselves with giving an abstract
of the most noted ones and telling the legends which are found
in them, which have gradually been woven around those famous
names and connected with certain localities.

We are told that Charlemagne, having built a beautiful new
palace for his use, overlooking the Rhine, was roused from his
Chariemaene ^^^^P during the first night he spent there by the
and the heaven- touch of an angelic hand, and, to his utter surprise,
thrice heard the heavenly messenger bid him go
forth and steal. Not daring to disobey, Charlemagne stole un-
noticed out of the palace, saddled his steed, and, armed cap-a-
pie, started out to fulfill the angelic command.

He had not gone far when he met an unknown knight, evi-
dently bound on the same errand. To challenge, lay his lance
in rest, charge, and unhorse his opponent, was an easy matter for
Charlemagne. When he learned that he had disarmed Elbegast
(Aiberich), the notorious highwayman, he promised to let him go
free if he would only help him steal something that night.

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 131

Guided by Elbegast, Charlemagne, still incognito, went to the
castle of one of his ministers, and, thanks to Elbegast's cunning,
penetrated unseen into his bedroom. There, crouching in the
dark, Charlemagne overheard him confide to his wife a plot to
murder the emperor on the morrow. Patiently biding his time
until they were sound asleep, Charlemagne picked up a worthless
trifle, and noiselessly made his way out, returning home unseen.
On the morrow, profiting by the knowledge thus obtained, he
cleverly outwitted the conspirators, whom he restored to favor only
after they had solemnly sworn future loyalty. As for Elbegast,
he so admired the only man who had ever succeeded in conquer-
ing him that he renounced his dishonest profession to enter the
emperor's service.

In gratitude for the heavenly vision vouchsafed him, the em-
peror named his new palace Ingelheim (Home of the Angel), a
name which the place has borne ever since. This thieving epi-
sode is often alluded to in the later romances of chivalry, where
knights, called upon to justify their unlawful appropriation of an-
other's goods, disrespectfully remind the emperor that he too once
went about as a thief.

When Charlemagne's third wife died, he married a beautiful
Eastern princess by the name of Frastrada, who, aided by a magic
ring, soon won his most devoted affection. The Frastrada's
new queen, however, did not long enjoy her power, magic ring,
for a dangerous illness overtook her. When at the point of death,
fearful lest her ring should be worn by another while she was
buried and forgotten, Frastrada slipped the magic circlet into h^r
mouth just before she breathed her last. '

Solemn preparations were made to bury her in the cathedral
of Mayence (where a stone bearing her name could still be seen a
few years ago), but the emperor refused to part with the beloved
body. Neglectful of all matters of state, he remained in the mor-
tuary chamber day after day. His trusty adviser, Turpin, sus-
pecting the presence of some mysterious talisman, slipped into
the room while the emperor, exhausted with fasting and weeping,

132 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

was wrapped in sleep. After carefully searching for the magic
jewel, Turpin discovered it, at last, in the dead queen's mouth.

" He searches with care, though with tremulous haste,
For the spell that bewitches the king ;
And under her tongue, for security placed,
Its margin with mystical characters traced.
At length he discovers a ring."

SoUTHHy, Kzjig Charlemain,

To secure this ring and slip it on his finger was but the affair
of a moment ; but just as Turpin was about to leave the room the
Turpin and the empcror awoke. With a shuddering glance at the

magic ring, (jg^d queen, Charlemagne flung himself passion-
ately upon the neck of his prime minister, declaring that he would
never be quite inconsolable as long as he was near.

Taking advantage of the power thus secured by the possession
of the magic ring, Turpin led Charlemagne away, forced him to
eat and drink, and after the funeral induced him to resume the
reins of the government. But he soon wearied of his master's
constant protestations of undying affection, and ardently longed
to get rid of the ring, which, however, he dared neither to hide
nor to give away, for fear it should fall into unscrupulous hands.

Although advanced in years, Turpin was now forced to accom-
pany Charlemagne everywhere, even on his hunting expeditions,
and to share his tent. One moonlight night the unhappy minis-
ter stole noiselessly out of the imperial tent, and wandered alone
in the woods, cogitating how to dispose of the unlucky ring. As
he walked thus he came to a glade in the forest, and saw a deep
pool, on whose mirrorlike surface the moonbeams softly played.
Suddenly the thought struck him that the waters would soon
close over and conceal the magic ring forever in their depths;
and, drawing it from his finger, he threw it into the pond. Tur-
pin then retraced his steps, and soon fell asleep. On the morrow
he was deUghted to perceive that the spell was broken, and that
Charlemagne had returned to the old undemonstrative friendship
which had bound them for many a year.

CHARLEMAGNE AMD HIS PALADIN'S. I33

" Overjoy'd, the good prelate remember'd the spell,
And far in the lake flung the ring;
The waters closed round it ; and, wondrous to tell.
Released from the cursed enchantment of hell,
His reason return'd to the king.''

SouTHEYj Kiftg Charlemain.

Charlemagne, however, seemed unusually restless, and soon
went out to hunt. In the course of the day, having lost sight of
his suite in the pursuit of game, he came to the little glade, where,
dismounting, he threw himself on the grass beside the pool, de-
claring that he would fain linger there forever. The spot was so
charming that he even gave orders, ere he left it that night, that
a palace should be erected there for his use ; and this building was
the nucleus of his favorite capital, Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen).

" But he built him a palace there close by the bay.
And there did he love to remain ;
And the traveler who will, may behold at this day
A monument still in the ruins at Aix
Of the spell that possess'd Charlemain."

SouTHEY, King Charlemain.

According to tradition, Charlemagne had a sister by the name
of Bertha, who, against his will, married the brave young knight
Milon. Rejected by the emperor, and therefore scorned by all,
the young couple lived in obsciu-ity and poverty. They were very
happy, however, for they loved each other dearly, and rejoiced
in the beauty of their infant son Roland, who even in babyhood
showed signs of uncommon courage and vigor.

One version of the story relates, however, that Milon perished
in a flood, and that Bertha was almost dying of hunger while her
brother, a short distance away, was entertaining all Charlemagne
his courtiers at his board. Little Roland, touched and the boy

. , Roland.

by his mother's condition, walked fearlessly into the

banquet hall, boldly advanced to the table, and carried away a

dishful of meat. As the emperor seemed amused at the little lad's

134 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

fearlessness, the servants did not dare to interfere, and Roland
bore off the dish in triumph.

A few minutes later he reentered the hall, and with equal cool-
ness laid hands upon the emperor's cup, full of rich wine. Chal-
lenged by Charlemagne, the child then boldly declared that he
wanted the meat and wine for his mother, a lady of high degree.
In answer to the emperor's bantering questions, he declared that
he was his mother's cupbearer, her page, and her gallant knight,
which answers so amused Charlemagne that he sent for her. He
then remorsefully recognized her, treated her with kindness as
long as she lived, and took her son into his own service.

Another legend relates that Charlemagne, hearing that the rob-
ber knight of the Ardennes had a priceless jewel set in his shield,
called all his bravest noblemen together, and bade them sally
forth separately, with only a page as escort, in quest of the knight.
Once found, they were to challenge him in true knightly fashion,
and at the point of the lance win the jewel he wore. A day was
appointed when, successful or not, the courtiers were to return,
and, beginning with the lowest in rank, were to give a truthful
account of their adventures while on the quest.

All the knights departed and scoured the forest of the Ardennes,
each hoping to meet the robber knight and win the jewel. Among
them was Milon, accompanied by his son Roland, a lad of fifteen,
whom he had taken as page and armor-bearer. Milon had spent
many days in vain search for the knight, when, exhausted by his
long ride, he dismounted, removed his heavy armor, and lay down
under a tree to sleep, bidding Roland keep close watch during his
slumbers.

Roland watched faithfully for a while ; then, fired by a desire
to distinguish himself, he donned his father's armor, sprang on his
Roland and the Steed, and rode into the forest in search of adven-
jewei. tures. He had not gone very far when he saw a

gigantic horseman coming to meet him, and, by the dazzling glit-
ter of a large stone set in his shield, he recognized in him the in-
vincible knight of the Ardennes. Afraid of nothing, however, the

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 135

lad laid his lance in rest when challenged to fight, and charged so
bravely that he unhorsed the knight. A fearful battle on foot en-
sued, where many gallant blows were given and received ; yet the
victory finally remained with Roland. He slew his adversary, and
wrenching the jewel from his shield, hid it in his breast. Then,
riding rapidly back to his sleeping father, Roland laid aside the
armor, and removed all traces of a bloody encounter. When Milon
awoke he resumed the quest, and soon came upon the body of the
dead knight. When he saw that another had won the jewel, he
was disappointed indeed, and sadly rode back to court, to be pres-
ent on the appointed day.

Charlemagne, seated on his throne, bade the knights appear be-
fore him, and relate their adventures. One after another strode
up the hall, followed by an armor-bearer holding his shield, and
all told of finding the knight slain and the jewel gone, and pro-
duced head, hands, feet, or some part of his armor, in token of the
truth of their story. Last of all came Milon, with lowering brows,
although Roland walked close behind him, proudly holding his
shield, in the center of which the jewel shone radiant. Milon
related his search, and reported that he too had found the giant
knight slain and the jewel gone. A shout of incredulity made him
turn his head. But when he saw the jewel blazing on his shield
he appeared so amazed that Charlemagne questioned Roland, and
soon learned how it had been obtained. In reward for his brav-
ery in this encounter, Roland was knighted and allowed to take
his place among his uncle's paladins, of which he soon became
the most renowned.

Charlemagne, according to the old chanson de geste entitled
" Ogier le Danois," made war against the King of Denmark, de-
feated him, and received his son Ogier (Olger or Holger Danske)
as hostage. The young Danish prince was favored by the fairies
from the time of his birth, six of them having appeared to bring
him gifts while he was in his cradle. The first five promised him
every earthly bhss ; while the sixth, Morgana, foretold that he would
never die, but would dwell with her in Avalon,

136 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ogier the Dane, owing to a violation of the treaty on his
father's part, was soon confined in the prison of St. Omer.
Ogier king of There he beguiled the weariness of captivity by fall-
Denmark, iug in love with, and secretly marrying, the gover-
nor's daughter Bellissande. Charlemagne, being about to depart
for war, and wishing for the hero's help, released him from cap-
tivity ; and when Ogier returned again to France he heard that
Bellissande had borne him a son, and that, his father having died,
he was now the lawful king of Denmark.

Ogier the Dane then obtained permission to return to his native
land, where he spent several years, reigning so wisely that he was
adored by all his subjects. Such is the admiration of the Danes
for this hero that the common people still declare that he is either
in Avalon, or sleeping in the vaults of Elsinore, and that he will
awaken, like Frederick Barbarossa, to save his country in the time
of its direst need.

" ' Thou know'st it, peasant ! I am not dead ;
I come back to thee in my glory.
I am thy faithful helper in need.
As in Denmark's ancient story.' "

Ingemann, Holger Danske.

After some years spent in Denmark, Ogier returned to France,
where his son, now grown up, had a dispute with Prince Chariot
Ogier and Char- over a game of chess. The dispute became so bit-

lemagne. ^er that the prince used the chessboard as weapon,
and killed his antagonist with it. Ogier, indignant at the murder,
and unable to find redress at the hands of Charlemagne, insulted
him grossly, and fled to Didier (Desiderius), King of Lombardy,
with whom the Franks were then at feud.

Several ancient poems represent Didier on his tower, anxiously
watching the approach of the enemy, and questioning his guest as
to the personal appearance of Charlemagne. These poems have
been imitated by Longfellow in one of his " Tales of a Wayside
Inn."

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 137

" Olger the Dane, and Desiderio,
King of the Lombards, on a lofty tower
Stood gazing northward o'er the rolling plains,
League after league of harvests, to the foot
Of the snow-crested Alps, and saw approach
A mighty army, thronging all the roads
That led into the city. And the King
Said unto Olger, who had passed his youth
As hostage at the court of France, and knew
The Emperor's form and face, ' Is Charlemagne
Among that host ? ' And Olger answered, ' No. ' "

Longfellow, Tales of a Wayside Inn.

This poet, who has madp this part of the legend familiar to
all English readers, then describes the vanguard of the army, the
paladins, the clergy, all in full panoply, and the gradually increas-
ing terror of the Lombard king, who, long before the emperor's
approach, would fain have hidden himself underground. Finally
Charlemagne appears in iron mail, brandishing aloft his invinci-
ble sword " Joyeuse," and escorted by the main body of his army,
grim fighting men, at the mere sight of whom even Ogier the
Dane is struck with fear.

" This at a single glance Olger the Dane
Saw from the tower ; and, turning to the King,
Exclaimed in haste : ' Behold ! this is the man
You looked for with such eagerness ! ' and then
Fell as one dead at Desiderio's feet."

Longfellow, Taies of a Wayside Inn.

Charlemagne soon overpowered the Lombard king, and as-
sumed the iron crown, while Ogier escaped from the castle in
which he was besieged. Shortly after, however, when asleep near
a fountain, the Danish hero was surprised by Turpin. When led
before Charlemagne, he obstinately refused all proffers of recon-
ciliation, and insisted upon Chariot's death, until an angel from
heaven forbade his asking the life of Charlemagne's son. Then,
foregoing his revenge and fully reinstated in the royal good graces,

138 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ogier, according to a thirteenth-century epic by Adenet, success-
fully encountered a Saracenic giant, and in reward for his ser-
vices received the hand of Clarice, Princess of England, and be-
came king of that realm.

Weary of a peaceful existence, Ogier finally left England, and
journeyed to the East, where he successfully besieged Acre, Baby-
Ogier in the lon, and Jerusalem. On his way back to France,
East. the ship was attracted by the famous lodestone rock

which appears in many mediaeval romances, and, all his compan-
ions having perished, Ogier wandered alone ashore. There he
came to an adamantine castle, invisible by day, but radiant at
night, where he was received by the famous horse Papillon, and
sumptuously entertained. On the morrow, while wandering across
a flowery meadow, Ogier encountered Morgana the fay, who gave
him a magic ring. Although Ogier was then a hundred years
old, he no sooner put it on than he became young once more.
Then, having donned the golden crown of oblivion, he forgot his
home, and joined Arthur, Oberon, Tristan, and Lancelot, with
whom he spent two hundred years in unchanged youth, enjoying
constant jousting and fighting.

At the end of that time, his crown having accidentally dropped
off, Ogier remembered the past, and returned to France, riding
on Papillon. He reached the court during the reign of one of
the Capetian kings. He was, of course, greatly amazed at the
changes which had taken place, but bravely helped to defend Paris
against an invasion from the Normans.

Shortly after this, his magic ring was playfully drawn from his
finger and put upon her own by the Countess of Senlis, who, see-
Ogier carried to i^g that It restored her vanished youth, would fain
Avaion. have kept it always. She therefore sent thirty cham-
pions to wrest it from Ogier, who, however, defeated them all,
and triumphantly retained his ring. The king having died, Ogier
next married the widowed queen, and would thus have become
King of France had not Morgana the fay, jealous of his affec-
tions, spirited him away in the midst of the marriage ceremony

CtiAliLEMAGNE AA'l) HIS PALADINS. 139

and borne him off to the Isle of Avalon, whence he, like Arthur,
will return only when his country needs him.

Another chanson de geste, a sort of continuation of " Ogier le
Danois," is called " Meurvin," and purports to give a faithful ac-
count of the adventures of a son of Ogier and Mor- Roiand and
gana, an ancestor of Godfrey of Bouillon, King Oliver,
of Jerusalem. In " Gu6rin de Montglave," we find that Charle-
magne, having quarreled with the Duke of Genoa, proposed that
each should send a champion to fight in his name. Charlemagne
selected Roland, while the Duke of Genoa chose Oliver as his
defender. The battle, if we are to believe some versions of the
legend, took place on an island in the Rhone, and Durandana,
Roland's sword, struck many a spark from Altecler (Hautecler),
the blade of Oliver. The two champions were so well matched,
and the blows were dealt with such equal strength and courage,
that " giving a Roland for an Oliver " has become a proverbial
expression.

After fighting all day, with intermissions to interchange boasts
and taunts, and to indulge in sundry discussions, neither had gained
any advantage. They would probably have continued the strug-
gle indefinitely, however, had not an angel of the Lord interfered,
and bidden them embrace and become fast friends. It was on
this occasion, we are told, that Charlemagne, fearing for Roland
when he saw the strength of OUver, vowed a pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem should his nephew escape alive.

The fulfillment of this vow is described in " Galyen Rhetor^."
Charlemagne and his peers reached Jerusalem safely in disguise,
but their anxiety to secure relics soon betrayed their Charlemagne's
identity. The King of Jerusalem, Hugues, enter- pilgrimage to

. Jerusalem.

tamed them sumptuously, and, hoping to hear many
praises of his hospitality, concealed himself in their apartment at
night. The eavesdropper, however, only heard the vain talk of
Charlemagne's peers, who, unable to sleep, beguiled the hours in
making extraordinary boasts. Roland declared that he could
blow his horn Olivant loud enough to bring down the palace;

140 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ogier, that he could crumble the principal pillar to dust in his
grasp ; and Oliver, that he could marry the princess in spite of
her father.

The king, angry at hearing no praises of his wealth and hospi-
tality, insisted upon his guests fulfilling their boasts on the mor-
row, under penalty of death. He was satisfied, however, by the
success of Oliver's undertaking, and the peers returned to France.
Galyen, Oliver's son by Hugues's daughter, followed them thither
when he reached manhood, and joined his father in the valley
of Roncesvalles, just in time to receive his blessing ere he died.
Then, having helped Charlemagne to avenge his peers, Galyen
returned to Jerusalem, where he found his grandfather dead and
his mother a captive. His first act was, of course, to free his
mother, after which he became king of Jerusalem, and his adven-
tures came to an end.

The " Chronicle " of Turpin, whence the materials for many of
the poems about Roland were taken, declares that Charlemagne,
having conquered nearly the whole of Europe, retired to his pal-
ace to seek repose. But one evening, while gazing at the stars, he
saw a bright cluster move from the " Friesian sea, by way of Ger-
many and France, into Galicia." This prodigy, twice repeated,
greatly excited Charlemagne's wonder, and was explained to him
by St. James in a vision. The latter declared that the progress
of the stars was emblematic of the advance of the Christian army
towards Spain, and twice bade the emperor deliver his land from
the hands of the Saracens.

Thus admonished, Charlemagne set out for Spain with a large
army, and invested the city of Pamplona, which showed no signs
Charlemagne in of Surrender at the end of a two months' siege.
Spain. Recourse to prayer on the Christians' part, how-
ever, produced a great miracle, for the walls tottered and fell like
those of Jericho. All the Saracens who embraced Christianity
were spared, but the remainder were slain before the emperor
journeyed to the shrine of St. James at Santiago de Compostela
to pay his devotions.

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 141

A triumphant march through the country then ensued, and
Charlemagne returned to France, thinking the Saracens subdued.
He had scarcely crossed the border, however, when Aigolandus,
one of the pagan monarchs, revolted, and soon recovered nearly
all the territory his people had lost. When Chai-lemagne heard
these tidings, he sent back an army, commanded by Milon, Ro-
land's father, who perished gloriously in this campaign. The em-
peror speedily followed his brother-in-law with great forces, and
again besieged Aigolandus in Pamplona. During the course of
the siege the two rulers had an interview, which is described at
length, and indulged in sundry religious discussions, which, how-
ever, culminated in a resumption of hostilities. Several combats
now took place, in which the various heroes greatly distinguished
themselves, the preference being generally given to Roland, who,
if we are to beHeve the Italian poet, was as terrible in battle as
he was gentle in time of peace.

"On stubborn foes he vengeance wreak'd.

And laid about him like a Tartar;
But if for mercy once they squeak'd.

He was the first to grant them quarter.
The battle won, of Roland's soul

Each milder virtue took possession ;
To vanquish'd foes he o'er a bowl

His heart surrender'd at discretion."

Ariosto, Orlando Furioso (Dr. Bumey's tr.).

Aigolandus being slain, and the feud against him thus success-
fully ended, Charlemagne carried the war into Navarre, where he
was challenged by the giant Ferracute (Ferragus) to meet him in
single combat. Although the metrical " Romances " describe Char-
lemagne as twenty feet in height, and declare that he slept in a
hall, his bed surrounded by one hundred lighted tapers and one
hundred knights with drawn swords, the emperor felt himself no
match for the giant, whose personal appearance was as follows : —

" So hard he was to-fond [proved].
That no dint of brond

142 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

No grieved him, I plight.

He had twenty men's strength;

And forty feet of length

Thilke [each] paynim had ;

And four feet in the face

Y-meten [measured] on the place ;

And fifteen in brede [breadth].

His nose was a foot and more ;

His brow as bristles wore ;

(He that saw it said)

He looked lothliche [loathly],

And was swart [black] as pitch ;

Of him men might adrede ! "

Rolattd and Ferragus.

After convincing himself of the danger of meeting this adver-
sary, Charlemagne sent Ogier the Dane to fight him, and with

Roland and dismay saw his champion not only unhorsed, but

Ferracute. borne away like a parcel under the giant's arm, fum-
ing and kicking with impotent rage. Renaud de Montauban met
Ferracute on the next day, with the same fate, as did several other
champions. Finally Roland took the field, and although the giant
pulled him down from his horse, he continued the battle all day.
Seeing that his sword Durandana had no effect upon Ferracute,
Roland armed himself with a club on the morrow.

In the pauses of the battle the combatants talked together, and
Ferracute, relying upon his adversary's keen sense of honor, even
laid his head upon Roland's knee during their noonday rest.
While resting thus, he revealed that he was vulnerable in only
one point of his body. When called upon by Roland to believe
in Christianity, he declared that the doctrine of the Trinity was
more than he could accept. Roland, in answer, demonstrated
that an almond is but one fruit, although composed of rind, shell,
and kernel ; that a harp is but one instrument, although it con-
sists of wood, strings, and harmony. He also urged the three-
fold nature of the sun, — i.e., heat, light, and splendor ; and these
arguments having satisfied Ferracute concerning the Trinity, he

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 143

removed his doubts concerning the incarnation by equally forci-
ble reasoning. The giant, however, utterly refused to believe in
the resurrection, although Roland, in support of his creed, quoted
the mediseval belief that a lion's cubs are born into the world
dead, but come to life on the third day at the sound of their
father's roar, or under the warm breath of their mother. As Fer-
racute would not accept this doctrine, but sprang to his feet pro-
posing a continuation of the fight, the struggle was renewed.

" Quath Ferragus : ' Now ich wot
Your Christian law every grot ;
Now we will fight ;
Whether law better be.
Soon we shall y-see,
Long ere it be night.' "

Roland atid Ferragus.

Roland, weary with his previous efforts, almost succumbed be-
neath the giant's blows, and in his distress had recourse to prayer.
He was immediately strengthened and comforted by an angelic
vision and a promise of victory. Thus encouraged, he dealt.Fer-
racute a deadly blow in the vulnerable spot. The giant fell, call-
ing upon Mohammed, while Roland laughed and the Christians
triumphed.

The poem of Sir Otuel, in the Auchinleck manuscript, describes
how Otuel, a nephew of Ferracute, his equal in size and strength,
came to avenge his death, and, after a long battle with Roland,
yielded to his theological arguments, and was converted at the
sight of a snowy dove ahghting on Charlemagne's helmet in an-
swer to prayer. He then became a devoted adherent of Charle-
magne, and served him much in war.

Charlemagne, having won Navarre, carried the war to the
south of Spain, where the Saracens frightened the horses of his
host by beating drums and waving banners. Having suffered
a partial defeat on account of this device, Charlemagne had the
horses' ears stopped with wax, and their eyes blindfolded, before he
resumed the battle. Thanks to this precaution, he succeeded in

144 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

conquering the Saracen army. The whole country had now been
again subdued, and Charlemagne was preparing to return to
France, when he remembered that MarsigUo (Marsihus), a Sara-
cen king, was still intrenched at Saragossa.

" Carle, our most noble Emperor and King,
Hath tarried now full seven years in Spain,
Conqu'ring the highland regions to the sea;
No fortress stands before him unsubdued,
Nor wall, nor city left, to be destroyed.
Save Sarraguce, high on a mountain set.
There rules the King Marsile, who loves not God,
Apollo worships, and Mohammed serves ;
Nor can he from his evil doom escape. "

Chanson d£ Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

The emperor wished to send an embassy to him to arrange the
terms of peace, but discarded Roland's offer of service because
Battle of of his impetuosity. Then, following the advice of
RoncesvaUes. Naismes de Bavi^re, "the Nestor of the Carolingian
legends," he selected Ganelon, Roland's stepfather, as ambassa-
dor. This man was a traitor, and accepted a bribe from the Sara-
cen king to betrajr Roland and the rear guard of the French army
into his power. Advised by Ganelon, Charlemagne departed from
Spain at the head of his army, leaving Roland to bring up the
rear. The main part of the army passed through the Pyrenees
unmolested, but the rear guard of twenty thousand men, under
Roland, was attacked by a superior force of Saracens in ambush,
as it was passing through the defiles of RoncesvaUes. A terrible
encounter took place here.

" The Count RoUand rides through the battlefield
And makes, with Durendal's keen blade in hand,
A mighty carnage of the Saracens.
Ah ! had you then beheld the valiant Knight
Heap corse on corse ; blood drenching all the ground ;
His own arms, hauberk, all besmeared with gore.
And his good steed from neck to shoulder bleed ! "

Chanson de Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

Wa' • •»»xgii.A

THE DEATH OF ROLAND. - Keller.

{Opi,.p.Mh.)

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 145

All the Christians were slain except Roland and a few knights,
who succeeded in repulsing the first onslaught of the painims.
Rpland then bound a Saracen captive to a tree, wrung from him
a confession of the dastardly plot, and, discovering where Marsig-
lio was to be found, rushed into the very midst of the Saracen
army and slew him. The Saracens, terrified at the apparition of
the hero, beat a hasty retreat, little suspecting that their foe had
received a mortal wound, and would shortly breathe his last.

During the first part of the battle, Roland, yielding to Ohver's
entreaty, sounded a blast on his horn Olivant, which came even
to Charlemagne's ear. Fearing lest his nephew was calUng for
aid, Charlemagne would fain have gone back had he not been
deterred by Ganelon, who assured him that Roland was merely
pursuing a stag.

" RoUand raised to his lips the olifant,
Drew a deep breath, and blew with all his force.
High are the mountains, and from peak to peak
The sound reechoes ; thirty leagues away
'Twas heard by Carle and all his brave compeers.
Cried the king : ' Our men make battle ! ' Ganelon
Retorts in haste : ' If thus another dared
To speak, we should denounce it as a lie.'

Aoi."

Chanson de Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

Wounded and faint, Roland now slowly dragged himself to the
entrance of the pass of Cisaire,— where the Basque peasants aver
they have often seen his ghost, and heard the sound steed

of his horn,— and took leave of his faithful steed VeiUantif slain.
Veillantif, which he slew with his own hand, to prevent its falling
into the hands of the enemy.

" ' Ah, nevermore, and nevermore, shall we to battle ride !
Ah, nevermore, and nevermore, shall we sweet comrades be !
And VeiUintif, had I the heart to die forgetting thee?
To leave thy mighty heart to break, in slavery to the foe ?
10

146 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

I had not rested in the grave, if it had ended so.

Ah, never shall we conquering ride, with banners bright unfurl'd,

A shining light 'mong lesser lights, a wonder to the world.' "

Buchanan, Death of Roland.

Then the hero gazed upon his sword Durandana, which had

served him faithfully for so many years, and to prevent its falling

Sword '"^'^'^ *^ hands of the pagans, he tried to dispose of

Durandana it also. According to varying accounts, he either

destroyed. ^^^ j^ ^j^gp jj^j.^ ^ poisoned Stream, where it is still

supposed to lie, or, striking it against the mighty rocks, cleft them

in two, without even dinting its bright blade.

" And Roland thought : ' I surely die ; but, ere I end,
Let me be sure that thou art ended too, my friend !
For should a heathen hand grasp thee when I am clay.
My ghost would grieve full sore until the judgment day ! '
Then to the marble steps, under the tall, bare trees.
Trailing the mighty sword, he crawl'd on hands and knees.
And on the slimy stone he struck the blade with might —
The bright hilt, sounding, shook, the blade flash'd sparks of Ught ;
Wildly again he struck, and his sick head went round.
Again there sparkled fire, again rang hollow sound ;
Ten times he struck, and threw strange echoes down the glade.
Yet still unbroken, sparkling fire, glitter'd the peerless blade."

Buchanan, Death of Roland. ■

Finally, despairing of disposing of it in any other way, the hero,
strong in death, broke Durandana in his powerful hands and threw
the shards away.

Horse and sword were now disposed of, and the dying hero,
summoning his last strength, again put his marvelous horn Olivant
to his lips, and blew such a resounding blast that the sound was
heard far and near. The effort, however, was such that his tem-
ples burst, as he again sank fainting to the ground.

One version of the story (Turpin's) relates that the blast brought,
not Charlemagne, but the sole surviving knight, Theodoricus, who,
as Roland had been shriven before the battle, merely heard his

CHARLEMAGNE AND HJS PALADINS. 147

last prayer and reverently closed his eyes. Then Turpin, while
celebrating mass before Charlemagne, was suddenly favored by a
vision, in which he beheld a shrieking crew of demons bearing
Marsiglio's soul to hell, while an angelic host conveyed Roland's
to heaven.

Turpin immediately imparted these revelations to Charlemagne,
who, knowing now that his fears were not without foundation,
hastened back to Roncesvalles. Here the scriptural miracle was
repeated, for the sun stayed its course until the emperor had
routed the Saracens and found the body of his nephew. He
pronounced a learned funeral discourse or lament over the hero's
remains, which were then embalmed and conveyed to Blaive for
interment.

Another version relates that Bishop Turpin himself remained
with Roland in the rear, and, after hearing a general confession
and granting full absolution to all the heroes, fought beside them
to the end. It was he who heard the last blast of Roland's horn
instead of Theodoricus, and came to close his eyes before he too
expired.

The most celebrated of all the poems, however, the French
epic " Chanson de Roland," gives a different version and relates
that, in stumbling over the battlefield, Roland came across the
body of his friend Oliver, over which he uttered a touching
lament.

" ' Alas for all thy valor, comrade dear !
Year after year, day after day, a life
Of love we led; ne'er didst thou wrong to me,
Nor I to thee. If death takes thee away,
My life is but a pain.' "

Chanson de Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

Slowly and painfully now— for his death was near— Roland
climbed up a slope, laid himself down under a pine tree, and
placed his sword and horn beneath him. Then, Death
when he had breathed a last prayer, to commit his °^ Roland,
soul to God, he held up his glove in token of his surrender.

148 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

' ' His right hand glove he offered up to God ;
Saint Gabriel took the glove. — With head reclined
Upon his arm, with hands devoutly joined,
He breathed his last. God sent his Cherubim,
Saint Raphael, Saini Michiel del Peril.
Together with them Gabriel came. — All bring
The soul of Count RoUand to Paradise.

Aoi."

chanson de Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

It was here, under the pine, that Charlemagne found his
nephew ere he started out to punish the Saracens, as already re-
lated. Not far off lay the bodies of Ogier, Oliver, and Renaud,
who, according to this version, were all among the slain.

" Here endeth Otuel, Roland, and Olyvere,
And of the twelve dussypere.
That dieden in the batayle of Runcyvale :
Jesu lord, heaven king,
To his bliss hem and us both bring,
To liven withouten bale ! "

Sir Otuel.

On his return to France Charlemagne suspected Ganelon of
treachery, and had him tried by twelve peers, who, unable to decide
the question, bade him prove his innocence in single combat with
Roland's squire, Thiedric. Ganelon, taking advantage of the
usual privilege to have his cause defended by a champion,
selected Pinabel, the most famous swordsman of the time. In
spite of all his valor, however, this champion was defeated, and
the "judgment of God"— the term generally applied to those
judicial combats — was in favor of Thiedric. Ganelon, thus con-
victed of treason, was sentenced to be drawn and quartered, and
was executed at Aix-la-Chapelle, in punishment for his sins.

" Ere long for this he lost
Both limb and life, judged and condemned at Aix,
There to be hanged with thirty of his race
Who were not spared the punishment of death.

Aoi."

Chanson de Roland (Rabillon's tr.).

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 149

Roland, having seen Aude, Oliver's sister, at the siege of Viane,
where she even fought against him, if the old epics are to be be-
lieved, had been so smitten with her charms that he RoUnd
declared that he would marry none but her. When »"<> A""*'-
the siege was over, and lifelong friendship had been sworn be-
tween Roland and Oliver after their memorable duel on an island
in the Rhone, Roland was pubUcly betrothed to the charming
Aude. Before their nuptials could take place, however, he was
forced to leave for Spain, where, as we have seen, he died an heroic
death. The sad news of his demise was brought to Paris, where
the Lady Aude was awaiting him. When she heard that he would
never return, she died of grief, and was buried at his side in the
chapel of Blaive.

" In Paris Lady Alda sits, Sir Roland's destined bride.
With her three hundred maidens, to tend her, at her side ;
Alike their robes and sandals all, and the braid that binds their

hair,
And alike the meal, in their Lady's hall, the whole three hundred

share.
Around her, in her chair of state, they all their places hold ;
A hundred weave the web of silk, and a hundred spin the gold.
And a hundred touch their gentle lutes to sooth that Lady's pain.
As she thinks on him that's far away with the host of Charlemagne.
Lulled by the sound, she sleeps, but soon she wakens with a

scream ;
And, as her maidens gather round, she thus recounts her dream :
' I sat upon a desert shore, and from the mountain nigh,
Right toward me, I seemed to see a gentle falcon fly ;
But close behind an eagle swooped, and struck that falcon down.
And with talons and beak he rent the bird, as he cowered beneath

my gown.'
The chief of her maidens smiled, and said : ' To me it doth not

seem
That the Lady Alda reads aright the boding of her dream.
Thou art the falcon, and thy knight is the eagle in his pride.
As he comes in triumph from the war, and pounces on his bride.'
The maiden laughed, but Alda sighed, and gravely shook her head.

ISO LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

' Full rich,' quoth she, ' shall thy guerdon be, if thou the truth hast

said.'
'Tis morn ; her letters, stained with blood, the truth too plainly tell,
How, in the chase of Ronceval, Sir Roland fought and fell."

Laify A Ida's Dream (Sir Edmund Head's tr.).

A later legend, which has given rise to sundry poems, connects

the name of Roland with one of the most beautiful places on the

Le end Rhine. Popular tradition avers that he sought

of Roland and shelter One evening in the castle of Drachenfels,

Hiidegarde. ^j^^^.^ j^g f^jj j^^ j^^^ ^j^j^ Hildegarde, the beautiful

daughter of the Lord of Drachenfels. The sudden outbreak of
the war in Spain forced him to bid farewell to his betrothed, but
he promised to return as soon as possible to celebrate their wed-
ding. During the campaign, many stories of his courage came
to Hildegarde's ears, and finally, after a long silence, she heard
that Roland had perished at Roncesvalles.

Broken-hearted, the fair young mourner spent her days in
tears, and at last prevailed upon her father to allow her to enter
the convent on the island of Nonnenworth, in the middle of the
river, and within view of the gigantic crag where the castle ruins
can still be seen.

" The castled crag of Drachenfels
Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine,
Whose breast of water broadly swells
Between the banks which bear the vine,
And hills all rich with blossomed trees,
And fields which promise corn and wine.
And scattered cities crowning these.
Whose fair white walls along them shine."

Byeok, Childe Harold.

With pallid cheeks and tear-dimmed eyes, Hildegarde now
spent her life either in her tiny cell or in the convent chapel,
praying for the soul of her beloved, and longing that death might
soon come to set her free to join him. The legend relates, how-
ever, that Roland was not dead, as she supposed, but had merely
been sorely wounded at Roncesvalles.

CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PALADINS. 151

When sufficiently recovered to travel, Roland painfully made
his way back to Drachenfels, where he presented himself late one
evening, eagerly calling for Hildegarde. A few moments later the
joyful light left his eyes forever, for he learned that his beloved
had taken irrevocable vows, and was now the bride of Heaven.

That selfsame day Roland left the castle of Drachenfels, and
riding to an eminence overlooking the island of Nonnenworth, he
gazed long and tearfully at a little Kght twinkling in one of the
convent windows. As he could not but suppose that it illumined
Hildegarde's cell and lonely vigils, he watched it all night, and
when morning came he recognized his beloved's form in the long
procession of nuns on their way to the chapel.

This view of the lady he loved seemed a slight consolation
to the hero, who built a retreat on this rock, which is known
as Rolandseck. Here he spent his days in pen-

, , . , , Rolandseck.

ance and prayer, gazmg constantly at the island at

his feet, and the swift stream which parted him from Hildegarde.

One wintry day, many years after he had taken up his abode
on the rocky height, Roland missed the graceful form he loved,
and heard, instead of the usual psalm, a dirge for the dead.
Then he noticed that six of the nuns were carrying a coffin,
which they lowered into an open tomb.

Roland's nameless fears were confirmed in the evening, when
the convent priest visited him, and gently announced that Hilde-
garde was at rest. Calmly Roland hstened to these tidings,
begged the priest to hear his confession as usual, and, when he
had received absolution, expressed a desire to be buried with his
face turned toward the convent where Hildegarde had lived
and died.

The priest readily promised to observe this request, and de-
parted. When he came on the morrow, he found Roland dead.
They buried him reverently on the very spot which bears his
name, with his face turned toward Nonnenworth, where Hilde-
garde lay at rest.

CHAPTER IX.

THE SONS OF AYMON.

The different chansons de gestes relating to Aymon and the
necromancer Malagigi (Malagis), probably arose from popular
ballads commemorating the struggles of Charles the Bald and his
feudatories. These ballads are of course as old as the events
which they were intended to record, but the chansons de gestes
based upon them, and entitled " Duolin de Mayence," " Aymon,
Son of Duolin de Mayence," " Maugis," " Rinaldo de Trebi-
zonde," "The Four Sons of Aymon," and " Mabrian," are of
much later date, and were particularly admired during the four-
teenth and fifteenth centuries.

One of the most famous of Charlemagne's peers was doubtless
the noble Aymon of Dordogne ; and when the war against the
Avars in Hungary had been successfully closed, owing to his
bravery, his adherents besought the king to bestow upon this
knight some reward. Charlemagne, whom many of these later
chansons de gestes describe as mean and avaricious, refused to
grant any reward, declaring that were he to add still further to
his vassal's aheady extensive territories, Aymon would soon be-
come more powerful than his sovereign.

This unjust refusal displeased Lord Hug of Dordogne, who

had pleaded for his kinsman, so that he ventured a retort, which

War between ^° incenscd the king that he slew him then and

Aymon and there. Aymon, learning of the death of Lord Hug,
Charlemagne. ^^^ aware of the failure of his last embassy, haugh-
tily withdrew to his own estates, whence he now began to wage
war against Charlemagne.

THE SONS OF AYMON. 153

Instead of open battle, however, a sort of guerrilla warfare was
carried on, in which, thanks to his marvelous steed Bayard, which
his cousin Malagigi, the necromancer, had brought him from hell,
Aymon always won the advantage. At the end of several years,
however, Charlemagne collected a large host, and came to lay
siege to the castle where Aymon had intrenched himself with all
his adherents.

During that siege, Aymon awoke one morning to find that his
beloved steed had vanished. Malagigi, hearing him bewail his
loss, bade him be of good cheer, promising to Loss of the
restore Bayard ere long, although he would be *'°''=^ Bayard,
obliged to go to Mount Vulcanus, the mouth of hell, to get him.
Thus comforted, Aymon ceased to mourn, while Malagigi set to
work to fulfill his promise. As a brisk wind was blowing from the
castle towards the camp, he flung upon the breeze some powdered
hellebore, which caused a violent sneezing throughout the army.
Then, while his foes were wiping their streaming eyes, the necro-
mancer, who had learned his black art in the famous school of
Toledo, slipped through their ranks unseen, and journeyed on to
Mount Vulcanus, where he encountered his Satanic Majesty.

His first act was to offer his services to Satan, who accepted
them gladly, bidding him watch the steed Bayard, which he had
stolen because he preferred riding a horse to sitting astride a storm
cloud as usual. The necromancer artfully pretended great anx-
iety to serve his new master, but having discovered just where
Bayard was to be found, he made use of a sedative powder to lull
Satan to sleep. Then, hastening to the angry steed, Malagigi
made him tractable by whispering his master's name in his ear ;
and, springing on his back, rode swiftly away.

Satan was awakened by the joyful whinny of the flying steed,
and immediately mounted upon a storm cloud and started in
pursuit, hurling a red-hot thunderbolt at Malagigi to check his
advance. But the necromancer muttered a magic spell and held
up his crucifix, and the bolt fell short ; while the devil, losing his
bjilance, fell to the earth, and thus lamed himself permanentljr.

154 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Count Aymon, in the mean while, had been obliged to flee

from Ms besieged castle, mounted upon a sorry steed instead of

g^ J his fleet-footed horse. When the enemy detected

restored by his flight, they Set out in pursuit, tracking him by
Maiagigi. means of bloodhounds, and were about to overtake
and slay him when Maiagigi suddenly appeared with Bayard. To
bound on the horse's back, draw his famous sword Flamberge,
which had been made by the smith Wieland, and charge into
the midst of his foes, was the work of a few seconds. The result
was that most of Aymon's foes bit the dust, while he rode away
unharmed, and gathering many followers, he proceeded to win
back all the castles and fortresses he had lost.

Frightened by Aymon's successes, Charlemagne finally sent
Roland, his nephew and favorite, bidding him offer a rich ransom
to atone for the miu-der of Lord Hug, and instructing him to se-
cure peace at any price. Aymon at first refused these overtures,
but consented at last to cease the feud upon receipt of six times
Lord Hug's weight in gold, and the hand of the king's sister, Aya,
whom he had long loved.

These demands were granted, peace was concluded, and
Aymon, having married Aya, led her to the castle of Pierlepont,
where they dwelt most happily together, and became the parents
of foiu- brave sons, Renaud, Alard, Guiscard, and Richard. In-
activity, however, was not enjoyable to an inveterate fighter like
Aymon, so he soon left home to journey into Spain, where the
bitter enmity between the Christians and the Moors would afford
him opportunity to fight to his heart's content.

Years now passed by, during which Aymon covered himself
with glory ; for, mounted on Bayard, he was the foremost in every
battle, and always struck terror into the hearts of his foes by the
mere flash of his blade Flamberge. Thus he fought until his sons
attained manhood, and Aya had long thought him dead, when a
messenger came to Pierlepont, telling them that Aymon lay ill
in the Pyrenees, and wished to see his wife and his children once
rtiore.

THE SONS OF AYMON. 155

In answer to these summons Aya hastened southward, and
found her husband old and worn, yet not so changed that she
could not recognize him. Aymon, sick as he was, rejoiced at the
sight of his manly sons. He gave the three eldest the spoil he
had won during those many years' warfare, and promised Renaud
(Reinold) his horse and sword, if he could successfully mount and
ride the former.

Renaud, who was a skillful horseman, fancied the task very
easy, and was somewhat surprised when his father's steed caught
him by the garments with his teeth, and tumbled Bayard won
him into the manger. Undismayed by one failure, ^y Renaud.
however, Renaud sprang boldly upon Bayard ; and, in spite of all
the horse's efforts, kept his seat so well that his father formally
gave him the promised mount and sword.

When restored to health by the tender nursing of his loving
wife, Aymon returned home with his family. Then, hearing that
Charlemagne had returned from his coronation journey to Rome,
and was about to celebrate the majority of his heir, Aymon went
to court with his four sons.

During the tournament, held as usual on such festive occa-
sions, Renaud unhorsed every opponent, and even defeated the
prince. This roused the anger of Chariot, or Berthelot as he is
called by some authorities, and made him vow revenge. He
soon discovered that Renaud was particularly attached to his
brother Alard, so he resolved first to harm the latter. Advised
by the traitor Ganelon, Chariot challenged Alard to a game of
chess, and insisted that the stakes should be the players' heads.

This proposal was very distasteful to Alard, for he knew that he
would never dare lay any claim to the prince's head even if he
won the game, and feared to lose his own if he failed to win.
Compelled to accept the challenge, however, Alard began the
game, and played so well that he won five times in succession.
Then Chariot, angry at being so completely checkmated, sud-
denly seized the board and struck his antagonist such a cruel blow
that the blood began to flow. Alard, curbing his wrath, simply

156 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

withdrew ; and it was only when Renaud questioned him very
closely that he told how the quarrel had occurred.

Renaud was indignant at the insult offered his brother, and
went to the emperor with his complaint. The umpires reluctandy
testified that the prince had forfeited his head, so Renaud cut it off
in the emperor's presence, and effected his escape with his father
and brothers before any one could lay hands upon them. Closely
pursued by the imperial troops, Aymon and his sons were soon
brought to bay, and fought so bravely that they slew many of
their assailants. At last, seeing that all their horses except the
incomparable Bayard had been slain, Renaud bade his brothers
mount behind him, and they dashed away. The aged Aymon
had already fallen into the hands of the emperor's adviser, Tur-
pin, who solemnly promised that no harm should befall him. But
in spite of this oath, and of the remonstrances of all his peers,
Charlemagne prepared to have Aymon publicly hanged, and con-
sented to release him only upon condition that Aymon would
promise to deliver his sons into the emperor's hands, were it ever
in his power to do so.

The four young men, knowing their father safe, and unwilling
to expose their mother to the unpleasant experiences of the siege
which would have followed had they remained at Pierlepont, now
journeyed southward, and entered the service of Saforet, King of
the Moors. With him they won many victories ; but, seeing at the
end of three years that this monarch had no intention of giving
them the promised reward, they slew him, and offered their swords
to Iwo, Prince of Tarasconia.

Afraid of these warriors, yet wishing to bind them to him by
indissoluble ties, Iwo gave Renaud his daughter Clarissa in mar-
Fortress of riage, and helped him build an impregnable for-
Montauban. tj-gsg a,t Montauban. This stronghold was scarcely
finished when Charlemagne came up with a great army to besiege
it; but at the end of a year of fruitless attempts, the emperor
reluctantly withdrew, leaving Montauban still in the hands of his
enemies.

THE SONS OF AYMON. 157

Seven years had now elapsed since the four young men had seen
their mother ; and, anxious to embrace her once more, they went
in pilgrims' robes to the castle of Pierlepont. Here the chamber-
lain recognized them and betrayed their presence to Aymon, who,
compelled by his oath, prepared to bind his four sons fast and
take them captive to his sovereign. The young men, however,
defended themselves bravely, secured their father instead, and
sent him in chains to Charlemagne. Unfortunately the monarch
was much nearer Pierlepont at the time than the young men sup-
posed. Hastening onward, he entered the castle before they had
even become aware of his approach, and secured three of them.
The fourth, Renaud, aided by his mother, escaped in pilgrim's
garb, and returned to Montauban. Here he found Bayard, and
without pausing to rest, he rode straight to Paris to dehver his
brothers from the emperor's hands.

Overcome by fatigue after this hasty journey, Renaud dis-
mounted shortly before reaching Paris, and fell asleep. When
he awoke he found that his steed had vanished, and he reluctantly
continued his journey on foot, begging his way. He was joined
on the way by his cousin Malagigi, who also wore a pilgrim's garb,
and who promised to aid Renaud, not only in freeing his brothers,
but also in recovering Bayard.

Unnoticed, the beggars threaded their way through the city of
Paris and came to the palace. There a great tournament was to
be held, and the emperor had promised to the victor Maiagigi's
of the day the famous steed Bayard. To stimulate stratagem,
the knights to greater efforts by a view of the promised prize, the
emperor bade a groom lead forth the renowned steed. The horse
seemed restive, but suddenly paused beside two beggars, with a
whinny of joy. The groom, little suspecting that the horse's real
master was hidden under the travel-stained pilgrim's robe, laugh-
ingly commented upon Bayard's bad taste. Then Malagigi, the
second beggar, suddenly cried aloud that his poor companion had
been told that he would recover from his lameness were he only
once allowed to bestride the famous steed. Anxious to witness a

158 LEGENDS Of THE MIDDLE AGES.

miracle, the emperor gave orders that the beggar should be placed
upon Bayard ; and Renaud, after feigning to fall off through awk-
wardness, suddenly sat firmly upon his saddle, and dashed away
before any one could stop him.

As for Malagigi, having wandered among the throng unheeded,
he remained in Paris until evening. Then, making his way into
the prison by means of the necromantic charm " Abracadabra,"
which he continually repeated, he delivered the other sons of
Aymon from their chains. He next entered the palace of the
sleeping emperor, spoke to him in his sleep, and forced him, under
hypnotic influence, to give up the scepter and crown, which he
triumphantly bore away.

When Charlemagne awoke on the morrow, found his prisoners
gone, and realized that what had seemed a dream was only too

Treachery true, and that the insignia of royalty were gone,
of iwo. he was very angry indeed. More than ever before
he now longed to secure the sons of Aymon ; so he bribed Iwo,
with whom the brothers had taken refuge, to send them to him.
Clarissa suspected her father's treachery, and implored Renaud
not to beheve him ; but the brave young hero, relying upon Iwo's
promise, set out without arms to seek the emperor's pardon. On
the way, however, the four sons of Aymon fell into an ambuscade,
whence they would scarcely have escaped alive had not one of
the brothers drawn from under his robe the weapons Clarissa had
given him.

The emperor's warriors, afraid of the valor of these doughty
brethren now that they were armed, soon withdrew to a safe
distance, whence they could watch the young men and prevent
their escape. Suddenly, however, Malagigi came dashing up on
Bayard, for Clarissa had warned him of his kinsmen's danger, and
implored him to go to their rescue. Renaud immediately mounted
his favorite steed, and brandishing Flamberge, which his uncle
had brought him, he charged so gallantly into the very midst of
the imperial troops that he soon put them to flight.

The emperor, baffled and angry, suspected that Iwo had

THE SONS OF AYMON. 159

warned his son-in-law of the danger, and provided him with
weapons. In his wrath he had Iwo seized, and sentenced him to
be hanged. But Renaud, seeing Clarissa's tears, Renaud and
vowed that he would save his father-in-law from Roland,
such an ignominious death. With his usual bravery he charged
into the very midst of the executioners, and unhorsed the valiant
champion, Roland. During this encounter, Iwo effected his
escape, and Renaud followed him, while Roland slowly picked
himself up and prepared to follow his antagonist and once more
try his strength against him.

On the way to Montauban, Roland met Richard, one of the
four brothers, whom he carried captive to Charlemagne. The
emperor immediately ordered the young knight to be hanged, and
bade some of his most noble followers to see the sentence ex-
ecuted. They one and all refused, however, declaring death on
the gallows too ignominious a punishment for a knight.

The discussions which ensued delayed the execution and en-
abled Malagigi to warn Renaud of his brother's imminent peril.
Mounted upon Bayard, Renaud rode straight to Montfaucon,
accompanied by his two other brothers and a few faithful men.
There they camped under the gallows, to be at hand when the
guard came to hang the prisoner on the morrow. But Renaud
and his companions slept so soundly that they would have been
surprised had not the intelligent Bayard awakened his master by a
very opportune kick. Springing to his feet, Renaud roused his com-
panions, vaulted upon his steed, and charged the guard. He soon
delivered his captive brother and carried him off in triumph, after
hanging the knight who had volunteered to act as executioner.

Charlemagne, still anxious to seize and punish these refractory
subjects, now collected an army and began again to besiege the
stronghold of Montauban. Occasional sallies and Montauban
a few bloody encounters were the only variations besieged by
in the monotony of a several-years' siege. But Charlemagne,
finally the provisions of the besieged became very scanty. Mala-
gigi, who knew that a number of provision wagons were expected,

i6o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

advised Renaud to make a bold sally and carry them off, while
he, the necromancer, dulled the senses of the imperial army by
scattering one of his magic sleeping powders in the air. He had
just begun his spell when Oliver perceived him and, pouncing
upon him, carried him off to the emperor's tent. Oliver, on the
way thither, never once relinquished his grasp, although the ma-
gician tried to make him do so by throwing a pinch of hellebore
in his face.

While sneezing loudly the paladin told how he had caught the
magician, and the emperor vowed that the rascal should be hanged
on the very next day. When he heard this decree, Malagigi im-
plored the emperor to give him a good meal, since this was to be
his last night on earth, pledging his word not to leave the camp
without the emperor. This promise so reassured Charlemagne
that he ordered a sumptuous repast, charging a few knights to
watch Malagigi, lest, after all, he should effect his escape. The
meal over, the necromancer again had recovu-se to his magic art
to plunge the whole camp into a deep sleep. Then, proceeding
unmolested to the imperial tent, he bore off the sleeping emperor
to the gates of Montauban, which flew open at his well-known
voice.

Charlemagne, on awaking, was as svurprised as dismayed to find
himself in the hands of his foes, who, however, when they saw
his uneasiness, gallantly gave him his freedom without exacting
any pledge or ransom in return. But when Malagigi heard of
this foolhardy act of generosity, he burned up his papers, boxes,
and bags, and, when asked why he acted thus, replied that he was
about to leave his mad young kinsmen to their own devices, and
take refuge in a hermitage, where he intended to spend the re-
mainder of his life in repenting of his sins. Soon after this he
disappeared, and Aymon's sons, escaping secretly from Montau-
ban just before it was forced to surrender, took refuge in a castle
they owned in the Ardennes.

Here the emperor pursued them, and kept up the siege until
Aya sought him, imploring him to forgive her sons and to cease

THE SONS OF AYMON. l6i

persecuting them. Charlemagne yielded at last to her entreaties,
and promised to grant the sons of Aymon full forgiveness pro-
vided the demoniacal steed Bayard were given over to him to be
put to death. Aya hastened to Renaud to tell him this joyful
news, but when he declared that nothing would ever induce him
to give up his faithful steed, she besought him not to sacrifice his
brothers, wife, and sons, out of love for his horse.

Thus adjured, Renaud, with breaking heart, finally consented.
The treaty was signed, and Bayard, with feet heavily weighted,
was led to the middle of a bridge over the Seine, Death of
where the emperor had decreed that he should be Bayard,
drowned. At a given signal from Charlemagne the noble horse
was pushed into the water; but, in spite of the weights on his
feet, he rose to the surface twice, casting an agonized glance upon
his master, who had been forced to come and witness his death.
Aya, seeing her son's grief, drew his head down upon her motherly
bosom, and when Bayard rose once more and missed his beloved
master's face among the crowd, he sank beneath the waves with
a groan of despair, and never rose again.

Renaud, maddened by the needless cruelty of this act, now tore
up the treaty and flung it at the emperor's feet. He then broke
his sword Flamberge and cast it into the Seine, declaring that
he would never wield such a weapon again, and returned to Mon-
tauban alone and on foot. There he bade his wife and children
farewell, after committing them to the loyal protection of Roland.
He then set out for the Holy Land, where he fought against the
infidels, using a club as weapon, so as not to break his vow. This
evidently proved no less effective in his hands than the noted
Flamberge, for he was offered the crown of Jerusalem in reward
for his services. As he had vowed to renounce all the pomps
and vanities of the world, Renaud passed the crown on to God-
frey of Bouillon. Then, returning home, he found that Clarissa
had died, after having been persecuted for years by the unwelcome
attentions of many suitors, who would fain have persuaded her
that her husband was dead.

r62 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

According to one version of the story, Renaud died in a her-
mitage, in the odor of sanctity ; but if we are to beUeve another,

Death of he journeyed on to Cologne, where the cathedral
Renaud. ^^s being built, and labored at it night and day.
Exasperated by his constant activity, which put them all to shame,
his fellow-laborers slew him and flung his body into the Rhine.
Strange to relate, however, his body was not carried away by the
strong current, but lingered near the city, until it was brought to
land and interred by some pious people.

Many miracles having taken place near the spot where he was
buried, the emperor gave orders that his remains should be con-
veyed either to Aix-la-Chapelle or to Paris. The body was there-
fore laid upon a cart, which moved of its own accord to Dort-
mund, in Westphalia, where it stopped, and where a church was
erected in honor of Renaud in 8ii. Here the saintly warrior's
remains were duly laid to rest, and the church in Dortmund still
bears his name. A chapel in Cologne is also dedicated to him,
and is supposed to stand on the very spot where he was so
treacherously slain after his long and brilliant career.

CHAPTER X.

HUON OF BORDEAUX.

It is supposed that this chanson de geste was first composed in
the thirteenth century ; but the version which has come down to
us must have been written shortly before the discovery of print-
ing. Although this poem was deservedly a favorite composition
during the middle ages, no manuscript copy of it now exists.
Such was the admiration that it excited that Lord Berners trans-
lated it into English under Henry VIII. In modern times it has
been the theme of Wieland's finest poem, and of one of Weber's
operas, both of which works are known by the title of " Oberon."
It is from this work that Shakespeare undoubtedly drew some of
the principal characters for his " Midsummer-Night's Dream,"
where Oberon, king of the fairies, plays no unimportant part.

The hero of this poem, Huon of Bordeaux, and his brother
Girard, were on their way from Guienne to Paris to do homage
to Charlemagne for their estates. Chariot, the chariot siain
monarch's eldest son, who bears a very unenvia- ^^ Huon.
ble reputation in all the mediaeval poems, treacherously waylaid
the brothers, intending to put them both to death. He attacked
them separately ; but, after slaying Girard, was himself slain by
Huon, who, quite unconscious of the illustrious birth of his assail-
ant, calmly proceeded on his way.

The rumor of the prince's death soon followed Huon to court,
and Charlemagne, incensed, vowed that he would never pardon
him until he had proved his loyalty and repentance by journeying
to Bagdad, where he was to cut off the head of the great bashaw,

163

164 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

to kiss the Sultan's daughter, and whence he was to bring back a
lock of that mighty potentate's gray beard and four of his best
teeth.

" ' Yet hear the terms ; hear what no earthly power
Shall ever change ! ' He spoke, and wav'd below
His scepter, bent in anger o'er my brow. —
'Yes, thou may'st live ; — but, instant, from this hour.
Away ! in exile rove far nations o'er;
Thy foot accurs'd shall tread this soil no more,
Till thou, in due obedience to my will
Shalt, point by point, the word I speak fulfill;
Thou diest, if this unwrought thou touch thy native shore.

" ' Go hence to Bagdad; in high festal day
At his round table, when the caliph, plac'd
In stately pomp, with splendid emirs grac'd,
Enjoys the banquet rang'd in proud array.
Slay him who lies the monarch's left beside,
Dash from his headless trunk the purple tide.
Then to the right draw near ; with courtly grace
The beauteous heiress of his throne embrace ;
And thrice with public kiss salute her as thy bride.

" ' And while the caliph, at the monstrous scene,
Such as before ne'er shock'd a caliph's eyes,
Stares at thy confidence in mute surprise.
Then, as the Easterns wont, with lowly mien
Fall on the earth before his golden throne,
And gain (a trifle, proof of love alone)
That it may please him, gift of friend to friend,
Four of his grinders at my bidding send,
And of his beard a lock with silver hair o'ergrown."

WiELAND, Obermi (Sotheby's tr.).

Huon regretfully left his native land to begin this apparently

hopeless quest ; and, after visiting his uncle, the Pope, in Rome,

he tried to secure heavenly assistance bv a Dilerim-

Huon s quest. J sr t:>

age to the holy sepulcher. Then he set out for
Babylon, or Bagdad, for, with the usual mediaeval scorn for geog-
raphy, evinced in all the chansons de gestes, these are considered

UUON OF BORDEAUX. 165

interchangeable names for the same town. As the hero was
journeying towards his goal by way of the Red Sea, it will not
greatly sm-prise the modern reader to hear that he lost his way and
came to a pathless forest. Darkness soon overtook him, and
Huon was bUndly stumbling forward, leading his weary steed by
the bridle, when he perceived a light, toward which he directed
his way.

" Not long his step the winding way pursued.
When on his wistful gaze, to him beseems,
The light of distant fire delightful gleams.
His cheek flash'd crimson as the flame he view'd.
Half wild with hope and fear, he rushed to find
In these lone woods some glimpse of human kind,
And, ever and anon, at once the ray
Flash'd on his sight, then sunk at once away.
While rose and fell the path as hill and valley wind."

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

Huon at last reached a cave, and found a gigantic old man
all covered with hair, which was his sole garment. After a few
moments' fruitless attempt at conversation in the
language of the country, Huon impetuously spoke
a few words in his mother tongue. Imagine his surprise when
the uncouth inhabitant of the woods answered him fluently, and
when he discovered, after a few rapid questions, that the man
was Sherasmin (Gerasmes), an old servant of his father's ! This
old man had escaped from the hands of his Saracen captors,
and had taken refuge in these woods, where he had already
dwelt many years. After relating his adventures, Huon entreated
Sherasmin to point out the nearest way to Bagdad, and learned
with surprise that there were two roads, one very long and com-
paratively safe, even for an inexperienced traveler, and the other
far shorter, but leading through an enchanted forest, where count-
less dangers awaited the venturesome traveler.

The young knight of course decided to travel along the most
perilous way; and, accompanied by Sherasmin, who offered his

l66 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

services as guide, he set out early upon the morrow to continue
his quest. On the fourth day of their journey they saw a Saracen
struggling single-handed against a band of Arabs, whom Huon
soon put tQ flight with a few well directed strokes from his
mighty sword.

After resting a few moments, Huon bade Sherasmin lead the
way into the neighboring forest, although his guide and mentor
again strove to dissuade him from crossing it by explaining that
the forest was haunted by a goblin who could change men into
beasts. The hero, who was on his way to insult the proudest
ruler on earth, was not to be deterred by a goblin ; and as She-
rasmin still refused to enter first, Huon plunged boldly into the
enchanted forest. Sherasmin followed him reluctantly, finding
cause for alarm in the very silence of the dense shade, and timor-
ously glancing from side to side in the gloomy recesses, where
strange forms seemed to glide noiselessly about.

" Meanwhile the wand'ring travelers onward go
Unawares within the circuit of a wood,
Whose mazy windings at each step renew'd,
In many a serpent-fold, twin'd to and fro,
So that our pair to lose themselves were fain."

WiELAND, Oheroji (Sotheby's tr.).

The travelers lost their way entirely as they penetrated farther
into the forest, and they came at last to a little glade, where, rest-
Meeting with ing under the spreading branches of a mighty oak,
oberon. jhgy ^gj-e favored with the vision of a castle. Its
golden portals opened wide to permit of the egress of Oberon,
king of the fairies, the son of Julius Caesar and Morgana the fay.
He came to them in the radiant guise of the god of love, sitting
in a chariot of silver, drawn by leopards.

Sherasmin, terrified at the appearance of this radiant creature,
and under the influence of wild, unreasoning fear, seized the
bridle of his master's steed and dragged him into the midst of
the forest, in spite of all his remonstrances. At last he paused,
out of breath, and thought himself safe from further pursuit ; but

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 167

he was soon made aware of the goblin's wrath by the sudden out-
break of a frightful storm.

"A tempest, wing'd with lightning, storm, and rain,
O'ertakes our pair : around them midnight throws
Darkness that hides the world : it peels, cracks, blows,
As if the uprooted globe would split in twain ;
The elements in wild confusion flung.
Each warr'd with each, as fierce from chaos sprung.
Yet heard from time to time amid the storm,
The gentle whisper of th' aerial form
Breath'd forth a lovely tone that died the gales among."

WiELAND, Ohermi (Sotheby's tr.).

All Sherasmin's efforts to escape from the spirit of the forest had
been in vain. Oberon's magic horn had called forth the raging
tempest, and his power suddenly stayed its fury as Huon and his
companion overtook a company of monks and nuns. These holy
people had been celebrating a festival by a picnic, and were now
hastening home, drenched, bedraggled, and in a sorry plight.
They had scarcely reached the convent yard, however, where
Sherasmin fancied all would be quite safe from further enchant-
ment, when Oberon suddenly appeared in their midst like a bril-
liant meteor.

" At once the storm is fled ; serenely mild
Heav'n smiles around, bright rays the sky adorn,
While beauteous as an angel newly born
Beams in the roseate dayspring, glow'd the child.
A lily stalk his graceful limbs sustain'd.
Round his smooth neck an ivory horn was chain'd;
Yet lovely as he was, on all around
Strange horror stole, for stern the fairy frown'd,
And o'er each sadden'd charm a sullen anger reign'd."

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

The displeasure of the king of the fairies had been roused by
Huon and Sherasmjn's discourteous flight, but he merely vented

1 68 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

his anger and showed his power by breathing a soft strain on his

magic horn. At the same moment, monks, nuns, and Sherasmin,

Oberon's aid forgetting their age and caUing, began to dance

promised. \^ t^g wildest abandon. Huon alone remained
uninfluenced by the music, for he had had no wish to avoid an
encounter with Oberon.

The king of the fairies now revealed to Huon that as his life
had been pure and his soul true, he would help him in his quest.
Then, at a wave from the Hly wand the magic music ceased, and
the charm was broken. Sherasmin was graciously forgiven by
Oberon, who, seeing the old man well-nigh exhausted, offered him
a golden beaker of wine, bidding him drink without fear. But
Sherasmin was of a suspicious nature, and it was only when he
found that the draught had greatly refreshed him that he com-
pletely dismissed his fears.

After informing Huon that he was fully aware of the peculiar
nature of his quest, Oberon gave him the golden beaker, assuring

The magic him that it would always be full of the richest wine
horn. foj. tjig virtuous, but would burn the evil doer with

a devouring fire. He also bestowed his magic horn upon him,
telling him that a gentle blast would cause all the hearers to
dance, while a loud one would bring to his aid the king of the
fairies himself.

" ' Does but its snail-like spiral hollow sing,
A lovely note soft swell'd with gentle breath.
Though thousand warriors threaten instant death,
And with advancing weapons round enring ;
Then, as thou late hast seen, in restless dance
All, all must spin, and every sword and lance
Fall with th' exhausted warriors to the ground.
But if thou peal it with impatient sound,
I at thy call appear, more swift than lightning glance.' "

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

Another wave of his lily wand, and Oberon disappeared, leav-
ing a subtle fragrance behind him ; and had it not been for the

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 169

golden beaker and the ivory horn which he still held, Huon might
have been tempted to consider the whole occurrence a dream.

The journey to Bagdad was now resumed in a more hopeful
spirit ; and when the travelers reached Tourmont they found that
it was governed by one of Huon's uncles, who, captured in his
youth by the Saracens, had turned Mussulman, and had gradually
risen to the highest dignity. Seeing Huon refresh some of the
Christians of his household with a draught of wine from the magic
cup, he asked to be allowed to drink from it too. He had no
sooner taken hold of it, however, than he was unmercifully
burned, for he was a renegade, and the magic cup refreshed only
the true believers.

Incensed at what he fancied a deliberate insult, the governor
of Tom'mont planned to slay Huon at a great banquet. But the
young hero defended himself bravely, and, after slaying sundry
assailants,, disposed of the remainder by breathing a soft note
upon his magic horn, and setting them all to dancing wildly,
until they sank breathless and exhausted upon their divans.

As Huon had taken advantage of the spell to depart and
continue his joiuney, he soon reached the castle of the giant
Angoulaffre. The latter had stolen from Oberon The giant
a magic ring which made the wearer invulnera- Angoulaffre.
ble, and thus suilered him to commit countless crimes with
impunity. When Huon came near the castle he met an un-
fortunate knight who imformed him that the giant detained
his promised bride captive, together with several other helpless
damsels.

Like a true knight errant, Huon vowed to deliver these help-
less ladies, and, in spite of the armed guards at every doorway,
he passed unmolested into Angoulaffre's chamber. There he
found the giant plunged in a lethargy, but was rapturously wel-
comed by the knight's fair betrothed, who had long sighed for a
deliverer. In a few hurried sentences she told him that her captor
constantly forced his unwelcome attentions upon her ; but that,
owing to the protection of the Virgin, a trance overtook him and

lyo LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

made him helpless whenever he tried to force her inclinations and
take her to wife.

" ' As oft the hateful battle he renews,
As oft the miracle his force subdues ;
The ring no virtue boasts whene'er that sleep assails.' "

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

Prompted by this fair princess, whose name was Angela, Huon
secured the ring, and donned a magic hauberk hanging near.
But, as he scorned to take any further advantage of a sleeping
foe, he patiently awaited the giant's awakening to engage in one
of those combats which the mediaeval poets loved to describe.

Of course Huon was victorious, and after slaying Angoulaffre,
he restored the fair Angela to her lover, Alexis, and gave a great

Angela and banquet, which was attended by the fifty rescued
Alexis. damsels, and by fifty knights who had come to help
Alexis. Although this gay company would fain have had him
remain with them, Huon traveled on. When too exhausted to
continue his way, he again rested under a tree, where Oberon
caused a tent to be raised by invisible hands. Here Huon had
a wonderful dream, in which he beheld his future ladylove, and
was warned of some of the perils which still awaited him before
he could claim her as his own.

The journey was then resumed, and when they reached the
banks of the Red Sea, Oberon sent one of his spirits, Malebron,
to carry them safely over. They traveled through burning wastes
of sand, refreshed and strengthened by occasional draughts from
the magic goblet, and came at last to a forest, where they saw a
Saracen about to succumb beneath the attack of a monstrous Hon.
Huon immediately flew to his rescue, slew the lion, and, having
drunk deeply from his magic cup, handed it to the Saracen, on
whose lips the refreshing wine turned to liquid flame.

" With evil eye, from Huon's courteous hand.
Filled to the brim, the heathen takes the bowl —
Back from his lip th' indignant bubbles roll !

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 171

The spring is dried, and hot as fiery brand,
Proof of internal guilt, the metal glows.
Far from his grasp the wretch the goblet throws.
Raves, roars, and stamps."

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

With a blasphemous exclamation the Saracen flung aside the cup,
and seeing that his own steed had been slain by the lion, he sprang
unceremoniously upon Huon's horse, and rode rapidly away.

As there was but one mount left for them both, Huon and
Sherasmin were now obliged to proceed more slowly to Bagdad,
where they found every hostelry full, as the people Princess
were all coming thither to witness the approaching Rezia.

nuptials of the princess, Rezia (Esclamonde), and Babican, King
of Hyrcania. Huon and Sherasmin, after a long search, finally
found entertainment in a little hut, where an old woman, the
mother of the princess's attendant, entertained them by relating
that the princess was very reluctant to marry. She also told
them that Rezia had lately been troubled by a dream, in which
she had seen herself in the guise of a hind and pursued through
a pathless forest by Babican. In this dream she was saved and
restored to her former shape by a radiant little creature, who rode
in a glistening silver car, drawn by leopards. He was accom-
panied by a fair-haired knight, whom he presented to her as her
future bridegroom.

" The shadow flies ; but from her heart again
He never fades— the youth with golden hair;
Eternally his image hovers there,
Exhaustless source of sweetly pensive pain.
In nightly visions, and in daydreams shown."

WiELAND, Oheron (Sotheby's tr.).

Huon hstened in breathless rapture, for he now felt assured
that the princess Rezia was the radiant creature he had seen in
his dream, and that Oberon intended them for each other. He
therefore assured the old woman that the princess should never

172 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

marry the detested Babican. Then, although Sherasmin pointed
out to him that the way to a lady's favor seldom consists in cutting
off the head of her intended bridegroom, depriving her father of
four teeth and a lock of his beard, and kissing her without the
usual preliminary of " by your leave," the young hero persisted
in his resolution to visit the palace on the morrow.

That selfsame night, Huon and Rezia were again visited by
sweet dreams, in which Oberon, their guardian spirit, promised
Oberon again them his aid. While the princess was arraying her-
to the rescue, ggif fg]- j^gj nuptials on the morrow, the old woman
rushed into her apartment and announced that a fair-haired
knight, evidently the promised deliverer, had slept in her humble
dweUing the night before. Comforted by these tidings, Rezia
made a triumphant entrance into the palace hall, where her
father, the bridegroom, and all the principal dignitaries of the
court, awaited her appearance.

" Emirs and viziers, all the courtly crowd
Meantime attendant at the sultan's call,
With festal splendor grace the nuptial hall.
The banquet waits, the cymbals clang aloud.
The gray-beard caliph from his golden door
Stalks mid the slaves that fall his path before ;
Behind, of stately gesture, proud to view.
The Druse prince, though somewhat pale of hue,
Comes as a bridegroom deck'd with jewels blazing o'er."

WiELAND, Ofenw (Sotheby's tr.).

In the mean while Huon, awaking at early dawn, found a
complete suit of Saracenic apparel at his bedside. He donned
it joyfully, entered the palace unchallenged, and passed into the
banquet hall, where he perceived the gray-bearded caliph, and
recognized in the bridegroom at his left the Saracen whom he had
delivered from the lion, and who had so discourteously stolen
his horse.

One stride forward, a flash of his curved scimitar, and the first
part of Charlemagne's order was fulfilled, for the Saracen's head

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 173

rolled to the ground. The sudden movement caused Huon's tur-
ban to fall off, however, and the princess, seated at the caliph's
right, gazed spellbound upon the knight, whose Huon's
golden locks fell in rich curls about his shoulders. success.

There are several widely different versions of this part of the
story. The most popular, however, states that Huon, taking
advantage of the first moments of surprise, kissed Rezia thrice,
slipping on her finger, in sign of betrothal, the magic ring which
he had taken from Angoulaffre. Then, seeing the caliph's guards
about to fall upon him, he gently breathed soft music on his magic
horn, and set caliph and court a-dancing.

"The whole divan, one swimming circle glides
Swift without stop : the old bashaws click time,
As if on polish'd ice ; in trance sublime
The iman hoar with some spruce courtier slides.
Nor rank nor age from capering refrain ;
Nor can the king his royal foot restrain !
He too must reel amid the frolic row,
Grasp the grand vizier by his beard of snow.
And teach the aged man once more to bound amain ! "

WlELAND, Oheron (Sotheby's tr.).

While they were thus occupied, Huon conducted the wilHng
Rezia to the door, where Sherasmin was waiting for them with
fleet steeds, and with Fatima, the princess's favorite Flight of
attendant. While Sherasmin helped the ladies to Rezia.
mount, Huon hastened back to the palace hall, and found that
the exhausted caliph had sunk upon a divan. With the prescribed
ceremonies, our hero politely craved a lock of his beard and four
of his teeth as a present for Charlemagne. This impudent request
so incensed the caliph that he vociferated orders to his guards to
slay the stranger. Huon was now forced to defend himself with
a curtain pole and a golden bowl, until, needing aid, he suddenly
blew a resounding peal upon his magic horn. The earth shook,
the palace rocked, Oberon appeared in the midst of rolling thun-
der and flashing lightning, and with a wave of his lily wand

174 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE ACES.

j)lunged caliph and people into a deep sleep. Then he placed
his silver car at Huon's disposal, to bear him and his bride and
attendants to Ascalon, where a ship was waiting to take them
back to France.

" ' So haste, thou matchless pair !
On wings of love, my car, that cuts the air.
Shall waft you high above terrestrial sight.
And place, ere morning melt the shades of night.
On Askalon's far shore, beneath my guardian care.'"

WiELAND, CiJirrtfw (Sotheby's tr.).

■\\'hen Huon and Rezia were about to embark at Ascalon,
Oberon appeared. He claimed his chariot, which had brought
Oberon's them thither, and gave the knight a golden and
warning. jewcled caskct, which contained the teeth of the
caliph and a lock of his beard. One last test of Huon's loyalty
was required, however ; for Oberon, at parting, warned him to
make no attempt to claim Rezia as his wife until their union had
been blessed at Rome by the Pope.

" ' And deep, O Huon ! grave it in your brain !
Till good Sylvester, pious father, sheds
Heaven's holy consecration on your heads,
As brother and as sister chaste remain !
Oh, may ye not, with inauspicious haste.
The fruit forbidden prematurely taste !
Know, if ye rashly venture ere the time,
That Oberon, in vengeance of your crime.
Leaves you, without a friend, on life's deserted waste ! ' "

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

The first part of the journey was safely accomplished ; but
when they stopped at Lepanto, on the way, Huon insisted upon
his mentor, Sherasmin, taking passage on another vessel, which
sailed direct to France, that he might hasten ahead, lay the golden
casket at Charlemagne's feet, and announce Huon's coming with
his Oriental bride.

When Sherasmin had reluctantly departed, and they were again

[Ofp.f.ns)
I-IUON AND AMANDA LEAP OVERBOARD. —Gabriel Max.

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 17S

on the high seas, Huon expounded the Christian faith to Rezia,
who not only was converted, but was also baptized by a priest on
board. He gave her the Christian name of Amanda, in exchange
for her pagan name of Rezia or Esclarmonde. This same priest
also consecrated their marriage ; and while Huon intended to
await the Pope's blessing ere he claimed Amanda as his wife, his
good resolutions were soon forgotten, and the last injunction of
Oberon disregarded.

This disobedience was immediately punished, for a frightful
tempest suddenly arose, threatening to destroy the vessel and all
on board. The sailors, full of superstitious fears, Disobedience
cast lots to discover who should be sacrificed to and

allay the fury of the storm. When the choice fell ''""'^ ™*" '
upon Huon, Amanda flung herself with him into the tumultuous
waves. As the lovers vanished overboard thp storm was suddenly
appeased, and, instead of drowning together, Huon and Amanda,
by the magic of the ring she wore, drifted to a volcanic island,
where they almost perished from hunger and thirst.

Much search among the rocks was finally rewarded by the dis-
covery of some dates, which were particularly welcome, as the
lovers had been bitterly deluded by the sight of some apples of
Sodom. The fruit, however, was soon exhausted, and, after un-
told exertions, Huon made his way over the mountains to a fer-
tiile valley, the retreat of Titania, queen of the fairies, who had
quarreled with Oberon, and who was waiting here until recalled
to fairyland.

The only visible inhabitant of the valley, however, was a her-
mit, who welcomed Huon, and showed him a short and conven-
ient way to bring Amanda thither. After listening attentively to
the story of Huon's adventures, the hermit bade him endeavor to
recover the favor of Oberon by voluntarily hving apart from his
wife, and leading a life of toil and abstinence.

" ' Blest,' says the hermit, ' blest the man whom fate
Guides with strict hand, but not unfriendly aim !
How blest ! whose slightest fault is doom'd to shame !

176 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Him, trained to virtue, purest joys await, —

Earth's purest joys reward each trying pain !

Think not the fairy will for aye remain

Inexorable foe to hearts like thine :

Still o'er you hangs his viewless hand divine ;

Do but deserve his grace, and ye his grace obtain.' "

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

Huon was ready and virilling to undergo any penance which

would enable him to deliver his beloved Amanda from the isle,

Huon's and after building her a little hut, within call of the

penance. (.gll he occupied with the hermit, he spent all his
time in tilling the soil for their sustenance, and in listening to the
teachings of the holy man.

Time passed on. One day Amanda restlessly wandered a little
way up the mountaii;, and fell asleep in a lovely grotto, which she
now for the first time discovered. When she awoke from a bliss-
ful dream she found herself clasping her new-born babe, who,
during her slumbers, had been cared for by the fairies. This
child, Huonet, was, of course, a great comfort to Amanda, who
was devoted to him.

When the babe was a little more than a year old the aged
monk died. Huon and Amanda, despairing of release from the
desert island, were weary of living apart ; and Titania, who fore-
saw that Oberon would send new misfortunes upon them to punish
them in case they did not stand the second test, carried little
Huonet off to fairyland, lest he should suffer for his parents' sins.

Huon and Amanda, in the mean time, searched frantically for

the missing babe, fancying it had wandered off into the woods.

Amanda and During their scarch they became separated, and

the pirates. Amanda, while walking along the seashore, was
seized by pirates. They intended to carry her away and sell her
as a slave to the Sultan. Huon heard her cries of distress, and
rushed to her rescue ; but in spite of his utmost efforts to join her
he saw her borne away to the waiting vessel, while he was bound
to a tree in the woods, and left there to die.

HUON OF BORDEAUX. 177

" Deep in the wood, at distance from the shore,
They drag their victim, that his loudest word
Pour'd on the desert air may pass unheard.
Then bind the wretch, and fasten o'er and o'er
Arm, leg, and neck, and shoulders, to a tree.
To heaven he looks in speechless ^gony,
O'ercome by woe's unutterable weight.
Thus he — the while, with jocund shout elate
The crew bear off their prey, and bound along the sea."

WiELAND, Oheron (Sotheby's tr.).

Oberon, however, had pity at last upon the unfortunate knight,
and sent one of his invisible servants, who not only unbound him,
but transported him, with miraculous rapidity, over land and sea,
and deposited him at the door of a gardener's house in Tunis.

After parting from his master at Lepanto, Sherasmin traveled
on until he came to the gates of the palace with his precious
casket. Then only did he realize that Charlemagne sherasmin's
would never credit his tale unless Huon were there search,
with his bride to vouch for its truth. Instead of entering the
royal abode he therefore hastened back to Rome, where for two
months he awaited the arrival of the young couple. Then, sure
that some misfortune had overtaken them, the faithful Sherasmin
wandered in pilgrim guise from place to place seeking them, until
he finally came to Tunis, where Fatima, Amanda's maid, had
been sold into slavery, and where he sorrowfully learned of his
master's death.

To be near Fatima, Sherasmin took a gardener's position in the
Sultan's palace, and when he opened the door of his humble dwell-
ing one morning he was overjoyed to find Huon, who had been
brought there by the messenger of Oberon. An explanation
ensued, and Huon, under the assumed name of Hassan, became
Sherasmin's assistant in the Sultan's gardens.

The pirates, in the mean while, hoping to sell Amanda to the
Sultan himself, had treated her with the utmost deference ; but as
they neared the shore of Tunis their vessel suffered shipwreck,
and all on board perished miserably, except Amanda. She was

178 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

washed ashore at the Sultan's feet. Charmed by her beauty, the
Sultan conveyed her to his palace, where he would immediately
have married her had she not told him that she had made a vow
of chastity which she was bound to keep for two years.

Huon, unconscious of Amanda's presence, worked in the gar-
den, where the Sultan's daughter saw him and fell in love with
^ him. As she failed to win him, she became very jeal-

and Amanda ous. Soon after this Fatima discovered Amanda's

reunited. presence in the palace, and informed Huon, who
made a desperate effort to reach her. This was discovered by the
jealous princess, and since Huon would not love her, she was de-
termined that he should not love another. She therefore artfully
laid her plans, and accused him of a heinous crime, for which
the Sultan, finding appearances against him, condemned him to
death. Amanda, who was warned by Fatima of Huon's danger,
rushed into the Sultan's presence to plead for her husband's life ;
but when she discovered that she could obtain it only at the price
of renouncing him forever and maiTying the Sultan, she declared
that she preferred to die, and elected to be burned with her be-
loved. The flames were already rising around them both, when
Oberon, touched by their sufferings and their constancy, suddenly
appeared, and again hung his horn about Huon's neck.

The knight hailed this sign of recovered favor with rapture, and,
putting the magic horn to his lips, showed his magnanimity by
blowing only a soft note and making all the pagans dance.

" No sooner had the grateful knight beheld.
With joyful ardor seen, the ivory horn,
Sweet pledge of fairy grace, his neck adorn.
Than with melodious whisper gently swell'd.
His lip entices forth the sweetest tone
That ever breath'd through magic ivory blown :
He scorns to doom a coward race to death.
' Dance ! till ye weary gasp, depriv'd of breath —
Huon permits himself this slight revenge alone.'"

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

liVOX OF BORDEAUX. 179

While all were dancing, much against their will, Huon and
Amanda, Sherasmin and Fatima, promptly stepped into the sil-
very car which Oberon placed at their disposal, and

'^ ' Huon and

were rapidly transported to fairyland. There they Amanda in
found little Huonet in perfect health. Great hap- ^^"yiand.
piness now reigned, for Titania, having secured the ring which
Amanda had lost in her struggle with the pirates on the sandy
shore, had given it back to Oberon. He was propitiated by the
gift, and as the sight of Huon and Amanda's fidelity had con-
vinced him that wives could be true, he took Titania back into
favor, and reinstated her as queen of his realm.

When Huon and Amanda had sojourned as long as they wished
in fairyland, they were wafted in Oberon's car to the gates of Paris.
There Huon arrived just in time to win, at the point of his lance,
his patrimony of Guienne, which Charlemagne had offered as
prize at a tournament. Bending low before his monarch, the
young hero then revealed his name, -presented his wife, gave him
the golden casket containing the lock of hair and the four teeth,
and said that he had accomplished his quest.

" Our hero lifts the helmet from his head;
And boldly ent'ring, like the god of day,
His golden ringlets down his armor play.
All, wond'ring, greet the youth long mourn'd as dead,
Before the king his spirit seems to stand !
Sir Huon with Amanda, hand in hand,
Salutes the emperor with respectful bow —
' Behold, obedient to his plighted vow.
Thy vassal, sovereign liege, returning to thy land !

" ' For by the help of Heaven this arm has done
What thou enjoin'dst — and lo ! before thine eye
The beard and teeth of Asia's monarch lie.
At hazard of my life, to please thee, won ;
And in this fair, by every peril tried,
The heiress of his throne, my love, my bride ! '

i8o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

He spoke ; and lo ! at once her knight to grace,

Off falls the veil that hid Amanda's face,

And a new radiance gilds the hall from side to side."

WiELAND, Oberon (Sotheby's tr.).

The young couple, entirely restored to favor, sojourned a short
time at court and then traveled southward to Guienne, where
their subjects received them with every demonstration of extrav-
agant joy. Here they spent the remainder of their lives together
in happiness and comparative peace.

According to an earlier version of the story, Esclarmonde,

whom the pirates intended to convey to the court of her uncle,

Yvoirin of Montbrand, was wrecked near the palace

An earlier ' ^

version of the of Galafre, King of Tunis, who respected her vow
^^' of chastity but obstinately refused to give her up

to her uncle when he claimed her. Huon, delivered from his
fetters on the island, was borne by Malebron, Oberon's servant,
to Yvoirin's court, where he immediately offered himself as cham-
pion to defy Galafre and win back his beloved wife at the point
of the sword. No sooner did Huon appear in martial array at
Tunis than Galafre selected Sherasmin (who had also been ship-
wrecked off his coast, and had thus become his slave) as his
champion. Huon and Sherasmin met, but, recognizing each other
after a few moments' struggle, they suddenly embraced, and,
joining forces, slew the pagans and carried off Esclarmonde and
Fatima. They embarked upon a swift sailing vessel, and soon
arrived at Rome, where Huon related his adventures to the Pope,
who gave him his blessing.

As they were on their way to Charlemagne's court, Girard, a
knight who had taken possession of Huon's estates, stole the
golden casket from Sherasmin, and sent Huon and Esclarmonde
in chains to Bordeaux. Then, going to court, he informed
Charlemagne that although Huon had failed in his quest, he
had dared to return to France. Charlemagne, whose anger had
not yet cooled, proceeded to Bordeaux, tried Huon, and con-
demned him to death. But just as the knight was about to perish,

HUON OF BORDEAUX. i8l

Oberon appeared, bound the emperor and Girard fast, and only
consented to restore them to freedom when Charlemagne prom-
ised to reinstate Huon.

Oberon then produced the missing casket, revealed Girard's
treachery, and, after seeing him punished, bore Huon and Esclar-
monde ofE to fairyland. Huon eventually became ruler of this
realm in Oberon's stead ; and his daughter, Claretie, whose equally
marvelous adventures are told at great length in another, but far
less celebrated, chanson de geste, is represented as the ancestress
of all the Capetian kings of France.

CHAPTER XI.

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL.

The most mystical and spiritual of all the romances of chiv-
alry is doubtless the legend of the Holy Grail. Rooted in the
Origin of the mythology of all primitive races is the behef in a
legend. i^nfj of peace and happiness, a sort of earthly para-
dise, once possessed by man, but now lost, and only to be attained
again by the virtuous. The legend of the Holy Grail, which some
authorities declare was first known in Europe by the Moors, and
christianized by the Spaniards, was soon introduced into France,
where Robert de Borron and Chrestien de Troyes wrote lengthy
poems about it. Other writers took up the same theme, among
them Walter Map, Archdeacon of Oxford, who connected it with
the Arthurian legends. It soon became known in Germany, where,
in the hands of Gottfried von Strassburg, and especially of Wol-
fram von Eschenbach, it assumed its most perfect and popular
form. The " Parzival " of Eschenbach also forms the basis of a
recent work, the much-discussed last opera of the great German
composer, Wagner.i

The story of the Grail is somewhat confused, owing to the many
changes made by the different authors. The account here given,
while mentioning the most striking incidents of other versions,
is in general an outline of the "Titurel " and " Parzival " of Von
Eschenbach.

When Lucifer was cast out of heaven, one stone of great beauty
was detached from the marvelous crown which sixty thousand

1 See Guerber's Stories of the Wagner Opera.
182

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 183

angels had tendered him. This stone fell upon earth, and from
it was carved a vessel of great beauty, which came, after many
ages, into the hands of Joseph of Arimathea. He The Holy
offered it to the Savior, who made use of it in Graii.
the Last Supper. When the blood flowed from the Redeemer's
side, Joseph of Arimathea caught a few drops of it in this won-
derful vessel ; and, owing to this circumstance, it was thought to
be endowed with marvelous powers. " Wherever it was there
were good things in abundance. Whoever looked upon it, even
though he were sick unto death, could not die that week ; who-
ever looked at it continually, his cheeks never grew pale, nor his
hair gray."

Once a year, on the anniversary of the Savior's death, a white
dove brought a fresh host down from heaven, and placed it on
the vessel, which was borne by a host of angels, or by spotless
virgins. The care of it was at times intrusted to mortals, who,
however, had to prove themselves worthy of this exalted honor
by leading immaculate lives. This vessel, called the " Holy Grail,"
remained, after the crucifixion, in the hands of Joseph of Arima-
thea. The Jews, angry because Joseph had helped to bury Christ,
cast him into a dungeon, and left him there for a whole year with-
out food or drink. Their purpose in doing so was to slay Joseph,
as they had already slain Nicodemus, so that sljould the Romans
ever ask them to produce Christ's body, they might declare that
it had been stolen by Joseph of Arimathea.

The Jews Uttle suspected, however, that Joseph, having the
Holy Grail with him, could suffer no lack. When Vespasian, the
Roman emperor, heard the story of Christ's passion, as related
by a knight who had just returned from the Holy Land, he sent
a commission to Jerusalem to investigate the matter and bring
back some holy relic to cure his son Titus of leprosy.

In due time the ambassadors returned, giving Pilate's version
of the story, and bringing with them an old woman (known after
her death as St. Veronica). She produced the cloth with which she
had wiped the Lord's face, and upon which his likeness had been

1 84 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Stamped by miracle. The mere sight of this holy relic sufficed to
restore Titus, who now proceeded with Vespasian to Jerusalem.
There they vainly tried to compel the Jews to produce the body
of Christ, until one of them revealed, under pressure of torture,
the place where Joseph was imprisoned. Vespasian proceeded in
person to the dungeon, and was hailed by name by the perfectly
healthy prisoner. Joseph was set free, but, fearing further per-
secution from the Jews, soon departed with his sister, Enig^e, and
her husband, Brons, for a distant land. The pilgrims found a
place of refuge near Marseilles, where the Holy Grail supplied
all their needs, until one of them committed a sin. Then divine
displeasure became manifest by a terrible famine.

As none knew who had sinned, Joseph was instructed in a vision
to discover the culprit by the same means with which the Lord
had revealed the guilt of Judas. Still following divine commands,
Joseph made a table, and directed Brons to catch a fish. The
Grail was placed before Joseph's seat at table, where all who im-
plicitly believed were invited to take a seat. Eleven seats were
soon occupied, and only Judas's place remained empty. Moses,
a hypocrite and sinner, attempted to sit there, but the earth
opened wide beneath him and ingulfed him.

In another vision Joseph was now informed that the vacancy
would only be filled on the day of doom. He was also told that
a similar table would be constructed by Merlin. Here the grand-
son of Brons would honorably occupy the vacant place, which is
designated in the legend as the " Siege Perilous," because it proved
fatal to all for whom it was not intended.

In the " Great St. Grail," one of the longest poems on this
theme, there are countless adventures and journeys, " transforma-
tions of fair females into foul fiends, conversions wholesale and
individual, allegorical visions, miracles, and portents. Eastern
splendor and northern weirdness, angelry and deviltry, together
with abundant fighting and quite a phenomenal amount of swoon-
ing, which seem to reflect a strange medley of Celtic, pagan, and
mythological traditions, and Christian legends and mysticism,

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 185

alternate in a kaleidoscopic maze that defies the symmetry which
modern aesthetic canons associate with every artistic production."

The Holy Grail was, we are further told, transported by Joseph
of Arimathea to Glastonbury, where it long remained visible,
and whence it vanished only when men became too sinful to be
permitted to retain it in their midst.

Another legend relates that a rich man from Cappadocia, Ber-
illus, followed Vespasian to Rome, where he won great estates.
He was a very virtuous man, and his good quali-

, . , . , , „ , . , 1 \-^ Birth of Titurel.

ties were inherited by aU his descendants. One
of them, called Titurisone, greatly regretted having no son to con-
tinue his race. When advised by a soothsayer to make a pilgrim-
age to the holy sepulcher, and there to lay a crucifix of pure gold
upon the altar, the pious Titurisone hastened to do so. On his
return he was rewarded for his pilgrimage by the birth of a son,
called Titurel.

This dhild, when he had attained manhood, spent all his time in
warring against the Saracens, as all pagans are called in these met-
rical romances. The booty he won he gave either to the church
or to the poor, and his courage and virtue were only equaled
by his piety and extreme humility.

One day, when Titurel was walking alone in the woods, he was
favored by the vision of an angel. The celestial messenger sailed
down to earth out of the blue, and announced in musical tones
that the Lord had chosen him to be the guardian of the Holy Grail
on Montsalvatch (which some authors believe to have been in
Spain), and that it behooved him to set his house in order and
obey the voice of God.

When the angel had floated upward and out of sight, Titurel re-
turned home. After disposing of all his property, reserving noth-
ing but his armor and trusty sword, he again returned to the spot
where he had been favored with the divine message. There he
saw a mysterious white cloud, which seemed to beckon him on-
ward. Titurel followed it, passed through vast solitudes and al-
most impenetrable woods, and eventually began to climb a steep

1 86 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

mountain, whose ascent at first seemed impossible. Clinging to
the rocks, and gazing ever ahead at the guiding cloud, Titurel
came at last to the top of the mountain, where, in a beam of re-
fulgent light, he beheld the Holy Grail, borne in the air by invisi-
ble hands. He raised his heart in passionate prayer that he might
be found worthy to guard the emerald-colored wonder which was
thus intrusted to his care, and in his rapture hardly heeded the
welcoming cries of a number of knights in shining armor, who
hailed him as their king.

The vision of the Holy Grail was as evanescent as beautiful,
and soon disappeared; but Titurel, knowing that the spot was
holy, guarded it with all his might against the infidels, who would
fain have climbed the mountain.

After several years had passed without the Holy Grail's coming
down to earth, Titurel conceived the plan of building a temple
suitable for its reception. The knights who helped to build and
afterward guarded this temple were called "Templars." Their
first effort was to clear the mountain top, which they found was
one single onyx of enormous size. This they leveled and polished
until it shone like a mirror, and upon this foundation they pre-
pared to build their temple.

As Titurel was hesitating what plan to adopt for the building,
he prayed for guidance, and when he arose on the morrow he
Temple of the found the ground plan all traced out and the build-
Holy Grail. fng materials ready for use. The knights labored
piously from morning till night, and when they ceased, invisible
hands continued to work all night. Thus pushed onward, the
work was soon completed, and the temple rose on the mountain
top in all its splendor. "The temple itself was one hundred
fathoms in diameter. Around it were seventy-two chapels of an
octagonal shape. To every pair of chapels there was a tower six
stories high, approachable by a winding stair on the outside. In
the center stood a tower twice as big as the others, which rested
on arches. The vaulting was of blue sapphire, and in the center
was a plate of emerald, with the lamb and the banner of the cross

TITUREL AiVD THE HOLY GRAIL. 187

ill enamel. All the altar stones were of sapphire, as symbols of
the propitiation of sins. Upon the inside of the cupola surmount-
ing the temple, the sun and moon were represented in diamonds
and topazes, and shed a light as of day even in the darkness of
the night. The windows were of crystal, beryl, and other trans-
parent stones. The floor was of translucent crystal, under which
all the fishes of the sea were carved out of onyx, just like life.
The towers were of precious stones inlaid with gold ; their roofs
of gold and blue enamel. Upon every tower there was a crystal
cross, and upon it a golden eagle with expanded wings, which, at
a distance, appeared to be flying. At the summit of the main
tower was an immense carbuncle, which served, Uke a star, to
guide the Templars thither at night. In the center of the build-
ing, under the dome, was a miniature representation of the whole,
and in this the holy vessel was kept."

When all the work was finished, the temple was solemnly con-
secrated, and as the priests chanted the psalms a sweet perfume
filled the air, and the holy vessel was seen to ghde Descent of the
down on a beam of light. While it hovered just **°'y Grail,
above the altar the wondering assembly heard the choir of the
angels singing the praises of the Most High. The Holy Grail,
which had thus come down upon earth, was faithfully guarded
by Titurel and his knights, who were fed and sustained by its
marvelous power, and whose wounds were healed as soon as they
gazed upon it. From time to time it also delivered a divine mes-
sage, which appeared in letters of fire inscribed about its rim, and
which none of the Templars ever ventured to disregard.

By virtue of the miraculous preservative influence of the Holy
Grail, Titurel seemed but forty when he was in reality more than
four hundred years old. His every thought had been so engrossed
by the care of the precious vessel that he was somewhat surprised
when he read upon its rim a luminous command to marry, so that
his race might not become extinct. When the knights of the
temple had been summoned, and had all perused the divine com-
mand, they began to consider where a suitable helpmate could be

1 88 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

found for their beloved king. They soon advised him to woo
Richoude, the daughter of a Spaniard. An imposing embassy-
was sent to the maiden, who, being piously inclined, immediately
consented to the marriage.

Richoude was a faithful wife for twenty years, and when she
died she left two children, — a son, Frimoutel, and a daughter,
Richoude, — to comfort the sorrowing Titurel for her loss. These
children both married in their turn, and Frimoutel had two sons,
Amfortas and Trevrezent, and three daughters, Herzeloide, Josi-
ane, and Repanse de Joie. As these children grew up, Titurel
became too old to bear the weight of his armor, and spent all his
days in the temple, where he finally read on the Holy Grail a
command to anoint Frimoutel king. Joyfully the old man obeyed,
for he had long felt that the defense of the Holy Grail should be
intrusted to a younger man than he.

Although he renounced the throne in favor of his son, Titurel
lived on, witnessed the marriage of Josiarie, and mourned for her
Birth of Parzi- when she died in giving birth to a little daughter,
v^'- called Sigune. This child, being thus deprived of a

mother's care, was intrusted to Herzeloide, who brought her up
with Tchionatulander, the orphaned son of a friend. Herzeloide
married a prince named Gamuret, and became the happy mother
of Parzival, who, however, soon lost his father in a terrible battle.

Fearful lest her son, when grown up, should want to follow his
father's example, and make war against even the most formi-
dable foes, Herzeloide carried him off into the forest of Soltane
(which some authors locate in Brittany), and there brought him
up in complete solitude and ignorance.

" The child her falling tears bedew ;
No wife was ever found more true.
She teemed with joy and uttered sighs ;
And tears midst laughter filled her eyes.
Her heart deUghted in his birth ;
In sorrow deep was drowned her mirth."

Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (Dippold's tr.).

PARZIVAL UNCOVERING THE HOLY GRAIL. — Pixis.

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 189

While she was Kving there, Frimoutel, weary of the dull life on
Montsalvatch, went out into the world, and died of a lance wound
when far away from home. Amfortas, his son, who Amfortas-s
was now crowned in obedience to the command wound,
of the Holy Grail, proved equally restless, and went out also in
search of adventures. Like his father, he too was wounded by
a poisoned lance ; but, instead of dying, he lived to return to the
Holy Grail. But since his wound had not been received in defense
of the holy vessel, it never healed, and caused him untold suffering.

Titurel, seeing this suffering, prayed ardently for his grandson's
release from the pain which imbittered every moment of his life,
and was finally informed by the glowing letters on the rim of the
Holy Grail that a chosen hero would climb the mountain aind in-
quire the cause of Amfortas's pain. At this question the evil spell
would be broken, Amfortas healed, and the newcomer appointed
king and guardian of the Holy Grail.

This promise of ultimate cure saved Amfortas from utter de-
spair, and all the Templars lived in constant anticipation of the
coming hero, and of the question which would put an end to the
torment which they daily witnessed.

Parzival, in the mean while, was growing up in the forest,
where he amused himself with a bow and arrow of his own manu-
facture. But when for the first time he killed a Parzivai's early
tiny bird, and saw it lying hmp and helpless in his "f'-

hand, he brought it tearfully to his mother and inquired what it
meant. In answering him she, for the first time also, mentioned
the name of God ; and when he eagerly questioned her about the
Creator, she said to him : " Brighter is God than e'en the bright-
est day ; yet once he took the form and face of man."

Thus brought up in complete ignorance, it is no wonder that
when young Parzival encountered some knights in brilliant armor
in the forest, he fell down and offered to worship them. Amused
at the lad's simpHcity, the knights told him all about the gay world
of chivaby beyond the forest, and advised him to ride to Arthur's
court, where, if worthy, he would receive the order of knighthood,

igo LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

and perchance be admitted to the Round Table. Beside himself
with joy at hearing all these marvelous things, and eager to set
out immediately, Parzival returned to his mother to relate what he
had seen, and to implore her to give him a horse, that he might
ride after the knights.

" ' I saw four men, dear mother mine ;
Not brighter is the Lord divine.
They spoke to me of chivalry ;
Through Arthur's power of royalty,
In knightly honor well arrayed,
I shall receive the accolade.' "

Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (Dippold's tr.).

The mother, finding herself unable to detain him any longer,
reluctantly consented to his departure, and, hoping that ridicule
and lack of success would soon drive him back to her, prepared for
him the motley garb of a fool and gave him a very sorry nag to ride.

" The boy, silly yet brave indeed,
Oft from his mother begged a steed.
That in her heart she did lament ;
She thought : ' Him must I make content,
Yet must the thing an evil be.'
Thereafter further pondered she :
' The folk are prone to ridicule.
My child the garments of a fool
Shall on his shining body wear.
If he be scoffed and beaten there,
Perchance he'll come to me again.' "

Wolfram von Eschenbach, /*ffrz/z/rt/ (Bayard Taylor's tr.).

Thus equipped, his mind well stored with all manner of un-
practical advice given by his mother in further hopes of making
Parzivai's jour- ^ worldly Career impossible for him, the young hero

ney into the Set out. As he rode away from home, his heart

™°'' ■ was filled with regret at leaving and with an ardent

desire to seek adventures abroad,— conflicting emotions which he

experienced for the first time in his life. Herzeloide accompanied

her son part way, kissed him good-by, and, as his beloved form

TJTUJiEL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 191

disappeared from view in the forest paths, her heart broke and
she breathed her last!

Parzival rode onward and soon came to a meadow, in which
some tents were pitched. He saw a beautiful lady asleep in one
of these tents, and, dismounting, he wakened her with a kiss, thus
obeying one of his mother's injunctions — to kiss every fair lady
he met. To his surprise, however, the lady seemed indignant;
so he tried to pacify her by telling her that he had often thus
saluted his mother. Then, slipping the bracelet from off her arm,
and carrying it away as a proof that she was not angry, he rode
on. Lord Orilus, the lady's husband, hearing from her that a
youth had kissed her, flew into a towering rage, and rode speedily
away, hoping to overtake the impudent varlet and punish him.

Parzival, in the mean while, had journeyed on, and, passing
through the forest, had seen a maiden weeping over the body of
her slain lover. In answer to his inquiries she told him that she
was his cousin, Sigune, and that the dead man, Tchionatulander,
had been killed in trying to fulfill a trifling request— to recover
her pet dog, which had been stolen. Parzival promised to avenge
Tchionatulander as soon as possible, and to remember that the
name of the murderer was Orilus.

Next he came to a river, where he was ferried across, and re-
paid the boatman by giving him the bracelet he had taken from
Orilus's wife. Then, hearing that Arthur was holding his court
at Nantes, he proceeded thither without further delay.

On entering the city, Parzival encountered the Red Knight,
who mockingly asked him where he was going. The unabashed
youth immediately retorted, " To Arthur's court to ask him for
your arms and steed ! "

A Httle farther on the youth's motley garb attracted much at-
tention, and the town boys made fun of him until Iwanet, one of
the king's squires, came to inquire the cause of the Parzivai at
tumult. He took Parzival under his protection, Arthur's court,
and conducted him to the great hall, where, if we are to believe
some accounts, Parzival boldly presented himself on horseback.

192 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The i>ight of the gay company so dazzled the inexperienced youth
that he wonderingly inquired why there were so many Arthurs.
When Iwanet told him that the wearer of the crown was the sole
king, Parzival boldly stepped up to him and asked for the arms
and steed of the Red Knight.

Arthur wonderingly gazed at the youth, and then repUed that he
could have them provided he could win them. This was enough.
Parzival sped after the knight, overtook him, and loudly bade him
surrender weapons and steed. The Red Knight, thus challenged,
began to fight; but Parzival, notwithstanding his inexperience,
wielded his spear so successfully that he soon slew his opponent.
To secure the steed was an easy matter, but how to remove the
armor the youth did not know. By good fortune, however, Iwa-
net soon came up and helped Parzival to don the armor. He
put it on over his motley garb, which he would not set aside be-
cause his mother had made it for him.

Some time after, Parzival came to the castle of Gumemanz, a
noble knight, with whom he remained for some time. Here he
received valuable instructions in all a knight need know. When
Parzival left this place, about a year later, he was an accomplished
knight, clad as beseemed his calling, and ready to fulfill all the
duties which chivalry imposed upon its votaries.

He soon heard that Queen Conduiramour was hard pressed,
in her capital of Belripar, by an unwelcome suitor. As he had
Parzival and pledged his word to defend all ladies in distress,
Conduiramour. Parzival immediately set out to rescue this queen.
A series of brilUant single fights disposed. of the besiegers, and
the citizens of Belripar, to show their gratitude to their deliverer,
offered him the hand of their queen, Conduiramour, which he
gladly accepted. But Parzival, even in this new home, could
not forget his sorrowing mother, and he soon left his wife to go
in search of Herzeloide, hoping to comfort her. He promised
his wife that he would retm-n soon, however, and would bring
his mother to Belripar to share their joy. In the course of this
journey homeward Parzival came to a lake, where a richly

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAJL. 193

dressed fisherman, in answer to his inquiry, directed him to a
neighboring castle where he might find shelter.

Although Parzival did not know it, he had come to the temple
and castle on Montsalvatch. The drawbridge was immediately-
lowered at his call, and richly clad servants bade castie of the
him welcome with joyful mien. They told him HoiyOraii.
that he had long been expected, and after arraying him in a jew-
eled garment, sent by Queen Repanse da Joie, they conducted him
into a large, brilliantly illumined hall. There four hundred knights
were seated on soft cushions, before small tables each laid for
four guests ; and as they saw him enter a flash of joy passed over
their grave and melancholy faces. The high seat was occupied
by a man wrapped in flu's, who was evidently suffering from some
painful disease. He made a sign to Parzival to draw near, gave
him a seat beside him, and presented him with a sword of exqui-
site workmanship. To Parzival's surprise this man bade him
welcome also, and repeated that he had long been expected.
The young knight, amazed by all he heard and saw, remained
silent, for he did not wish to seem inquisitive, — a failing un-
worthy of a knight. Suddenly the great doors opened, and a
servant appeared bearing the bloody head of a lance, with which
he silently walked around the hall, while all gazed upon it and
groaned aloud.

The servant had scarcely vanished when the doors again opened,
and beautiful virgins came marching in, two by two. They bore
an embroidered cushion, an ebony stand, and sundry other arti-
cles, which they laid before the fur-clad king. Last of all came
the beautiful maiden, Repanse de Joie, bearing a glowing vessel ;
and as she entered and laid it before the king, Parzival heard the
assembled knights whisper that this was the Holy Grail.

" Now after them advanced the Queen,
With countenance of so bright a sheen.
They all imagined day would dawn.
One saw the maiden was clothed on

13

194 LEGENDS OP THE MIDDLE AGES.

With muslin stuffs of Araby.
On a green silk cushion she
The pearl of Paradise did bear.

The blameless Queen, proud, pure, and calm,
Before the host put down the GraU ;
And Percival, so runs the tale,
To gaze upon her did not fail,
"Who thither bore the Holy Grail."

Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (Bayard Taylor's tr.).

The maidens then slowly retired, the knights and squires drew
near, and now from the shining vessel streamed forth a supply
of the daintiest dishes and richest wines, each guest being served
with the viands which he liked best. All ate sadly and in silence,
while Parzival wondered what it might all mean, yet remained
mute. The meal ended, the sufferer rose from his seat, gazed
reproachfully at the visitor, who, by asking a question, could have
saved him such pain, and slowly left the room, uttering a deep
sigh.

With angry glances the knights also left the hall, and sad-faced
servants conducted Parzival past a sleeping room, where they
showed him an old white-haired man who lay in a troubled sleep.
' Parzival wondered still more, but did not venture to ask who it
might be. Next the servants took him to an apartment where he
could spend the night. The tapestry hangings of this room were
all embroidered with gorgeous pictures. Among them the young
hero noticed one in particular, because it represented his host
borne down to the ground by a spear thrust into his bleeding
side. Parzival's curiosity was even greater than before ; but,
scorning to ask a servant what he had not ventured to demand
of the master, he went quietly to bed, thinking that he would try
to secure an explanation on the morrow.

When he awoke he found himself alone. No servant answered
his call. All the doors were fastened except those which led out-
side, where he found his steed awaiting him. When he had passed

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 195

the drawbridge it rose up slowly behind him, and a voice called
out from the tower, "Thou art accursed; for thou hadst been
chosen to do a great work, which thou hast left undone ! " Then
looking upward, Parzival saw a horrible . face gazing after him
with a fiendish grin, and making a gesture as of malediction.

At the end of that day's journey, Parzival came to a lonely
cell in the desert, where he found Sigune weeping over a shrine
in which lay Tchionatulander's embalmed remains.
She too received him with curses, and revealed to
him that by one sympathetic question only he might have ended
Amfortas's prolonged pain, broken an evil spell, and won for him-
self a glorious crown.

Horrified, now that he knew what harm he had done, Parzival
rode away, feeling as if he were indeed accursed. His greatest
wish was to return to the mysterious castle and atone for his re-
missness by asking the question which would release the king from
further pain. But alas! the castle had vanished; and our hwo
was forced to journey from place to place, seeking diligently, and
meeting with many adventures on the way.

At times the longing to give up the quest and return home to
his young wife was almost unendurable. His thoughts were ever
with her, and the poem relates that even a drop of blood fallen
on the snow reminded him most vividly of the dazzling complex-
ion of Conduiramour, and of her sorrow when he departed.

" ' Conduiramour, thine image is
Here in the snow now dyed with red
And in the blood on snowy bed.
Conduiramour, to them compare
Thy forms of grace and beauty rare. ' "

Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (Dippold's tr.).

Although exposed to countless temptations, Parzival remained
true to his wife as he rode from place to place, constantly seek-
ing the Holy Grail. His oft-reiterated questions concerning it
caused him to be considered a madman or a fool by all he met.

In the course of his journeys, he encountered a lady in chains,

196 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

led by a knight who seemed to take pleasure in torturing her.
Taught by Gurnemanz to rescue all ladies in distress, Parzival
challenged and defeated this knight. Then only did he discover
that it was Sir Orilus, who had led his wife about in chains to
punish her for accepting a kiss from a strange youth. Of course
Parzival now hastened to give an explanation of the whole affair,
and the defeated knight, at his request, promised to treat his wife
with all kindness in future.

As Parzival had ordered all the knights whom he had defeated
to journey immediately to Arthur's court and tender him their serv-
ices, the king had won many brave warriors. He was so pleased
by these constant arrivals, and so delighted at the repeated ac-
counts of Parzival's valor, that he became very anxious to see
him once more.

To gratify this wish several knights were sent in search of the

wanderer, and when they finally found him they bade him come

Parzival to court. Parzival obeyed, was knighted by Arthur's

knighted. q^jj hand, and, according to some accounts, occu-
pied the " Siege Perilous " at the Round Table. Other versions
state, however, that just as he was about to take this seat the witch
Kundrie, a messenger of the Holy Grail, appeared in the hall.
She vehemently denounced him, related how sorely he had failed
in his duty, and cursed him, as the gate keeper had done, for his
lack of sympathy. Thus reminded of his dereliction, Parzival
immediately left the hall, to renew the quest which had already
lasted for many months. He was closely followed by Gawain,
one of Arthur's knights, who thought that Parzival had been too
harshly dealt with.

Four years now elapsed,— four years of penance and suffering

for Parzival, and of brilliant fighting and thrilling adventures for

Gawain. Seeking Parzival, meeting many whom

Gawain's quest. ,,,,,,,

he had helped or defeated, Gawam journeyed from
land to land, until at last he decided that his quest would end
sooner if he too sought the Holy Grail, the goal of all his friend's
hopes.

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 197

On the way to Montsalvatch Gawain met a beautiful woman,
to whom he made a declaration of love ; but she merely answered
that those who loved her must serve her, ^nd bade him fetch her
palfrey from a neighboring garden. The gardener told him that
this lady was the Duchess Orgueilleuse ; that her beauty had fired
many a knight ; that many had died for her sake ; and that Am-
fortas, King of the Holy Grail, had braved the poisoned spear
which wounded him, only to win her favor. Gawain, undeterred
by this warning, brought out the lady's palfrey, helped h er to mount,
and followed her submissively through many lands. Everywhere
they went the proud lady stirred up some quarrel, and always
called upon Gawain to fight the enemies whom she had thus wan-
tonly made. After much wandering, Gawain and his ladylove
reached the top of a hill, whence they could look across a valley
to a gigantic castle, perched on a rock, near which was a pine
tree. Orgueilleuse now informed Gawain that the castle belonged
to her mortal enemy, Gramoflaus. She bade him bring her a twig
of the tree, and conquer the owner of the castle, who would chal-
lenge him as soon as he touched it, and promised that if he
obeyed her exactly she would be his faithful wife.

Gawain, emboldened by this promise, dashed down into the
valley, swam across the moat, plucked a branch from the tree, and
accepted the challenge which Gramoflaus promptly KUngsor-s
offered. The meeting was appointed for eight castie.
days later, in front of Klingsor's castle, whither Gawain imme-
diately proceeded with the Lady Orgueilleuse. On the way she
told him that this castle, which faced her father's, was occupied
by a magician who kept many noble ladies in close confinement,
and had even cruelly laden them with heavy chains.

Gawain, on hearing this, vowed that he would punish the ma-
gician ; and, having seen Orgueilleuse safely enter her ancestral
home, he crossed the river and rode toward KHngsor's castle. As
night drew on the windows were brilliantly illumined, and at each
one he beheld the pallid, tear-stained faces of some of the captives,
whose years ranged from early childhood to withered old age.

1 98 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Calling for admittance at this castle, Gawain was allowed to
enter, but, to his surprise, found hall and court deserted. He
wandered from room to room, meeting no one ; and, weary of his
vain search, prepared at last to occupy a comfortable couch in
one of the chambers. To his utter amazement, however, the bed
retreated as he advanced, until, impatient at this trickery, he sprang
boldly upon it. A moment later a rain of sharp spears and dag-
gers fell upon his couch, but did him no harm, for he had not re-
moved his heavy armor. When the rain of weapons was over, a
gigantic peasant, armed with a huge club, stalked into the room,
closely followed by a fierce lion. When the peasant perceived
that the knight was not dead, as he expected, he beat a hasty re-
treat, leaving the lion to attack him alone.

In spite of the size and fury of the lion, Gawain defended him-
self so bravely that he finally slew the beast, which was Khngsor
in disguise. As the monster expired the spell was broken, the
captives were released, and the exhausted Gawain was tenderly
cared for by his mother and sister Itonie, who were among those
whom his courage had set free. The news of this victory was
immediately sent to Arthur, who now came to witness the battle
between Gawain and a champion who was to appear for Gramo-
flaus.

Gawain's strength and courage were about to give way before
the stranger's terrible onslaught, when Itonie implored the latter
to spare Gawain, whose name and valor were so well known. At
the sound of this name the knight sheathed his sword, and, raising
his visor, revealed the sad but beautiful countenance of Parzival.

The joy of reunion over, Parzival remained there long enough
to witness the marriage of Gawain and Orgueilleuse, and of Itonie
and Gramoflaus, and to be solemnly admitted to the Round Table.
Still, the general rejoicing could not dispel his sadness or the
recollection of Amfortas and his grievous wound ; and as soon as
possible Parzival again departed, humbly praying that he might
at last find the Holy Grail, and right the wrong he had uncon-
sciously done.

TITVREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 199

Some months later, exhausted by constant journeys, Parzival
painfully dragged himself to a hermit's hut. There he learned
that the lonely penitent was Trevrezent, the brother parzivai and the
of Amfortas, who, having also preferred worldly hermit,
pleasures to the service of the'Holy Grail, had accompanied him
on his fatal excursion. When Trevrezent saw his brother sorely
wounded, he repented of his sins, and, retiring into the woods, spent
his days and nights in penance and prayer. He told Parzival of
the expected stranger, whose question would break the evil spell,
and related how grievously he and all the Templars had been dis-
appointed when such a man had actually come and gone, but with-
out fulfilling their hopes. Parzival then penitently confessed that
it was he who had thus disappointed them, related his sorrow and
ceaseless quest, and told the story of his early youth and adven-
tures. Trevrezent, on hearing his guest's name, exclaimed that
they must be uncle and nephew, as his sister's name was Herze-
loide. He then informed Parzival of his mother's death, and,
after blessing him and giving him some hope that sincere repent-
ance would sometime bring its own reward, allowed him to con-
tinue his search for the Holy Grail.

Soon after this meeting Parzival encountered a knight, who,
laying lance in rest, challenged him to fight. In one of the pauses
of the battle he learned that his brave opponent

. Fierefiss.

was his stepbrother, Fierefiss, whom he joyfully
embraced, and who now followed him on his almost endless quest.
At last they came to a mountain, painfully climbed its steep side,
and, after much exertion, found themselves in front of a castle,
which seemed strangely familiar to Parzival.

The doors opened, willing squires waited upon both brothers,
and led them into the great hall, where the pageant already de-
scribed was repeated. When Queen Repanse de Joie entered
bearing the Holy Grail, Parzival, mindful of his former failure to
do the right thing, humbly prayed aloud for divine guidance to
bring about the promised redemption. An angel voice no w seemed
to answer, " Ask! " Then Parzival bent kindly over the wounded

20O LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

king, and gently inquired what ailed him. At those words the
spell was broken, and a long cry of joy arose as Amfortas, strong
and well, sprang to his feet.

A very aged man, Parzival's great-grandfather, Titurel, now
drew near, bearing the crown, which he placed on the young hero's
head, as he hailed him as guardian and defender of the Holy
Grail. This cry was taken up by all present, and even echoed by
the angeUc choir.

" ' Hail to thee, Percival, king of the Grail !
Seemingly lost forever,
Now thou art blessed forever.
Hail to thee, Percival, king of the Grail ! ' "

Wolfram von Eschenbach (McDowall's tr.).

The doors now opened wide once more to admit Conduira-
mour and her twin sons, summoned thither by the power of the
Holy Grail, that Parzival's happiness might be complete. AU the
witnesses of this happy reunion were flooded with the light of the
Holy Grail, except Fierefiss, who, being a Moor and a pagan, still
remained in outer darkness. These miracles, however, converted
him to the Christian faith, and made him beg for immediate bap-
tism. The christening was no sooner performed than he too be-
held and was illumined by the holy vase. Fierefiss, now a true
beHever, married Repanse de Joie, and they were the parents of
a son named John, who became a noted warrior, and was the
founder of the historic order of the Knights Templars.

Titurel, having lived to see the recovery of his son, blessed all
his descendants, told them that Sigune had joined her lover's
spirit in the heavenly abode, and, passing out of the great hall,
was never seen again ; and the witch Kundrie died of joy.

Another version of the legend of the Holy Grail relates that
Parzival, having cured his uncle, went to Arthur's court. There
he remained until Amfortas died, when he was called back to
Montsalvatch to inherit his possessions, among which was the
Holy Grail. Arthur and all the knights of the Round Table were

TITUREL AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 20l

present at his coronation, and paid him a yearly visit. When he
died, " the Sangreal, the sacred lance, and the silver trencher or
paten which covered the Grail, were carried up to the holy heav-
ens in presence of the attendants, and since that time have never
anywhere been seen on earth."

Other versions relate that Arthur and his knights sought the
Holy Grail in vain, for their hearts were not pure enough to be-
hold it. Still others declare that the sacred vessel was conveyed
to the far East, and committed to the care of Prester John.

The legend of Lohengrin, which is connected with the Holy
Grail, is in outline as follows :

Parzival and Conduiramour dwelt in the castle of the Holy
Grail. When their sons had grown to man's estate, Kardeiss, the
elder, became ruler of his mother's kingdom of Bel-
ripar, while Lohengrin, the younger, remained in
the service of the Holy Grail, which was now borne into the hall
by his young sister, Aribadale, Repanse de Joie having married.

Whenever a danger tlireatened, or when the services of one of
the knights were required, a silver bell rang loudly, and the letters
of flame around the rim of the holy vessel revealed the nature of
the deed to be performed. One day the sound of the silvery bell
was heard pealing ever louder and louder, and when the knights
entered the hall, they read on the vase that Lohengrin had been
chosen to defend the rights of an innocent person, and would
be conveyed to his destination by a swan. As the knights of
the Grail never disputed its commands, the young man immedi-
ately donned the armor of silver which Amfortas had worn, and,
bidding farewell to his mother and sister, left the temple. Par-
zival, his father, accompanied him to the foot of the mountain,
where, swimming gracefully over the smooth waters of the lake,
they saw a snowy swan drawing a little boat after her.

Lohengrin received a horn from his father, who bade him
sound it thrice on arriving at his destination, and an equal num-
ber of times when he wished to return to Montsalvatch. Then
he also reminded him that a servant of the Grail must reveal

202 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

neither his name nor his origin unless asked to do so, and that,
having once made himself known, he was bound to return with-
out delay to the holy mountain.

Thus reminded of the custom of all the Templars, Lohengrin
sprang into the boat, and was rapidly borne away, to the sound
of mysterious music.

While Lohengrin was swiftly wafted over the waters. Else,

Duchess of Brabant, spent her days in tears. She was an orphan,

and, as she possessed great wealth and extensive

Else of Brabant. , , . , i i j

lands, many were anxious to secure her hand.
Among these suitors her guardian, Frederick of Telramund, was
the most importunate ; and when he saw that she would never
consent to marry him, he resolved to obtain her inheritance in a
different way.

One day, while Else was wandering alone in the forest, she
rested for a moment under a tree, where she dreamed that a radi-
ant knight came to greet her, and offered her a little bell, saying
that she need but ring it whenever she required a champion. The
maiden awoke, and as she opened her eyes a falcon came gently
sailing down from the sky and perched upon her shoulder. See-
ing that he wore a tiny bell like the one she had noticed in her
dream. Else unfastened it ; and as the falcon flew away, she hung
it on her rosary.

A few days later Else was in prison, for Frederick of Telramund
had accused her of a great crime. He said that she had received
the attentions of a man beneath her, or, according to another
version, that she had been guilty of the murder of her brother.
Henry the Fowler, Emperor of Germany, hearing of this accusa-
tion, came to Cleves, where, as the witnesses could not agree, he
ordered that the matter should be settled by a judicial duel.

Frederick of Telramund, proud of his strength, challenged any
man to prove him mistaken at the point of the sword. But no
champion appeared to fight for Else, who, kneeling in her cell,
beat her breast with her rosary, until the little silver bell attached
to it rang loudly as she fervently prayed, " O Lord, send me a

ARRIVAL OF LOHENGRrN, — Pixi:

TITVREL AtfB THE HOLY GRAIL. 203

champion." The faint tinkling of the bell floated out of the wiii-
dow, and was wafted away to Montsalvatch. It grew louder and
louder the farther it traveled, and its sound called the knights
into the temple, where Lohengrin received his orders from the
Holy Grail.

The day appointed for the duel dawned, and just as the heralds
sounded the last call for Else's champion to appear, the swan
boat glided up the Rhine, and Lohengrin sprang into the lists,
after thrice blowing his magic horn.

With a God-sent champion opposed to a liar, the issue of the
combat could not long remain doubtful. Soon Frederick of Tel-
ramund lay in the dust and confessed his guilt. Else rescued by
while the people hailed the Swan Knight as victor. Lohengrin.
Else, touched by his prompt response to her appeal, and won by
his passionate wooing, then consented to become his wife, with-
out even knowing his name. Their nuptials were celebrated at
Antwerp, whither the emperor went with them and witnessed their
marriage.

Lohengrin had cautioned Else that she must never ask his
name ; but she wished to show that he was above the people who,
envying his lot, sought to injure him by circulating malicious
rumors, so she finally asked the fatal question. Regretfully Lo-
hengrin led her into the great hall, where, in the presence of the
assembled knights, he told her that he was Lohengrin, son of
Parzival, the guardian of the Holy Grail. Then, embracing her
tenderly, he told her that " love cannot live without faith," and
that he must now leave her and return to the holy mountain.
When he had thrice blown his magic horn, the sound of faint mu-
sic again heralded the approach of the swan ; Lohengrin sprang
into the boat, and soon vanished, leaving Else alone.

Some versions of the story relate that she did not long survive
his departure, but that her released spirit followed him to Mont-
salvatch, where they dwelt happy forever. Other accounts, how-
ever, aver that when Lohengrin vanished Else's brother returned
to champion her cause and prevent her ever being molested again.

CHAPTER XII.

MERLIN.

As Saintsbury so ably expressed it, " The origin of the legends
of King Arthur, of the Round Table, of the Holy Grail, and of
all the adventures and traditions connected with these centers, is
one of the most intricate questions in the history of mediasval
literature." Owing to the loss of many ancient manuscripts, the
real origin of all these tales may never be discovered ; and whether
the legends owe their birth to Celtic, Breton, or Welsh poetry we
may never know, as the authorities fail to agree. These tales,
apparently almost unknown before the twelfth century, soon be-
came so popular that in the course of the next two centuries they
had given birth to more than a dozen poems and prose romances,
whence Malory drew the materials for his version of the story
of King Arthur. Nennius, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Walter Map,
Chrestien de Troyes, Robert de Borron, Gottfried von Strassburg,
Wolfram von Eschenbach, Hartmann von Aue, Tennyson, Mat-
thew Arnold, Swinburne, and Wagner have all written of these
legends in turn, and to these writers we owe the most noted ver-
sions of the tales forming the Arthurian cycle. They include,
besides the story of Arthur himself, an account of Merlin, of
Lancelot, of Parzival, of the love of Tristan and Iseult, and of the
quest of the Holy Grail.

The majority of these works were written in French, which was
the court language of England in the mediaeval ages ; but the
story was " Englished " by Malory in the fourteenth century.

204

MERLIN. 205

In every European language there are versions of these stories,
which interested all hearers alike, and which exerted a softening
influence upon the rude customs of the age, "communicated a
romantic spirit to literature," and taught all men courtesy.

The first of these romances is that of Merlin the enchanter, in
very old French, ascribed to Robert de Borron. The following
outline of the story is modified and supplemented
from other sources. The real Merlin is said to
have been a bard of the fifth century, and is supposed to have
served the British chief Ambrosius AureUanus, and then King ''
Arthvu. This Merlin lost his reason after the battle of Sol way
Firth, broke his sword, and retired into the forest, where he was
soon after found dead by a river bank.

The mythical Merlin had a more exciting and interesting career,
however. King Constans, who drove Hengist from England, was
the father of three sons, — Constantine, Aurelius Ambrosius, and
Uther Pendragon. When dying he left the throne to his eldest
son, Constantine, who chose Vortigern as his prime minister.
Shortly after Constantine's accession, Hengist again invaded Eng-
land, and Constantine, deserted by his minister, was treacherously
slain. In reward for his defection at this critical moment, Vorti-
gern was offered the crown, which he accepted, and which he
hoped to retain, although Constans's two other sons, who, accord-
ing to another version of the story, were called Uther and Pen-
dragon, were still in existence.

To defend himself against any army which might try to deprive
him of the throne, Vortigern resolved to build a great fortress on
the Salisbury plains. But, although the masons worked dihgently
by day, and built walls wide and thick, they always found them
overturned in the morning. The astrologers, when consulted in
reference to this strange occurrence, declared that the walls would
not stand until the ground had been watered with the blood of a
child who could claim no human father.

Five years previous to this prediction, the demons, seeing that
so many souls escaped them owing to the redemption procured by

2o6 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

a child of divine origin, thought that they could regain lost ground
by engendering a demon child upon a human virgin. A beautiful,
pious maiden was chosen for this purpose ; and as she daily went
to confess her every deed and thought to a holy man, Blaise, he
soon discovered the plot of the demons, and resolved to frus-
trate it.

By his advice the girl, instead of being immediately put to

death, as the law required, was locked up in a tower, where she

. , , ^ gave birth to her son. Blaise, the priest, more

Birth of the ° j i.

mythical watchful than the demons, no sooner heard of the
Merlin. child's birth than he hastened to baptize him, giv-
ing him the name of Merlin. The holy rite annulled the evil pur-
pose of the demons, but, owing to his uncanny origin, the child
was gifted with all manner of strange powers, of which he made
use on sundry occasions.

" To him
Great light from God gave sight of all things dim,
And wisdom of all wondrous things, to say
What root should bear what fruit of night or day ;
And sovereign speech and counsel above man :
Wherefore his youth like age was wise and wan,
And his age sorrowful and fain to sleep."

Swinburne, Tristram of Lyonesse-

The child thus baptized soon gave the first proof of his mar-
velous power ; for, when his mother embraced him and declared
that she must soon die, he comforted her by speaking aloud and
promising to prove her innocent of all crime. The trial took
place soon after this occurrence, and although Merlin was but a
few days old, he sat up boldly in his mother's lap and spoke so
forcibly to the judges that he soon secured her acquittal. Once
when he was five years old, while playing in the street, he saw
the messengers of Vortigern. Warned by his prophetic instinct
that they were seeking him, he ran to meet them, and offered to
accompany them to the king. On the way thither he saw a
youth buying shoes, and laughed aloud. When questioned con-

MERLIN. 207

ceming the cause of his mirth, he predicted that the youth would
die within a few hours.

" Then said Merlin, ' See ye nought
That young man, that hath shoon bought,
And strong leather to do hem clout [patch].
And grease to smear hem all about ?
He weeneth to Uve hem to wear :
But, by my soul, I dare well swear,
His wretched life he shall for-let [lose],
Ere he come to his own gate.' "

Ellis, Merlin.

A few more predictions of an equally uncanny and unpleasant
nature firmly established his reputation as a prophet even before
he reached court. There he boldly told the king Merlin as a
that the astrologers, wishing to destroy the demon's prophet,
offspring, who was wiser than they, had demanded his blood under
pretext that the walls of Salisbury would stand were it only shed.
When asked why the walls continually fell during the night. Merlin
attributed it to the nightly conflict of a red and a white dragon
concealed underground. In obedience to his instructions, search
was made for these monsters, and the assembled court soon saw
a frightful struggle between them. This battle finally resulted in
the death of the red dragon and the triumph of the white.

"With long tailis, fele [many] fold,
And found right as Merlin told.
That one dragon was red as fire.
With eyen bright, as basin clear ;
His tail was great and nothing small;
His body was a rood withal.
His shaft may no man tell ;
He looked as a fiend from hell.
The white dragon lay him by,
Stem of look, and griesly.
His mouth and throat yawned wide ;
The fire brast [burst] out on ilka [each] side.
His tail was ragged as a fiend.
And, upon his tail's end,

3o8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

There was y-shaped a griesly head,
To fight with the dragon red."

Ellis, Merlin.

The white dragon soon disappeared also, and the work of the
castle now proceeded without further hindrance. Vortigem, how-
ever, was very uneasy, because Merlin had not only said that the
struggle of the red and the white dragon represented his coming
conflict with Constans's sons, but further added that he would
suffer defeat. This prediction was soon fulfilled. Uther and
his brother Pendragon landed in Britain with the army they had
assembled, and Vortigern was burned in the castle he had just
completed.

Shortly after this victory a war arose between the Britons under
Uther and Pendragon, and the Saxons under Hengist. Merlin,
who had by this time become the prime minister and chief adviser
of the British kings, predicted that they would win the victory,
but that one would be slain. This prediction was soon verified,
and Uther, adding his brother's name to his own, remained ^ole
king. His first care was to bury his brother, and he implored
Merlin to erect a suitable monument to his memory ; so the en-
chanter conveyed great stones from Ireland to England in the
course of a single night, and set them up at Stonehenge, where
they can still be seen.

" How Merlin by his skill, and magic's wondrous might.
From Ireland hither brought the Stonendge in a night."

Drayton, Polyolbion.

Proceeding now to Carduel (Carlisle), Merlin, who is repre-
sented as a great architect and wonder-worker, built Uther Pen-
Round Table di'^gon a beautiful castle, and established the Round
established by Table, in imitation of the one which Joseph of Ari-
Meriin. mathea had once instituted. There were places for
a large number of knights around this board (the number varying
greatly with different writers), and a special place was reserved for
the Holy Grail, which, having vanished from Britain because of the

MERLIN. 209

sinfulness of the people, the knights still hoped to have restored
when they became sufficiently pure.

" This table gan [began] Uther the wight ;
Ac [but] it to ende had he no might.
For, theygh [though] alia the kinges under our lord
Hadde y-sitten [sat] at that bord,
Knight by knight, ich you telle,
The table might nought fulfiUe,
Till they were born that should do all
Fulfill the mervaile of the Greal. "

Ellis, Merlin.

A great festival was announced for the institution of the Round
Table, and all the knights came to Carduel, accompanied by their
wives. Among the la,tter the fairest was Yguerne, wife of Gorlois,
Lord of Tintagel in Cornwall, and with her Uther fell desperately
in love.

" This fest was noble ynow, and nobliche y-do [done] ;
For mony was the faire ledy, that y-come was thereto.
Yguerne, Gorloys wyf, was fairest of echon [each one],
That was contasse of Cornewail, for so fair was there non."

Robert of Gloucester.

Yguerne had already three or four daughters, famous in the
Arthurian legends as mothers of the knights Gawain, Gravain,
Ywain, and others. One of the king's councilors, Ulfin, revealed
the king's passion to Yguerne, and she told her husband. Indig-
nant at the insult offered him, Gorlois promptly left court, locked
his wife up in the impregnable fortress of Tintagel, and, gathering
together an army, began to fight against Uther Pendragon.

The day before the battle, Merlin changed Uther into the form
of Gorlois, and himself and Ulfin into those of the squires of the
Duke of Cornwall. Thus disguised, the three went to Tintagel,
where Yguerne threw the gates open at their call and received
Uther as her husband, without suspecting the deception practiced
upon her.
14

210 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

On the morrow the battle took place. Gorlois was slain.

Shortly after, Uther married Yguerne, who never suspected that

the child which was soon born, and which Uther

Birth of Arthur, . ,., ^i, ■■■-t ^ _„£

immediately confided to Merlin, was not a son ot
Gorlois. Arthur, the child who had thus come into the world,
was intrusted to the care of Sir Hector, who brought him up with
his own son, Sir Kay, httle suspecting his royal descent. This
child grew up rapidly, and when but fifteen years of age was hand-
some, accomplished, and dearly loved by all around him.

" He was fair, and well agre [agreeable],
And was a thild [child] of gret noblay.
He was curteys, faire and gent.
And wight [brave], and hardi, veramen [truly].
Curteyslich [courteously] and fair he spac [spake].
With him was none evil lack [fault]."

Ellis, MerUfu

When Uther died without leaving any heir, there was an in-
terregnum, for Merlin had promised that the true king should
be revealed by a miracle. This prophecy was duly fulfilled, as
will be shown hereafter. Merlin became the royal adviser as soon
as Arthur ascended the throne, helped him win signal victories
over twelve kings, and in the course of a single night conveyed
armies over from France to help him.

As Merlin could assume any shape he pleased, Arthur often
used him as messenger ; and one of the romances relates that the
magician, in the guise of a stag, once went to Rome to bear the
king's challenge to Julius Caesar (not the conqueror of Gaul but
the mythical father of Oberon) to single combat. Merlin was
also renowned for the good advice which he gave, not only to
Vortigern and Uther Pendragon, but also to Arthur, and for his
numerous predictions concerning the glorious future of England,
all of which, if we are to believe tradition, have been fulfilled.

" O goodly River ! near unto thy sacred spring
Prophetic Merlin sate, when to the British King
The changes long to come, auspiciously he told."

Drayton, PolyolbioTi.

MERLIN. 211

Merlin also won great renown as a builder and architect. Be-
sides the construction of Stonehenge, and of the castle for Uther
Pendragon, he is said to have built Arthur's beau-
tiful palace at Camelot. He also devised sundry Palace at

. . •' Camelot.

magic fountains, which are mentioned in other me-
diaeval romances. One of these is referred to by Spenser in the
" Faerie Queene," and another by Ariosto in his " Orlando Furioso. "

" This Spring was one of those four fountains rare,
Of those in France produced by Merlin's sleight,
Encompassed round about with marble fair,
Shining and polished, and than milk more white.
There in the stones choice figures chiseled were.
By that magician's god-like labour dight ;
Some voice was wanting, these you might have thought
Were living, and with nerve and spirit fraught."

Ariosto, Orlando Furioso (Rose's tr.).

Merlin was also supposed to have made all kinds of magic ob-
jects, among which the poets often mention a cup. This would
reveal whether the drinker had led a pure Kfe, for it always over-
flowed when touched by polluted lips. He was also the artificer
of Arthur's armor, which no weapon could pierce, and of a magic
mirror in which one could see whatever one wished.

" It Merlin was, which whylome did excel
All living wightes in might of magicke spell :
Both shield, and sword, and armour all he wrought
For this young Prince, when first to armes he fell."

Spenser, Faerie Queene.

Merlin, in spite of all his knowledge and skill, yielded often to
the entreaties of his fair mistress, Vivian, the Lady of the Lake.
She followed him wherever he went, and made Merlin and
countless eflforts to learn all his arts and to dis- vivian.
cover all his magic spells. In order to beguile the aged Merlin
into telling her all she wished to know, Vivian pretended great
devotion, which is admirably related in Tennyson's " Idylls of the
King,'' one of which treats exclusively of Merlin and Vivian,

212 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

This enchantress even went with him to the fairy-haunted forest
of Broceliande, in Brittany, where she finally beguiled him into
revealing a magic spell whereby a human being could be inclosed
in a hawthorn tree, where he must dwell forever.

" And then she follow'd Merlin all the way,
E'en to the wild woods of Broceliande.
For Merlin once had told her of a charm.
The which if any wrought on any one
With woven paces and with waving arms,
The man so wrought on ever seem'd to lie
Closed in the four walls of a hollow tower.
From which was no escape for evermore ;
And none could find that man for evermore.
Nor could he see but him who wrought the charm
Coming and going; and he lay as dead
And lost to life and use and name and fame."

Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien.

This charm having been duly revealed, the Lady of the Lake,
weary of her aged lover, and wishing to rid herself of him for-
ever now that she had learned all he could teach her, lured him
into the depths of the forest. There, by aid of the spell, she im-
prisoned him in a thorn bush, whence, if the tales of the Breton
peasants can be believed, his voice can be heard to issue from
time to time.

" They sate them down together, and a sleep
Fell upon Merlin, more like death, so deep.
Her finger on her lips, then Vivian rose,
And from her brown-lock'd head the wimple throws,
And takes it in her hand, and waves it over
The blossom'd thorn tree and her sleeping lover.
Nine times she waved the fluttering wimple round,
And made a little plot of magic ground.
And in that daised circle, as men say,
Is Merlin prisoner till the judgment day ;
But sh6 herself whither she will can rove —
For she was passing weary of his love."

Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseuli.

(OW.p.212.)

THE BEGUILING OF MERLIN.— Burne- Jones.

MERLIN. 213

According to another version of the tale, Merlin, having grown
very old indeed, once sat down on the " Siege Perilous," forgetting
that none but a sinless man could occupy it with impunity. He
was immediately swallowed up by the earth, which yawned wide
beneath his feet, and he never visited the earth again.

A third version says that Vivian through love imprisoned Mer-
lin in an underground palace, where she alone could visit him.
There he dwells, unchanged by the flight of time, and daily in-
creasing the store of knowledge for which he was noted.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE ROUND TABLE.

Fortunately " the question of the actual existence and acts
of Arthur has very Kttle to do with the question of the origin
of the Arthurian cycle." But although some authorities entirely
deny his existence, it is probable that he was a Briton, for many
places in Wales, Scotland, and England are connected with his
name.

On the very slightest basis, many of the mediasval writers con-
structed long and fabulous tales about this hero. Such was the
popularity of the Arthurian legends all over Europe that prose ro-
mances concerning him were among the first works printed, and
were thus brought into general circulation. An outline of the
principal adventures of Arthur and of his knights is given here.
It has been taken from many works, whose authors will often be
mentioned as we proceed.

King Uther Pendragon, as we have already seen, intrusted his
new-born son, Arthur, to the care of the enchanter Merlin, who
carried him to the castle of Sir Hector (Anton), where the young
prince was brought up as a child of the house.

"Wherefore Merlin took the child.
And gave him to Sir Anton, an old knight
And ancient friend of Uther ; and his wife
Nursed the young prince, and rear'd him with her own ;
And no man knew."

Tennyson, The Coming of A rihur.

Two years later King Uther Pendragon died, and the noble-
men, not knowing whom to choose as his successor, consulted

214

THE ROUND TABLE. 215

Merlin, promising to abide by his decision. By his advice they all
assembled in St. Stephen's Church, in London, on Christmas Day.
When mass was over they beheld a large stone The magic
which had mysteriously appeared in the churchyard. sword.

This stone was surmounted by a ponderous anvil, in which the
blade of a sword was deeply sunk. Drawing near to examine
the wonder, they read an inscription upon the jeweled hilt, to the
eflfect that none but the man who could draw out the sword should
dare to take possession of the throne. Pf course all present im-
mediately tried to accomplish this feat, but all failed.

Several years passed by ere Sir Hector came to London with
his son. Sir Kay, and his foster son, young Arthur. Sir Kay, who,
for the first time in his Hfe, was to take part in a tournament, was
greatly chagrined, on arriving there, to discover that he had for-
gotten his sword ; so Arthiu: volunteered to ride back and get it.
He found the house closed ; yet, being determined to secure a
sword for his foster brother, he strode hastily into the churchyard,
and easily drew from the anvU the weapon which all had vainly
tried to secure.

This mysterious sword was handed to Sir Kay, and Sir Hector,
perceiving it, and knowing whence it came, immediately inquired
how Arthur had secured it. He even refused at Arthur made
iirst to believe the evidence of his own eyes ; but •'■"e-

when he and all the principal nobles of the realm had seen Arthur
replace and draw out the sword, after all had again vainly tried
their strength, they gladly hailed the young man king.

As Merlin was an enchanter, it was popularly rumored that
Arthur was not, as he now declared, the son of Uther Pendrag-
on and Ygueme, but a babe mysteriously brought up from the
depths of the sea, on the crest of the ninth wave, and cast ashore
at the wizard's feet. Hence many people distrusted the young
king, and at first refused to obey him.

" Watch'd the great sea fall.
Wave after wave, each mightier than the last,
Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep,

21 6 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged

Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame :

And down the wave and in the flame was borne

A naked babe, and rode to Merlin's feet.

Who stoopt and caught the babe, and cried ' The King !

Here is an heir for Uther ! ' "

Tennyson, Tke Coming of Arthur.

Among the unbelievers were some of the king's own kindred,
and notably his four nephews, Gawain, Gaheris, Agravaine, and
Gareth. Arthur was therefore obliged to make war against them ;
but although Gawain's strength increased in a truly marvelous
fashion from nine to twelve in the morning, and from three to six
in the afternoon, the king succeeded in defeating him by follow-
ing Merlin's advice and taking advantage of his comparatively
weak moments.

Arthur, aided by Merlin, ruled over the land wisely and well, re-
dressed many wrongs, reestablished order and security, which a
long interregnum had destroyed, and brandished
his sword in many a fight, in which he invariably
proved victor. But one day, having drawn his blade upon Sir
Pellinore, who did not deserve to be thus attacked, it suddenly
failed him and broke. Left thus without any means of defense,
the king would surely have perished had not Merlin used his
magic arts to put Sir Pellinore to sleep and to bear his charge to
a place of safety.

Arthur, thus deprived of his magic sword, bewailed its loss;
but while he stood by a lake, wondering how he should procure
another, he beheld a white-draped hand and arm rise out of the
water, holding aloft a jeweled sword which the Lady of the Lake,
who appeared beside him, told him was intended for his use.

" ' Thou rememberest how
In those old days, one summer noon, an arm
Rose up from out the bosom of the lake.
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.
Holding the sword — and how J row'd across

THE ROUND TABLE. 217

And took it, and have worn it, like a king;
And, wheresoever I am sung or told
In aftertime, this also shall be known.' "

Tennyson, Tke Passing of Arthur.

Arthur rowed out into the middle of the lake and secured the
sword which is known by the name Excalibur. He was then
told by the Lady of the Lake that it was gifted with

J , , , , , , Excalibur.

magic powers, and that as long as the scabbard re-
mained in his possession he would suffer neither wound nor defeat.
Thus armed, Arthur went back to his palace, where, hearing
that the Saxons had again invaded the country, he went to wage
war against them, and won many victories. Shortly after this
Arthur heard that Leodegraunce, King of Scotland, was threat-
ened by his brother Ryance, King of Ireland, who was determined
to complete a mantle furred with the beards of kings, and wanted
to secure one more at any price. Arthur hastened to this mon-
arch's assistance, and delivered him from the clutches of Ryance.
He not only killed this savage monarch, but appropriated his
mantle and carried it away in triumph as a trophy of the war.

" And for a trophy brought the Giant's coat away

Made of the beards of Kings."

Drayton, Polyolbioti.

After these martial exploits Arthur returned to the court of
Leodegraunce, where he fell in love with the latter's fair daughter,
Guinevere. The king sued successfully for her Arthur's
hand, but Merlin would not allow him to marry marriage with
this princess until he had distinguished himself by mnevere.
a campaign in Brittany. The wedding was then celebrated with
true mediaeval pomp ; and Arthur, having received, besides the
princess, the Round Table once made for his father, conveyed his
bride and wedding gift to Camelot (Winchester), where he bade
all his court be present for a great feast at Pentecost.

" The nearest neighboring flood to Arthur's ancient seat,
Which made the Britons' name through all the world so great.

2i8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Like Camelot, what place was ever yet renown'd ?

Where, as at Carlion, oft, he kept the Table-Round,

Most famous for the sports at Pentecost so long,

From whence all knightly deeds, and brave achievements sprong."

Drayton, PolyoUnon.

Arthur had already warred successfully against twelve revolted
kings, whose remains were interred at Camelot by his order.
Knights of the There Merlin erected a marvelous castle, contain-
Round Table. Jug a special hall for the reception of the Round
Table. This hall was adorned with the lifelike statues of all the
conquered kings, each holding a burning taper which the magician
declared would burn brightly until the Holy Grail should appear.
Hoping to bring that desirable event to pass, Arthur bade Merlin
frame laws for the knights of the Round Table. As distinctive
mark, each of the noblemen admitted to a seat at this marvelous
table adopted some heraldic device. The number of these
knights varies from twelve to several hundred, according to the
different poets or romancers.

" The fellowshipp of the Table Round,
Soe famous in those dayes ;
Whereatt a hundred noble knights
And thirty sat alwayes ;
Who for their deeds and martiall feates,
As bookes done yett record,
Amongst all other nations
Wer feared through the world."

Legend of King Arthur (Old Ballad).

Merlin, by virtue of his magic powers, easily selected the knights
worthy to belong to this noble institution, and the Archbishop of
Canterbury duly blessed them and the board around which they
sat. All the places were soon filled except two; and as the
knights arose from their seats after the first meal they noticed that
their names were inscribed in letters of gold in the places they
had occupied. But one of the empty seats was marked "Siege
PerilouSj" and could only be occupied by a peerless knight,

THE ROUND TABLE. 219

Among all the knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot du
Lac, who is the hero of several lengthy poems and romances
bearing his name, was the most popular. Chres- ^.anceiot du
tien de Troyes, Geoffrey de Ligny, Robert de La=-

Borron, and Map have all written about him, and he was so well
known that his name was given to one of the knaves on the
playing cards invented at about this time. Malory, in his prose
version of the " Morte d' Arthur," has drawn principally from
the poems treating of Lancelot, whose early life was somewhat
extraordinary, too.

Some accounts relate that Lancelot was the son of King Ban
and Helen. When he was but a babe, his parents were obliged
to iiee from their besieged castle in Brittany. Before they had
gone far, the aged Ban, seeing his home in flames, sank dying to
the ground. Helen, eager to minister to her husband, laid her
baby boy down on the grass near a lake, and when she again
turned around, she saw him in the arms of Vivian, the Lady of
the Lake, who plunged with him into the waters.

" In the wife's woe, the mother was forgot.

At last (for I was all earth held of him
Who had been all to her, and now was not)

She rose, and looked with tearless eyes, but dim,
111 the babe's face the father still to see ;
And lo ! the babe was on another's knee !

"Another's lips had kissed it into sleep,

And o'er the sleep another watchful smiled ;
The Fairy sate beside the lake's still deep,

And hush'd with chaunted charms the orphan child !
Scared at the mother's cry, as fleets a dream.
Both Child and Fairy melt into the stream."

BuLWER Lytton, King Arthur.

The bereaved wife and mother now sorrowfully withdrew into
a convent, while Lancelot was brought up in the palace of the
Lady of the Lake, with his two cousins, Lyonel and Bohort. Here
he remained until he was eighteen, when the fairy herself brought

220 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

him to court and presented him to the king. Arthur then and
there made him his friend and confidant, and gave hun an hon-
ored place at the Round Table. He was warmly welcomed by all
the other knights also, whom he far excelled in beauty and courage.

" But one Sir Lancelot du Lake,
Who was approved well.
He for his deeds and feats of armes
All others did excell."

Sir Lancelot du Lake (Old Ballad).

Lancelot, however, was doomed to much sorrow, for he had

no sooner beheld Queen Guinevere than he fell deeply in love

Lancelot and with her. The queen fully returned his affection,

Guinevere. granted him many marks of her favor, and encour-
aged him to betray his friend and king on sundry occasions, which
form the themes of various episodes in the romances of the time.
Lancelot, urged in one direction by passion, in another by loyalty,
led a very unhappy life, which made him relapse into occasional
fits of insanity, during which he roamed aimlessly about for many
years. When restored to his senses, he always returned to court,
where he accomplished unheard-of deeds of valor, delivered many
maidens in distress, righted the wrong wherever he found it, won
all the honors at the tournaments, and ever remained faithful in
his devotion to the queen, although many fair ladies tried to make
him forget her.

Some of the poems, anxious to vindicate the queen, declare
that there were two Guineveres, one pure, lovely, and worthy of
all admiration, who suffered for the sins of the other, an unprin-
cipled woman. When Arthur discovered his wife's intrigue with
Lancelot, he sent her away, and Guinevere took refuge with her
lover in Joyeuse Garde (Berwick), a castle he had won at the
point of his lance to please her. But the king, having ascertained
some time after that the real Guinevere had been wrongfully ac-
cused, reinstated her in his favor, and Lancelot again returned
to comt, where he continued to love and serve the queen.

On one occasion, hearing that she had been made captive by

THE ROUND TABLE. 221

Meleagans, Lancelot rushed after Guinevere to rescue her, tracing
her by a comb and ringlet she had dropped on the way. His horse
was taken from him by enchantment, so Lancelot, in order sooner
to overtake the queen, rode on in a cart. This was considered a
disgraceful mode of progress for a knight, as a nobleman in those
days was condemned to ride in a cart in punishment for crimes
for which common people were sentenced to the pillory.

Lancelot succeeded in reaching the castle of Guinevere's kid-
naper, whom he challenged and defeated. The queen, instead
of showing herself grateful for this devotion, soon became need-
lessly jealous, and in a fit of anger taunted her lover about his
journey in the cart. This remark sufficed to unsettle the hero's
evidently very tottering reason, and he roamed wildly about until
the queen recognized her error, and sent twenty-three knights in
search of him. They joiurneyed far and wide for two whole
years without finding him.

" ' Then Sir Bors had ridden on
Softly, and sorrowing for our Lancelot,
Because his former madness, once the talk
And scandal of our table, had return'd ;
For Lancelot's kith and kin so worship him
That ill to him is ill to them.' "

Tennyson, The Holy Grail.

Finally a fair and pious damsel took pity upon the frenzied
knight, and seeing that he had atoned by suffering for all his sins,
she had him borne into the chamber where the Holy Grail was
kept ; " and then there came a holy man, who uncovered the vessel,
and so by miracle, and by virtue of that holy vessel. Sir Lancelot
was all healed and recovered."

Sane once more, Lancelot now returned to Camelot, where the
king, queen, and all the knights of the Round Table rejoiced to
see him. Here Lancelot knighted Sir Gareth, who, Gareth and
to please his mother, had concealed his true name, Lynette.
and had acted as kitchen vassal for a whole year. The new-
made knight immediately started out with a fair maiden called

222 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Lynette, to deliver her captive sister. Thinking him nothing but
the kitchen vassal he seemed, the damsel insulted Gareth in every
possible way. He bravely endured her taunts, courageously de-
feated all her adversaries, and finally won her admiration and re-
spect to such a degree that she bade him ride beside her, and
humbly asked his pardon for having so grievously misjudged him.

" ' Sir, — and, good faith, I fain had added Knight,
But that I heard thee call thyself a knave, —
Shamed am I that I so rebuked, reviled,
Missaid thee ; noble I am ; and thought the King
Scorn'd me and mine ; and now thy pardon, friend,
For thou hast ever answer'd courteously.
And wholly bold thou art, and meek withal
As any of Arthur's best, but, being knave.
Hast mazed my wit : I marvel what thou art.' "

Tennyson, Gareik a7td Lynette.

Granting her full forgiveness, Gareth now rode beside her,
fought more bravely still, and, after defeating many knights, de-
livered her sister from captivity, and secured Lynette's promise to
become his wife as soon as he had been admitted to the Round
Table. When he returned to Arthur's court this honor was im-
mediately awarded him, for his prowess had won the admiration
of all, and he was duly married on St. Michaelmas Day.

" And he that told the tale in older times
Says that Sir Gareth wedded Lyoners,
But he that told it later, says Lynette."

Tennyson, Gareth aitd Ly?teiie.

Gareth's brother, Geraint, was also an honored member of the
Round Table. After distinguishing himself by many deeds of
Geraint and valor he married Enid the Fair, the only daughter
Enid. of an old and impoverished knight whom he de-

livered from the tyranny of his oppressor and restored to all his
former state. Taking his fair wife away with him to his lonely
manor, Geraint surrounded her with every comfort, and, forgetting

THE ROUND TABLE. 223

his former high aspirations, spent all his time at home, hoping
thereby to please her.

" He compass'd her with sweet observances
And worship, never leaving her, and grew
Forgetful of his promise to the King,
Forgetful of the falcon and the hunt,
Forgetful of the tilt and tournament,
Forgetful of his glory and his name,
Forgetful of his princedom and its cares.
And this forgetfulness was hateful to her."

Tennyson, Geraini and Enid.

Enid, however, soon perceived that her husband was forgetting
both honor and duty to linger by her side. One day, while he
lay asleep before her, she, in an outburst of wifely love, poured
out her heart, and ended her confession by declaring that since
Geraint neglected everything for her sake only, she must be an
unworthy wife.

Geraint awoke too late to overhear the first part of her speech ;
but, seeing her tears, and catching the words " unworthy wife,"
he immediately imagined that she had ceased to love him, and that
she received the attentions of another. In his anger Geraint
(whom the French and German poems call Erec) rose from his
couch, and sternly bade his wife don her meanest apparel and
silently follow him through the world.

"The page he bade with speed
Prepare his own strong steed.
Dame Enid's palfrey there beside ;
He said that he would ride
For pastime far away :
So forward hastened they."

Hartmann von Aue, Brek and Enid (BsLysai Taylor's tr.).

Patiently Enid did her husband's bidding, watched him fight
the knights by the way, and bound up his wounds. She suffered
intensely from his incomprehensible coldness and displeasure ; but
she stood all his tests so nobly that he finally recognized how

2 24 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

greatly he had misjudged her. He then restored her to her right-
ful place, and loved her more dearly than ever before.

" Nor did he doubt her more,
But rested in her fealty, till he crown'd
A happy life with a fair death, and fell
Against the heathen of the Northern Sea
In battle, fighting for the blameless King."

Tennyson, Geraint and Ettid.

One Pentecost Day, when all the knights were assembled, as
usual, around the table at Camelot, a distressed damsel suddenly
entered the hall and implored Lancelot to accom-
pany her to the neighboring forest, where a young
warrior was hoping to receive knighthood at his hands. This youth
was Sir Galahad, the peerless knight, whom some authorities call
Lancelot's son, while others declare that he was not of mortal birth.

On reentering the hall after performing this ceremony, Lance-
lot heard that a miracle had occurred, and rushed with the king
and his companions down to the riverside. There the rumor was
verified, for they all saw a heavy stone floating down the stream,
and perceived that a costly weapon was sunk deep in the stone.
On this weapon was an inscription, declaring that none but a peer-
less knight should attempt to draw it out, upon penalty. of a griev-
ous punishment. As all the knights of the Round Table felt guilty
of some sin, they modestly refused to touch it.

When they returned into the hall an aged man came in, ac-
companied by Galahad, and the latter, fearless by right of inno-
cence, sat down in the " Siege Perilous." As his name then ap-
peared upon it, all knew that he was the rightful occupant, and
hailed his advent with joy. Then, noticing that he wore an empty
scabbard, and hearing him state that he had been promised a
marvelous sword, they one and all escorted him down to the river,
where he easily drew the sword out of the stone. This fitted ex-
actly in his empty sheath, and all vowed that it was evidently
meant for him.

THE ROUND TABLE. 225

That selfsame night, after evensong, when all the knights were
seated about the Round Table at Camelot, they heard a long
roll of thunder, and felt the palace shake. The brilhant hghts
held by the statues of the twelve conquered kings grew strangely
dim, and then, gliding down upon a beam of refulgent celestial
light, they all beheld a dazzling vision of the Holy Grail. Cov-
ered by white samite, and bonie by invisible hands, the sacred
vessel was slowly carried all around the great hall, while a de-
hcious perfume was wafted throughout the huge edifice. All
the knights of the Round Table gazed in silent awe at this re-
splendent vision, and when it vanished as suddenly and as mys-
teriously as it had come, each saw before him the food which he
liked best.

Speechless at first, and motionless iptil the wonted light again
illumined the hall, the knights gave fervent thanks for the mercy
which had been vouchsafed them, and then Lancelot, springing
impetuously to his feet, vowed that he would ride forth in search
of the Holy Grail and would know no rest until he had beheld it
unveiled. This vow was echoed by all the knights of the Round
Table ; and when Arthur now questioned them closely, he dis-
covered that none had seen the vessel unveiled. Still he could
not prevent his knights from setting out in quest of it, because
they had solemnly vowed to do so.

" ' Nay, lord, I heard the sound, I saw the light.
But since I did not see the Holy Thing,
I sware a vow to follow it till I saw.'

" Then when he ask'd us, knight by knight, if any
Had seen it, all their answers were as one :
' Nay, lord, and therefore have we sworn our vows.' "

Tennyson, Tke Holy Grail.

During this quest the knights traveled separately or in pairs all
through the world, encountered many dangers, and in true medi-
aeval fashion defended damsels in distress, challenged knights,
and covered themselves with scars and glory. Some of the leg-

15

2 26 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

ends declare that Parzival alone saw the Holy Grail, while others
aver that Lancelot saw it through a veil faintly. The pure Gala-
Quest of the had, having never sinned at all, and having spent
Holy Grail, years in prayer and fasting, finally beheld it just as
his immaculate soul was borne to heaven by the angels.

The rest of the knights, realizing after many years' fruitless
search that they were unworthy of the boon, finally returned to
Camelot, where they were duly entertained by the queen. While
they were feasting at her table, one of their number, having par-
taken of a poisonous draught, fell lifeless to the ground. As the
incident had happened at the queen's side, some of her detract-
ors accused her of the crime, and bade her confess, or prove her
innocence by a judicial duel. Being her husband, Arthur was
debarred by law of the privilege of fighting for her in the hsts of
Camelot, and the poor queen would have been condemned to be
burned alive for lack of a champion had not Lancelot appeared
incognito, and forced her accuser to retract his words.

Throughout his reign Arthur had been wont to encourage his
knights by yearly tournaments, the victor's prize being each time
a precious jewel. It seems that these jewels had come into his
possession in a peculiar way. While wandering as a lad in Lyon-
esse, Arthur found the moldering bones of two kings. Tradition
related that these monarchs had slain each other, and, as they
were brothers, the murder seemed so heinous that none dared
touch their remains. There among the rusty armor lay a kingly
crown studded with diamonds, which Arthur picked up and care-
lessly set upon his own head. At that very moment a prophetic
voice was heard declaring to him that he should rule. Arthur
kept the crown, and made each jewel set in it the object of a
brilliant pageant when the prophecy had been fulfilled.

"And Arthur came, and laboring up the pass.
All in a misty moonshine, unawares
Had trodden that crown'd skeleton, and the skull
Brake from the nape, and from the skull the crown
RoU'd into light, and turning on its rims

THE ROUND TABLE. 227

Fled like a glittering rivulet to the tarn.

And down the shingly scaur he plunged, and caught,

And set it on his head, and in his heart

Heard murmurs, — ' Lo ! thou likewise shalt be King.' "

Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine.

Lancelot had been present at every one of these knightly
games, and had easily borne away the prize, for his very name
was almost enough to secure him the victory. Lancelot's
When the time for the last tournament came, he prowess,
pretended to take no interest in it; but, riding off to Astolat
(Guildford), he asked Elaine, the fair maiden who dwelt there,
to guard his blazoned shield and give him another in exchange.

This fair lady, who had fallen in love with Lancelot at first
sight, immediately complied with his request, and even timidly
suggested that he should wear her colors in the coming fray.
Lancelot had never worn any favors except Guinevere's, but
thinking that it would help to conceal his identity, he accepted
the crimson, pearl-embroidered sleeve she offered, and fastened
it to his helmet in the usual way.

" ' Lady, thy sleeve thou shalt ofF-shear,
I wol it take for the love of thee ;
So did I never no lady's ere [before]
But one, that most hath loved me.' "

Ellis, Lancelot du Lac.

Thus effectually disguised, and accompanied by Sir Lawaine,
Elaine's brother, Lancelot rode on to the tournament, where, still
unknown, he unhorsed every knight and won the prize. His last
encounter, however, nearly proved fatal, for in it he received a
grievous wound. As he felt faint, and was afraid to be recog-
nized, Lancelot did not wait to claim the prize, but rode imme-
diately out of the town. He soon fainted, but was conveyed to
the cell of a neighboring hermit. Here his wound was dressed,
and he was carefully nursed by Elaine, who had heard that he
was wounded, and had immediately set out in search of him.

2 28 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

When Lancelot, entirely recovered, was about to leave Elaine
after claiming his own shield, she timidly confessed her love, hop-
Lancelot and ing that it was returned. Gently and sorrowfully
Elaine. Lancelot repulsed her, and, by her father's advice,
was even so discourteous as to leave her without a special fare-
well. Unrequited love soon proved too much for the " lily maid
of Astolat," who pined away very rapidly. Feeling that her end
was near, she dictated a farewell letter to Lancelot, which she
made her father promise to put in her dead hand. She also
directed that her body should be laid in state on a barge, and sent
in charge of a mute boatman to Camelot, where she was sure she
would receive a suitable burial from the hands of Lancelot.

In the mean while the hero of the tournament had been sought
everywhere by Gawain, who was the bearer of the diamond won
at such a cost. Coming to Astolat before Lancelot was cured,
Gawain had learned the name of the victor, which he immedi-
ately proclaimed to Guinevere. The queen, however, hearing a
vague rumor that Lancelot had worn the colors of the maiden of
Astolat, and was about to marry her, grew so jealous that when
Lancelot reappeared at court she received him very coldly, and
carelessly flung his present (a necklace studded with the diamonds
he had won at various tournaments) into the river flowing beneath
the castle walls.

" She seized.
And, thro' the casement standing wide for heat,
Flung them, and down they flash'd, and smote the stream.
Then from the smitten surface flash'd, as it were,
Diamonds to meet them, and they passed away."

Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine.

As he leaned out of the window to trace them in their fall,

Lancelot saw a barge slowly drifting down the stream. Its pecul-

The funeral iar appearance attracted his attention, and as it

barge. passed close by him he saw that it bore a corpse.

A moment later he had recognized the features of the dead Elaine.

The mute boatman paused at the castle steps, and Arthur had the

THE ROUND TABLE. 229

corpse borne into his presence. The letter was found and read
aloud in the midst of the awestruck court. Arthur, touched by
the girl's love, bade Lancelot fulfill her last request and lay her
to rest. Lancelot then related the brief story of the maiden,
whose love he could not return, but whose death he sincerely
mourned.

" ' My lord liege Arthur, and all ye that hear,
Know that for this most gentle maiden's death
Right heavy am I ; for good she was and true,
But loved me with a love beyond all love
In women, whomsoever I have known.
Yet to be loved makes not to love again ;
Not at my years, however it hold in youth.
I swear by truth and knighthood that I gave
No cause, not willingly, for such a love :
To this I call my friends in testimony.
Her brethren, and her father, who himself
Besought me to be plain and blunt, and use,
To break her passion, some discourtesy
Against my nature : what I could, I did.
I left her and I bade her no farewell ; ,
Tho', had I dreamt the damsel would have died,
I might have put my wits to some rough use.
And help'd her from herself.' "

Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine.

Haunted by remorse for this involuntary crime, Lancelot again
wandered away from Camelot, but returned in time to save Guin-
evere, who had again been falsely accused. In his indignation
at the treatment to which she had been exposed, Lancelot bore
her off to Joyeuse Garde, where he swore he would defend her
even against the king. Arthur, whose mind, in the mean while,
had been poisoned by officious courtiers, besieged his recreant
wife and knight ; but although repeatedly challenged, the loyal
Lancelot ever refused to bear arms directly against his king.

When the Pope heard of the dissension in England he finally in-
terfered ; and Lancelot, assured that Guinevere would henceforth

230 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

be treated with all due respect, surrendered her to the king and
retreated to his paternal estate in Brittany. As Arthur's resent-
ment against Lancelot had not yet cooled, he left Guinevere under
the care and protection of Mordred, his nephew,— some versions
say his son,— and then, at the head of a large force, departed for
Brittany.

Mordred the traitor immediately took advantage of his uncle's

absence to lay claim to the throne; and loudly declaring that

Treachery of Arthur had been slain, he tried to force Guinevere

Mordred. to marry him. As she demurred, he kept her a
close prisoner, and set her free only when she pretended to agree
with his wishes, and asked permission to go to London to buy
wedding finery.

When Guinevere arrived in that city she intrenched herself in
the Tower, and sent word to her husband of her perilous posi-
tion. Without any delay Arthur abandoned the siege of Lancelot's
stronghold, and, crossing the channel, encountered Mordred's
army near Dover.

Negotiations now took place, and it was finally agreed that
Arthur and a certain number of knights should meet Mordred
with an equal number, and discuss the terms of peace. It had
been strictly enjoined on both parties that no weapon should
be drawn, and all would have gone well had not an adder been
lurking in the grass. One of the knights drew his sword to kill
it, and this unexpected movement proved the signal for one of
the bloodiest battles described in mediaeval poetry.

" An addere crept forth of a bushe,
Stunge one o' th' king's knightes on the knee.
Alacke ! it was a woefulle chance,
As ever was in Christientie ;
When the knighte founde him wounded sore,
And sawe the wild worme hanginge there.
His sworde he from the scabbarde drewe ;
A piteous case, as ye shall heare ;
For when the two hostes saw the sworde,

THE ROUND TABLE. 231

They joyned in battayle instantlye ;
Till of so manye noble knightes,
On one side there was left but three."

King A Kthur's Death.

On both sides the knights fought with the utmost courage, and
when nearly all were slain, Arthur encountered the traitor Mor-
dred. Summoning all his strength, the exhausted Arthur
king finally slew the usurper, who, in dying, dealt wounded.
Arthur a mortal blow. This would never have occurred, however,
had not Morgana the fay, Arthur's sister, purloined his magic scab-
bard and substituted another. All the enemy's host had perished,
and of Arthur's noble army only one man remained ahve. Sir
Bedivere, a knight of the Round Table. He hastened to the side
of his fallen master, who in faltering accents now bade him take
the brand Excalibur, cast it far from him into the waters of the
lake, and return to report what he should see. The knight, think-
ing it a pity to throw away so valuable a sword, concealed it twice ;
but the dying monarch detected the fraud, and finally prevailed
upon Bedivere to fulfill his wishes. As the magic blade touched
the waters Sir Bedivere saw a hand and arm rise up from the
depths to seize it, brandish it thrice, and disappear.

" 'Sir King, I closed mine eyelids, lest the gems
Should blind ray purpose ; for I never saw,
Nor shall see, here or elsewhere, till I die.
Not tho' I live three lives of mortal men.
So great a miracle as yonder hilt.
Then with both hands I flung him, wheeling him ;
But when I look'd again, behold an arm.
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful,
That caught him by the hilt, and brandish'd him
Three times, and drew him under in the mere.' "

Tennyson, The Passing of Arthur.

Arthur gave a sigh of relief when he heard this report ; and
after telling his faithful squire that Merlin had declared that he
should not die, he bade the knight lay hini in a barge, all hung

232 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

with black, wherein he would find Morgana the fay, the Queen
of Northgallis, and the Queen of the Westerlands.

Sir Bedivere obeyed all these orders exactly ; and then, seeing
his beloved king about to leave him, he implored permission to ac-
company him. This, however, Arthur could not grant, for it had
been decreed that he should go alone to the island of Avalon,
where he hoped to be cured of his grievous wound, and some
day to return to his sorrowing people.

" ' But now farewell. I am going a long way
With these thou seest — if indeed I go
(For all my mind is clouded with a doubt) —
To the island-valley of Avilion ;
Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow.
Nor ever wind blows loudly ; but it lies
Deep-meadow'd, happy, fair with orchard lawns
And bowery hollows crown'd with summer sea,
Where I will heal me of my grievous wound.' "

Tennyson, The Passing of Arthur.

It was because Arthur thus disappeared and was never seen
again, according to one version of the myth, and because none

■Arthur in knew whether he were living or dead, that he was
Avalon. popularly supposed to be enjoying perpetual youth
and bliss in the fabled island of Avalon, whence tihey averred he
would return when his people needed him. This belief was so
deeply rooted in England that Philip of Spain, upon marrying
Mary, was compelled to take a solemn oath whereby he bound
himself to relinquish the crown in favor of Arthur should he ap-
pear to claim it.

" Still look the Britons for the day
Of Arthur's coming o'er the sea."

Layamon, Brut.

Other romances and poems relate that Arthur was borne in the
sable-hung barge to Glastonbury, where his remains were laid in
the tomb, while Guinevere retired into the nunnery at Almesbury.

THE ROifl\/nXA!'LE. 233

There she was once more visited by the sorrowing Lancelot,
who, in spite of all his haste, had come upon the scene too late
to save or be reconciled to the king, to whom he was still devot-
edly attached. In his sorrow and remorse the knight withdrew
into a hermitage, where he spent six years in constant penance
and prayer. At last he was warned in a vision that Guinevere
was no more. He hastened to Almesbury, and found her really
dead. After burying her by Arthur's side, in the chapel of Glas-
tonbury, Lancelot again withdrew to his cell. Six weeks later,
worn to a shadow by abstinence and night watches, he peace-
fully passed away, and a priest watching near him said that he
had seen the angels receive and bear his ransomed spirit straight
up to heaven.

Lancelot was buried either at Arthur's feet or at Joyeuse
Garde. He was deeply mourned by all his friends, and espe-
cially by his heir. Sir Ector de Maris, who eulogized him in the
following touching terms : " ' Ah, Sir Lancelot,' he said, ' thou
were head of all Christian knights ; and now I dare say,' said Sir
Ector, ' that. Sir Lancelot, there thou liest, thou were never
matched of none earthly knight's hands ; and thou were the court-
liest knight that ever bare shield ; and thou were the truest friend
to thy lover that ever bestrode horse ; and thou were the truest
lover of a sinful man that ever loved woman ; and thou were the
kindest man that ever struck with sword ; and thou were the
goodliest person that ever came among press of knights; and
thou were the meekest man, and the gentlest, that ever ate in hall
among ladies ; and thou were the sternest knight to thy mortal
foe that ever put spear in rest.' "

CHAPTER XIV.

TRISTAN AND ISEULT.

The story of Tristan, which seems to have been current from
earliest times, refers, perhaps, to the adventures of a knight, the
Origin of the contemporary of Arthur or of Cassivellaunus. The
story. tale seems to have akeady been known in the sixth

century, and was soon seized upon by the bards, who found it
a rich theme for their metrical romances. It is quite unknown
whether it was first turned into Latin, French, or Welsh verse;
but an established fact is that it has been translated into every
European language, and was listened to with as much interest
by the inhabitants of Iceland as by those of the sunny plains
of Greece.

We know that there are metrical versions, or remains of met-
rical versions, attributed to Thomas of Ercildoune (the Rhymer),
to Raoul de Beauvais, Chrestien de Troyes, Rusticien de Pise,
Luces de Gast, Robert and H61ie de Borron, and Gottfried von
Strassburg, and that in our day it has been retold by Matthew
Arnold and Swinburne, and made the subject of an opera by
Wagner. These old metrical versions, recited with manifold varia-
tions by the minstrels, were finally collected into a prose romance,
like most of the mediaeval poems of this kind.

The outline of the story, collected from many different sources,
is as follows :

Meliadus (Rivalin, or Roland Rise) was Lord of Lyonesse
(Ermonie, or Parmenia), and after warring for some time against
Morgan, he entered into a seven-years' truce. This time of

2,34

TRISTAN AND ISEULT. 235

respite was employed by Meliadus in visiting Mark, King of
Cornwall, who dwelt at Tintagel, where he was holding a great
tournament. Many knights of tried valor hurried thither to win
laurels, but none were able to unhorse Meliadus, who obtained
every prize.

His courage was such that he even won the heart of Blanche-
fleur, the sister of the king. As the monarch refused to consent
to their union, the young people were secretly married, or eloped,
if we are to beUeve another version of the story.

According to the first account, Blanchefleur remained at court,
where, hearing that her husband had died, she breathed her last
in giving birth to a son, whom she called Tristan Birth

(Tristrem), because he had come into the world of Tristan,
under such sad circumstances. The second version relates that
Blanchefleur died as Morgan entered the castle over her hus-
band's dead body, and that her faithful retainer, Kurvenal (Ro-
hand, Rual), in order to save her son, claimed him as his own.

The child Tristan grew up without knowing his real parentage,
learned all that a knight was expected to know, and became espe-
cially expert as a hunter and as a harp player. One day he
strolled on board of a Norwegian vessel which had anchored in
the harbor near his ancestral home, and accepted the challenge
of the Norsemen to play a game of chess for a certain wager.

As Tristan played at chess as well as upon the harp, he soon
won the game ; but the Northmen, rather than pay their forfeited
wager, suddenly raised the anchor and sailed away, intending to
sell the kidnaped youth as a slave.

" Thar com a schip of Norway,

To Sir Rohandes hold,
With haukes white and grey,

And panes fair y-fold :
Tristrem herd it say.

On his playing he wold
Tventi schilling to lay,

Sir Rohand him told.

236 LEGENDS OF TffE MIDDLE AGES.

And taught ;

For hauke silver he gold ;

The fairest men him raught. "

Scott, Sir Tristretn.

They had not gone far, however, before a terrible tempest
arose, which threatened to sink the vessel and drown all on
board. The mariners, supposing in their terror that this peril had
come upon them because they had acted dishonorably, made a
solemn vow to liberate the yotith if they escaped.

The vow having been made, the wind ceased to blow; and
anchoring in the nearest bay, the Norsemen bade Tristan land,
and paid him the sum he had won at chess.

Thus forsaken on an unknown shore, with nothing but his harp
and bow, Tristan wandered through an extensive forest, where,
Tristan coming across a party of huntsmen who had just
in Cornwall, giajjj g, deer, he gave them valuable and lengthy in-
structions in matters pertaining to the chase, and taught them how
to flay and divide their quarry according to the most approved
mediaeval style. Then, accompanying them to the court of their
master. King Mark, he charmed every one with his minstrelsy,
and was invited to tarry there as long as he pleased. His
foster father, Kurvenal, in the mean while, had set out to seek
him ; and in the course of his wanderings he too came to Mark's
court, where he was overjoyed to find Tristan, whose parentage
he revealed to the king.

Tristan now for the first time heard the story of his father's
death, and refused to rest until he had avenged him. He imme-
diately set out, slew Morgan, and recovered his father's estate of
Lyonesse, which he intrusted to Kurvenal's care, while he himself
went back to Cornwall. On arriving at Tintagel he was surprised
to find all the court plunged in sorrow. Upon inquiring the cause
he was informed that Morold, brother of the King of Ireland, had
come to claim the usual tribute of three hundred pounds of silver
and tin and three hundred promising youths to be sold into slavery.

Indignant at this claim, which had been enforced ever since

TRISTAN AND ISEULT. S37

Mark had been defeated in battle by the Irish king, Tristan boldly
strode up to the emissary, tore the treaty in two, flung the pieces
in his face, and challenged him to single combat. Morold, confi-
dent in his strength, — for he was a giant,— and relying particularly
upon his poisoned sword, immediately accepted the challenge.
When the usual preliminaries had been settled, the battle began.

" Sir Morold rode upon his steed,
And flew against Tristan with speed
Still greater than is falcons' flight ;
But warlike too was Tristan's might."

Gottfried von Stkassburg (Dippold's tr.).

Terrible blows were given and received, and at last Tristan
sank to the ground on one knee, for his opponent's poisoned
weapon had pierced his side.

Morold then called upon him to acknowledge himself beaten,
promising to obtain a balsam from his sister Iseult (Isolde, Ysolde),
who knew a remedy for such a dangerous wound. But Tristan,
remembering that, if he surrendered, three hundred innocent chil-
dren would be sold as slaves, made a last despairing efEort, and
slew Morold. Such was the force of the blow he dealt that he
cut through the helmet and pierced Morold's skull, which was
so hard that a fragment of his sword remained imbedded within
the wound.

The people of Cornwall were, of course, delighted ; and while
the Irish heralds returned empty-handed to DubHn with Morold's
remains, the King of Cornwall loudly proclaimed that as he had
no son, Tristan should be his heir.

Tristan, however, was far from happy, for the wound in his
side refused to heal, and gradually became so offensive that no
one could bear his presence. As none of the court Tristan's
doctors could relieve him, he remembered Morold's wound,
words, and resolved to go to Ireland, in hopes that Iseult would
cure him. Conscious, however, that she would never consent to
heljp him if she suspected his identity, he embarked alone, or with

238 LEGENDS OF THE: MIDDLE AGES.

Kurvenal, in a small vessel, taking only his harp, and drifted
toward Ireland, where he arrived at the end of fifteen days.
When-he appeared at court, Tristan declared that he was a wan-
dering minstrel called Tantris, and bespoke the kind offices of the
queen, Iseult. Charmed by his music, she hastened to cure him
of the grievous wound from which he had suffered so much.

Tristan, still unknown, remained at the Irish court for some
time, spending many hours with Iseult, the daughter and name-
sake of the queen, whom he instructed daily in the art of music.
After some months passed thus in pleasant intercourse, Tristan
returned to Cornwall, where he related to Mark the story of his
cure, and so extolled the beauty of young Iseult that the king
finally expressed a desire to marry her. By the advice of the
courtiers, who were jealous of Tristan, and who hoped that this
mission would cost him his life, the young hero was sent to Ire-
land with an imposing retinue, to sue for the maiden's hand and
to escort her safely to Cornwall.

On landing in Dublin, Tristan immediately became aware that
the people were laboring under an unusual excitement. Upon
questioning them he learned that a terrible dragon had taken up
its station near the city, that it was devastating the country, and
that the king had promised the hand of Iseult to the man who
would slay the monster. Tristan immediately concluded that by
killing the dragon he would have the best chance of successfully
carrying out his uncle's wishes, so he sallied forth alone to attack it.

" This dragon had two furious wings.
Each one upon each shoulder;
With a sting in his tayl as long as a flayl,
Which made him bolder and bolder.

" He had long claws, and in his jaws
Four and forty teeth of iron ;
With a hide as tough as any buff
Which did him round environ." •

Dragon qfWantley (Old Ballad).

In spite of the fearful appearance of this dragon, and of the

TRISTAN AND ISEULT. 239

volumes of fire and venom which it belched forth, Tristan en-
countered it bravely, and finally slew it. Then, cutting out the
monster's tongue, he thrust it into his pocket, in- Tristan and
tending to produce it at the right moment. He had '^"^ dragon,
gone only a few steps, however, when, exhausted by his prolonged
conflict, stunned by the poisonous fumes which he had inhaled,
and overcome by the close contact with the dragon's tongue, he
sank fainting to the ground. A few moments later the butler of
the Irish king rode up. He saw the dragon dead, with his con-
queror lifeless beside him, and quickly resolved to take advantage
of this fortunate chance to secure the hand of the fair princess.
He therefore cut off the dragon's head, and, going to court,
boasted of having slain the monster just as it had killed a strange
knight. Iseult and her mother, well aware that the man was a
coward, refused to believe his story, and hastened off to the scene
of the conflict, where they found the fainting Tristan with the
dragon's tongue in his pocket.

To remove the poisonous substance, (which they, however, pre-
served,) convey the knight to the palace, and restore him by ten-
der care, was the next impulse of these brave women. Then,
while Iseult the younger sat beside her patient, watching his
slumbers, she idly drew his sword from the scabbard. Suddenly
her eye was caught by a dint in the blade, which she soon dis-
covered was of exactly the same shape and size as the fragment
of steel which she had found in her uncle's skull.

" Then all at once her heart grew cold
In thinking of that deed of old.
Her color changed through grief and ire
From deadly pale to glowing fire.
With sorrow she exclaimed : ' Alas !
Oh, woe ! what has now come to pass ?
Who carried here this weapon dread.
By which mine uncle was struck dead ?
And he who slew him, Tristan hight.
Who gave it to this minstrel knight ? ' "

Gottfried von Strassburg (Dippold's tr.).

240 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Morold's murderer lay helpless before her, and Iseult, animated
by the spirit of vengeance, which was considered a sacred duty
among the people of the time, was about to slay Tristan, when
he opened his eyes and disarmed her by a glance. Her mother
further hindered her carrying out her hostile intentions by telling
her that Tristan had atoned for his crime by delivering the peo-
ple from the power of the dragon.

As soon as Tristan had quite recovered, he appeared at court,
where he offered to prove at the point of his sword that the but-
ler had no claim to the princess's hand. A duel was arranged,
and the butler, disarmed by Tristan, confessed his lie. Tristan
then produced the dragon's tongue and told his adventures ; but, to
the general surprise, instead of suing for Iseult's hand for himself,
he now asked it in the name of his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall.

The young princess was none too well pleased at this unex-
pected turn of affairs ; but, as princesses never had much to say
The love about the choice of a husband, she obediently pre-
potion. pared to accompany the embassy to Tintagel. Her
mother, wishing to preserve her from a loveless marriage, now
sought out all manner of herbs wherewith to brew one of those
magic love potions which were popularly supposed to have un-
limited powers.

" Bethought her with her secret soul alone
To work some charm for marriage unison,
And strike the heart of Iseult to her lord
With power compulsive more than stroke of sword."

Swinburne, Tristram of Lyojtesse.

This magic potion was put in a golden cup and intrusted to
Brangwaine, the attendant of Iseult, with strict injunctions to guard
the secret well, and to give the draught to her mistress and Mark
to quaff together on their wedding day.

"Therefore with marvelous herbs and spells she wrought
To win the very wonder of her thought.
And brewed it with her secret hands, and blest

TRISTAN AND ISEULT. 241

And drew and gave out of her secret breast

To one her chosen and Iseult's handmaiden,

Brangwain, and bade her hide from sight of men

This marvel covered in a golden cup,.

So covering in her heart the counsel up

As in the gold the wondrous wine lay close."

Swinburne, Tristram of Lyonesse.

Brangwaine carefully carried this potion on board the ship, and
placed it in a cupboard, whence she intended to produce it when
the suitable moment came. Iseult embarked with the escort sent
from Cornwall, and Tristan, in order to beguile the long, weary
hours of the journey, entertained her with all the songs and stories
that he knew. One day, after singing for some time, he asked
his fair young mistress for a drink ; and she, going to the cup-
board, drew out the magic potion, little guessing its power.

As was customary in those days in offering wine to an honored
guest, she first put it to her own lips and then handed it to the
thirsty minstrel, who drained it greedily. They had no sooner
drunk, however, than the draught, working with subtle power,
suddenly kindled in their hearts a passionate love, destined to
last as long as they both lived.

" Now that the maiden and the man,
Fair Iseult and Tristan,
Both drank the drink, upon them pressed
What gives the world such sore unrest, —
Love, skilled in sly and prowling arts, —
And swiftly crept in both their hearts ;
So, ere of him they were aware,
Stood his victorious banners there.
He drew them both into his power ;
One and single were they that hour
That two and twofold were before."

Gottfried von Strassburg {Bayard Taylor's tr.).

After the first few hours of rapture had passed, the young peo-
ple, who honorably intended to keep their word and conquer the
fatal passion which had overwhelmed them, remained apart, and
16

242 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE ACES.

when Iseult landed in Cornwall her marriage was celebrated with
Mark. Brangwaine, who knew all that had passed, tried to shield
her mistress in every way, and blind the king, who is depicted as
a very miheroic monarch, but little fitted to secure the affections
of the proud young Iseult.

This story of a love potion whose magic power none could
resist, and of the undying love which it kindled in the unsuspect-
Tristan and ing hearts of Tristan and Iseult, has been treated
Iseult. in many ways by the different poets and prose
writers who have handled it. In many of the older versions we
have lengthy descriptions of stolen interviews, hairbreadth escapes,
and tests of love, truth, and fidelity without number.

In many respects the story is a parallel of that of Lancelot and
Guinevere, although it contains some incidents which are duph-
cated in the " Nibelungenlied " only. But throughout, the writers all
aver that, owing to the magic draught, the lovers, however good
their intentions, could not long exist without seeing each other.

By means of this boundless love Tristan is said to have had
an intuitive knowledge of Iseult's peril, for he hastened to rescue
her from danger whenever events took a turn which might prove
fatal to her. There are in some of these old romances pretty
descriptions of scenery and of the signals used by the lovers to
communicate with each other when forced by adverse circum-
stances to remain apart. One of the poems, for instance, says
that Tristan's love messages were written on chips of wood, which
he floated down the little stream which flowed past his sylvan
lodge and crossed the garden of the queen.

The inevitable villain of the tale is one of Mark's squires, the spy

Meliadus, also a very unheroic character, who told the king of

Tristan's love for Iseult. Mark, who all through

Meliadus. _ . ,.„ , . , .

the story seems strangely indifferent to his beauti-
ful wife, was not aware of the magic draught and its powerful
effect, but Meliadus roi^sed him temporarily from his apathy.

As the queen had been publicly accused, he compelled her to
prove her innocence by undergoing the ordeal of fire, or by taking

{Op,,, p.m.)

ISEULT SIGNALS TRISTAN. — Pixis.

TRISTAN AND ISEULT. 243

a public oath that she had shown favor to none but him. On her
way to the place where this ceremony was to take place, Iseult
was carried across a stream by Tristan disguised as a beggar,
and, at his request, kissed him in reward for this service.

When called upon to take her oath before the judges and
assembled court, Iseult could truthfully swear that, with the ex-
ception of the beggar whom she had just publicly kissed, no
other man than the king could ever boast of having received any
special mark of her favor.

Thus made aware of their danger, the lovers again decided to
part, and Tristan, deprived for a time of the sight of Iseult, went
mad, and performed many extraordinary feats ; for mediaeval
poets generally drove their heroes into a frenzy when they did
not know what else to do with them. Having recovered, and hop-
ing to forget the fatal passion which had already caused him so
much sorrow, Tristan now wandered off to Arthur's court, where
he performed many deeds of valor. Thence he went on to various
strange lands, distinguishing himself greatly everywhere, until he
received from a poisoned arrow a wound which no doctor could
heal.

Afraid to expose himself again to the fascinations of Iseult of
Cornwall, Tristan went to Brittany, where another Iseult,— with
the White Hands,— equally well skilled in medi- iseuit
cine, tenderly nursed him back to health. This of Brittany,
maiden, as good and gentle as she was beautiful, soon fell in love
with the handsome knight, and hearing him sing a passionate lay
in honor of Iseult, she fancied that her affections were returned,
and that it was intended for her ear.

" I know her by her mildness rare.
Her snow-white hands, her golden hair ;
I know her by her rich silk dress,
And her fragile loveliness, —
The sweetest Christian soul alive,
Iseult of Brittany."

Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseult,

244 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

The brother of this fair Iseult saw her love for Tristan, and
offered him her hand, which he accepted more out of gratitude
than love, and in the hope that he might at last overcome the
effects of the fatal draught. But, in spite of all his good resolu-
tions, he could not forget Iseult of Cornwall, and treated his wife
with such polite coolness that her brother's suspicions were finally
roused.

Tristan, having conquered a neighboring giant and magician
by the name of Beliagog, had granted him his life only upon con-
dition that he would build a marvelous palace in the forest, and
adorn it with paintings and sculptures, true to hfe, and represent-
ing all the different stages of his passion for Iseult of Cornwall.
When his brother-in-law, therefore, asked why he seemed to find
no pleasure in the society of his young wife, Tristan led him to
the palace, showed him the works of art, and told him all. Gan-
hardin, the brother-in-law, must evidently have considered the
excuse a good one, for he not only forgave Tristan, but implored
him to take him to Cornwall, for he had fallen in love with the
picture of Brangwaine, and hoped to win her for wife. On the
way thither the young knights met with sundry adventures, deliv-
ered Arthur from the power of the Lady of the Lake, and carried
off Iseult, whom the cowardly Mark was ill treating, to Lance-
lot's castle of Joyeuse Garde. There she became acquainted with
Guinevere, and remained with her until Arthur brought about a
general reconciliation.

Then Tristan once more returned to Brittany, resumed his
wonted knightly existence, and fought until he was wounded so
sorely that Iseult of Brittany could not cure him. His faithful
steward Kurvenal, hoping yet to save him, sailed for Cornwall to
bring the other Iseult to the rescue ; and as he left he promised
his master to change the black sails of the vessel for white in
case his quest were successful.

Tristan now watched impatiently for the returning sail, but just
as it came into view he breathed his last. Some ill-advised writ-
ers have ventured to state that Iseult of Brittany, whose jealousy

TRrSTAK^ AAfD ISEtJLT. 445 -

had been aroused, was guilty of Tristan's death by falsely aver-
ring, in answer to his feverish inquiry, that the long-expected
vessel was wafted along by black sails ; but, according to other
authorities, she remained gentle and lovable to the end.

Iseult of Cornwall, speeding to the rescue of her lover, whom
nothing could make her forget, and finding him dead, breathed
her last upon his corpse. Both bodies were then Miracle of the
carried to Cornwall, where they were interred in plants,
separate graves by order of King Mark. But from the tomb of
the dead minstrel there soon sprang a creeper, which, finding its
way along the walls, descended into Iseult's grave. Thrice cut
down by Mark's orders, the plant persisted in growing, thus em-
phasizing by a miracle the passionate love which made this couple
proverbial in the middle ages. There are in subsequent literature
many parallels of the miracle of the plant which sprang from
Tristan's tomb, as is seen by the Ballad of Lord Thomas and Fair
Annet, and of Lord Lovel, where, as in later versions of the
Tristan legend, a rose and a vine grew out of the respective graves
and twined tenderly around each other.

" And out of her breast there grew a red rose,
And out of his breast a brier."

Ballad of Lord LoveL

CHAPTER XV.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF.

Norse, Danish, and Swedish writers have frequently called
public attention to the vast literary treasures which are contained

Northern ™ the old sagas or tales of their forefathers. The
sagas. work of northern scalds whose names in most cases

are unknown to us, these stories relate the lives and adventures
of the gods and heroes of the North. Many of these old sagas
have been translated into various other European languages ; but
Tegn6r, a Swedish writer of this century, has done most to revive
a taste for them by making one of them the basis of a poem
which is generally considered a masterpiece.

Tegn6r's " Frithiof Saga " has been translated once at least
into every European tongue, and more than eighteen times into
English and German. Goethe spoke of the work with the
greatest enthusiasm, and the tale, which gives a matchless picture
of the life of our heathen ancestors in the North, has been the
source of inspiration for important works of art.

Although Tegn^r has chosen for his theme the Frithiof saga
only, we find that that tale is the sequel to the older but less in-
teresting Thorsten saga, of which we give here a very brief out-
line, merely to enable the reader to understand clearly every
allusion in the more modern poem.

As is so frequently the case with these ancient tales, the story
begins with Haloge (I>oki), who came north with Odin, and be-
gan to reign over north Norway, which from him was called
Halogaland. According to northern mythology, this god had

246

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 247

two lovely daughters. They were carried off by bold suitors,
who, banished from the mainland by Haloge's curses and magic
spells, took refuge with their newly won wives upon neighboring
islands.

Thus it happened that Haloge's grandson, Viking, was born
upon the island of Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea, where he dwelt
until he was fifteen, and where he became the Birth of
largest and strongest man of his time. Rumors viking.
of his valor finally reached Hunvor, a Swedish princess ; and, as
she was oppressed by the attentions of a gigantic suitor whom
none dared drive away, she quickly sent for Viking to deliver her.

Thus summoned, the youth departed, after having received
from his father a magic sword named Angurvadel, whose blows
would prove fatal even to the giant suitor of Hunvor. A " holm-
gang," the northern name for a duel, ensued, and Viking, having
slain his antagonist, could have married the princess had it not
been considered disgraceful for a Northman to marry before he
was twenty.

To beguile the time of waiting, Viking set out in a well-manned
dragon ship ; and, cruising about the northern and southern seas,
he met with countless adventures. During this time he was par-
ticularly persecuted by the slain giant's kin, who were adepts in
magic, and caused him to encounter innumerable perils by land
and by sea.

Aided and abetted by his bosom friend, Halfdan, Viking es-
caped every danger, slew many of his foes, and, after recovering
his promised bride, Hunvor, whom the enemy had carried off to
India, he settled down in Sweden. His friend, faithful in peace
as well as in war, settled near him, and married also, choosing
for his wife Ingeborg, Hunvor's attendant.

The saga now describes the long, peaceful winters, when the
warriors feasted and listened to the tales of the scalds, rousing
themselves to energetic efforts only when returning spring again
permitted them to launch their dragon ships and set out once
more upon their favorite piratical expeditions, In the olden story

248 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

the bards relate with great gusto every phase of attack and
defense dtiring cruise and raid, describe every blow given and
received, and spare us none of carnage, or lurid flames which
envelop both enemies and ships in common ruin. A fierce fight
is often an earnest of future friendship, however, for we are told
that Halfdan and Viking, having failed to conquer Njorfe, even
after a most obstinate struggle, sheathed their swords and accepted
him as a third in their close bond of friendship.

On returning home after one of these customary raids, Viking
lost his beloved wife ; and, after intrusting her child. Ring, to the
care of a foster father, and undergoing a short period of mourn-
ing, the brave warrior married again. This time his marital bliss
was more lasting, for the saga reports that his second wife bore
him nine stalwart sons.

Njorfe, King of Uplands, in Norway, had, in the mean while,
followed Viking's example, and he too rejoiced in a large family,
nurnbering also nine brave sons. Now, although their fathers
were united in bonds of the closest friendship, having sworn blood
brotherhood according to the true northern rites, the young men
were jealous of one another, and greatly inclined to quarrel.

Notwithstanding this smoldering animosity, these youths often
met ; and the saga relates that they used to play ball together.

Early ball and gives a description of the earliest ball game on
games. record in the northern annals. Viking's sons, as
tall and strong as he, were inclined to be rather reckless of their
opponents' welfare, and, judging from the following account,
translated from the old saga, the players were often left in as
sorry a condition as after a modern game.

" The next morning the brothers went to the games, and gen-
erally had the ball during the day ; they pushed men and let them
fall roughly, and beat others. At night three men had their arms
broken, and many were bruised or maimed."

The game between Njorfe's and Viking's sons culminated in a
disagreement, and one of the former nine struck one of the latter
a dangerous and treacherous blow. Prevented from taking his

THE SrORY OF FRITHIOF. 249

revenge then and there by the interference of the spectators, the
injured man made a trivial excuse to return to the ball ground
alone ; and, meeting his assailant there, he killed him.

When Viking heard that one of his sons had slain one of his
friend's children, he was very indignant, and, mindful of his oath
to avenge all Njorfe's wrongs, he banished the young murderer.
The other brothers, on hearing this sentence, all vowed that they
would accompany the exile, and so Viking sorrowfully bade them
farewell, giving his sword Angurvadel to Thorsten, the eldest,
and cautioning him to remain quietly on an island in Lake Wener
until all danger of retaliation on the part of Njorfe's remaining
sons was over.

The young men obeyed : but Njorfe's sons, who had no boats
to take them across the lake, soon made use of a conjuror's art to
bring about a great frost, and, accompanied by many armed men,
stole noiselessly over the ice to attack Thorsten and his brothers.
A terrible carnage ensued, and only two of the attacking party
managed to escape, leaving, as they fancied, all their foes among
the dead.

But when Viking came to bury his sons, he found that two of
them, Thorsten and Thorer, were still alive, and he secretly con-
veyed them to a cellar beneath his dwelling, where they recovered
from their wounds.

By magic arts Njorfe's two sons discovered that their oppo-
nents were not dead, and soon made a second desperate but vain
attempt to kill them. Viking saw that the quarrel would be in-
cessantly renewed if his sons remained at home ; so he now sent
them to Halfdan, whose court they reached after a series of ad-
ventures which in many points resemble those of Theseus on his
way to Athens.

When spring came Thorsten embarked on a piratical excur-
sion, and encountered Jokul, Njorfe's eldest son, who, in the
mean while, had taken forcible possession of the kingdom of Sogn,
after kilHng the king, banishing his heir, Bel6, and changing his
beautiful daughter, Ingeborg, into the form of an old witch.

2 50 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Throughout the story Jokul is represented as somewhat of a
coward, for he resorted by preference to magic when he wished to
injure Viking's sons. Thus he stirred up great tempests, and Thor-
sten, after twice suffering shipwreck, was saved from the waves by
the witch Ingeborg, whom he promised to marry in gratitude for
her good services.

Thorsten, advised by her, went in search of Bele, replaced him
on his hereditary throne, swore eternal friendship with him, and,
the baleful spell being removed, married the beautiful Ingeborg,
who dwelt with him at Framnas.

Every spring Thorsten and Bel6 now set out together in their
ships ; and, joining forces with Angantyr, a foe whose mettle they
Thorsten and had duly tested, they proceeded to recover pos-
s«i^- session of a priceless treasure, a magic dragon ship

named Ellida, which ^gir, god of the sea, had once given to
Viking in reward for hospitable treatment, and which had been
stolen from him.

" A royal gift to behold, for the swelling planks of its framework
Were not fastened with nails, as is wont, but grown in together.
Its shape was that of a dragon when swimming, but forward
Its head rose proudly on high, the throat with yellow gold flaming ;
Its belly was spotted with red and yellow, but back by the rudder
Coiled out its mighty tail in circles, all scaly with silver ;
Black wings with edges of red ; when all were expanded
Ellida raced with the whistling storm, but outstript the eagle.
When filled to the edge with warriors, it sailed o'er the waters,
You'd deem it a floating fortress, or warlike abode of a monarch.
The ship was famed far and wide, and of ships was first in the North."

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

The next season, Thorsten, Bel6, and Angantyr conquered the
Orkney Islands, which were given as kingdom to the latter, he
voluntarily pledging himself to pay a yearly tribute to Bel6.
Next Thorsten and Bel6 went in quest of a magic ring, or armlet,
once forged by Volund, the smith, and stolen by Sot6, a famous
pirate.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 251

This bold robber was so afraid lest some one should gain pos-
session of the magic ring, that he had buried himself alive with it
in a mound in Bretland. Here his ghost was said to keep con-
stant watch over it, and when Thorsten entered his tomb, Bele
heard the frightful blows given and received, and saw lurid
gleams of supernatural fire.

When Thorsten finally staggered out of the mound, pale and
bloody, but triumphant, he refused to speak of the horrors he
had encountered to win the coveted treasure, nor would he ever
vouchsafe further information than this :

" 'Dearly bought is the prize,' said he often,
' For I trembled but once in my life, and 'twas when I seized it ! ' "

Tegn^r, Fritkiof Saga (Spaldmg*s tr.).

Thus owner of the three greatest treasures in the North, Thor-
sten returned home to Framnas, where Ingeborg bore him a
fine boy, Frithiof, the playmate of Halfdan and -BirVti of
Helg^, Belt's sons. The three youths were already Frithiof and
well grown when Ingeborg, Belt's httle daughter, "^* °^^'
was bom, and as she was intrusted to the care of Hilding,
Frithiof's foster father, the children grew up in perfect amity.

"Jocund they grew, in guileless glee;
Young Frithiof was the sapling tree ;
In budding beauty by his side,
Sweet Ingeborg, the garden's pride."

Tegn4k, Frithiof Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

Frithiof soon became hardy and fearless under his foster
father's training, and Ingeborg rapidly developed all the sweetest
traits of female loveliness. Both, however, were happiest when
together ; and as they grew older their childish affection daily be-
came deeper and more intense, until Hilding, perceiving this state
of affairs, bade the youth remember that he was only a subject,
and therefore no mate for the king's only daughter.

252 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" But Hilding said, ' O foster son,
Set not thy heart her love upon.
For Destiny thy wish gainsaid ;
King Bele's daughter is the maid !

" 'From Odin's self, in starry sky.
Descends her ancestry so high ;
But thou art Thorsten's son, so yield,
And leave to mightier names the field.' "

Tegn^r, Friikiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

These wise admonitions came too late, however, and Frithiof
vehemently declared that he would win the fair Ingeborg for his
Frithiofs love bride in spite of all obstacles and his comparatively
for Ingeborg. humble Origin.

Shortly after this Bel6 and Thorsten met for the last time, near
the magnificent shrine of Balder, where the king, feeling that his
end was near, had convened a solemn assembly, or Thing, of all his
principal subjects, in order to present his sons Helg6 and Halfdan
to the people as his chosen successors. The young heirs were
very coldly received on this occasion, for Helg6 was of a somber
and taciturn disposition, and inclined to the life of a priest, and
Halfdan was of a weak, eiieminate nature, and noted for his
cowardice. Frithiof, who was present, and stood beside them,
cast them both in the shade, and won many admiring glances from
the throng.

"But after them came Frithiof, in mantle blue —
He by a head was taller than th' other two.
He stood between the brethren, as day should light
Between the rosy morning and darksome night."

Tegn^r, Frithwf Saga (Spalding's tr.).

After giving his last instructions to his sons, and speaking kindly
to Frithiof, who was his favorite, the old king turned to his life-
long companion, Thorsten, to take leave of him, but the old war-
rior declared that they would not long be parted. Bel6 then spoke
again to his sons, and bade them erect his howe, or funeral mound.

THE STORY OF FRJTHIOF. 253

within sight of that of Thorsten, that their spirits might commune,
and not be sundered even in death.

" ' But lay us gently, children, where the blue wave,
Beating harmonious cadence, the shore doth lave ;
Its murmuring song is pleasant unto the soul,
And like a lamentation its ceaseless roll.

" ' And when the moon's pale luster around us streams.
And midnight dim grows radiant with silver beams,
There will we sit, O Thorsten, upon our graves, •

And talk of bygone battles by the dark waves.

" ' And now, farewell, my children ! Come here no more ;
Our road lies to Allfather's far-distant shore.
E'en as the troubled river sweeps to the sea :
By Frey and Thor and Odin blessed may ye be.' "

TEGNf R, Frithiqf Saga (Spalding's tr.).

These instructions were all piously obeyed when the aged com-
panions had breathed their last. Then the brothers, Helge and
Half dan, began to rule their kingdom, while Frithiof , Heige and
their former playmate, withdrew to his own place Haifdan.
at Framnas, a very fertile homestead, lying in a snug valley
closed in by the towering mountains and the ever-changing ocean.

" Three miles extended around the fields of the homestead ; on
three sides

Valleys and mountains and hills, but on the fourth side was the
ocean.

Birch-woods crowned the summits, but over the down-sloping hill-
sides

Flourished the golden corn, and man-high was waving the rye-
field."

Tegn^r, Friikiof Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

But although surrounded by faithful retainers, and blessed with
much wealth and the possession of the famous sword Angurvadel,
the Volund ring, and the matchless dragon ship Ellida, Frithiof
was unhappy, because he could no longer see the fair Ingeborg

254 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

daily. With the returning spring, however, all his former spirits
returned, for both kings came to visit him, accompanied by their
fair sister, with whom he lived over the happy childish years, and
spent long hours in cheerful companionship. As they were thus
constantly thrown together, Frithiof soon made known to Ingeborg
his deep affection, and received in return an avowal of her love.

" He sat by her side, and he pressed her soft hand,
And he felt a soft pressure responsive and bland ;
, Whilst his love-beaming gaze

Was returned as the sun's in the moon's placid rays."

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

When the visit was over and the guests had departed, Frithiof
informed his confidant and chief companion, Bjorn, of his deter-

Frithiofs mination to follow them and openly ask for Inge-
suit, borg's hand. His ship was prepared, and after a
swift sail touched the shore near Balder's shrine. Discerning the
royal brothers seated in state on Bele's tomb to listen to the peti-
tions of their subjects, Frithiof immediately presented himself
before them, and manfully made his request, adding that the old
king had always loved him and would surely have granted his
prayer.

" They were seated on Bele's tomb, and o'er

The common folk administered law.

But Frithiof speaks.
And his voice re-echoes round valleys and peaks.

" 'Ye kings, my love is Ingborg fair;

To ask her in marriage I here repair;

And what I require
I here maintain was King Bele's desire.

" ' He let us grow in Hilding's care,

Like two young saplings, year by year ;

And therefore, kings.
Unite the full-grown trees with golden rings.'"

Tegn4r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 255

But although he promised lifelong fealty and the service of his
strong right arm in exchange for the boon he craved, Helg6 con-
temptuously dismissed him. Enraged at the insult thus publicly
received, Frithiof raised his invincible sword ; but, remembering
that he stood on a consecrated spot, he spared the king, only
cutting the royal shield in two to show the strength of his blade,
and striding back to his ship, he embarked and sailed away in sul-
len silence.

" And lo ! cloven in twain at a stroke
Fell King Helge's gold shield from its pillar of oak:
At the clang of the blow,
The live started above, the dead started below.''

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Longfellow's tr,).

Just after his departure came messengers from Sigurd Ring,
the aged King of Ringric, in Norway, who, having lost his wife,
sent to Helg6 and Halfdan to ask Ingeborg's hand sigurd Ring
in marriage. Before answering this royal suitor, a suitor.
Helg6 consulted the Vala, or prophetess, and the priests, and as
they all declared that the omens were not in favor of this mar-
riage, he gave an insolent refusal to the messengers. This impoli-
tic conduct so offended the would-be suitor that he immediately
collected an army and prepared to march against the Kings of
Sogn to avenge the insult with his sword. When the rumor of his
approach reached the cowardly brothers they were terrified, and
fearing to encounter the foe alone, they sent Hilding to Frithiof
to implore his aid.

Hilding gladly undertook the mission, although he had not
much hope of its success. He found Frithiof playing chess with
a friend, Bjorn, and immediately made known his errand.

" ' From Bele's high heirs
I come with courteous words and prayers :
Disastrous tidings rouse the brave ;
On thee a nation's hope relies.

256 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

In Balder's fane, griefs loveliest prey,
Sweet Ing'borg weeps the livelong day :
Say, can her tears unheeded fall.
Nor call her champion to her side ? ' "

Tegn^r, Frithiqf Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

But Frithiof was so deeply offended that even this appeal in
the name of his beloved could not move him. Quietly he con-
tinued his game of chess, and, when it was ended, told Hilding
that he had no answer to give. Rightly concluding that Frithiof
would lend the kings no aid, Hilding returned to Helge and Half-
dan, who, forced to fight without their bravest leader, preferred
to make a treaty with Sigurd Ring, promising to give him not
only their sister Ingeborg, but also a yearly tribute.

While they were thus engaged at Sogn Sound, Frithiof has-
tened to Balder's temple, where, as Hilding had declared, he found

At Balder's Ingeborg a prey to grief. Now although it was
shrine. considered a sacrilege for man and woman to ex-
change a word in the sacred building, Frithiof could not see his
beloved in tears without attempting to console her ; and, forget-
ting all else, he spoke to her and comforted her. He repeated
how dearly he loved her, quieted all her apprehensions of the gods'
anger by assuring her that Balder, the good, must view their inno-
cent passion with approving eyes, said that love as pure as theirs
could defile no sanctuary, and plighted his troth to her before
the shrine.

" ' What whisper you of Balder's ire ?
The pious god — he is not wrath.
He loves himself, and doth inspire
Our love — the purest he calls forth.
The god with true and steadfast heart,
The sun upon his glittering form.
Is not his love for Nanna part
Of his own nature, pure and warm ?

" ' There is his image ; he is near.
How mild he looks on me — how kind !

-^^^''■^-

{Opp.p.ZB3.)

THE LOVERS AT BALDER'S SHRINE. -Kepler.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 257

A sacrifice to him I'll bear,

The offer of a loving mind.

Kneel down with me ; no better gift,

No fairer sure for Balder is.

Than two young hearts, whose love doth lift

Above the world almost like his.' "

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

Reassured by this reasoning, Ingeborg no longer refused to see
and converse with Frithiof; and during the kings' absence the
young lovers met every day, and plighted their troth with Volund's
ring, which Ingeborg solemnly promised to send back to her lover
should she break her promise to live for him alone. Frithiof
lingered there until the kings' return, when, for love of Ingeborg
the fair, he again appeared before them, and pledged himself to
free them from their thraldom to Sigurd Ring if they would only
reconsider their decision and promise him their sister's hand.

" ' War is abroad.
And strikes his echoing shield within our borders ;
Thy crown and land. King Helge, are in danger;
Give me thy sister's hand, and I will use
Henceforth my warlike force in thy defense.
Let then the wrath between us be forgotten.
Unwillingly I strive 'gainst Ingborg's brother.
Secure, O king, by one fraternal act
Thy golden crown and save thy sister's heart.
Here is my hand. By Thor, I ne'er again
Present it here for reconciliation.' "

Tegn^e, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

But although this offer was hailed with rapture by the assem-
bled warriors, it was again scornfully rejected by Helge, who de-
clared that he would have granted it had not Fri- Frithiof in
thiof proved himself unworthy of all confidence by disgrace,
defiling the temple of the gods. Frithiof tried to defend him-
self; but as he had to plead guilty to the accusation of having
conversed with Ingeborg at Balder's shrine, he was convicted of
having broken the law, and, in punishment therefor, condemned

17

258 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

to sail off to the Orkney Islands to claim tribute from the king,
Angantyr.

Before he sailed, however, he once more sought Ingeborg, and
vainly tried to induce her to elope with him by promising her a
home in the sunny south, where her happiness should be his law,
and where she should rule over his subjects as his honored wife.
Ingeborg sorrowfully refused to accompany him, saying that, since
her father was no more, she was in duty bound to obey her brothers
implicitly, and could not marry without their consent.

" ' But Helge is my father,
Stands in my father's place ; on his consent
Depends my hand, and Bele's daughter steals not
Her earthly happiness, how near it be.' "

Tegn^r, Frithiqf Saga (Spalding's tr.).

After a heartrending parting scene, Frithiof embarked upon
Ellida, and sorrowfully sailed out of the harbor, while Ingeborg
wept at his departure. When the vessel was barely out of
sight, Helg6 sent for two witches named Held and Ham, bid-
ding them begin their incantations, and stir up such a tempest
at sea that it would be impossible for even the god-given vessel
Ellida to withstand its fury, and all on board would perish. The
witches immediately complied ; and with Helg6's aid they soon
stirred up a storm unparalleled in history.

" Helge on the strand

Chants his wizard-spell,

Potent to command

Fiends of earth or hell.
Gathering darkness shrouds the sky ;
Hark, the thunder's distant roll !
Lurid lightnings, as they fly,
Streak with blood the sable pole.
Ocean, boiling to its base.
Scatters wide its wave of foam ;
Screaming, as in fleetest chase.
Sea-birds seek their island home."

'^'EG^^'R^ Frithiof Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 259

In spite of tossing waves and whistling blasts, Frithiof sang a
cheery song to reassure his frightened crew ; but when the peril
grew so great that his exhausted men gave them-
selves up for lost, he bade Bjorn hold the rudder, ^ tempest,
and himself climbed up to the mast top to view the horizon.
While perched up there he descried a whale, upon which the two
witches were riding at ease. Speaking to his good ship, which
was gifted with the power of understanding and obeying his
words, he now ran down both witches and whale, and the sea
was reddened with their blood. No sooner had they sunk than
the wind fell, the waves ceased to heave and toss as before, and
soon fair weather again smiled over the seas.

"Now the storm has flown.
The sea is calm awhile ;
A gentle swell is blown
Against the neighboring isle.

"Then at once the sun arose,
Like a king who mounts his throne,
Vivifies the world and throws
His light on billow, field, and stone.
His new-born beams adorn awhile
A dark green grove on rocky top.
All recognize a sea-girt isle.
Amongst the distant Orkney's group."

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

Exhausted by their previous superhuman efforts and by the
bailing of their water-logged vessel, the men were too weak to
land when they at last reached the Orkney Islands, and had to
be carried ashore by Bjorn and Frithiof, who gently laid them
down on the sand, bidding them rest and refresh themselves after
all the hardships they had endured.

"Tired indeed are all on board,
All the crew of FrithioPs men.
Scarce supported by a sword,
Can they raise themselves again.

26o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Bjorn takes four of them ashore,
On his mighty shoulders wide,
Frithiof singly takes twice four.
Places them the fire beside.
' Blush not, ye pale ones,
The sea's a valiant viking;
'Tis hard indeed to fight
Against the rough sea waves.
Lo ! there comes the mead horn
On golden feet descending,
To warm our frozen limbs.
Hail to Ingeborg ! ' "

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

The arrival of Frithiof and his men had been seen by the
viratchman of Angantyr's castle, who immediately informed his
master of all he had seen. The jarl exclaimed that the ship which
had weathered such a gale could be none but Ellida, and that its
captain was doubtless Frithiof, Thorsten's gallant son. At these
words one of his Berserkers, Atl6, caught up his weapons and
strode out of the hall, vowing that he would challenge Frithiof,
and thus satisfy himself concerning the veracity of the tales he
had heard of the young hero's courage.

Although still greatly exhausted, Frithiof immediately accepted

Atl^'s challenge, and, after a sharp encounter, threw his antago-

Atie's nist, whom he would have slain then and there had

chaUenge. his sword been within reach. Atle saw his inten-
tion, and bade him go in search of a weapon, promising to remain
motionless during his absence. Frithiof, knowing that such a
warrior's promise was inviolable, immediately obeyed ; but when
he returned with his sword, and found his antagonist calmly
awaiting death, he relented, and bade Atl6 rise and live.

" With patience long not gifted,
Frithiof the foe would kill.
And Angurvadel lifted.
But Atle yet lay still.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 261

This touched the hero's soul ;
He stayed the sweeping brand
Before it reached its goal,
And took the fall'n one's hand."

iKG^t^, Friikiof Saga {Spalding's tr.).

Together these doughty warriors then wended their way to
Angantyr's halls, where they found a festal board awaiting them,
and there they ate and drank, sang songs, and recounted stories
of thrilling adventure by land and by sea.

At last, however, Frithiof made known his errand. Angantyr
said that he owed no tribute to Helg6, and would pay him none ;
but that he would give the required sum as a free gift to his old
friend Thorsten's son, leaving him at liberty to dispose of it as
he pleased. Then, since the season was unpropitious, and storms
continually swept over the sea, the king invited Frithiof to tarry
with him ; and it was only when the gentle spring breezes were
blowing once more that he at last allowed him to depart.

After sailing over summer seas, wafted along by favorable
winds for six days, Frithiof came in sight of his home, Framnas,
which had been reduced to a shapeless heap of ashes by Helg6's
orders. Sadly steering past the ruins, he arrived at Baldershage,
where Hilding met him and informed him that Ingeborg was now
the wife of Sigurd Ring. When Frithiof heard these tidings he
flew into a Berserker rage, and bade his men destroy all the ves-
sels in the harbor, while he strode up to the temple alone in search
of Helg6. He found him there before the god's image, roughly
flung Angantyr's heavy purse of gold in his face, and when, as
he was about to leave the temple, he saw the ring he had given
Ingeborg on the arm of Helg^'s wife, he snatched it away from
her. In trying to recover it she dropped the god's image, which
she had just been anointing, into the fire, where it was rapidly
consumed, and the rising flames soon set the temple roof in a
blaze.

Frithiof, horror-stricken at the sacrilege which he had involun-
tarily occasioned, after vainly trying to extinguish the flames and

262 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

save the costly sanctuary, escaped to his ship and waiting com--
panions, to begin the weary Ufe of an outcast and exile.

" The temple soon in ashes lay,
Ashes the temple's bower ;
WofuUy Frithiof goes his way,
Weeps in the morning hour."

T-Ecnt^f Frithiof Sa^a (Spalding's tr.).

Helg^'s men started in pursuit, hoping to overtake and punish
him ; but when they reached the harbor they could not find a

Frithiof an single seaworthy craft, and were forced to stand on
«''''«^- the shore in helpless inactivity while EUida's great
sails slowly sank beneath the horizon. It was thus that Frithiof
sadly saw his native land vanish from sight ; and as it disappeared
he breathed a tender farewell to the beloved country which he
never expected to see again.

" ' World-circle's brow.
Thou mighty North !
I may not go
Upon thine earth ;
But in no other
I love to dwell ;
Now, hero-mother,
Farewell, farewell !

" ' Farewell, thou high
And heavenly one,
Night's sleeping eye.
Midsummer sun.
Thou clear blue sky,
Like hero's soul,
Ye stars on high.
Farewell, farewell!

" 'Farewell, ye mounts
Where Honour thrives,
And Thor recounts
Good warriors' lives.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 263

Ye azure lakeSj
I know so well.
Ye woods and brakes,
Farewell, farewell !

" ' Farewell, ye tombs.
By billows blue,
The lime tree blooms
Its snow on you.
The Saga sets
In judgment well
What earth forgets ;
Farewell, farewell !

" ' Farewell the heath,
The forest hoar
I played beneath.
By streamlet's roar.
To childhood's friends
Who loved me well.
Remembrance sends
A fond farewell !

" ' My love is foiled.
My rooftree rent,
Mine honour soiled.
In exile sent !
We turn from earth,
On ocean dwell,
But, joy and mirth,
Farewell, farewell ! ' "

TmysiTi, Friihiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

After thus parting from his native land, Frithiof took up the
life of a pirate, rover, or viking, whose code was never to settle
anywhere, to sleep on his shield, to fight and neither give nor
take quarter, to protect the ships which paid him tribute and sack
the others, and to distribute all the booty to his men, reserving
for himself nothing but the glory of the enterprise. Sailing and
fighting thus, Frithiof visited many lands, and came to the sunny

264 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

isles of Greece, whither he would fain have carried Ingeborg as
his bride; but wherever he went and whatever he did, he was
always haunted by the recollection of his beloved and of his
native land.

Overcome at last by homesickness, Frithiof returned northward,
determined to visit Sigurd Ring's court and ascertain whether
At the court of lugcborg was really well and happy. Steering his
Sigurd Ring, ycssel up the Vik (the main part of the Christiania-
Fiord), he intrusted it to Bjorn's care, and alone, on foot, and
enveloped in a tattered mantle, which he used as disguise, he went
to the court of Sigurd Ring, arriving there just as the Yuletide
festivities were being held. As if in reality nothing more than the
aged beggar he appeared, Frithiof sat down upon the bench near
the door, where he became the butt of the courtiers' rough jokes ;
but when one of his tormentors approached too closely he caught
him in his powerful grasp and swung him high above his head.

Terrified by this proof of great strength, the courtiers silently
withdrew, while Sigurd Ring invited the old man to remove his
mantle, take a seat beside him, and share his good cheer. Frithiof
accepted the invitation thus cordially given, and when he had laid
aside his squalid outward apparel all started with surprise to see
a handsome warrior, richly clad, and adorned with a beautiful ring.

" Now from the old man's stooping head is loosed the sable hood,
When lo ! a young man smiling stands, where erst the old one stood.
See ! From his lofty forehead, round shoulders broad and strong,
The golden locks flow glistening, like sunUght waves along.

" He stood before them glorious in velvet mantle blue.
His baldrics broad, with silver worked, the artist's skill did shew ;
For round about the hero's breast and round about his waist,
The beasts and birds of forest wild, embossed, each other chased.

•' The armlet's yellow luster shone rich upon his arm ;
His war sword by his side — in strife a thunderbolt alarm.
Serene the hero cast his glance around the men of war ;
Bright stood he there as Bnlder, as tall as Asa Thor."

Tegn4r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

fRITHIOF AT THE COURT OF KING RING. -Kepler.

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 265

But although his appearance was so unusual, none of the peo-
ple present recognized him save Ingeborg only; and when the
king asked him who he was he evasively replied that he was
Thiolf (a thief), that he came from Ulf's (the wolf's), and had
been brought up in Anger (sorrow or grief). Notwithstanding
this unenticing account of himself, Sigurd Ring invited him to
remain ; and Frithiof, accepting the proffered hospitality, became
the constant companion of the king and queen, whom he accom-
panied wherever they went.

One day, when the royal couple were seated in a sleigh and
skimming along a frozen stream, Frithiof sped on his skates before
them, performing graceful evolutions, and cutting Ingeborg's
name deep in the ice. All at once the ice broke and the sleigh
disappeared ; but Frithiof, springing forward, caught the horse
by the bridle, and by main force dragged them all out of their
perilous position.

When spring came, Sigurd Ring invited Frithiof to accompany
him on a hunting expedition. The king became separated from
all the rest of his suite, and saying that he was too weary to con-
tinue the chase, he lay down to rest upon the cloak which Frithiof
spread out for him, resting his head upon his young guest's knee.

"Then threw Frithiof down his mantle, and upon the greensward
spread,
And the ancient king so trustful laid on Frithiof's knee his head ;
Slept, as calmly as the hero sleepeth after war's alarms
On his shield, calm as an infant sleepeth in its mother's arms."

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Longfellow's tr.).

While the aged king was thus reposing, the birds and beasts
of the forest softly drew near, bidding Frithiof take advantage of
his host's unconsciousness to slay him and recover Frithiofs
the bride of whom he had been unfairly deprived. loyalty.
But although Frithiof understood the language of birds and
beasts, and his hot young heart clamored for his beloved, he
utterly refused to listen to them ; and, fearing lest he should in-

266 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

voluntarily harm his trusting host, he impulsively flung his sword
far from him into a neighboring thicket.

A few moments later Sigurd Ring awoke from his feigned sleep,
and after telling Frithiof that he had recognized him from the first,
had tested him in many ways, and had always found his honor
fully equal to his vaunted courage, he bade him be patient a little
longer, for his end was very near, and said that he would die
happy if he could leave Ingeborg, his infant heir, and his king-
dom in such good hands. Then, taking the astonished Frithiof's
arm, Sigurd Ring returned home, where, feeling death draw near,
he dedicated himself anew to Odin by carving the Geirs-odd, or
sacrificial runes, deeply in his aged chest.

" Bravely he slashes

Odin's red letters.
Blood-runes of heroes, on arm and on breast.

Brightly the splashes

Of life's flowing fetters
Drip from the silver of hair-covered chest."

1^Gii±Vi, Friikiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

When this ceremony was finished, Sigurd Ring laid Ingeborg's
hand in Frithiof's, and, once more commending her to the young
hero's loving care, closed his eyes and breathed his last.

All the nation assembled to raise a mound for Sigurd Ring;
and by his own request the funeral feast was closed by a banquet

Betrothal *° Celebrate the betrothal of Ingeborg and Frithiof.
of Frithiof and The latter had won the people's enthusiastic ad-

ingeborg. miration ; but when they would fain have elected
him king, Frithiof raised Sigurd Ring's litde son up on his shield
and presented him to the assembled nobles as their future king,
publicly swearing to uphold him until he was of age to defend
himself. The child, weary of his cramped position on the shield,
boldly sprang to the ground as soon as Frithiof's speech was
ended, and ahghted upon his feet. This act of daring in so
small a child was enough to win tlie affection and admiration of
all his rude subjects.

THE STORY OP PRITttlOP. 267

According to some accounts, Frithiof now made war against
Ingeborg's brothers, and after conquering them, allowed them to
retain their kingdom only upon condition of their paying him a
yearly tribute. Then he and Ingeborg remained in Ringric until
the young king was able to assume the government, when they
repaired to Hordaland, a kingdom Frithiof had obtained by con-
quest, and which he left to his sons Gungthiof and Hunthiof.

But according to Tegndr's poem, Frithiof, soon after his second
betrothal to Ingeborg, made a pious pilgrimage to his father's
resting place, and while seated on the latter's funeral Frithiofs
mound, plunged in melancholy and remorse at the vision,
sight of the desolation about him, he was favored by a vision of a
new temple, more beautiful than the first, within whose portals he
beheld the three Norns.

"And lo ! reclining on their runic shields
The mighty Nomas now the portal fill ;
Three rosebuds fair which the same garden yields,
With aspect serious, but charming still.
Whilst Urda points upon the blackened fields,
The fairy temple Skulda doth reveal.
When Frithiof first his dazzled senses cleared,
Rejoiced, admired, the vision disappeared."

Tegn^r, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

The hero immediately understood that the gods had thus
pointed out to him a means of atonement, and spared neither
wealth nor pains to restore Balder's temple and grove, which
soon rose out of the ashes in more than their former splendor.

When the temple was all finished, and duly consecrated to
Balder's service, Frithiof received Ingeborg at the altar from her
brothers' hands, and ever after lived on amicable terms with them.

" Now stepped Halfdan in
Over the brazen threshold, and with wistful look
Stood silent, at a distance from the dreaded one.
Then Frithiof loosed the Harness-hater from his thigh,
Against the altar placed the golden buckler round.

268 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

And forward came unarmed to meet his enemy :
' In such a strife,' thus he commenced, with friendly voice,
' The noblest he who first extends the hand of peace.'
Then blushed King Halfdan deep, and drew his gauntlet oflf,
And long-divided hands now firmly clasped each other,
A mighty pressure, steadfast as the mountain's base.
The old man then absolved him from the curse which lay
Upon the Varg i Veum,i on the outlawed man.
And as he spake the words, fair Ingeborg came in.
Arrayed in bridal dress, and followed by fair maids,
E'en as the stars escort the moon in heaven's vault.
Whilst tears suffused her soft and lovely eyes, she fell
Into her brother's arms, but deeply moved he led
His cherished sister unto Frithiof s faithful breast.
And o'er the altar of the god she gave her hand
Unto her childhood's friend, the darling of her heart."

TKcatiL, Frithwf Saga (Spalding's tx.).
1 Wolf in the sanctuaries.

CHAPTER XVI.

RAGNAR LODBROK.

" Last from among the Heroes one came near,
No God, but of the hero troop the chief —
Regner, who swept the northern sea with fleets,
And ruled o'er Denmark and the heathy isles,
Living ; but Ella captured him and slew ; —
A king whose fame then fill'd the vast of Heaven,
Now time obscures it, and men's later deeds."

Matthew Arnold, Balder Dead.

Ragnar Lodbrok, who figures in history as the contemporary
of Charlemagne, is one of the great northern heroes, to whom
many mythical deeds of valor are ascribed. His Ragnar Lod-
story has given rise not only to the celebrated Rag- •"■"'^ ^^e^-
nar Lodbrok saga, so popular in the thirteenth century, but also
to many poems and songs by ancient scalds and modern poets.
The material of the Ragnar Lodbrok saga was probably largely
borrowed from the Volsunga saga and from the saga of Dietrich
von Bern, the chief aim of the ancient composers being to con-
nect the Danish dynasty of kings with the great hero Sigurd, the
slayer of Fafnir, and thereby to prove that their ancestor was no
less a person than Odin.

The hero of this saga was Ragnar, the son of Sigurd Ring and
his first wife, Alfild. According to one version of the story, as
we have seen, Sigurd Ring married Ingeborg, and died, leaving
Frithiof to protect his young son. According to another, Sigurd

269

270 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ring appointed Ragnar as his successor, and had him recognized
as future ruler by the Thing before he set out upon his last mih-
tary expedition.

This was a quest for a new wife named Alfsol, a princess of
Jutland, with whom, in spite of his advanced years, he had fallen
passionately in love. Her family, however, rudely refused Sigurd
Ring's request. When he came to win his bride by the force
of arms, and they saw themselves defeated, they poisoned Alfsol
rather than have her fall alive into the viking's hands.

Sigurd Ring, finding a corpse where he had hoped to clasp a
living and loving woman, was so overcome with grief that he now
resolved to die too. By his orders Alfsol's body was laid in state
on a funeral pyre on his best ship. Then, when the fire had been
kindled, and the ship cut adrift from its moorings, Sigurd Ring
sprang on board, and, stabbing himself, was burned with the fair
maiden he loved.

Ragnar was but fifteen years old when he found himself called
upon to reign ; but just as he outshone all his companions in
beauty and intelligence, so he could match the bravest heroes in
courage and daring, and generally escaped uninjured from every
battle, owing to a magic shirt which his mother had woven for
him.

" ' I give thee the long shirt.
Nowhere sewn,
Woven with a loving mind.

Of hair • [obscure word].

Wounds will not bleed

Nor will edges bite thee

In the holy garment ;

It was consecrated tc the gods.' "

Ragytar Lodbrok Saga.

Of course the young hero led out his men every summer upon
some exciting viking expedition, to test their courage and supply
them with plunder ; for all the northern heroes proudly boasted
that the sword was their god and gold was their goddess.

RAGNAR LODBROK. 271

On one occasion Ragnar landed in a remote part of Norway,
and having climbed one of the neighboring mountains, he looked
down upon a fruitful valley inhabited by Lodgerda,
a warrior maiden who delighted in the chase and
all athletic exercises, and ruled over all that part of the country.
Ragnar immediately resolved to visit this fair maiden ; and, see-
ing her ma,nifold attractions, he soon fell in love with her and
married her. She joined him in all his active pursuits; but in
spite of all his entreaties, she would not consent to leave her na-
tive land and accompany him home.

After spending three years in Norway with Lodgerda, the young
viking became restless and unhappy ; and learning that his king-
dom had been raided during his prolonged absence, he parted
from his wife in hot haste. He pursued his enemies to Whitaby
and to Lym- Fiord, winning a signal victory over them in both
places, and then reentered his capital of Hledra in triumph, amid
the acclamations of his joyful people.

He had not been resting long upon his newly won laurels when
a northern seer came to his court, and showed him in a magic
mirror the image of Thora, the beautiful daughter of Jarl Her-
rand in East Gothland. Ragnar, who evidently considered him-
self freed from all matrimonial bonds by his wife's refusal to ac-
company him home, eagerly questioned the seer concerning the
radiant vision.

This man then revealed to him that Thora, having at her
father's request carefully brought up a dragon from an egg
hatched by a swan, had at last seen it assume such colossal pro-
portions that it coiled itself all around the house where she dwelt.
Here it watched over her with jealous care, allowing none to ap-
proach except the servant who brought the princess her meals
and who provided an ox daily for the monster's sustenance. Jarl
Herrand had offered Thora's hand in marriage, and immense sums
of gold, to any hero brave enough to slay this dragon ; but none
dared venture within reach of its powerful jaws, whence came iire,
venom, and noxious vapors.

272 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Ragnar, who as usual thirsted for adventure, immediately made
up his mind to go and fight this dragon ; and, after donning a pe-
culiar leather and woolen garment, all smeared over with pitch,
he attacked and successfully slew the monster.

" ' Nor long before
In arms I reached the Gothic shore,
To work the loathly serpent's death.
I slew the reptile of the heath.'"

Death Song ofRegner Lodirock (Herbert's tr.).

In commemoration of this victory, Ragnar ever after bore also
the name of Lodbrok (Leather Hose), although he laid aside this
Origin of name garment as soon as possible, and appeared in royal
Lodbrok. ggj^ {q receive his prize, the beautiful maiden
Thora, whom he had delivered, and whom he now took to be his
wife.

" ' My prize was Thora ; from that fight,
'Mongst warriors am I Lodbrock hight.
I pierced the monster's scaly side
With steel, the soldier's wealth and pride.' "

Death Song ofRegner Lddirock (Herbert's tr.) .

Thora gladly accompanied Ragnar back to Hledra, lived hap-
pily with him for several years, and bore him two sturdy sons,
Agnar and Erik, who soon gave proof of uncommon courage.
Such was Ragnar's devotion to his new wife that he even forbore
to take part in the usual viking expeditions, to linger by her side.
All his love could not long avail to keep her with him, however,
for she soon sickened and died, leaving him an inconsolable
widower.

To divert him from his great sorrow, his subjects finally pro-
posed that he should resume his former adventvuous career, and
prevailed upon him to launch his dragon ship once more and to
set sail for foreign shores. Some time during the cruise their
bread supply failed, and Ragnar steered his vessel into the port

RAGNAR LODBROK. 273

of Spangarhede, where he bade his men carry their flour ashore
and ask the people in a hut which he descried there to help them
knead and bake their bread. The sailors obeyed ; but when they
entered the lowly hut and saw the filthy old woman who appeared
to be its sole occupant, they hesitated to bespeak her aid.

While they were deliberating what they should do, a beautiful
girl, poorly clad, but immaculately clean, entered the hut ; and the
old woman, addressing her as Krake (Crow), bade
her see what the strangers wanted. They told her,
and admiringly watched her as she deftly fashioned the dough into
loaves and slipped them into the hot oven. She bade the sail-
ors watch them closely, lest they should bum ; but these men
forgot all about their loaves to gaze upon her as she flitted about
the house, and the result was that their bread was badly burned.

When they retiuned to the vessel, Ragnar Lodbrok reproved
them severely for their carelessness, until the men, to justify them-
selves, began describing the maiden Krake in such glowing terms
that the chief finally expressed a desire to see her. With the
view of testing her wit and intelligence, as well as her beauty,
Ragnar sent a message bidding her appear before him neither
naked nor clad, neither alone nor unaccompanied, neither fasting
nor yet having partaken of any food.

This singular message was punctually delivered, and Krake,
who was as clever as beautiful, soon presented herself, with a fish
net wound several times around her graceful form, her sheep dog
beside her, and the odor of the leek she had bitten into still
hovering over her ruby lips.

Ragnar, charmed by her ingenuity no less than by her extreme
beauty, then and there proposed to marry her. But Krake, who
was not to be so lightly won, declared that he must first prove
the depth of his affection by remaining constant to her for one
whole year, at the end of which time she would marry him if he
still cared to claim her hand.

The year passed by; Ragnar returned to renew his suit, and
Krake, satisfied that she had inspired no momentary passion, for-
18

2 74 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

sook the aged couple and accompanied the great viking to Hle-

dra, where she became queen of Denmark. She bore Ragnax

, four sons, — Ivar, Biom, Hvitserk, and Rogenwald,

Marriage of ' .

Ragnar and — who from earUcst infancy longed to emulate the
prowess of their father, Ragnar, and of their step-
brothers, Erik and Agnar, who even in their youth were already
great vikings.

The Danes, however, had never fully approved of Ragnar's
last marriage, and murmured frequently because they were obliged
to obey a lowborn queen, and one who bore the vulgar name of
Krake. Little by little these murmurs grew louder, and finally
they came to Ragnar's ears while he was visiting Eystein, King
of Svithiod (Sweden). Craftily his courtiers went to work, and fi-
nally prevailed upon him to sue for the princess's hand. He did
so, and left Sweden promising to divorce Krake when he reached
home, and to return as soon as possible to claim his bride.

As Ragnar entered the palace at Hledra, Krake came, as usual,
to meet him. His conscience smote him, and he answered all
her tender inquiries so roughly that she suddenly turned and
asked him why he had made arrangements to divorce her and
take a new wife. Surprised at her knowledge, for he fancied the
matter still a secret, Ragnar Lodbrok asked who had told her.
Thereupon Krake explained that, feeling anxious about him, she
had sent her pet magpies after him, and that the birds had come
home and revealed all.

This answer, which perhaps gave rise to the common expres-
sion, " A little bird told me," greatly astonished Ragnar. He was
, , about to try to excuse himself when Krake, draw-

Aslaug. •' '

ing herself up proudly, declared that while she was
perfectly ready to depart, it was but just that he should now learn
that her extraction was far less humble than he thought. She then
proceeded to tell him that her real name was Aslaug, and that she
was the daughter of Sigurd Fafnisbane (the slayer of Fafnir) and
the beautiful Valkyr Brunhild. Her grandfather, or her foster
father, Heimir, to protect her from the foes who would fain have

RAGNAR LODBROK. 275

taken her life, had hidden her in his hollow harp when she was
but a babe. He had tenderly cared for her until he was treach-
erously murdered by peasants, who had found her in the hollow
harp instead of the treasure they sought there.

" Let be — as ancient stories tell —
Full knowledge upon Ragnar fell
In lapse of time, that this was she
Begot in the felicity
Swift-fleeting of the wondrous twain.
Who afterwards through change and pain
Must live apart to meet in death."

William Morris, The Fostering of Aslaug.

In proof of her assertion, Aslaug then produced a ring and a
letter which had belonged to her illustrious mother, and foretold
that her next child, a son, would bear the image of a dragon in
his right eye, as a sign that he was a grandson of the Dragon
Slayer, whose memory was honored by all.

Convinced of the truth of these statements, Ragnar no longer
showed any desire to repudiate his wife ; but, on the contrary, he
besought her to remain with him, and bade his subjects call her
Aslaug.

Shortly after this reconciliation the queen gave birth to a fifth
son, who, as she had predicted, came into the world with a pecul-
iar birthmark, to which he owed his name — Sigurd sigurd the
the Snake-eyed. As it was customary for kings to Snake-eyed.
intrust their sons to some noted warrior to foster, this child was
given to the celebrated Norman pirate, Hastings, who, as soon
as his charge had attained a suitable age, taught him the art of
viking warfare, and took him, with his four elder brothers, to raid
the coasts of all the southern countries.

Ivar, the eldest of Ragnar and Aslaug's sons, although crip-
pled from birth, and unable to walk a step, was always ready
to join in the fray, into the midst of which he was borne on a
shield. From this point of vantage he shot arrow after arrow,
with fatal accuracy of aim. As he had employed much of his

276 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

leisure time in learning runes ^ and all kinds of magic arts, he was
often of great assistance to his brothers, who generally chose him
leader of their expeditions.

While Ragnar's five sons were engaged in fighting the English
at Whitaby to punish them for plundering and setting fire to some
Danish ships, Rogenwald fell to rise no more.

Eystein, the Swedish king, now assembled a large army and
declared war against the Danes, because their monarch had failed
The enchanted to return at the appointed time and claim the bride
cow. fQp whom he had sued. Ragnar would fain have

gone forth to meet the enemy in person, but Agnar and Erik, his
two eldest sons, craved permission to go in his stead. They met
the Swedish king, but in spite of their valor they soon succumbed
to an attack made by an enchanted cow.

" ' We smote with swords ; at dawn of day
Hundred spearmen gasping lay,
Bent beneath the arrowy strife.
Egill reft my son of life ;
Too soon my Agnar's youth was spent,
The scabbard thorn his bosom rent.' "

Death Song ofRegner Lodhrock (Herbert's tr.).

Ragnar was about to sally forth to avenge them, when Hast-
ings and the other sons returned. Then Aslaug prevailed upon
her husband to linger by her side and delegate the duty of re-
venge to his sons. In this battle Ivar made use of his magic to
slay Eystein's cow, which could make more havoc than an army
of warriors. His brothers, having slain Eystein and raided the
country, then sailed off to renew their depredations elsewhere.

This band of vikings visited the coasts of England, Ireland,
France, Italy, Greece, and the Greek isles, plundering, murder-
ing, and burning wherever they went. Assisted by Hastings, the
brothers took Wiflisburg (probably the Roman Aventicum), and
even besieged Luna in Etruria.

1 See Guerbei's Myths of Northern Lands, p. 39.

RAGNAR LODBROK. ill

As this city was too strongly fortified and too well garrisoned
to yield to an assault, the Normans (as all the northern pirates
were indiscriminately called in the South) resolved to secure it by
stratagem. They therefore pretended that Hastings, their leader,
was desperately ill, and induced a bishop to come out of the town
to baptize him, so that he might die in the Christian faith. Three
days later they again sent a herald to say that Hastings had died,
and that his last wish had been to be buried in a Christian church.
They therefore asked permission to enter the city unarmed, and
bear their leader to his last resting place, promising not only to
receive baptism, but also to endow with great wealth the church
where Hastings was buried.

The inhabitants of Luna, won by these specious promises, im-
mediately opened their gates, and the funeral procession filed
solemnly into the city. But, in the midst of the Hastings's
mass, the coffin lid flew open, and Hastings sprang stratagem,
out, sword in hand, and killed the officiating bishop and priests..
This example was followed by his soldiers, who produced the
weapons they had concealed upon their persons, and slew all the
inhabitants of the town.

These lawless invaders were about to proceed to Romaburg
(Rome), and sack that city also, but were deterred by a pilgrim
whom they met. He told them that the city was so far away that he
had worn out two pairs of iron-soled shoes in coming from thence.
The Normans, believing this tale, which was only a stratagem
devised by the quick-witted pilgrim, spared the Eternal City,
and, reembarking in their vessels, sailed home.

Ragnar Lodbrok, in the mean while, had not been inactive, but
had continued his adventurous career, winning numerous battles,
and bringing home much plunder to enrich his kingdom and

subjects.

" ' I have fought battles
Fifty and one
Which were famous ;
I have wounded many men.' "

Ragnar's Sons* Saga,

278 LEGENDS OF THE AlDDLE AGES.

The hero's last expedition was against Ella, King of Northum-
berland. From the very outset the gods seemed to have decided
that Ragnar should not prove as successful as usual. The poets
tell us that they even sent the Valkyrs (battle maidens of northern
mythology) to warn him of his coming defeat, and to teU him
of the bhss awaiting him in Valhalla.

" ' Regner ! tell thy fair-hair'd bride
She must slumber at thy side !
Tell the brother of thy breast
Even for him thy grave hath rest !
Tell the raven steed which bore thee
When the wild wolf fled before thee,
He too with his lord must fall, —
There is room in Odin's Hall ! ' "

Mrs. Hemans, Vatkyri'tr Song.

In spite of this warning, Ragnar went on. Owing to the magic
shirt he wore, he stood unharmed in the midst of the slain long
Death of Rag- after all his brave followers had perished ; and it
nar Lodbrok. ^^^ Qjjjy g^ftg,- g. whole day's fighting that the ene-
my finally succeeded in making him a prisoner. Then the fol-
lowers of Ella vainly besought Ragnar to speak and tell his name.
As he remained obstinately silent they finally flung him into a den
of snakes, where the reptiles crawled all over him, vainly trying to
pierce the magic shirt with their venomous fangs. Ella perceived
at last that it was this garment which preserved his captive from
death, and had it forcibly removed. Ragnar was then thrust back
amid the writhing, hissing snakes, which bit him many times. Now
that death was near, the hero's tongue was loosened, not to give
vent to weak complaints, but to chant a triumphant death song,
in which he recounted his manifold battles, and foretold that his
brave sons would avenge his cruel death.

" ' Grim stings the adder's forked dart ;
The vipers nestle in my heart.
But soon, I wot, shall Vider's wand.
Fixed in Ella's bosom stand.

RAGNAR LODBROK. 279

My youthful sons with rage will swell,
Listening how their father fell ;
Those gallant boys in peace unbroken
Will never rest, till I be wroken [avenged].' "

Death Song of Regner Lodbrock (Herbert's tr,).

This heroic strain has been immortalized by ancient scalds and
modem poets. They have all felt the same admiration for the
dauntless old viking, who, even amid the pangs of death, gloried in
his past achievements, and looked ardently forward to his sojourn
in Valhalla. There, he fancied, he would still be able to indulge
in warfare, his favorite pastime, and would lead the einheriar
(spirits of dead warriors) to their daily battles.

" ' Cease, my strain ! I hear a voice
From realms where martial souls rejoice ;
I hear the maids of slaughter call.
Who bid me hence to Odin's haU :
High seated in their blest abodes
I soon shall quaff the drink of gods.
The hours of life have glided by ;
I fall, but smiUng shall I die.'" .

Death Song of Regner Lodbrock (Herbert's tr.).

Ragnar Lodbrok's sons had reached home, and were peacefully
occupied in playing chess, when a messenger came to announce
their father's sad end. In their impatience to Founding of
avenge him they started out without waiting to London,
collect a large force, and in spite of many inauspicious omens.
Ella, who expected them, met them with a great host, composed
not only of all his own subjects but also of many allies, among
whom was King Alfred. In spite of their valor the Normans
were completely defeated by the superior forces of the enemy,
and only a few of them survived. Ivar and his remaining fol-
lowers consented to surrender at last, provided that Ella would
atone for their losses by giving them as much land as an oxhide
would inclose. This seemingly trifling request was granted with-

28o LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

out demm-, nor could the king retract his promise when he saw
that the oxhide, cut into tiny strips, inclosed a vast space of land,
upon which the Normans now proceeded to construct an almost
impregnable fortress, called Lunduna Burg (London).

Here Ivar took up his permanent abode, while his brothers
returned to Hledra. Little by little he alienated the affections of
Ella's subjects, and won them over to him by rich gifts and art-
ful flattery. When sure of their allegiance, he incited them to re-
volt against the king ; and as he had solemnly sworn never to bear
arms against Ella, he kept the letter of his promise by sending for
his brothers to act as their leaders.

As a result of this revolution Ella was made prisoner. Then
the fierce vikings stretched him out upon one of those rude stone

Death of altars which can still be seen in England, and ruth-
^"^- lessly avenged their father's cruel death by cutting

the bloody eagle upon him.i After Ella's death, Ivar became
even more powerful than before, while his younger brothers con-
tinued their viking expeditions, took an active part in all the
piratical incursions of the time, and even, we are told, besieged
Paris in the reign of Louis the Fat.

Other Danish and Scandinavian vikings were equally venture-
some and successful, and many eventually settled in the lands
which they had conquered. Among these was the famous Rollo
(Rolf Ganger), who, too gigantic in stature to ride horseback,
always went on foot. He settled with his followers in a fertile
province in northern France, which owes to them its name of
Normandy.

The rude independence of the Northmen is well illustrated by
their behavior when called to court to do homage for this new
fief. Rollo was directed to place both his hands between those
of the king, and take his vow of allegiance ; so he submitted with
indifferent grace. But when he was told that he must conclude
the ceremony by kissing the monarch's foot, he obstinately re-
fused to do so. A proxy was finally suggested, and Rollo, calling
1 See Guerber's Myths of Northern Lands, p. 85.

RAGNAR LODBROK. 281

one of his Berserkers, bade him take his place. The stalwart
giant strode forward, but instead of kneeling, he grasped the
king's foot and raised it to his lips. As the king did not expect
such a jerk, he lost his balance and fell heavily backward. All
the Frenchmen present were, of course, scandalized ; but the bar-
barian refused to make any apology, and strode haughtily out of
the place, vowing he would never come to court again.

All the northern pirates were, as we have seen, called Nor-
mans. They did not all settle in the North, however, for many
of them found their way into Italy, and even to Constantinople.
There they formed the celebrated Varangian Guard, and faith-
fully watched over the safety of the emperor. It was probably
one of these soldiers who traced the runes upon the stone lion
which was subsequently transferred to Venice, where it now adorns
the Piazza of St. Mark's.

" Rose the Norseman chief Hardrada, like a lion from his lair;
His the fearless soul to conquer, his the willing soul to dare.
Gathered Skald and wild Varingar, where the raven banner shone.
And the dread steeds of the ocean, left the Northland's frozen zone."

Vail, Marries Vision.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE CID.

The ballads of the Cid, which number about two hundred, and
some of which are of undoubted antiquity, were not committed
Ballads of the 'o writing until the twelfth century, when a poem
^'^^- of about three thousand lines was composed. This

poem, descriptive of a national hero's exploits, was probably writ-
ten about half a century after his death. The earliest manu-
script of it now extant bears the date either 1245 or 1345. The
Cid was a real personage, named Rodrigo Diaz, or Ruy Diaz.
He was born in Burgos, in the eleventh centxury, and won the
name of " Cid " (Conqueror) by defeating five Moorish kings,
when Spain had been in the hands of the Arabs for more than
three centuries.

" Mighty victor, never vanquish'd,

Bulwark of our native land.
Shield of Spain, her boast and glory.

Knight of the far-dreaded brand,
Venging scourge of Moors and traitors.

Mighty thunderbolt of war,
Mirror bright of chivalry,

Ruy, my Cid Campeador ! "

Ancient Spanish Balltuls (LocMi\3xt*s tr.).

Rodrigo was still a young and untried warrior when his aged
father, Diego Laynez, was grossly and publicly insulted by Don
Gomez, who gave him a blow in the face. Diego was far too
feeble to seek the usual redress, arms in hand; but the insult

282

THE CID. 283

rankled deep in his heart, preventing him from either sleeping or
eating, and imbittering every moment of his life.

" Sleep was banish'd from his eyelids;
Not a mouthful could he taste ;
There he sat with downcast visage, —
Direly had he been disgrac'd.

"Never stirr'd he from his chamber;
With no friends would he converse,
Lest the breath of his dishonor

Sliould pollute them with its curse."

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

At last, however, Diego confessed his shame to his son Rodrigo,
v?ho impetuously vowed to avenge him. Armed with his father's
cross-hilted sword, and encouraged by his solemn ^^^ Gomez
blessing, Rodrigo marched into the hall of Don Go- slain by
mez, and challenged him to fight. In spite of his
youth, Rodrigo conducted himself so bravely in this his first en-
counter that he slew his opponent, and by shedding his blood
washed out the stain upon his father's honor, according to the
chivalric creed of the time. Then, to convince Diego that he
had been duly avenged, the young hero cut off the head of Don
Gomez, and triumphantly laid it before him.

" ' Ne'er again thy foe can harm thee;
All his pride is now laid low ;
Vain his hand is now to smite thee.
And this tongue is silent now.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

Happy once more, old Diego again left home, and went to
King Ferdinand's court, where he bade Rodrigo do homage to
the king. The proud youth obeyed this command Defeat of the
with indifferent grace, and his bearing was so de- *'°°"-
fiant that the frightened monarch banished him from his presence.
Rodrigo therefore departed with three hundred kindred spirits.
He soon encountered the Moors, who were invading Castile, de-

284 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

feated them in battle, took five of their kings prisoners, and re-
leased them only after they had promised to pay tribute and to
refrain from further warfare. They were so grateful for their lib-
erty that they pledged themselves to do his will, and departed,
calling him " Cid," the name by which he was thenceforth known.
As Rodrigo had delivered the land from a great danger, King
Ferdinand now restored him to favor and gave him an honorable
place among his courtiers, who, however, were all somewhat in-
clined to be jealous of the fame the young man had won. Shortly
after his triumphant return, Dona Ximena, daughter of Don
Gomez, also appeared in Burgos, and, falling at the king's feet,
demanded justice. Then, seeing the Cid among the courtiers, she
vehemently denounced him for having slain her father, and bade
him take her life also, as she had no wish to survive a parent whom
she adored.

" ' Thou hast slain the best and bravest
That e'er set a lance in rest;
Of our holy faith the bulwark, —
Terror of each Paynim breast.

" ' Traitorous murderer, slay me also !
Though a woman, slaughter me !
Spare not — I'm Ximena Gomez,
Thine eternal enemy !

" ' Here's my throat — smite, I beseech thee '.
Smite, and fatal be thy blow !
Death is all I ask, thou caitiff, —
Grant this boon unto thy foe. ' " '

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

As this denunciation and appeal remained without effect (for
the king had been too well served by the Cid to listen to any ac-
cusation against him), the distressed damsel departed, only to re-
turn to court three times upon the same fruitless errand. During
this time the valor and services of the Cid had been so frequently
discussed in her presence that on her fifth visit to Ferdinand she

THE CID. 285

consented to forego all further thoughts of vengeance, if the king
would but order the young hero to marry her instead.

" ' I am daughter of Don Gomez,
Count of Gormaz was he hight,
Him Rodrigo by his valor
Did o'erthrow in mortal fight.

" ' King, I come to crave a favor —
This the boon for which I pray,
That thou give me this Rodrigo
For my wedded lord this day.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The king, who had suspected for some time past that thc/Cid
had fallen in love with his fair foe, immediately sent for him.
Rodrigo entered the city with his suite of three hun- Marriage of the
dred men, proposed marriage to Ximena, and was '''^■

accepted on the spot. His men then proceeded to array him richly
for his wedding, and bound on him his famous sword Tizona, which
he had won from the Moors. The marriage was celebrated with
much pomp and rejoicing, the king giving Rodrigo the cities of
Valduerna, Soldana, Belforado, and San Pedro de Cardeiia as a
marriage portion. When the marriage ceremony was finished,
Rodrigo, wishing to show his wife all honor, declared that he would
not rest until he had won five battles, and would only then really
consider himself entitled to claim her love.

'"A man I slew — a man I give thee —
Here I stand thy will to bide !
Thou, in place of a dead father,
Hast a husband at thy side.' "

ATicient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

Before beginning this war, however, the Cid remembered a vow
he had made ; and, accompanied by twenty brave young hidal-
gos, he set out for a pious pilgrimage to Santiago ^^^ ^.^,^ ^.^^^
de Compostela, the shrine of the patron saint of
Spain. On his way thither he frequently distributed alms, paused
to recite a prayer at every church and wayside shrine, and, meet-

286 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

ing a leper, ate, drank, and even slept with him in a village inn.
When Rodrigo awoke in the middle of the night, he found his
bedfellow gone, but was favored by a vision of St. Lazarus, who
praised his charity, and promised him great temporal prosperity
and eternal life.

" ' Life shall bring thee no dishonor —
Thou shalt ever conqueror be ;
Death shall find thee still victorious,
For God's blessing rests on thee.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

When his pilgrimage was ended, Rodrigo further showed his
piety by setting aside a large sum of money for the estabhshment
of a leper house, which, in honor of the saint who visited him, was
called " St. Lazarus." He then hastened off to Calahorra, a fron-
tier town of Castile and Aragon, which was a bone of contention
between two monarchs.

Just before the Cid's arrival, Don Ramiro of Aragon had ar-
ranged with Ferdinand of Castile that their quarrel should be de-
cided by a duel between two knights. Don Ramiro therefore
selected as his champion Martin Gonzalez, while Ferdinand in-
trusted his cause to the Cid. The duel took place ; and when the
two champions found themselves face to face, Martin Gonzalez
began to taunt Rodrigo, telling him that he would never again
be able to mount his favorite steed Babie9a, or see his wife, as he
was doomed to die.

" ' Sore, Rodrigo, must thou tremble
Now to meet me in the fight,
Since thy head will soon be sever'd
For a trophy of my might.

" ' Never more to thine own castle
Wilt thou turn Babiega's rein ;
Never will thy lov'd Ximena
See thee at her side again.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

THE CID. 287

This boasting did not in the least dismay the Cid, who fought
so bravely that he defeated Martin Gonzalez, and won such plau-
dits that the jealousy of the Castilian knights was further excited.
In their envy they even plotted with the Moors to slay Rodrigo
by treachery. This plan did not succeed, however, because the
Moorish kings whom he had captured and released gave him a
timely warning of the threatening danger.

The king, angry at this treachery, banished the jealous court-
iers, and, aided by Rodrigo, defeated the hostile Moors in Estre-
madura. There the Christian army besieged Coimbra in vain for
seven whole months, and were about to give up in despair of se-
curing the city, when St. James appeared to a pilgrim, promising
his help on the morrow.

When the battle began, the Christian knights were fired by the
example of a radiant warrior, mounted on a snow-white steed,
who led them into the thickest of the fray and Battle cry of
helped them win a signal victory. This knight, ^'^^ Spaniards,
whom no one recognized as one of their own warriors, was imme-
diately hailed as St. James, and it was his name which the Span-
iards then and there adopted as their favorite battle cry.

The city of Coimbra having been taken, Don Rodrigo was duly
knighted by the king ; while the queen and princesses vied with
one another in helping him don the different pieces of his armor,
for they too were anxious to show how highly they valued his
services.

After a few more victories over his country's enemies, the tri-
umphant Cid returned to Zamora, where Ximena, his wife, was
waiting for him, and where the five Moorish kings sent not only
the promised tribute, but rich gifts to their generous conqueror.
Although the Cid rejoiced in these tokens, he gave all the tribute
and the main part of the spoil to Ferdinand, his liege lord, for he
considered the glory of success a sufficient reward for himself.

While the Cid was thus resting upon his laurels, a great coun-
cil had been held at Florence, where the Emperor (Henry III.) of
Germany complained to the Pope that King Ferdinand had not

288 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

done him homage for his crown, and that he refused to acknowl-
edge his superiority. The Pope immediately sent a message to
King Ferdinand asking for homage and tribute, and threatening
a crusade in case of disobedience. This unwelcome message
greatly displeased the Spanish ruler, and roused the indignation of
the Cid, who declared that his king was the vassal of no monarch,
and offered to fight anyone who dared maintain a contrary opinion.

" ' Never yet have we done homage —
Shall we to a stranger bow ?
Great the honor God hath given us —
Shall we lose that honor now ?

" ' Send then to the Holy Father,
Proudly thus to him reply —
Thou, the king, and I, Rodrigo,
Him and all his power defy.'"

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

This challenge was sent to the Pope, who, not averse to having
the question setded by the judgment of God, bade the emperor
send a champion to meet Rodrigo. This imperial champion was
of course defeated, and all King Ferdinand's enemies were so
grievously routed by the ever-victorious Cid that no further de-
mands of homage or tribute were ever made.

Old age had now come on, and King Ferdinand, after receiv-
ing divine warning of his speedy demise, died. He left Castile
to his eldest son, Don Sancho, Leon to Don Alfonso, Galicia to
Don Garcia, and gave his daughters, Dona Urraca and Dona El-
vira, the wealthy cities of Zamora and Toro. Of course this dis-
posal of property did not prove satisfactory to all his heirs, and
Don Sancho was especially displeased, because he coveted the
whole realm. He, however, had the Cid to serve him, and selected
this doughty champion to accompany him on a visit to Rome,
knowing that he would brook no insult to his lord. These previ-
sions were fully justified, for the Cid, on noticing that a less ex-
alted seat had been prepared for Don Sancho than for the King

THE CTD. 289

of France, became so violent that the Pope excommunicated him.
But when the seats had been made of even height, the Cid, who
was a good Cathohc, humbled himself before the Pope, and the
latter, knowing the hero's value as a bulwark against the heathen
Moors, immediately granted him full absolution.

" ' I absolve thee, Don Ruy Diaz,
I absolve thee cheerfully.
If, while at my court, thou showest
Due respect and courtesy.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

On his return to Castile, Don Sancho found himself threatened
by his namesake^ the King of Navarre, and by Don Ramiro of
Aragon. They both invaded Castile, but were igno- The cid
minously repulsed by the Cid. As some of the Campeador.
Moors had helped the invaders, the Cid next proceeded to punish
them, and gave up the siege of Saragossa only when the inhabit-
ants made terms with him. This campaign won for the Cid the
title of " Campeador " (Champion), which he well deserved, as he
was always ready to do battle for his king.

WhUe Don Sancho and his invaluable ally were thus engaged,
Don Garcia, King of Galicia, who was also anxious to increase
his kingdom, deprived his sister Dona Urraca of her city of Za-
mora. In her distress the infanta came to Don Sancho and made
her lament, thereby affording him the long-sought pretext to wage
war against his brother, and rob him of his kingdom.

This war, in which the Cid reluctantly joined, threatened at one
time to have serious consequences for Sancho. He even once
found himself a prisoner of Garcia's army, shortly after Garcia
had been captured by his. The Cid, occupied in another part of
the field, no sooner heard of this occurrence than he hastened to
the Galician nobles to offer an exchange of prisoners ; but, as they
rejected his offer with contempt, he soon left them in anger.

" ' Hie thee hence, Rodrigo Diaz,
An thou love thy liberty ;

19

290 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Lest, with this thy king, we take thee
Into dire captivity.'"

Ancient Spanish BaUads (Lockhart's tr.).

The wrath which the Cid Campeador experienced at this dis-
courteous treatment so increased his usual strength that he soon
put the enemy to flight, recovered possession of his king, and not
only made Don Garcia a prisoner, but also secured Don Alfonso,
who had joined in the revolt. Don Garcia was sent in chains to
the castle of Luna, where he eventually died, entreating that he
might be buried, with his fetters, in the city of Leon.

As for Don Alfonso, Doiia Urraca pleaded his cause so suc-
cessfully that he was allowed to retire into a monastery, whence

Alfonso at ^e soon effected his escape and joined the Moors
Toledo. at Toledo. There he became the companion and
ally of Alimaymon, learned all his secrets, and once, during a pre-
tended nap, overheard the Moor state that even Toledo could be
taken by the Christians, provided they had the patience to begin
a seven-years' siege, and to destroy all the har\'ests so as to re-
duce the people to starvation. The information thus accident-
ally obtained proved invaluable to Alfonso, as will be seen, and
enabled him subsequently to drive the Moors out of the city of
Toledo.

In the mean while Sancho, not satisfied with his triple king-
dom, robbed Dona Elvira of Toro, and began to besiege Dona
Urraca in Zamora, which he hoped to take also in spite of its
almost impregnable position.

" ' See ! where on yon cliff Zamora
Lifteth up her haughty brow ;
Walls of strength on high begird her,
Duero swift and deep below.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The king, utterly regardless of the Cid's openly expressed opin-
ion that it was unworthy of a knight to attempt to deprive a woman
of her inheritance, now bade him carry a message to Doiia Ur-

THE CID. 291

raca, summoning her to surrender at once. The hero went reluc-
tantly, but only to be bitterly reproached by Urraca. She dis-
missed him after consulting her assembled people, who vowed to
die ere they would surrender.

" Then did swear all her brave vassals
In Zamora's walls to die,
Ere unto the king they'd yield it,
And disgrace their chivalry."

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

This message so enraged Don Sancho that he banished the Cid.
The latter departed for Toledo, whence he was soon recalled, how-
ever, for his monarch could do nothing without him. giege of
Thus restored to favor, the Cid began the siege of zamora.
Zamora, which lasted so long that the inhabitants began to suffer
all the pangs of famine.

At last a Zamoran by the name of Vellido (Bellido) Dolfos
came out of the town in secret, and, under pretense of betraying
the city into Don Sancho's hands, obtained a private interview
with him. Dolfos availed himself of this opportunity to murder
the king, and rushed back to the city before the crime was dis-
covered. He entered the gates just in time to escape from the
Cid, who had mounted hastily, without spurs, and thus could not
urge Babie9a on to his utmost speed and overtake the murderer.

" ' Cursed be the wretch ! and cursed
He who mounteth without spur !
Had I arm'd my heels with rowels,
I had slain the treacherous cur.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The grief in the camp at the violent death of the king was very
great. Don Diego Ordoiiez immediately sent a challenge to Don
Arias Gonzalo, who, while accepting the combat for his son, swore
that none of the Zamorans knew of the dastardly deed, which
Dolfos alone had planned.

292 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" ' Fire consume us, Count Gonzalo,
If in this we guilty be !
None of us within Zamora
Of this deed had privity.

" ' Dolfos onlyHs the traitor;

None but he the king did slay.
Thou canst safely go to battle,
God will be thy shield and stay.' "

Ancient Spanish BaUads (Lockhart's tr.).

This oath was confirmed by the outcome of the duel, and none
of the besiegers ever again ventured to doubt the honor of the
Zamorans.

As Don Sancho had left no children to inherit his kingdom, it

came by right of inheritance to Don Alfonso, who was still at

Toledo, a nominal guest, but in reality a prisoner.

Alfonso king. ' o > J r

Dona Urraca, who was deeply attached to her
brother, now managed to convey to him secret information of
Don Sancho's death, and Don Alfonso cleverly effected his es-
cape, turning his pursuers off his track by reversing his horse's
shoes. When he arrived at Zamora, all were ready to do him
homage except the Cid, who proudly held aloof until Don Alfonso
had publicly sworn that he had not bribed Dolfos to commit the
dastardly crime which had called him to the throne.

" ' Wherefore, if thou be but guiltless.
Straight I pray of thee to swear, —
Thou and twelve of these thy liegemen.
Who with thee in exile were, —
That in thy late brother's death
Thou hadst neither part nor share
That none of ye to his murder
Privy or consenting were.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The king, angry at being thus called upon to answer for his
conduct to a mere subject, viewed the Cid with great dislike, and
only awaited a suitable occasion to take his revenge. During a

THE CID. 293

war with the Moors he made use of a trifling pretext to banish him,
allowing him only nine days to prepare for departure. The Cid
accepted this cruel decree with dignity, hoping that the time would
never come when the king would regret his absence, and his coun-
try need his right arm.

'"I obey, O King Alfonso,

Guilty though in naught I be.
For it doth behoove a vassal

To obey his lord's decree ;
Prompter far am I to serve thee

Than thou art to guerdon me.

" ' I do pray our Holy Lady
Her protection to afford,
That thou never mayst in battle

Need the Cid's right arm and sword.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

Amid the weeping people of Burgos, who dared not offer him
help and shelter lest they should incur the king's wrath, lose all
their property, and even forfeit their eyesight, the Cid slowly
rode away, and camped without the city to make his final arrange-
ments. Here a devoted follower supplied him with the necessary
food, remarking that he cared " not a fig " for Alfonso's prohibi-
tions, which is probably the first written record of the use of this
now popular expression.

To obtain the necessary money the Cid pledged two locked
coffers full of sand to the Jews. They, thinking that the boxes
contained vast treasures, or relying upon the Cid's The cid in
promise to release them for a stipulated sum, ad- *^''^-

vanced him six hundred marks of gold. The Cid then took leave
of his beloved wife Ximena, and of his two infant daughters, whom
he intrusted to the care of a worthy ecclesiastic, and, followed by
three hundred men, he rode slowly away from his native land,
vowing that he would yet return, covered with glory, and bring-
ing great spoil.

294 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

" ' Comrades, should it please high Heaven

That we see Castile once more, —
Though we now go forth as outcasts.

Sad, dishonor'd, homeless, poor, —
We'll return with glory laden

And the spoiUngs of the Moor.' "

A7icieni Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr ).

Such success attended the little band of exiles that within the
next three weeks they won two strongholds from the Moors, and
much spoil, among which was the sword Colada, which was sec-
ond only to Tizona. From the spoil the Cid selected a truly regal
present, which he sent to Alfonso, who in return granted a general
pardon to the Cid's followers, and published an edict allowing all
who wished to fight against the Moors to join him. A few more
victories and another present so entirely dispelled Alfonso's dis-
pleasure that he restored the Cid to favor, and, moreover, prom-
ised that thereafter thirty days should be allowed to every exile
to prepare for his departure.

When Alimaymon, King of Toledo, died, leaving Toledo in the
hands of his grandson Yahia, who was generally disliked, Alfonso
thought the time propitious for carrying out his long-cherished
scheme of taking the city. Thanks to the valor of the Cid and
the destruction of all the crops, the siege of the city progressed
favorably, and it finally fell into the hands of the Christian king.

A second misunderstanding, occasioned principally by the jeal-
ous courtiers, caused Alfonso to insult the Cid, who in anger left
the army and made a sudden raid in Castile. During his absence,
the Moors resumed courage, and became masters of Valencia.
Hearing of this disaster, the Cid promptly returned, recaptured the
city, and, establishing his headquarters there, asked Alfonso to
send him his wife and daughters. At the same time he sent more
than the promised sum of money to the Jews to redeem the chests
which, as they now first learned, were filled with nothing but sand.

" ' Say, albeit within the cofifers
Naught but sand they can espy.

THE CID. 295

That the pure gold of my truth
Deep beneath that sand doth lie.' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

As the Cid was now master of Valencia and of untold wealth,
his daughters were soon sought in marriage by many suitors.
Among them were the Counts of Carrion, whose xhe Counts of
proposals were warmly encouraged by Alfonso. carrion.
To please his royal master, the Cid consented to an alliance with
them, and the marriage of both his daughters was celebrated with
much pomp. In the " Chronicle of the Cid," compiled from all
the ancient ballads, these festivities are recorded thus : " Who can
tell the great, nobleness which the Cid displayed at that wedding !
the feasts and the bullfights, and the throwing at the target, and the
throwing canes, and how many joculars were there, and all the
sports which are proper at such weddings ! "

Pleased with their sumptuous entertainment, the Infantes of
Carrion lingered at Valencia two years, during which time the Cid
had ample opportunity to convince himself that they were not the
brave and upright husbands he would fain have secured for his
daughters. In fact, all soon became aware of the young men's
cowardice, for when a lion broke loose from the Cid's private
menagerie and entered the hall where he was sleeping, while his
guests were playing chess, the princes fled, one falling into an
empty vat in his haste, and the other taking refuge behind the
Cid's couch. Awakened by the noise, the Cid seized his sword,
twisted his cloak around his arm, and, grasping the lion by its
mane, thrust it back into its cage, and calmly returned to his place.

" Till the good Cid awoke ; he rose without alarm ;
He went to meet the Hon, with his mantle on his arm.
The lion was abash'd the noble Cid to meet.
He bow'd his mane to earth, his muzzle at his feet.
The Cid by the neck and mane drew him to his den.
He thrust him in at the hatch, and came to the hall again ;
He found his knights, his vassals, and all his valiant men.
He ask'd for his sons-in-law, they were neither of them there."

Chronicles of the Ck/ (Southey's tr.).

296 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

This cowardly conduct of the Infantes of Carrion could not fail
to call forth some gibes from the Cid's followers. The young
men, however, concealed their anger, biding their time to take
their revenge. During the siege of Valencia, which took place
shortly after this adventure, the Infantes did not manage to show
much courage either; and it was only through the kindness of
Felez Munoz, a nephew of the Cid, that one of them could ex-
hibit a war horse which he falsely claimed to have taken from the
enemy.

Thanks to the valor of the Cid, the Moors were driven away
from Valencia with great loss, and peace was restored. The In-
fantes of Carrion then asked permission to return hopie with their
brides, and the spoil and presents the Cid had given them, among
which were the swords Colada and Tizona. The Cid escorted
them part way on their jomney, bade farewell to his daughters with
much sorrow, and returned alone to Valencia, which appeared
deserted without the presence of the children he loved.

" The Cid he parted from his daughters,
Naught could he his grief disguise ;
As he clasped them to his bosom,
Tears did stream from out his eyes."

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

After journeying on for some time with their brides and Felez

Muiioz, who was acting as escort, the Infantes of Carrion camped

Cruelty of '^^^'" ^^ Douro. Early the next day they sent all

Infantes of their suite ahead, and, being left alone with their

Carrion. . . , , , , . , , , ,

Wives, Stripped them of their garments, lashed them
with thorns, kicked them with their spurs, and finally left them for
dead on the blood-stained ground, and rode on to join their escort.
Suspecting foul play, and fearing the worst, Felez Muiioz
cleverly managed to separate himself from the party, and, rid-
ing swiftly back to the banks of the Douro, found his unhappy
cousins in a sorry plight. He tenderly cared for their wounds,
placed them upon his horse, and took them to the house of a poor

THE CID. 297

man, whose wife and daughters undertook to nurse them, while
Felez Munoz hastened back to Valencia to tell the Cid what had
occurred. The Cid Campeador then swore that he would be
avenged; and as Alfonso was responsible for the marriage, he
applied to him for redress.

'" Lo ! my daughters have been outrag'd !
For thine own, thy kingdom's sake.
Look, Alfonso, to mine honor !
Vengeance thou or I must take. ' "

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The king, who had by this time learned to value the Cid's serv-
ices, was very angry when he heard how the Infantes of Car-
rion had insulted their wives, and immediately summoned them
to appear before the Cortes, the Spanish assembly, at Toledo, and
justify themselves, if it were possible. The Cid was also sum-
moned to the same assembly, where he began by claiming the
two precious blades Tizona and Colada, and the large dowry he
had given with his daughters. Then he challenged the young
cowards to fight. When questioned, they tried to excuse them-
selves by declaring that the Cid's daughters, being of inferior birth,
were not fit to mate with them.

The falseness of this excuse was shown, however, by an em-
bassy from Navarre, asking the hands of the Cid's daughters for
the Infantes of that kingdom, who were far superior Embassy from
in rank to the Infantes of Carrion. The Cid con- Navarre,
sented to this new alliance, and after a combat had been ap-
pointed between three champions of his selection and the Infantes
of Carrion and their uncle, he prepared to return home.

As proof of his loyalty, however, he offered to give to Alfonso
his favorite steed Babie9a, an offer which the king wisely refused,
telling him that the best of warriors alone deserved that peerless
war horse.

" ' 'Tis the noble Babieca that is fam'd for speed and force,
Among the Christians nor the Moors there is not such another one,

298 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

My Sovereign, Lord, and Sire, he is fit for you alone ;

Give orders to your people, and take him for your own.'

The King replied, ' It cannot be ; Cid, you shall keep your horse ;

He must not leave his master, nor change him for a worse ;

Our kingdom has been honor'd by you and by your steed —

The man that would take him from you, evil may he speed.

A courser such as he is fit for such a knight,

To beat down Moors in battle, and follow them in flight.' "

Chronicles of the Cid (Southey's tr.).

Shortly after, in the presence of the king, the Cid, and the
assembled Cortes, the appointed battle took place. The Infantes
of Carrion and their uncle were defeated and banished, and the
Cid returned in triumph to Valencia. Here his daughters' second
marriage took place, and here he received an embassy bringing
him rich gifts from the Sultan of Persia, who had heard of his
fame.

Five years later the Moors returned, under the leadership of
Bucar, King of Morocco, to besiege Valencia. The Cid was
about to prepare to do battle against this overwhelming force
when he was favored by a vision of St. Peter. The saint pre-
dicted his death within thirty days, but assured him that, even
though he were dead, he would still triumph over the enemy
whom he had fought against for so many years.

" ' Dear art thou to God, Rodrigo,
And this grace he granteth thee :

When thy soul hath fled, thy body
Still shall cause the Moors to flee ;

And, by aid of Santiago,
Gain a glorious victory.'"

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The pious and simple-hearted warrior immediately began to
prepare for the other world. He appointed a successor, gave in-
structions that none should bewail his death lest the news should
encourage the Moors, and directed that his embalmed body
should be set upon Babiega, and that, with Tizona in his hand,

THE CID'S LAST VICTORY. — Rochegrosse.

THE CID. 299

he should be led against die enemy on a certain day, when he
promised a signal victory.

" ' Saddle next my Babieca,

Arm him well as for the fight ;
On his back then tie my body,
In my well-known armor dight.

" ' In my right hand place Tizona ;
Lead me forth unto the war ;
Bear my standard fast behind me,
As it was my wont of yore.' "

Atunent Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

When these instructions had all been given, the hero died at
the appointed time, and his successor and the brave Ximena strove
to carry out his every wish. A sortie was planned, ^he Cid's last
and the Cid, fastened upon his war horse, rode in battle,
the van. Such was the terror which his mere presence inspired
that the Moors fled before him. Most of them were slain, and
Bucar beat a hasty retreat, thinking that seventy thousand Chris-
tians were about to fall upon him, led by the patron saint of Spain.

"Seventy thousand Christian warriors,
All in snowy garments dight,
Led by one of giant stature,
Mounted on a charger white ;

" On his breast a cross of crimson.
In his hand a sword of fire.
With it hew'd he down the Paynims,
As they fled, with slaughter dire."

Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart's tr.).

The Christians, having routed the enemy, yet knowing, as the
Cid had told them, that they would never be able to hold Valencia
when he was gone, now marched on into Castile, the dead hero
still riding Babie9a in their midst. Then Ximena sent word to
her daughters of their father's demise, and they came to meet

3O0 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

him, but could scarcely believe that he was dead when they saw
him so unchanged.

By Alfonso's order the Cid's body was placed in the Church of
San Pedro de Cardeiia, where for ten years it remained seated in
a chair of state, and in plain view of all. Such was the respect
which the dead hero inspired that none dared lay a finger upon
him, except a sacrilegious Jew, who, remembering the Cid's proud
boast that no man had ever dared lay a hand upon his beard,
once attempted to do so. Before he could touch it, however, the
hero's lifeless hand clasped the sword hilt and drew Tizona a few
inches out of its scabbard.

"Ere the beard his fingers touched,
Lo ! the silent man of death
Grasp'd the hilt, and drew Tizona
Full a span from out the sheath ! "

Ancient Spanish Ballads {Lockhart's tr.).

Of course, in the face of such a miracle, the Jew desisted, and
the Cid Campeador was reverently laid in the grave only when
his body began to show signs of decay. His steed Babie9a con-
tinued to be held in great honor, but no one was ever again allowed
to bestride him.

As for the Moors, they rallied around Valencia. After hover-
ing near for several days, wondering at the strange silence, they
Evacuation of entered the open gates of the city, which they had

Valencia. jjQt (jared to cross for fear of an ambuscade, and
penetrated into the court of the palace. Here they found a
notice, left by the order of the Cid, announcing his death and
the complete evacuation of the city by the Christian army. The
Cid's sword Tizona became an heirloom in the family of the
Marquis of Falies, and is said to bear the following inscriptions,
one on either side of the blade : " I am Tizona, made in era 1 040,"
and " Hail Maria, full of grace."

CHAPTER XVIII.

GENERAL SURVEY OF ROMANCE LITERATURE.

In the preceding chapters we have given an outhne of the
principal epics which formed the staple of romance literature in
the middle ages. As has been seen, this style of cycles of
composition was used to extol the merits and de- romance,
scribe the great deeds of certain famous heroes, and by being
gradually extended it was made to include the prowess of the
friends and contemporaries of these more or less fabulous per-
sonages. All these writings, clustering thus about some great
character, eventually formed the so-called " cycles of romance."

There were current in those days not only classical romances,
but stories of love, adventure, and chivalry, all bearing a marked
resemblance to one another, and prevailing in all the European
states during the four centuries when knighthood flourished every-
where. Some of these tales, such as those of the Holy Grail,
were intended, besides, to glorify the most celebrated orders of
knighthood,— the Templars and Knights of St. John.

Other styles of imaginative writing were known at the same
time also, yet the main feature of the literature of the age is first
the metrical, and later the prose, romance, the direct outcome of
the great national epics.

We have outlined very briefly, as a work of this character re-
quires, the principal features of the Arthurian, Carolingian, and
Teutonic cycles. We have also touched somewhat upon the
Anglo-Danish and Scandinavian contributions to our literature.

301

302 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Of the extensive Spanish cycle we have given only a short
sketch of the romance, or rather the chronicle, of the Cid, leav-
ing out entirely the vast and deservedly popular cycles of Amadis
of Gaul and of the Palmerins. This omission has been intentional,
however, because these romances have left but few traces in our
literature. As they are seldom even alluded to, they are not of
so great importance to the English student of letters as the Franco-
German, Celto-Briton, and Scandinavian tales.

The stories of Amadis of Gaul and of the Palmerins are, more-
over, very evident imitations of the principal romances of chiv-
alry which we have already considered. They are formed of
an intricate series of adventures and enchantments, are, if any-
thing, more extravagant than the other mediseval romances, and
are further distinguished by a tinge of Oriental mysticism and
imagery, the result of the Crusades.

The Italian cycle, which we have not treated separately be-
cause it relates principally to Charlemagne and Roland, is par-
ticularly noted for its fehcity of expression and richness of de-
scription. Like the Spanish writers, the Italians love to revel
in magic, as is best seen in the greatest gems of that age, the
poems of " Orlando Innamorato " and " Orlando Furioso," by
Boiardo and Ariosto.

Mediaeval literature includes also a very large and so-called
" unaffiliated cycle " of romances. This is composed of many
stories, the precursors of the novel and " short story " of the pres-
ent age. We are indebted to this cycle for several well-known
works of fiction, such as the tale of patient Griseldis, the gentle
and meek-spirited heroine who has become the personification of
long-suffering and charity. After the mediaeval writers had made
much use of this tale, it was taken up in turn by Boccaccio and
Chaucer, who have made it immortal.

The Norman tale of King Robert of Sicily, so beautifully ren-
dered in verse by Longfellow in his " Tales of a Wayside Inn,"
also belongs to this cycle, and some authorities claim that it in-
cludes the famous animal epic " Reynard the Fox,'' of which

GENERAL SURVEY OF ROMANCE LITERAl^URE. 303

we have given an outline. The story of Reynard the Fox is one
of the most important mediaeval contributions to the literature of
the world, and is the source from which many subsequent writers
have drawn the themes for their fables.

A very large class of romances, common to all European nations
during the middle ages, has also been purposely omitted from the
foregoing pages. This is the so-called " classical
cycle," or the romances based on the Greek and ^®®"=* '^^'^ '•
Latin epics, which were very popular during the age of chivalry.
They occupy so prominent a place in mediasval Hterature, how-
ever, that we must bespeak a few moments' attention to their
subjects.

In these classical romances the heroes of antiquity have lost
many of their native characteristics, and are generally represented
as knight-errants, and made to talk and act as such knights would.
Christianity and mythology are jumbled up together in a most
peculiar way, and history, chronology, and geography are set at
defiance and treated with the same scorn of probabilities.

The classical romances forming this great general cycle are
subdivided into several classes or cycles. The interest of the
first is mainly centered upon the heroes of Homer and Hesiod.
The best-known and most popular of these mediaeval, works was
the " Roman de Troie," relating the siege and downfall of Troy.

Based upon post-classical Greek and Latin writings rather than
upon the great Homeric epic itself, the story, which had already
undergone many changes to suit the ever-varying public taste,
was further transformed by the Anglo-Norman trouvfere, Benoit
de Sainte-More, about 1184. He composed a poem of thirty
thousand lines, in which he related not only the siege and down-
fall of Troy, but also the Argonautic expedition, the wanderings
of Ulysses, the story of ^neas, and many other mythological
tales.

This poet, following the custom of the age, naively reproduced
the manners, customs, and, in general, the behefs of the twelfth
century. There is plenty of local color in his work, only the

304 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

color belongs to his own locality, and not to that of the heroes
whose adventures he purports to relate. In his work the old
classical heroes are transformed into typical mediaeval knights,
and heroines such as Helen and Medea, for instance, are por-
trayed as damsels in distress.

This prevalent custom of viewing the ancients solely from the
mediaeval point of view gave rise not only to grotesque pen
pictures, but also to a number of paintings, such as Gozzoli's
kidnaping of Helen. In this composition, Paris, in trunk hose,
is carrying off the fair Helen pickaback, notwithstanding the evi-
dent clamor raised by the assembled court ladieis, who are attired
in very fuU skirts and mediaeval headdresses.

On account of these peculiarities, and because the customs,
dress, festivities, weapons, manners, landscapes, etc., of the middle
ages are so minutely described, these romances have, with much
justice, been considered as really original works.

The " Roman de Troie " was quite as popular in mediaeval
Europe as the " Iliad " had been in Hellenic countries during the
The Roman de P^'loiy days of Greece, and was translated into every
Troie. dialect. There are still extant many versions of

the romance in every European tongue, for it penetrated even
into the frozen regions of Scandinavia and Iceland. It was there-
fore recited in every castle and town by the wandering minstrels,
trouv^res, troubadours, minnesingers, and scalds, who thus indi-
vidually and collectively continued the work begun so many years
before by the Greek rhapsodists. Thus for more than two thou-
sand years the story which still delights us has been familiar
among high and low, and has served to beguile the hours for old
and young.

This cycle further includes a revised and. much-transformed
edition of the adventures of .^neas and of the early history of
Rome. But although all these tales were first embodied in met-
rical romances, these soon gave way to prose versions of equally
interminable length, which each relator varied and embellished
according to his taste and skill.

GENERAL SURVEY OF ROMANCE LITERATURE. 305

The extreme popularity of Benoit de Sainte-More's work in-
duced many imitations, and the numerous chansons de gesies, con-
structed on the same general plan, soon became current every-
where. Sundry episodes of these tales, having been particularly
liked, were worked over, added to, and elaborated, until they
assumed the proportions of romances in themselves. Such was,
for example, the case with the story of Troilus and Cressida,
which was treated by countless mediaeval poets, and finally given
the form in which we know it best, first by Chaucer in his
" Canterbury Tales,'' and lastly by Shakespeare in his well-known
play.

Another great romance of the classical cycle is the one known
as " Alexandre le Grant." First written in verse by Lambert le
Cort, in a meter which is now exclusively known Alexandre le
as Alexandrine, because it was first used to set forth Grant,

the charms and describe the deeds of this hero, it was recast by
many poets, and finally turned into a prose romance also.

The first poetical version was probably composed in the elev-
enth century, and is said to have been twenty-two thousand six
hundred hues long. Drawn from many sources,— for the Greek
and Latin writers had been all more or less occupied with de-
scribing the career of the youthful conqueror and the marvels
he discovered in the far East,— the mediaeval writers still further
added to this heterogeneous material.

The romance of "Alexandre le Grant," therefore, purports to
relate the life and adventures of the King of Macedon ; but as
Lambert le Cort and his numerous predecessors and successors
were rather inchned to draw on imagination, the result is a very
extravagant tale.

In the romance, as we know it, Alexander is described as a
mediaeval rather than an ancient hero. After giving the early
history of Macedon, the poet tells of the birth of Alexander,—
which is ascribed to divine intervention,— and dwells eloquently
upon the hero's youthful prowess. Philip's death and the con-
sequent reign of Alexander next claim our attention. The coh-
20

3o6 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

quest of the world is, in this romance, introduced by the siege and
submission of Rome, after which the young monarch starts upon
his expedition into Asia Minor, and the conquest of Persia. The
war with Porus and the fighting in India are dwelt upon at great
length, as are the riches and magnificence of the East. Alex-
ander visits Amazons and cannibals, views all the possible and
impossible wonders, and in his fabulous history we find the first
mention, in European literature, of the marvelous " Fountain of
Youth," the object of Ponce de Leon's search in Florida many
years later.

When, in the course of this lengthy romance, Alexander has
triumphantly reached the ends of the earth, he sighs for new
worlds to conquer, and even aspires to the dominion of the realm
of the air. To wish is to obtain. A magic glass cage, rapidly
borne aloft by eight griffins, conveys the conqueror through the
aerial kingdom, where all the birds in turn do homage to him,
and where he is enabled to understand their language, thanks to
the kind intervention of a magician.

But Alexander's ambition is still insatiable ; and, earth and air
having both submitted to his sway, and all the living creatures
therein having recognized him as master and promised their alle-
giance, he next proposes to annex the empire of the sea. Magic
is again employed to gratify this wish, and Alexander sinks to the
bottom of the sea in a peculiarly fashioned diving bell. Here
all the finny tribe press around to do him homage ; and after re-
ceiving their oaths of fealty, and viewing all the marvels of the
deep, as conceived by the mediaeval writer's fancy, Alexander
returns to Babylon.

Earth, air, and sea having all been subdued, the writer, unable
to follow the course of Alexander's conquests any further, now
minutely describes a grand coronation scene at Babylon, where,
with the usual disregard for chronology which characterizes all
the productions of this age, he makes the hero participate in a
solemn mass!

The story ends with a highly sensational description of the

GENERAL SURVEY OF ROMANCE LITERATURE. 307

death of Alexander by poisoning, and an elaborate enumeration
of the pomps of his obsequies.

A third order of romances, also belonging to this cycle, includes
a lengthy poem known as " Rome la Grant." Here Virgil appears
as a common enchanter. With the exception of a
few well-known names, all trace of antiquity is lost.
The heroes are now exposed to hairbreadth escapes ; wonderful
adventures succeed one another without any pause ; and there is
a constant series of enchantments, such as the Italian poets loved
to revel in, as is shown in the works by Boiardo and Ariosto
already mentioned.

These tales, and those on the same theme which had preceded
them, gave rise to a generally accepted theory of European col-
onization subsequent to the Trojan war ; and every man of note
and royal family claimed to descend from the line of Priam.

As the Romans insisted that their city owed its existence to
the descendants of ^neas, so the P'rench kings Dagobert and
Charles the Bald claimed to belong to the illustri-

. , - Story of Brutus.

ous Trojan race. The same tradition appeared
in England about the third century, and from Gildas and Nen-
nius was adopted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It is from this
historian that Wace drew the materials for the metrical tale of
Brutus (Brute), the supposed founder of the British race and king-
dom. This poem is twenty thousand Hues long, and relates the
adventures and life of Brutus, the great-grandson of ^neas.

At the time of Brutus' birth his parents were frightened by an
oracle predicting that he would be the cause of the death of both
parents, and only after long wanderings would attain the highest
pitch of glory. This prophecy was duly fulfilled. Brutus' mother,
a niece of Lavinia, died at his birth. Fifteen years later, while
hunting, he accidentally slew his father ; and, expelled from Italy
on account of this involuntary crime, he began his wanderings.

In the course of time Brutus went to Greece, where he found
the descendants of Helenus, one of Priam's sons, languishing in
captivity. Brutus headed the revolted Trojans, and after helping

3o8 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

them to defeat Pandrasus, King of Greece, obtained their freedom,
and invited them to accompany him to some distant land, where
they could found a new kingdom.

Led by Brutus, who in the mean while had married the daugh-
ter of Pandrasus, the Trojans sailed away, and, landing on the
deserted island of Leogecia, visited the temple of Diana, and
questioned her statue, which gave the following oracle :

" ' Brutus ! there lies beyond the Gallic bounds
An island which the western sea surrounds,
By giants once possessed ; now few remain
To bar thy entrance, or obstruct thy reign.
To reach tiiat happy shore thy sails employ ;
There fate decrees to raise a second Troy,
And found an empire in thy royal line.
Which time shall ne'er destroy, nor bounds confine.'"

Geoffrey of Monmouth {Giles's tr.).

Thus directed by miracle, Brutus sailed on, meeting with many
adventures, and landed twice on the coast of Africa. The Pillars
of Hercules once passed, the travelers beheld the sirens, and,
landing once more, were joined by Corineus, who proposed to
accompany them.

Brutus then coasted along the shores of the kingdom of Aqui-
taine and up the Loire, where his men quarreled with the inhab-
itants. He found himself involved in a fierce conflict, in which,
owing to his personal valor and to the marvelous strength of Cor-
ineus, he came off victor in spite of the odds against him.

In this battle Brutus' nephew, Turonus, fell, and was buried on
the spot where the city of Tours was subsequently built and named
after the dead hero. After having subdued his foes, Brutus em-
barked again and landed on an island called Albion. Here he
forced the giants to make way for him, and in the encounters
with them Corineus again covered himself with glory.

We are told that the first germ of the nursery tale of Jack the
Giant Killer is found in this poem, for Corineus, having chosen

GENMkAL SURVEY OF ROMANCE LITERATURE. 309

Corinea (Cornwall) as his own province, defeated there the giant
Goemagot, who was twelve cubits high and pulled up an oak as
if it were but a weed. Corineus, after a famous wrestling bout,
flung this Goemagot into the sea, at a place long known as Lam
Goemagot, but now called Plymouth.

Brutus pursued his way, and finally came to the Thames, on
whose banks he founded New Troy, a city whose name was
changed in honor of Lud, one of his descendants. The founding of
to London. Brutus called the newly won kingdom London.
Britain, and his eldest sons, Locrine and Camber, gave their
names to the provinces of Locria and Cambria when they be-
came joint rulers of their father's kingdom, while Albanact, his
third son, took possession of the northern part, which he called
Albania (Scotland).

Albanact was not allowed to reign in peace, however, but was
soon called upon to war against Humber, King of the Hiins.
The latter was defeated, and drowned in the stream which still
bears- his name. Locrine's daughter, Sabrina, also met with a
watery death, and gave her name to the Severn.

The posterity of Brutus now underwent many other vicissitudes.
There was fighting at home and abroad ; and after attributing the
founding of all the principal cities to some ruler of
this line, the historian relates the story of King Leir,
the founder of Leicester. As this monarch's life has been used
by Shakespeare for one of his dramas,— the tragedy of " King
Lear,"— and is familiar to all students of Enghsh literature, there
is no need to outline Geoffrey of Monmouth's version of the tale.

The chronicler then resumes the account of Brutus' illustrious
descendants, enumerating them all, and relating their adventures,
till we come to the reign of Cassivellaunus and the invasion of
Britain by the Romans. Shortly after, under the reign of Cym-
beUnus, he mentions the birth of Christ, and then resumes the
thread of his fabulous history, and brings it down to the reign of
Uther Pendragon, where it has been taken up in the Arthurian
cycle.

310 LEGENDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

This chronicle, which gave rise to many romances, was still
considered rehable even in Shakespeare's time, and many poets
have drawn freely from it. The mediaeval poets long used it as
a mental quarry, and it has been further utilized by some more
recent poets, among whom we must count Drayton, who makes
frequent mention of these ancient names in his poem " Poly-
olbion," and Spenser, who immortahzes many of the old legends
in his " Faerie Queene."

There are, of course, many other mediaeval tales and romances ;
but our aim has been to enable the reader to gain some general
idea of the principal examples, leaving him to pursue the study
in its many branches if he wishes a more complete idea of the
literature of the past and of the influence it has exerted and still
exerts upon the writers of our own day.

INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS.

Ariosto, 141, 211.

Arnold, Matthew, 212, 243, 269.

Beowulf, (translations by Conybeare,

Keary, Longfellow, Metcalfe,) 9,

10, II, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19,

20, 21.
Buchanan, 145, 146.
Bulwer Lytton, 219.
Burney, Dr. (translation), 141.
Byron, 150.
Chanson de Roland (translations by

Rabillon), 144, 145, 147, 148.
Conybeare (translations), 9, 10, 13,

14, IS, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21.
Cursor Mundi, 4.
Death Song of Regner Lodbrock

(translations by Herbert), 272, 276,

279.
Dippold, G. T., (translations. Great

Epics of Mediaeval Germany,

Roberts Bros., Boston,) 23, 24, 25,

26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 188,

190, 195, 237, 239.
Dragon of Wantley, 238.
Drayton, 208, 210, 217, 218.
Ellis, 207, 208, 209, 210, 227.
Ettin Langshanks, The, 115, 116.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, 308.
Giles (translation), 308.
Goethe, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43,

44. 45. 47. 48, 49. 50. 52-
Gottfried von Strassburg, 237, 239,

241.
Gudrun, (translations by Dippold,
Great Epics of Medijeval Germany,
Roberts Bros., Boston,) 23, 24, 25,
26,,27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34.
Hartmann von Aue, 223.

Head, Sir Edmund, (Ticknor's Span-
ish Literature, Messrs. Harper
Bros., New York,) 150.

Heldenbuch (translations by Weber),
95, 96, loi, 105, 106, 107, 118,
119, 121.

Hemans, Mrs., 278.

Herbert (translations), 272, 276, 279.

Hildebrand, Song of, (translation by
Bayard Taylor, Studies in German
Literature, G. P. Putnam's Sons,
New York,) 127.

Ingemann, 136.

Jamieson (translations), 115, 116.

Jones, J. C, 17.

Keary (translation), 11.

King Arthur's Death, 230.

Lady Alda's Dream (translation by
Head), 149.

Layamon, 232.

Legend of King Arthur, 218.

Lettsom (translations), 54, 55, 56; 57,
58, 59. 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68,
69. 70. 71. 72, 74. 75. 76. 77. 78,
79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85.

Lockhart, (Ancient Spanish Ballads,
G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York,)
282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289,
290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 29s, 296,
297, 298, 299, 300.

Longfellow, (Poets and Poetry of Eu-
rope, and Poetical Works, Hough-
ton, Mifflin & Co., Boston,) 12, 13,
95. 137. 251, 253, 254, 256, 258,
265.

Lord Lovel, Ballad of, 245.

McDowall (translation), 200.

Metcalfe (translations), 16, 21.

3"

312

INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS.

Morris, William, 275.

Nibelungenlied (translations by Lett-
som), 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60,
61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71,

72, 74, 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 8°. 81,

82, 83, 84, 85.
Niendorf, 34.
Rabillon (translations), 144, 145, 147,

148.
Raguar Lodbrok Saga, (The Viking

Age, by Paul du Chaillu, Charles

Scribner's Sons, New York,) 270.
Ragnar's Sons' Saga, (The Viking

Age, by Paul du Chaillu, Charles

Scribner's Sons, New York,) 277.
Robert of Gloucester, 209.
Rogers (translations), 36, 37, 38, 39,

40, 41. 43, 44, 45, 47. 48, 49, 5°,

52-
Roland and Ferragus, 141, 142, 143.
Rose (translation), 211.
Scott, Sir Walter, 235.
Sir Lancelot du Lake, 220.
Sir Otuel, 148.
Sotheby (translations), 164, 165, 166,

167, 168, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174,

175, 176, 177, 178, 179.
Southey, 132, 133, 295, 298.
Spalding (translations), 250, 251, 252,

253, 254, 255, 256, 2S7, 258, 259,

260, 26 1 , 262, 263, 264, 266, 267, 268.
Spenser, 211.
Swinburne, 206, 240, 241.
Taylor, Bayard, (Studies in German

Literature, G. P. Putnam's Sons,

New York,) 127, 190, 193, 223, 241.
Tegn^r, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255,

256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262,

263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268.
Tennyson, 212, 214, 215, 216, 217,

221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 228,

229, 231, 232.
Vail, 281.
Weber (translations), 95, 96, loi, 105,

106, 107, 118, 119, 121.
Wieland, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 170,

171, 172, 173, 174, 17s, 177, 178,

179.
Wolfram von Eschenbach, 188, 190,

193, 19s. 200.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Aa'chen. See Aix-la-Chapelle.
Ab-ra-ca-dab'ra. Malagigi's charm,

158-

A'CRE. Ogier besieges, 138.

Adenet (a-de-na') Author of an epic
on Ogier, 138.

^'GIR. Northern god of the sea, 250.

^-ne'AS. In mediaeval literature,
303 ; adventures of, 304 ; Romans
claim, 307-

yEs'CHE-RE. Seized by Grendel's
mother, 15 ; Beowulf offers to
avenge, 16.

Af'ri-ca. Brutus lands in, 308.

Ag'nar. Son of Ragnar and Thora,
272; a great viking, 274; fights
Eystein, 276.

Ag'ra-vaine. Doubts Arthur's ti-
tle to throne, 216.

Ai-go-lan'dus. Revolts against
Charlemagne, 141.

Aix-la-Cha-pelle'. Founding of,
133; Ganelon executed at, 148;
Renaud's body to be taken to, 162.

A'lard. Son of Aymon, 154; Re-
naud's affection for, 155 ; plays
chess with Chariot, 155 ; prisoner
of Charlemagne, 157; freed by Ma-
lagigi, 158.

Al'ba-nact. Son of Brutus, 309;
wars against Humber, 309.

Al-BA'ni-A. Name for Scotland,

309-
Al'ber-ICH. Dwarf guardian of treas-
ure, 61 ; delivers hoard, 70 ; meets
Ortnit under tree, 96; the father
of Ortnit, 97; helps Ortnit, 97;
warns Ortnit against dragons, 98;

3:

receives magic ring, 98; Wolfdie-
trich warned by, 107; meets Die-
trich, III. See Laurin and .£/&-
gast.

Al'bi-on. Brutus lands in, 308.

Al'boin. Sent in quest of armor, 86 ;
and Rosamund, 87 ; cruelty of, 87 ;
death of, 88.

Al'dri-an. I. Father of Hagen, 75.
II. Son of Hagen, betrays Etzel,
127.

Al'e-brand. See Hadubrand.

Al-ex-an'der. Hero of metrical
romance, 305 ; conquests of, 306 ;
death of, 307.

Al-ex-an'dre le Grant. Synopsis
of, 305-

Al-ex-an'drine meter. Origin of,

305-

A-LEX'is. Angela restored to, 170.

Al'fer-ich. See Alberich.

Al'fild. First wife of Sigurd Ring,
269.

Al-fon'so, Don. King of Leon,
288; made prisoner, 290; escapes
to Toledo, 290 ; hears of Don San-
cho's death, 292 ; escapes from To-
ledo, 292 ; king of Castile, 292 ;
banishes Cid, 293 ; restores Cid to
favor, 294 ; makes edict in favor of
exiles, 294 ; takes Toledo, 294 ; de-
feated by Cid, 294 ; encourages suit
of Counts of Carrion, 295 ; responsi-
ble for marriage of Cid's daughters,
297 ; Cid seeks redress from, 297 ;
refuses Babie9a, 297; gives orders
for burial of Cid, 300.

Al'fred. An ally of Ella, 279.

314

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Alf'sol. Sigurd Ring wooes, 270;
death of, 270.

Al-i-may'mon. Reveals how Toledo
can be taken, 290 ; death of, 294.

Almes'bur-y. Guinevere at, 232;
Lancelot visits, 233 ; Guinevere dies
at, 233.

Al'PRIS. See Alberich.

Al'te-cler. Sword of Oliver, 139.

Am'a-dis of Gaul. Cycle of, 302.

Am'a-ling Land. Italy called, 121 ;
Dietrich king of, 121; invaded by
imperial army, 123 ; Dietrich returns
to, 125.

Am'a-lung. Son of Hornbogi, 121.

A-man'da. Rezia called, 175; mar-
riage of, 17s ; in Titania's valley,
175; mother of Huonet, 1 76 ; loses
her child, and is captured by pirates,
176 ; shipwreck of, 177; slave of the
Sultan, 178; visits fairyland, 179;
journeys to Paris, 179.

Am'a-zons. Alexander visits, 306.

Am-bro'si-us Au-re-li-a'nus. Brit-
ish chief, 205.

Am'e-lings. The, 100-109.

Am'el-rich. Ferryman's signal, 76.

Am-for'tas. Son of Frimoutel, 188 ;
king of Montsalvatch, 189 ; wound
of, 189, 197; agony of, 193, 194;
brother of, 199 ; cured, 200 ; death
of, 200; armor of, 201.

An-gan'tyr. Helps to recover
ship EUida, 250; ruler of Orkney
Islands, 250 ; Frithiof sent to claim
tribute from, 258 ; Frithiof's landing
seen by watchman of, 260 ; Frithi-
of's visit to, 261 ; purse of, 261.

Angel. Visits Charlemagne, 130;
visits Ogier, 137 ; visits Oliver, 139.

An'ge-la. Huon advised by, 170;
Huon delivers, 170.

An-gi.o-Sax'ons. '" Beowulf" prob-
ably composed by, 9.

An-gou-laf'fre. Castle of, 169 ;
Huon's encounter with, 169; ring

of, 173-

An-gur-'Va'dee. Magic sword, 247 ;
Thorsten receives, 249 ; Frithiof in-
herits, 253.

An'ton. See Hector.

Ant'WERP. Marriage of Else and
Lohengrin at, 203.

An'zi-us. Emperor of Constantino-
ple, 100.

A-pol'lo. Marsile worships, 144,

A-ph'li-a. Part of Rother's king-
dom, 89.

A-qui-taine'. Walther son of duke
of, 124; Brutus coasts along, 308.

Ar'abs. Huon defeats a band of,
166; Spain under the, 282.

Ar'a-gon. Calahorra cause of quar-
rel in, 286; Don Ramiro of, 286,
289.

Ardennes (ar-den'). Quest for rob-
ber knight of the, 134; Aymon's
sons take refuge in, 160.

Ar-go-nau 'tic Expedition. In me-
diaeval literature, 303.

A'Ri-AS Gon-za'lo, Don. Receives
challenge, 291.

A-rib'a-dale. Bearer of Holy Grail,
201.

A-ri-os'to. Version of Roland by,
130; Merlin's fountain mentioned
by, 211 ; works of, 302, 307.

Ar'nold, Matthew. Treats of Ar-
thurian legend, 204 ; version of
Tristan and Iseult, 234.

Ar'thur. Dietrich wooes daughter
of, 123; Ogier joins, 138; in
Avalon, 139, 232 ; Parzival sets
out for court of, 189; at Nantes,
191 ; Parzival's request to, 192;
Parzival sends conquered knights
to, 196 ; knights Parzival, 196 ;
Gawain a knight of, 196 ; hears of
Gawain's prowess, 198 ; Parzival
visits, 200; vain quest for Holy
Grail, 201 ; legend of King, 204,
214-233; Merlin serves, 205, 210;
birth of, 210; Merlin makes palace
and armor for, 211; adventures of,
214; brought up by Sir Hector,
214 ; comes to London, 215 ; adven-
ture with sword, 215; overcomes
Gawain, 216; secures sword Ex-
calibur, 217; victories of, 217; mar-
riage of with Guinevere, 217; re-
ceives Round Table, 217; welcomes
Lancelot, 220 ; repudiates and rein-
states Guinevere, 220; questions
knights, 225 ; cannot defend Guine-
vere in judicial duel, 226 ; yearly
tournaments of, 226; and Elaine,

GLOSSARY A. YD IXDEX.

315

229 ; quarrels with Lancelot, 229 ;
leaves Guinevere with Mordred,
230; wars against Mordred, 230;
mortal wound of, 231 ; disposes of
Excalibur, 231 ; departs in barge,
232; Philip II. 's oath in favor of,
232; buried at Glastonbury, 232;
Lancelot buried at feet of, 233;
Tristan a contemporary of, 234;
Tristan goes to court of, 243 ; Tris-
tan delivers, 244 ; reconciles Mark
and Iseult, 244.

As'cA-LON. Huon at, 174.

A'si-A. Monarch of, 179; Alexan-
der sets out for, 306.

AsK'HER. See jEschere.

As'LAHG. Same as Krake ; story of
birth and childhood of, 274; pre-
diction of, 275 ; sons of, 275 ; begs
that her sons may avenge Agnar
and Erik, 276.

As'PRi-AN. King of northern giants,
90; and the lion, 90 ; carries off
Imelot, 92.

As'to-lat. Lancelot at, 227 ; Lance-
lot comes to, 227 ; Elaine the lily-
maid of, 228 ; Gawain comes to, 228.

At'l6. Challenges Frithiof, 260.

At'li. Same as Etzel, 53.

At'ti-la. Same as Etzel, 94, 118;
Theodoric born after death of, 128.

Auch-in-leck' Manuscript. Sir
Otuel in the, 143.

AuDE (6d). Beloved by Roland, 149.

Au'DOlN. King of Langobards, 86.

Au-re'li-us Am-bro'si-us. Son of
Constans, 205.

Av'a-lon. Ogier to dwell in, 135,
136 ; Morgana takes Ogier to, 138 ;
Arthur in, 232.

A'VARS. Aymon wars against the,
152.

A-ven'ti-cum. See Wiflisburg.

A'YA. Aymon marries, 154; Aymon
sends for, 154; goes to find her
husband, 155 ; intercedes for her
sons, 160; and Renaud, 161.

Ay'mon. Chansons de gestes relat-
ing to, 152 ; a peer of Charlemagne,
152; wages war against Charle-
magne, 152 ; helped by Bayard and
Malagigi, 153; besieged by Charle-
magne, 153; flight and victories

of, 154; Charlemagne makes peace
with, 154; marriage of, 154; adven-
tures of, 154 ; distributes his proper-
ty, 155 ; recovery of, 155 ; flees from
court, 156 ; a captive, 156 ; Turpin's
promise to, 156; oath of, 156; tries
to seize his sons, 157; Malagigi
frees sons of, 158; adventures of
sons of, 158-161.

Bab'i-can. King of Hyrcania, 171 ;
Rezia dreams of, 171.

Ba-bie'5a. Steed of the Cid, 286;
Cid's ride to Zamora on, 291 ; offered
to Alfonso, 297 ; Cid's last ride on,
298, 299 ; end of, 300.

Bab'y-lon. Ogier besieges, 138;
same as Bagdad in mediaeval litera-
ture, 164; Alexander crowned at,
306.

Bag-dad'- Huon to go to, 163, 164 ;
same as Babylon, 164; Sherasmin
indicates road to, 165 ; Huon re-
sumes journey to, 169; Huon's ad-
ventures in, 171.

Bal'der. Shrine of, 254, 256, 257 ;
temple of, 267.

Ba'li-an. Seaport in Hagen's king-
dom, 26.

Bal'tic Sea. Bornholm, island in
the, 247.

Ban. Father of Lancelot, 219.

Ba'ri. Capital of Rother, 89; arri-
val of magician's vessel at, 93.

Bau'ta. a memorial stone for Beo-
wulf, 21.

Ba-va'ri-a. Riidiger rides through,

71-

Bay'ard. Aymon's marvelous steed,
153; Satan steals, 153; Malagigi re-
covers, 153 ; Aymon saved by, 154;
given to Renaud, 155; Renaud
and his brothers escape on, 156;
Renaud's adventures in Paris with,
157 ; Renaud's escape on, 158 ;
timely kick of, 159; Charlemagne
demands death of, 161.

Bech-lar'en. Riidiger of, 71, 120;
Kriemhild at, 73; Burgundians at,
76.

Bed'i-vere, Sir. Finds Arthur dy-
ing, 231 ; bids Arthur farewell, 232.

Bee Hunter. See Becminlf.

3i6

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Bel6 (be-la'). Heir of Sogn, 249;
replaced on throne, 250; conquers
Orkney Islands, 250 ; helps Thors-
ten secure Volund ring, 251; sons
of, 251; last instructions of, 252;
kings seated on tomb of, 254.

Bel-fo-ra'do. Given to Rodrigo, 285.

Bel-i-a'gog. Tristan conquers, 244.

Bel'li-gan. City of, 106.

Bel-lis-san'de. Wife of Ogier, 136.

Bel'lyn. Escort of Reynard, 46;
death of, 47 ; deceived by Reynard,
48 ; accused of treachery, 49.

Bel'RI-par. Capital of Conduira-
mour, 192; Kardeiss king of, 201.

Be-noIt' de Sainte-More. Poem
of, 303 ; popularity of work of, 305.

Be'o-wulf, 9-21; epic of, 9; re-
solves to visit Denmark, \ i ; honors
won by, 12 ; arrival in Denmark,
13 ; guards Heorot and wounds
Grendel, 13, 14; receives Brisinga-
men, 15 ; hears of jEschere's death,
15; and Grendel's mother, 16, 17;
regency of, 18; reign of, 19; adven-
ture with dragon, 19, 20 ; death and
burial of, 21.

Berch'ther of Me'ran. Adviser
of Rother, 89; sons of, 89; accom-
panies Rother, 90 ; guardian of
Hugdietrich, 100 ; journey to Thes-
salonica, loi ; finds Wolfdietrich,
102 ; foster father of Wolfdietrich,
103 ; warns Wolfdietrich against
Ranch-Else, 104; Wolfdietrich re-
members, 106; sons of delivered
from captivity, 108 ; rewards given
to sons of, 109.

Berch'tung. See Berchther of Me-
ran.

Be-ril'lus. Goes to Rome, 185.

Bern. Same as Verona, 77, no;
hero of, 115, 116, 126; Heime in,
115; Wittich in, 116; Dietrich re-
turns to, 117, 121 ; Wildeber comes
to, 117; Laurin a prisoner in, 120;
Wittich's return to, 122; Dietrich
surrenders, 124; Dietrich's trium-
phant entry into, 126.

Ber'ners, Lord. Translates " Huon
of Bordeaux," 163.

Ber'serk-er. Rage, 24, 261 ; Atlfia,
260.

Ber-tan'ga Land. Same as Brit-
ain, 123.

Ber'tha. I. Mother of Charlemagne,
129. II. Sister of Charlemagne
and mother of Roland, 133.

Berthe'lot. Same as Chariot, 155.

Ber'wick. See Joyeuse Garde.

Bi'bung. Dwarf protector of Vir-
ginal, 133.

Bjorn. I. Confidantof Frithiof, 254;
plays chess with Frithiof, 255 !
steers Ellida, 259 ; carries men
ashore, 259 ; takes charge of ElHda,
264. II. Son of Ragnar, 274.

Blaise. A holy man who baptizes
Merlin, 206.

Blaive. Roland buried at, 147 ;
Lady Aude buried at, 149.

Blanche'fleur. Wife of Meliadus
and mother of Tristan, 235.

Bl6'de-lin. Kriemhild bribes, 80.

Boc-CAC'cio. Makes use of story
of Griseldis, 302.

Bo'gen. Son of Hildburg, 103.

Bo'hort. Cousin of Lancelot, 219.

Bo-iar'do. Writer of a version of
the adventures of Roland, 130, 302 ;
love of the marvelous shown in
works of, 307.

Bol-fri-an'a. Captivity of, 116;
Dietrich rescues, 117; Wittich mar-
ries, 122.

Book of Heroes. Same as " Hel-
denbuch," 86; Dietrich principal
character in, no.

BoR-DEAUx'. Huon in captivity in,
180.

Born'holm. Viking bom in, 247.

Bouillon (boo-ySn'). Godfrey of,

139-
Bra-bant'. Else, Duchess of, 202.
Brang'waine. Attendant of Iseult,

240 ; confidante of Iseult, 242 ; Gan-

hardin falls in love with image of,

244.
Brei'sach. Harlungs dwell at, 123.
Bre'ka. Enters into swimming

match with Beowulf, 12.
Bret'land. Sot6 buried in, 251.
Bri-sin'ga-men. Necklace given to

Beowulf, 15.
Brit'ain. Same as Bertanga land,

123 ; Uther and Pendragon's wars

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

317

in, 208 ; Holy Grail vanishes from,
208; named by Brutus, 309; in-
vaded by Romans, 309.

British Museum. Manuscripts in, 9.

Brit'ons. War of, 208.

Brit'ta-ny. Soltane, forest in, 188 ;
Broceliande in, 212; Arthur's cam-
paign in, 217; Ban king of, 219;
Lancelot retires to, 230; Arthur's
second campaign in, 230; Tristan
goes to, 243 ; Tristan returns to,
244.

Bro-CE-li-AN'de. Forest in Brittany,
2X2.

Brons. Brother-in-law of Joseph of
Arimathea, 184.

Brown. Sent to summon Reynard,
39; arrives at Malepartus, 39;
caught in tree trunk, 40; returns
to court, 41 ; injuries of, 43 ; im-
prisonment of, 46 ; release of, 47.

Brun'hild. Gunther wishes to mar-
ry, 58 ; test of strength of, 60 ; defeat
of, 60 ; leaves her own country, 62 ;
objects to Kriemhild's marriage,
62 ; binds Gunther, 63 ; is conquered
by Siegfried, and loses fabulous
strength, 63 ; invites Siegfried and
Kriemhild to Worms, 64 ; quarrels
with Kriemhild, 64 ; in care of Ru-
molt, 75 ; son of made king of Bur-
gundy, 85 ; Aslaug daughter of,
274.

Bru'te. See Brutiis.

Bru'tus. Metrical romance of, 307 ;
descendant of Mneas, 307 ; adven-
tures of, 307-309; descendants of,

309-
Bu'cAR. Besieges Valencia, 298;

retreat of, 299.
Buch-an'an. Poem of on Roland,

130-

Bur'gos. Cid born at, 282; Xime-
na at, 284 ; inhabitants weep at Cid's
departure from, 293.

Bur-gun'di-ans. Siegfried chal-
lenges, 56 ; Nibelungs support king
of, 61 ; Nibelungs angry with, 69;
nobles escort Kriemhild, 73; often
called Nibelungs, 75 ; warning con-
veyed to, 77 ; see hostility of Huns,
79; kindly treated by Etzel, 79;
murder of squires of, 80; bloody

fight of, 81 ; bravery of, 82 ;
slaughter of, 83; name Gunther's
son king, 85 ; Hagen a hostage for,
124.
Bur'gun-dy. King and queen of, 53 ;
Siegfried goes to, 55 ; threatened
invasion of, 56; Brunhild receives
king of, 59 ; Kriemhild remains in,
69; Kriemhild wishes to leave, 71 ;
Kriemhild's brothers return to, 73 ;
chaplain returns to, 76; Etzel
promises to send his son to, 80;
Etzel makes peace with, 124; Hagen
returns to, 124 ; Gunther, king of,
124.

Ca-la-hor'ra. On frontier between
Castile and Aragon, 286.

Cam'ber. Son of Brutus, names
Cambria, 309.

Cam'bri-a. Name;d after Camber, 309.

Cam'e-lot. Palace at, 211, 218;
feast at, 217; twelve kings buried
at, 218 ; Lancelot at, 220, 221 ;
knights assemble at, 224; appear-
ance of Holy Grail at, 225 ; knights
return to, 226; Guinevere's feast
at, 226; funeral barge arrives at,
228; Lancelot leaves and returns
to, 229.

Cam-pe-a-dor'. Title given to Cid,
289, 290.

Can'ter-bur-y Tales. Troilus and
Cressida in, 305.

Ca-ee'tian kings. Ogier reaches
France during reign of one of, 138 ;
origin of race of, 181.

Cap-pa-do'cia. Berillus from, 185.

Car'du-el. Same as Carlisle, 208;
knights assemble at, 209.

Car-lisle'. See Carduel.

Ca-ro-lin'gian Legends, 129-181 ;
Naismes the Nestor of, 144.

Car'ri-on, Counts or Infantes
OF. Marry Cid's daughters, 295 ;
cowardice of, 295 ; Cid's followers
gibe at, 296; illtreat their wives,
296; Alfonso's anger with, 297;
before the Cortes, 297 ; challenged,
297; defeat of, 298.

Cas-si-vel-lau'nus. Tristan may be
a contemporary of, 234 ; a descend-
ant of Brutus, 309.

3i8

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Cas-tii.e'. Invasion of, 283, 289;
Calahorra near, 286 ; Don Sancho
king of, 288 ; Cid and Don Sancho
return to, 289 ; Cid's raid in, 294.

Champ de Mars. The Frank assem-
bly, 36.

Chan'son de Ro'i.and. Sung at
Hastings, 130; most famous ver-
sion of Roland's death, 147-

Char'le-magne. Conquers Lom-
bardy, 88, 129, 137; and his pala-
dins, 129-15 1 ; favorite hero of
mediaeval literature, 129; champion
of Christianity, 129; fabulous ad-
ventures of, 129; Einhard son-in-
law of, 130 ; chansons de gesies re-
ferring to, 130; receives angel's
visit, 130; conspirators punished
by, 131 ; and Frastrada, 131 ; affec-
tion of for Turpin, 132 ; founds Aix-
la-Chapelle, 133; and the boy
Roland, 134; asks for jewel of
knight of the Ardennes, 134;
knights Roland, 135 ; makes war
against Denmark, 135 ; releases
Ogier, 136; insulted byOgier, 136;
appearance of, 136, 137, 141 ; and
Ogier, 137; quarrels with Duke
of Genoa, 139 ; Roland champion
of, 139; vow and pilgrimage of,
139; peers of, 139; vision of, 140;
besieges Pamplona, 140 ; pilgrimage
of to Compostela, 140 ; Aigolandus
revolts against, 141 ; challenged by
Ferracute, 141 ; sends Ogier to fight
Ferracute, 142 ; dove alights on,
143 ; wars in Spain, 143 ; sends em-
bassy to Marsiglio, 144 ; retreat of,
144; hears Roland's horn, 145;
Turpin celebrates mass before, 147 ;
returns to Roncesvalles, 147 ; orders
trial of Ganelon, 148 ; Aymon a
peer of, 152 ; character of, 152 ; wars
against Aymon, 153; treats with
Aymon, 154; coronation of at Rome,
155; hostility toward sons of
Aymon, 156; captures sons of
Aymon, 157; bribes Iwo, 158;
Richard carried captive to, 159; be-
sieges Montauban, 159; and Mala-
gigi, 160; Aya intercedes with,
161 ; and Bayard, 161 ; Huon does
homage to, ib3; gives orders to

Huon, 163, 172; tournament of,
179; pardons Huon, 181; contem-
porary of Ragnar Lodbrok, 269;
Italian cycle treats of, 302.

Charles the Bald. Struggles of,
152; claims descent from Trojan
race, 307.

Charles Mar-tel'. Deeds of attrib-
uted to Charlemagne, 129.

Char'lot. Kills Ogier's son, 136;
Ogier demands death of, 137 ; Re-
naud defeats, 155; quarrels with
Alard, 155; death of, 163.

Chau'cer. Uses tale of Griseldis,
302 ; uses Troilus and Cressida,
305.

CHRESTiE.NDETROYES(kra-te-an'deh
trwa'). Poems of, 182, 204, 219,

234-

Christ. Jews angry against Joseph
for burying, 183 ; Vespasian hears
story of, 183 ; born during reign of
Cymbelinus, 309.

Christian. Faith taught to Rezia,
175; legends, 184; Fierefiss be-
comes a, 200 ; faith, 277 '< army be-
sieges Coimbra, 287; king takes
Toledo, 294; army evacuates Va-
lencia, 300.

Chris-ti-a'ni-a-Fiord. Frithiof in
the, 264.

Christianity. Charlemagne cham-
pion of, 129; Roland argues about,
142 ; sadly mixed with mythology,

303-

Christians. Triumph in Spain, 143 ;
massacre of, 145 ; enmity between
Moors and, 154; can take Toledo,
290; Bucar retreats before, 299;
Moors routed by, 299.

Chronicle of Turpin, 140.

Cid, The, 282-300; birth of, 282;
Ximena accuses, 284 ; Ximena mar-
ries, 285 ; pilgrimage of to Santiago
de Compostela, 285 ; adventure with
leper, 286; duel of with Martin
Gonzalez, 286; saved by Moorish
kings, 287 ; at Zamora with Ximena,
287; defeats champion of Henry
III., 288; vassal of Don Sancho,
288 ; victories of, 289 ; conducts
siege of Zamora, 291 ; banished
by Alfonso, 293 ; at Valencia, 294 ;

GLOSSARY AN'D INDEX.

319

cowardly sons-in-law of, 295 ;
daughters of illtreated, 296 ; at the
Cortes, 297 ; offers Babie9a to Al-
fonso, 297 ; returns to Valencia,
298 ; warned of coming death, 298 ;
last instructions of, 298 ; death of,
299 ; last victory of, 299 ; body of in
state, 300 ; sword of, 300 ; chronicle
of, 302.

Cl-SAIRE', PASS OF. Roland's ghost
at, 145.

Claretie (kla-re-te'). Ancestress of
Capetian race, 181.

Clar'ice. Ogier marries, 138.

Cla-ris'sa. Wife of Renaud, 156;
treachery of father of, 158; inter-
cedes for her father, 159; death of,
161.

Cleves. Henry the Fowler at, 202.

Co-IM'BRA. Siege of, 287.

Co-la'da. Sword won by Cid, 294 ;
given to Infante of Carrion, 296;
recovery of, 297.

Co-logne'. Death and burial of Re-
naud at, 162.

Con-DUIR'a-mour. Parzival rescues
and marries, 192; Parzival reminded
of, 195 ; at Montsalvatch, 200 ; chil-
dren of, 201.

CoN'STANS. King of England, 205 ;
sons of, 205, 208.

Con'stan-tine. I. Father of Oda,
89 ; and Rother, 90-93. II. Son of
Constans, 205.

CoN-STAN-Tl-NO'PLE. Embassy ar-
rives at, 89; Rother's visit to, 89-
93, 100; Anzius emperor of, 100;
Hildburg goes to, 102; Wolfdie-
trich king of, 103, io8; the Nor-
mans in, 281.

Co-ri-ne'a. Same as Cornwall, 309.

Co-ri-ne'us. Companion of Brutus,
308; the original Jack the Giant
Killer, 308 ; kills Goemagot, 309.

CoRN'vrALL. Tintagel in, 209 ; Gor-
lois duke of, 209; Mark king of,.
235, 240 ; Tristan in, 236, 237, 238 ;
Iseult embarks for, 241 ; Iseult
lands in, 242 ; Tristan's passion for
Iseult of, 243, 244; Kurvenal's
journey to, 244 ; arrival in Brittany of
Iseultof,245 ; Tristan and Iseultbur-
iedin, 245 ; Corineus settles in, 309.

Cor'tes. Infantes of Carrion at the,
297, 298.

Cru-sades'. Influence of on litera-
ture, 302.

Cym-be-li'nus. Christ born during
reign of, 309.

Dag'o-bert. Claims descent from
Trojan race, 307.

Dane. Hawart the, 81 ; Dietlieb the,
117; Ogier the, 129, 135.

Danes. Beowulf escorted by, 16;
gratitude of, 18 ; disapprove of Rag-
nar's marriage, 274; Eystein &&-
Clares war against, 276.

Dan'ish. Writers, 246; dynasty
connected with Sigurd, 269; ships
burned by English, 276 ; kings
make raids, 280; settlements, 280.

Dank'rat. King of Burgundy, 53.

Dank'wart. Under Siegfried's
orders, 56; accompanies Gunther
to Issland, 59 ; suspicion of, 59, 61 ;
goes to Hungary, 75 ; helps Hagen,
76; warns Hagen, 80.

Dan'UBE. Journey of Kriemhild
down the, 73 ; Burgundians reach
the, 75.

Den'mark. Hrothgar king of, 9;
Beowulf sails for, 12 ; Wealtheow
queen of, 15 ; Ludegast king of,
56 ; Charlemagne defeats king of,
135 ; Ogier king of, 136 ; Krake
queen of, 274.

Des'ert Bab-y-lo'ni-a. Kingdom
of Imelot, 91 ; Constantino takes
possession of, 92.

Des-i-de'ri-us. See Didier.

Di-a'na. Brutus in temple of, 308.

Did'i-er. Ogier flees to, 136.

Diego Laynez (de-a'go la'nez). In-
sulted by Don Gomez, 282 ; avenged
by Rodrigo, 283 ; takes Rodrigo to
court, 283.

Di-e'go Or-do'nez, Don. Sends
challenge to Don Arias Gonzalo,
291.

Die-te-lin'de. Daughter of Riidiger,
73; Giselher betrothed to, 77.

Die'ther. Brought up by Hilde-
brand, 112; Helche cares for, 124;
death of, 126.

Diet'lieb. Merry-making and ath-

320

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

letic feats of, 117; lord of Steier-
mark, 118; and Laurin, 119, 120;
victory and reward of, 120.

Diet'mar. Grandson of Wolfdie-
trich, 109; ruler of Bern, no;
death of, 121.

Die'trich von Bern. Warns Bur-
gundians, 77 ; defies Kriemhild,
78 ; abstains from tournament, 79 ;
Kriemhild tries to bribe, 80 ; a safe-
conduct for, 81 ; saves Etzel and
Kriemhild, 81 ; hears of Riidiger's
death, 83 ; fights and captures Gun-
ther and Hagen, 84 ; lament of, 85 ;
ancestors of, 109; story of, iio-
128; birth of, no; fiery breath of,
no, 119; Hildebrand friend and
teacher of, 1 10 ; adventure of with
^Hilde and Grim, III; wins sword
Nagelring, in; fights with Sigenot,
1 1 2 ; sees and rescues Virginal, 112-
114; marries Virginal, 114; gains
possession of Heime and Falke, 115;
Wittich's adventure with, 1 16 ; ad-
ventures of with Ecke and Fasolt,
116; delivers Sintram, 117; visits
Rome, 117; and Laurin, 1 18-120;
visits Etzel, 121 ; becomes king of
Amaling land, 121 ; victories in
Wilkina land, 121 ; wars against
Rimstein, 122; Eckhardt joins, 123;
Ermenrich wars against, 123 ; wooes
Hilde, 123 ; exile of in Hungary,
124; victories and wounds of, 125 ;
returns to Bern, 125 ; fights against
Ermenrich, 126; marriage of, 126;
kills Sibich, 127; made emperor of
West, 127; old age of, 128; Wild
Hunt led by, 128 ; Ragnar saga like
saga of, 269.

Dol'fos, Vel'li-do or Bel'li-do.
Murders Don Sancho, 291.

Dor-dogne'. Aymon of, 152; Lord
Hug of, 152.

DORT'MUND. Renaud's body at,
162.

Dou'ro. River in Spain, 296.

Do'VER. Arthur encounters Mordred
near, 230.

Dra'chen-fels. Dietrich saves lady
of, 116; Wittich marries lady of,
122; Roland wooes maid of, 150;
Roland's return to, 151.

Dragon Slayer. Surname of Sieg-
fried, 275.

Dragons. See Beowulf, Siegfried,
Ortnit, Wolfdietrich, Tristan, Rag-
nar.

Dray'ton. Author of " Polyolbion,"
310.

Dru'si-an. Kidnaps Sigeminne, 105 ;
Wolfdietrich captive of, 105 ; death
of, 106.

Dub'lin. Morold's corpse carried
to, 237 ; Tristan's visit to, 238.

Du'o-LIN DE May'ence. A chan-
son de geste, 152.

Dh-ran-da'na. Sword of Roland,
139; powerless upon Ferracute,
142 ; Roland disposes of, 146.

Ead'gils. Son of Othere, 19.
East. Ogier goes to the, 138 ; Holy

Grail in the far, 201 ; Alexander's

journey to the, 305 ; wealth of the,

306.
East Goth'land. Thora dwells in,

271.
Eck'e. Giant killed by Falke, 116;

Dietrich takes sword of, 117.
Eck'en-lied. Story of Ecke, 116.
Eck'e-sax. Sword of Ecke, 117.
Eck'e-wart. I. Escorts Kriemhild,

64; remains with Kriemhild, 70;

accompanies Kriemhild to Hungary,

72 ; warns Burgundians, 76. II.

See Eckhardt.
ECK'HARDT. Fidelity of, 109, 123 ;

flees to Dietrich, 123.
Ec'tor de Ma'ris, Sir. Lancelot

eulogized by, 233.
Ed'da. Hilde in the, 22 ; Hedin in

the, 25.
Ein'hard. Son-in-law of Charle-
magne, 130.
Ein-he'ri-ar. Ragnar leader of the,

279.
E-laine'. Story of, 227-229.
El'be-gast. Same as Alberich, in;

Charlemagne's adventure with, 130,

I3«-
E'li-as. See Ylyas.
El-ki'nar. Isegrim bound to bell

at, 42.
El'la. King of Northumberland,

captures and kills Ragnar, 278 ; de-

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

321

feats Ragnar's sons, 279 ; gives land
to Normans, 279 ; Ivar kills, 280.

El-li'da. The dragon ship given to
Vilcing by ^Egir, 250 ; belongs to
Frithiof, 253; in the storm, 258;
arrives at Orkney Islands, 259;
Frithiof sails in, 262.

El'se. Story of Lohengrin and,
201-3.

El-si-nore'. Ogier sleeping in, 136.

El-vi'ra, Dona. Receives Toro,
288 ; robbed of Toro, 290.

Em'er-ald Isle, 23.

Eng'land. Invasion of, 9; rhyme
introduced in, 9 ; Clarice, princess
of, 138; Ogier leaves, 138; Hengist
driven from, 205 ; Merlin brings
stones, to, 208 ; Merlin's predictions
concerning future of, 210; Arthur's
name in, 214; dissensions in, 229;
firm belief in concerning Arthur's
return, 232 ; vikings' raids in, 276 ;
stone altars in, 280; tradition of
Trojan descent in, 307.

Eng'lish. Version of Roland, 130;
more than eighteen versions of
Frithiof saga in, 246; fight Rag-
nar's sons at Whitaby, 276.

E'NID THE Fair. Story of, 222-224.

Enig^e (a'ne-zha). Sister of Joseph
of Arimathea, 184.

E'rec. Name for Geraint in French
and German poems, 223.

E'rik. Son of Ragnar, 272 ; a great
viking, 274 ; attacked by enchanted
cow, 276.

Er'me-lyn. Wife of Reynard, 45,
46, 47.

Er'men-rich. Treasure of, 45;
emperor of the West, no; Die-
trich's visit to, 117; Dietlieb re-
warded by, 118; Dietrich helps,
122; and Sibich, 122, 123; wars
against Dietrich, 126 ; death of, 126.

Er'MO-nie. Meliadus lord of, 234.

Erp. Son of Helche, 125 ; death of,
126.

Es-clar-mon'de. Same as ■ Rezia,
171, 175 ; early version of story of,
i8o.

Es-tre-ma-du'ra. Moors defeated
in, 287.

E-tru'ri-A. Luna in, 276.

Et'zel. Same as Atli, 53; wooes
Kriemhild, 71 ; Kriemhild sets out
for court of, 72 ; Kriemhild wife of,
73 ; invites Burgundians to Hun-
gary, 74; welcomes Burgundians,
78 ; banquet of, 79 ; promises to send
son to Burgundy, 80; saved from
massacre, 81 ; Burgundians wish to
treat with, 82 ; cannot save Hagen,
84; lament of, 85; Helche marries,
94; Dietlieb serves, 118; Dietrich
visits, 121, 124; Walther escapes
from, 124; gold stolen from, 124;
cowardice of, 125 ; helps Dietrich,
125 ; marries Kriemhild, 126 ; killed
by Aldrian, 127; same as Attila,
128.

Eu'rope. " Beowulf " oldest relic of
spoken language in, 9; " Reynard
the Fox" popular in, 35 ; to be in-
fested by dragons, 98 ; Charlemagne
conquers nearly all, 140 ; introduc-
tion of legend of Holy Grail in,
182 ; popularity of Arthurian legends
in, 214; popularity of " Roman de
Troie " in, 304.

Eu-ro-pe'an. Versions of legends,
205 ; versions of Tristan, 234 ;
languages, sagas translated into,
246; states, romances current in,
301 ; nations, classical romances in,
303 ; versions of Iliad, 304 ; litera-
ture, mention of Fountain of Youth
in, 306 ; colonization, 307.

Ex-cal'i-bur. Arthur's sword, 217 ;
Arthur disposes of, 231.

Ey'stein. Ragnar visits, 274; wars
against Danes, 276 ; magic cow of,
276.

Fa'e-rie Queene. Merlin's foun-
tain mentioned in, 211; contains
mediaeval legends, 310.

Faf'nir. Sigurd slayer of, 269, 274.

Faf'nis-bane. Surname of Sigurd,
274.

Fair An'net. Loved by Lord Thom-
as, 245.

Fa'lies, Marquis of. Sword Tizo-
na in -family of, 300.

Fal'KE. Horse of Dietrich, 115;
kills Ecke, 116.

Fal'ster Wood. Heime in the, 1 1 7.

322

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Fa'solt. Dietrich defeats, 117.
Fa'ta Mor-ga'na. Mirage called,

95-

Fat'i-ma. Attendant of Rezia, 173;
in Tunis, 177; finds Amanda, 1 78 ;
taken to fairyland, 179; rescued by
Huon and Sherasmin, 180.

Fe'lez Mu-noz.' Nephew of Cid,
296 ; rescues his cousins, 296.

Fer'di-nand. Rodrigo's first visit
to, 283 ; recalls Rodrigo, 284 ; Xim-
ena before, 284 ; receives gifts from
Cid, 287; Henry III. complains of
to Pope, 287 ; threatened by Pope,
288 ; Cid's victories for, 288 ; death
and legacies of, 288.

Fer'ra-cute. Challenges Charle-
magne, 141 ; defeats Ogier and Re-
naud, 142 ; fights and argues with
Roland, 142, 143 ; Otuel, nephew
of, 143.

Fer'ra-gus. See Ferracute.

FlEREFiss (fy^r-e-fes'). Encounters
Parzival, 199 ; conversion and mar-
riage of, 200 ; father of founder of
Knights Templars, 200.

Fire'drake. Ravages of the, 19;
slain by Beowulf, 20.

Flam'berge. Sword of Aymon,
154; Renaud, owner of, 158; Re-
naud breaks, 161.

Flan'ders. "Reynard the Fox"

m. 35-

Flor'ence. Council at, 287.

Flor'i-da. Ponce de Leon in, 306.

Fountain of Youth, 306.

Fram'nas. Home of Thorsten and
Frithiof, 250, 251, 253; ruins of,
261.

France. "Reynard the Fox" in,
35 ; Charlemagne principal hero of,
129; Ogier in, 136, 138; Charle-
magne in, 140, 141, 144, 148 ; Huon
embarks for, 174; Capetian kings
of, 181 ; legend of Holy Grail in,
182 ; Merlin brings armies from,
210; viking raids in, 276; king of,
289.

Franks. And " Reynard the Fox,"
35 ; assembly of, 36 ; hostage from,
124; at feud with Lombardy, 136.

Fras-trad'a. Wife of Charlemagne,
131-

Fred'er-ick Bar-bar-OS 'sa. Ogier
like, 136.

Fred'er-ick of Tel'ra-mund.
Guardian and oppressor of Else,
202 ; defeated by Lohengrin, 203.

French. Version of Roland, 130;
army betrayed by Ganelon, 144;
version of Tristan, 234; kings de-
scended from Priam, 307.

Frie'sian. Invasion, 18 ; sea, Char-
lemagne's vision of, 140.

Fries'land. Invasion of, 18.

Fri-mou-tel'. Anointed king, 188;
death of, 189.

Frithiof (frit'yof). Story of, 246-
268 ; saga put into verse by Tegn^r,
246 ; birth of, 25 1 ; loves Ingeborg,
251, 252; home of, 253; sues for
hand of Ingeborg, 254; suit of re-
jected, 255 ; Ingeborg's brothers ask
aid of, 255 ; meets Ingeborg in tem-
ple, 256 ; tries to make terms with
kings, 257; journey to Orkney
Islands, 258 ; in tempest, 259 ; fights
Atl6, 260; visits Angaiityr, 261;
returns to Framnas, 261; goes into
exile, 262 ; becomes a pirate, 263 ;
visits Sigurd Ring, 264; Ingeborg
recognizes, 265 ; loyalty of, 265 ;
guardian of infant king, 266; re-
builds temple, 267; marries Inge-
borg, 267.

Frute. Follower of Hettel, 25 ; in
quest of Hilde, 26.

Ga'her-is. Doubts Arthur's title to
throne, 216.

Ga-la'fre. Huon and Sherasmin at
court of, 180.

Gal'a-had, Sir. Knighted by Lance-
lot, 224 ; occupies ' ' Siege Peril-
ous," 224; sees Holy Grail, 226.

Ga-li'cia. Charlemagne called to,
140 ; Don Garcia king of, 288, 289.

Ga-li'cian. Nobles refuse to ex-
change prisoners, 289.

Gal'y-en. Son of Oliver, and king
of Jerusalem, 140.

Gal'y-en Rhet-or-^'. A chanson
degeste, 139.

Ga'mu-ret. Marries Herzeloide,
188.

Ga'ne-lon. Treachery of, 144, 145;

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

323

accused and sentenced, 148; advises
Chariot, 155.

Ganhardin (gan-har-dan'). Wishes
to marry Brangwaine, 244.

GARADiE(ga-ra-de'), Count. Hagen
in the hands of, 24.

Gar-ci'a, Don. King of GaUcia,
288 ; seizes Zamora, 289 ; dies in
captivity, 290.

Gar'den. Wolfdietrich at, 107;
Herbrand receives, 109 ; Hikle-
brand inherits, 109; Ermenrich
takes, 123; Dietrich master of,
126; Hildebrand's return to, 126.

Ga'reth, Sir. Knighted by Lance-
lot, 22 1 ; adventures with Lynette,
222 ; Geraint brother of, 222.

Ga'ry. Messenger sent by Gunther
to Siegfried, 64; goes to Hungary,

75-

Ga'wain. Rides after Parzival, 196 ;
and Duchess Orgueilleuse, 197;
adventures with Gramoflaus and
Klingsor, 197, 198 ; marriage of,
198 ; one of Arthur's knights, 209 ;
doubts Arthur's title to throne, 216 ;
strength of, 216; comes to Astolat,
228.

Geates. Minstrel flees to the, 1 1 ;
Beowulf escorted by the, 16 ; wait
for Beowulf, 17; return with Hy-
gelac's body, 18.

Geirs'-odd. Sacrificial runes called,
266.

Gel'frat. Fights Hagen, 76.

Gen'o-a, Duke of. Charlemagne's
quarrel with, 139.

Geof'frEY de Ligny (len'ye). Au-
thor of a Lancelot romance, 219.

Geof'frey of Mon'mouth. Writ-
ings of, 204, 307, 309.

Gep'I-d^. Settle in Pannonia, 86;
quarrel with Lombards, 87.

Ge-raint'. Brother of Gareth, 222 ;
story of Enid and, 222 - 224.

Ge-ras'mes. See Sherasmin.

Ger'hart. Claims Liebgart's hand,
108.

Ger'ims-burg. Siege of, 122.

Ger-lin'da. Cruelty of, 30-32 ;
death of, 33.

Ger'man, Manuscript of "Gudrun,"
22, 23; Von Ofterdingen a, 53;

literature, 53 ; language, Eckewart's
fidelity proverbial in, 70 ; version of
Roland legend, 130; Wagner a,
182 ; more than eighteen versions of
Frithiof saga in, 246.

Ger'ma-ny. Maximilian emperor
of, 22; Hettel king of, 25; " Rey-
nard the Fox " in, 35 ; the greatest
epic of, 53 ; in Charlemagne's vision,
140 ; legend of Holy Grail in, 182 ;
Henry the Fowler emperor of, 202 ;
Henry HI. emperor of, 287.

Ger'not. Son of Dankrat and Ute,
53 ; under Siegfried's orders, 56 ;
advice of, 57 ; Hagen tries to rouse
anger of, 66 ; sympathy of, 69 ;
anger of, 71 ! escorts Kriemhild to
Vergen, 73 ; sword of, 77 ; death of,

83-

Gier'e-mund. Reynard insults, 36 ;
wooed by Reynard, 38.

Gil'das. -307.

Gi-rard'. I. Brother of Huon,
killed by Chariot, 163. II. A knight,
steals Huon's casket, 180; pun-
ished by Oberon, 181.

Gis'el-her. Son of Dankrat and
Ute, 53 ; under Siegfried's orders,
56 ; reproves Hagen, 66 ; sympathy
of, 69 ; angry with Hagen, 71 ; es-
corts Kriemhild to Vergen, 73 ;
betrothal of, 77.

Glas'ton-bur-y. Holy Grail at,
185 ; Arthur buried at, 232 ; Guine-
vere and Lancelot buried at, 233.

God'frey of Bouil'lon. Ancestor
of, 139; king of Jerusalem, 161.

GoEmagot (go-e-ma-got'). Corineus
kills, 309.

Goethe (go'teh) "Reineke Fuchs "
of, 36 ; admiration of for Tegn^r,
246.

Go'mez, Don. Insults Don Diego
Laynez, 282 ; challenged and killed
by Rodrigo, 283 ; Ximena daughter
of, 284.

Gor'lo-is. Lord of Tintagel, wars
against Uther Pendragon, 209 ;
death of, 210 ; Arthur not a son of,
210.

Go-TE-LIN'DE. Wife of Riidiger, 73.

Goth'land, East, 271.

Goths. See Geates,

324

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

GOTT' FRIED VON StRASS'BURG.

Treats of Holy Grail, 182, 204;

version of " Tristan" of, 234.
GOZZOLI (got'so-lee). Painting of,

304-

Grail. See Holy Grail.

Gram'o-flaus. Encounter of with
Gawain, 197; Parzival champion of,
198; marries Itonie, 198.

Gran. Capital of Etzel, 73; min-
strels return to, 75.

Gra'vain. One of Arthur's knights,
209.

Greece. Hertnit earl of, 121;
Tristan known in, 234; isles of,
264; viking raid in, 276; popu-
larity of Iliad in, 304; Brutus goes
to, 307; Pandrasus king of, 308.

Greek. Islands invaded by vikings,
276 ; epics, 303 ; post-classical writ-
ings, 303 ; rhapsodists' work contin-
ued, 304 ; writers busy with Alex-
ander, 305.

Gren'del. Heorot visited by, 10;
warriors slain by, 1 1 ; Beowulf and,
12-14; mother of, 15; Beowulf
visits retreat of, 16, 17.

Grif'fin. Hagen carried off by a,

23-

Grim. Depredations of, iii ; killed
by Dietrich, 1 11 ; Sigenot vows to
avenge, 112.

Grim 'BART. Cousin of Reynard, 36 ;
defends Reynard, 37; pleads for
Reynard, 38 ; carries message to
Reynard, 42 ; absolves Reynard,
42 ; reproves Reynard, 43 ; warns
Reynard, 47; takes Reynard to
court, 48.

Grim'hild. See Kriemhild.

Gri-sel'dis. Tale of, 302.

Guar'da. See Garden.

Gu'drun. I. The poem, 22. II.
Daughter of Hettel and Hilde, 27 ;
suitors of, 28 ; kidnaped by Hart-
mut, 29 ; slavery of, 30 ; swan
maiden visits, 3 1 ; rebellion of, 32 ;
rescue of, 33 ; marries Herwig, 34.
III. Same as Kriemhild, 53.

Gu^r'in de Mont'glave. a chan-
son de geste, 139.

Gui-enne'. Huon and Girard on
the way from, 163 ; Huon's patri-

mony of, 179; Huon's journey to,
180.

Guild' FORD. See Astolat.

GuiN ' e-vere. Marries Arthur, 217;
and Lancelot, 220, 221 ; favors of,
227 ; hears of Lancelot and Elaine,
228 ; saved by Lancelot, 229 ; and
Mordred, 230 ; at Almesbury, 232 ;
death of, 233; Iseult like, 242;
Iseult meets, 244.

Guis'CARD. Son of Aymon and Aya,

154-

Gung'thiof. Son of Frithiof, 267.

GuN'NAR. Same as Gunther, 53.

Gun'ther. Same as Gunnar, 53;
Siegfried at court of, 55, 56 ; goes
to Issland to woo Brunhild, 59;
contest of with Brunhild, 60;
marriage of, 61 ; gives Kriem-
hild to Siegfried, 62; bound by
Brunhild, 63 ; invites Siegfried to
Worms, 64 ; influenced by Hagen,
66 ; race of, 67 ; protector of
Kriemhild, 68; reconciled to
Kriemhild, 70; plans to secure
hoard, 71 : receives Hun em-
bassy, 72 ; goes to Hungary, 75 ;
entertained by Riidiger, 77 ; enter-
tained by Etzel, 80; grants safe-
conduct to Dietrich, 81 ; refuses to
surrender Hagen, 82 ; imprison-
ment and death of, 84; son of,
85; encounter with Walther, 124;
wounds of, 125.

Gur'ne-manz. Educates Parzival,
192, 196.

Gu'trun. See Kriemhild.

Ha'che. Receives Rhine land, 109.

Had'burg. Prophecy of, 75.

Had'u-brand. Son of Hildebrand,
126; makes himself known to his
father, 127.

Ha'gen. I. Son of Sigeband, car-
ried off by a griffin, 23 ; adventures
and marriage of, 24 ; daughter of,
25 ; fights Hettel, 27. II. Same as
Hogni, 53 ; describes Siegfried's
prowess, 55 ; accompanies Gunther
to Issland, 59 ; promises to avenge
Brunhild, 65 ; deceives Kriemhild,
66 ; kills Siegfried, 67 ; glories in
his treachery, 68 ; the touch of, 69 ;

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

325

hatred of Kriemhild for, 70 ; seizes
hoard, 71 ; welcomes Rudiger, 71 ;
warns Burgundians, 72, 74 ; Kriem-
hild plans to have revenge upon,
73 ; swan maidens and, 75 ; adven-
ture at the ferry, 76 ; receives shield
from Rudiger, 77 ; Etzel welcomes,
78 ; alliance with Volker, 78 ;
frightens Huns, 79; kills Ortlieb,
80; Kriemhild offers reward for
death of, 81 ; Kriemhild asks sur-
render of, 82 ; Dietrich asks sur-
render of, 83 ; captivity and death
of, 84; a hostage of Etzel, 124;
loses an eye, 125 ; Aldrian son of,
127.

Half'dan. I. Friend of Viking, 247 ;
makes friends with Njorfe, 248;
Viking's sons visit, 249. II. Son
of Bel6, 251; character of, 252;
king of Sogn, 253 ; guardian of
Ingeborg, 255 ; Sigurd Ring wars
against, 256 ; Frithiof wars against,
267.

Hal'o-ga-land. North Norway
called, 246.

Hal'o-ge. Same as Loki, rules
Halogaland, 246 ; Viking the grand-
son of, 247.

Ham. Witch summoned by Helg6,
258.

Har'dred. Son of Hygelac, reign
of, 18.

Har'lungs. Sibich betrays the, 123.

Hart'mann von Aue, 204.

Hart'mut. Prince of Normandy,
28; kidnaps Gudrun, 29; Gndrun
refuses to marry, 29 ; rescues
Gudrun from drowning, 30 ; pre-
pares to marry Gudrun, 32; res-
cues Gudrun, 33 ; saved by Gudrun,
33 ; a captive, 34; marries Hergart,
and is released, 34.

Has' SAN. Name assumed by Huon
in Tunis, 177.

Hast'ings. I. Battle of, 130. II.
Foster father of Sigurd the Snake-
eyed, 275 ; and Ragnar's sons, 276 ;
strategy of, 277.

Ha' WART. Death of, 81.

Hec'tor, Sir. Arthur fostered by,
210, 214; visit of to London,
215.

Hed'in. Lover of Hilde, 22 ; same
as Hettel, 25.

He'ge-ling Legend, 23.

He'ge-lings. Family of the, 23;
Hettel king of the, 25 ; Hilde flees
with the, 27 ; at the Wiilpensand,
29 ; come to Normandy, 32 ; re-
turn home, 34.

Heid. Witch summoned by Helg6,
258.

Hei'me. Challenges Dietrich, 115;
becomes a brigand, 117; steals
Mimung, 121 ; forced to restore
Mimung, 122.

Hei'mir. Protector of Aslaug, 274.

Hein'rich von Of'ter-ding-en,
86.

Helche. Wife of Etzel, 71, 124;
daughter of Rother and Oda, 94.

Hel'den-buch. The " Book of
Heroes," 86, 128.

Hel'en. I. Mother of Lancelot,
219. II. In mediaeval literature,
kidnaping of, 304.

Hel'e-nus. Descendants of in
Greece, 307.

Hel'ge. Son of Bel^, 251 ; refuses
to give Ingeborg to Frithiof, 255 ;
rejects Sigurd Ring, 255; makes
treaty with Sigurd Ring, 256; ac-
cuses Frithiof of sacrilege, 257;
stirs up tempest against Frithiof,
258 ; Angantyr refuses to pay trib-
ute to, 261 ; Frithiof snatches ring
from wife of, 261 ; pursues Frithiof,
262.

Ht'LiE DE Bor'ron, 234.

Hel'i-go-land. Rumor of Dietrich's
valor reaches, 115-

Hel'kap-pe. See Tamkappe.

Hel'mi-gis. Rosamund and, 88.

Hen'gist. Driven from England,
205 ; Saxons led by, 208.

Hen'ning. Complaint of against
Reynard, 38.

Henry I., the Fowler. Hears
accusation against Else, 202.

Henry III. Emperor of Germany,
287.

Henry VIII. Lord Berners trans-
lates " Huon of Bordeaux " for,
163.

He'o-rot. Hrothgar builds, 10;

326

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Beowulf's experiences in, 13;

Grendel's limb a trophy in, 15 ;

Beowulf's triumphant return to, 18.
He'rand. See Herrat.
Her'bart. Nephew of Dietrich,

elopes with Hilde, 123.
Her'brand. Son of Berchther, 109;

father of Hildebrand, no; the

wide-traveled, 121.
Her'cu-les, Pillars of. Brutus

passes, 308.
Her'ka. See Helche.
Her'lind. Maid of Oda, 90 ; brings

gifts to Oda, 91.
Her'rat. Wife of Dietrich, 126;

death of, 127.
Hert'nit. Wittich a prisoner of,

121; Wildeber visits, 121; death

of, 122.
Her' WIG. King of Zealand, fights

with Hettel, 28; betrothed to'Gu-

drun, 28; wars of, 29; comes to

Normandy to rescue^ Gudrun, 31;

saves Gudrun, 33 ; marries Gudrun,

34-

Her-ze-loi'de. Sigune brought up
by, 188; wife of Gamuret and
mother of Parzival, 188; parts
from Parzival, 191 ; Parzival goes
in search of, 192 ; Parzival hears of
death of, 199.

He'si-od. Heroes of in mediceval
literature, 303.

Hesse. Burgnndian army passes
through, 57.

Het'tel. Wooes Hilde, 25, 26 ;
marries Hilde, 27; dismisses Gu-
drun's suitors, 28 ; death of, 29.

Hild'burg. I. Hagen finds, 23.
n. Companion of Gudrun, 30;
meets Ortwine, 31; wooed by
Ortwine, 32 ; marries Ortwine, 34.
III. Hugdietrich wooes, 100; se-
cret marriage of, loi ; the son of,
loi, 102 ; banished by Sabene, 103.

Hil'de. I. In the Edda, 22; an
Indian princess, 23 ; Hagen mar-
ries, 24 ; daughter of, 25. II. Suit-
ors of, 25 ; educates Gudrun, 28 ;
welcomes Gudrun home, 34. III. A
giantess, Dietrich's encounter with,
III. IV. Daughter of Arthur,
elopes with Herbart, 123.

Hil'de-brand. I. Claims body of
Riidiger and fights Burgundians,
83 ; kills Kriemhild, 84 ; lament of,
85. II. Inherits Garden, 109; tutor
of Dietrich, no; fights Grim and
Hilde, III; marriage of, 112; ad-
venture of with Sigenot, 112, 113;
adventure of with magicians, 114;
Wittich jneets, 115; steals Wittich's [
sword, 116; Ilsan brother of, 117;
Dietlieb pawns steed of, 117; first
Rose Garden adventure of, 118,
iig; second Rose Garden adven-
ture of, 120 ; campaign of in Wil-
kina land, 12 1 ; ransom of, 124;
returns to Garden, 126; rejoins
his wife, 127.

Hil'de-garde. Story of Roland and,
150, 151.

Hil'de-grim. Giant's helmet, in.

Hil-de-gun'de. Adventures of, 124,
125.

Hil'ding. Foster father of Frithiof
and Ingeborg, 251 ; asks Frithiof 's
aid for kings of Sogn, 255; failure
of mission of, 256 ; annotmces Inge-
borg's marriage to Frithiof, 261.

HiNTZE. Complains of Reynard, 37 ;
accused of theft, 38 ; adventures of
at Malepartus, 41 ; imprisonment
of, 46.

Hle'dra. Capital of Denmark, 271 ;
Thora arrives at, 272 ; Krake at,
274; Ivar's brothers return to, 280.

HSg'ni. I. Pursues Hilde, 22. II.
Same as Hagen, 53.

Hol'ger Dan'ske. See Ogier.

Hol'land. Ireland in, 23.

Holm'gang. Northern duel, 247.

Holy Grail, 182-203; origin of
legend of, 182 ; a sacred dish or
cup, 183; Joseph of Arimathea sup-
ported in prison by, 183 ; at Mar-
seilles, 184; at Glastonbury, 185;
Titurel appointed guardian of, 185 ;
temple of, 186 ; descent of, 187 ;
commands that Frimoutel be king,
188; commands that Amfortas be
king, 189 ; promise of, 189 ; Parzival
sees, 193; Parzival's quest for, 195—
200 ; Kundrie a messenger of, 196 ;
Gawain's quest for, 196 ; Trevrezent
renounces, 199 ; Parzival finds, 199 ;

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

327

Payzival uncovers, 200; Arthur's
knights' quest for, 201, 225 ; Lohen-
grin servant of, 201, 203; legend
of, 204 ; place at the Round Table
for, 208, 218; Lancelot cured by,
221; appearance of, 225; Parzival,
Lancelot, and Galahad saw, 226 ;
tales of, 301.

Holy Land. Renaud goes to, 161 ;
knight returns from, 183.

Ho'mer. Heroes of, 303.

Ho'rant. Follower of Hettel, 25 ;
his skill as minstrel, 26, 34.

HOR'DA-LAND. Frithiof in, 267.

Horn'bo-gi. Wittich meets, 115;
father of Amalung, 121.

Horses. See Rispa, Falke, Veillan-
tif. Bayard, and Babiefa.

Hroth'gar. Descent of, 9 ; hall of,
10 ; reward offered by, 1 1 ; Beowulf
at court of, 13; feast of, 15; grief
of, 15 ; Beowulf takes leave of, 16.

Hroud'lan-dus. Same as Roland,
130.

Hug. Lord of Dordogne, slain by
Charlemagne, 152; avenged by
Aymon, 154.

Hug-die'trich. I. Son of Anzius,
100; wooes and marries Hildburg,
loi ; intrusts wife and child to care
of Sabene, 102 ; suspicions of, 103 ;
death and will of, 103. II. Son
of Wolfdietrich, 109; father of
Dietmar, no.

HUGUES. King of Jerusalem, 139;
Oliver marries daughter of, 140.

Hum'ber. King of the Huns, 309.

Hun'ga-ry. Etzel king of, 71 ;
Gunther starts out for, 75 ; Kriem-
hild's purpose in coming to, 82 ;
fatal ride to, 85 ; part of Pannonia,
86; Wildeber in, 121; Aymon's
wars in, 152.

Huns. King of, 72, 94, 118, 121 ;
Kriemhild queen of, 72 ; power of,
72; Burgundians crowded by, 79;
Kriemhild brings misery upon, 84 ;
gratitude of Helche, queen of the,
125 ; Dietrich's sojourn with the,
126 ; Humber king of. the, 309.

Hun'THIOF. Son of Frithiof and
Ingeborg, 267.

Hun'vor. Swedish princess, 247.

Hu'ox OF Bor-deaux', 163-181;
hero of poem, 163 ; Charlemagne's
orders to, 163; visits Pope, 164;
meets Sherasmin, 165 ; in enchanted
forest, 166; Oberon's gifts to, Ib8;
at Tourmont, 169 ; adventures with
Angoulaffre, 169, 170; adventure
with Saracen, 170; reaches Bag-
dad, 171; adventures at Bagdad,
1 71-174; Oberon's orders to, 174;
disobedience of, 175 ; on desert is-
land, 175, 176; in Tunis, 177; car-
ried to fairyland by Oberon, 179,
181; at the tournament, 179; re-
turns to Guienne, l8o; other ver-
sions of story of, 180; ancestor of
Capetian race, 181.

Hu'o-net. Birth and disappearance
of, 1 76;, restoration of, 179.

Hvit'serk. Son of Ragnar, 274.

Hygd. Wife of Hygelac, 18.

Hy'ge-lac. King of the Geates, 1 1 ;
gives Nageling to Beowulf, 12;
wars and death of, 18.

Hyr-ca'ni-a. Babicanking of, 171.

Ice'LAND. Story of Tristan popular
in, 234 ; the Iliad in, 304.

Il'i-ad. Popularity of the, 304.

Il'san. Brother of Hildebrand, 117,
120; rudeness and cruelty of, 120,
121.

Im'e-lot. King of Desert Babylo-
nia, 91 ; a captive, 92 ; Rother hears
of escape of, 93.

In'di-A. Hunvor carried off to, 247 ;
Alexander's adventures in, 306.

In-fan'tes. Of Carrion, 295-298;
of Navarre, 297-

In'ge-BORG. I. Attendant of Hun-
vor, 247. II. Transformed into a
witch, 249 ; Thorsten saved by,
250; mother of Frithiof, 251. HI.
Daughter of Bel^, and playmate of
Frithiof, 251 ; Frithiof vows to
marry, 252 ; Frithiof sues for, 254 ;
Sigurd Ring sues for, 255 ; meets
Frithiof in temple, 256, 257; Fri-
thiof parts with, 258; married to
Sigurd Ring, 261, 269; Frithiof 's
longing for, 264; Frithiof visits,
265 ; given to Frithiof by Sigurd
Ring, 266; Frithiof wars against

328

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

brothers of, 267 ; marriage of Fri-
thiof and, 267.

Ing'el-heim. Palace at, 131.

Ire'land. I. In Holland, 23. II.
Merlin brings stones from, 208;
Ryance king of, 217; Morold
comes from, 236 ; Tristan goes to,
237; Tristan's visits to, 238; vik-
ing raids in, 276.

I'RiNG. Killed by Hagen, 81.

I'RISH. King defeats Mark, 237;
attendants carry Morold's remains
to Ireland, 237 ; Tristan at court of
the, 238 ; king, butler of, 239.

Ir'min-sul. Charlemagne destroys
the, 129.

Irn'fried. Attacks the Burgundi-
ans, 81.

Is'e-grim. Complaint of against
Reynard, 36; and the fish, 37; a
victim of Reynard's jokes, 42 ; ac-
cused by Reynard, 44; imprison-
ment of, 46; robbed by Reynard,
48 ; disloyalty of, 51; duel with
Reynard, 51 ; death of, 52.

I 'SEN-LAND. Hagen finds princess
of, 23.

I-SEULT'. I. Sister of Morold, cures
of, 237; Tristan healed by, 238.
II. Daughter of Iseult I., Tristan
teaches, 238 ; hand of promised to
dragon slayer, 238; fiinds and re-
stores Tristan, 239; tries to kill
Tristan, 240; journey of to Corn-
wall, 241 ; marries Mark, 242 ; love
of for Tristan, 242 ; oath of, 243 ;
Tristan cannot forget, 244; carried
to Joyeuse Garde, 244 ; death and
burial of, 245. III. With the
White Hands, 243 ; marries Tris-
tan, 244; jealousy of, 245.

I-solde'. See Iseult.

Iss'land. Brunhild princess of, 58 ;
Gunther's arrival in, 59 ; Nibelungs
accompany Siegfried to, 61.

I'SUNG. Follows Dietlieb, 1 18 ; bear
of, 121; delivers Wittich, 122.

I-TAL'iAN. Version of Roland, 130,
141 ; cycle of romances, 302 ; love
of the marvelous, 302, 307.

It'a-ly. Alboin conquers, 87 ; Ort-
nit master of, 94; Amaling land
same as, 121 ; viking raids in, 276;

settlements in, 281 ; Brutus expelled
from, 307.

I-TO'NIE. Sister of Gawain, 198.

I'var. Son of Ragnar, 274; a crip-
ple, 275 ; kills Eystein's magic cow,
276 ; surrenders to Ella, 279 ; takes
up abode in Lunduna Burg, 280;
power of, 280.

I-wa-net'. Arthur's squire, helps
Parzival, 191.

I 'wo. Prince of Tarasconia, 156;
Renaud marries daughter of, 156;
treachery of, 158; Renaud saves,
159-

Jack the Giant Killer. Origin of
tale of, 308.

Jam'bas. Son of Ortgis, 114.

James, St. Explains vision to Char-
lemagne, 140; promises help to
Christian army, 287.

Jarl Her'rand. Father of Thora,
271.

Jer'as-punt. Virginal's castle of,
114.

Jer'i-cho. Walls of Pamplona like
those of, 140.

Je-ru'sa-lem. Ogier besieges, 138 ;
Godfrey of Bouillon king of, 139,
161 ; Hugues king of, 139 ; Charle-
magne's pilgrimage to, 139; Galyen
returns to, 140; Renaud offered
crown of, 161 ; Vespasian's com-
mission to, 183.

Jew. The sacrilegious, 300.

Jews. Persecute Joseph of Arima-
thea, 183 ; lend money to Cid, 293,
294.

John. Son of Fierefiss, and founder
of Knights Templars, 200 ; Prester,
201.

Jo'kul. Njorfe's eldest son, takes
Sogn, 249 ; magic arts of, 250.

Jo'seph of Ar-i-ma-the'a. And the
Holy Grail, 183 ; institutes the
Round Table, 184; carries Holy
Grail to Glastonbury, 185 ; Merlin's
Round Table like that of, 208.

Jo'Sl-ANE. Daughter of Frimoutel,
and mother of Sigune, 188.

JOYEUSE (zhwa-yez'). Sword of
Charlemagne, 137.

JoYEUSE Garde. Guinevere at, 220,

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

329

229; Lancelot buried at, 233;

Iseult at, 244.
Ju'das. Sin of, 184.
Judgment of God. Reynard appeals

to the, 5 1 ; in favor of Thiedric,

148 ; Cid appeals to the, 288.
Ju'Ll-us C^'SAR. Father of Oberon,

166, 210.
Jutes. See Geates.
Jut'land. Alfsol princess of, 270.

Kan'tart. Son of Henning, 38.

Kar'deiss. Son of Parzival, and
king of Belripar, 201.

Kay, Sir. Foster brother of Arthur,
210; sends Arthur for a sword,
215.

Kling'sor. . Castle of, 197; captives
of, 197 ; Gawain's adventures with,
198.

Knights of St. John, 301.

Kra'ke. Beauty and wit of, 273;
wooed by Ragnar, 273 ; becomes
queen of Denmark, 274; Danes
disapprove of, 274; story of, 274.

Kriem'hild. Same as Gudrun, 53 ;
dream of, 54; Siegfried goes to
woo, 55 ; sees strength of Siegfried,
56; meets Siegfried after victory,
57 ; wooing of, 58 ; marriage of, 62 ;
goes to the Nibelungen land, 64;
goes to Worms, 64; quarrels with
Brunhild, 65 ; anxiety of, 66 ; parts
from Siegfried, 67; grief of, 68;
mourning of, 69; goes to Lorch,
71 ; wooed by Etzel, 71 ; Riidiger's
promise to, 72, 83 ; journey of to
Gran, 73 ; lures Burgundians into
Hungary, 74 ; quarrels with Hagen,
77; Dietrich defies, 78; bribes
Blodelin, 80; urges Huns to slay
Hagen, 81; sets fire to hall, 82;
Gunther and Hagen captives of, 84 ;
kills Gunther and Hagen, 84; death
of, 84; Rose Garden of, 120; Swan-
hild daughter of, 123; Etzel mar-
ries, 126.

Kry'ant. Son of Henning, 38.

Kun'DRIE. Curses Parzival, 196;
death of, 200.

Kun'hild. Sister of Dietlieb, kid-
naped by Laurin, 118; rescued by
Dietrich, 119; delivers Dietrich

and knights, 119; marriage and
realm of, 120.

KiJR' en-berg, Von. Supposed author
of " Nibelungenlied," 53.

Kur've-nal. Retainer of Blanche-
flem, 235 ; joins Tristan in Corn-
wall, 236 ; accompanies Tristan to
Ireland, 238 ; goes to Brittany for
Iseult, 244.

Lady of the Lake. Vivian the,
211; lays spell upon Merlin, 212;
brings sword to Arthur, 216;
Lancelot fostered by, 219; Arthur
a prisoner of, 244.

Lam'bert le Cort. Author of
" Alexandre le Grant," 305.

Lam Go-£-ma-got'. Same as Plym-
outh, 309.

Lam'pe. lUtreated by Reynard, 37 ;
psalm-singing of, 38 ; slain at Male-
partus, 46 ; head of, 47 ; Reynard
confesses murder of, 48 ; Reynard's
excuses for murder of, 49.

Lan'ce-lot du Lac, Sir. Ogier
joins, 138; legend of, 204; hero
of several poems, 219; youth of,
219; love and insanity of, 220;
rescues Guinevere, 221, 226, 229 ;
sees Holy Grail, 221, 226; knights
Sir Gareth, 221 ; and Sir Galahad,
224; vow of, 225 ; and Elaine, 227-
229; Arthur's anger against, 230;
visits Guinevere, 233 ; death and
burial of, 233 ; Tristan like, 242 ;
Iseult at castle of, 244.

Lan-go-bar'di-an. Cycle of ro-
mances, 86-99; nobles reject Hel-
migis, 88 ; scepter given to Rother,
88 ; queen, Oda becomes, 93.

Lan'go-bards. Same as Langobar-
dians, settle in Pannonia, 86 ; quar-
rel between Gepidse and, 87.

Last Supper. Holy Grail used for
the, 183.

Latin. Version of Reynard, 35 ;
poem of Walther von Wasgenstein,
124; chronicle attributed to Tur-
pin, 129; version of Roland, 130;
version of Tristan, 234 ; epics, 303 ;
writers and Alexander, 305.

Lau'rin. Adventures of with Diet-
rich and knights, 118- 120.

330

GLOSSARY AMD INDEX.

La-vin'i-a. Niece of, mother of Bru-
tus, 307.

La'waine, Sir. Brother of Elaine,
227.

Laz'a-rus, St. Rodrigo's vision of,
286.

Lear, King. Shakespeare's tragedy
of, 309.

Leicester (les'ter). Founded by
King Leir, 309.

Leir, King. Founder of Leicester,

309-

Le-o'de-graunce. King of Scot-
land, Arthur and, 217.

Le-o-ge'ci-a. Brutus hears oracle
at, 308.

Leon (la-6n'). Don Alfonso king
of, 288; Don Garcia buried in,
290.

Le-pan'to. Huon and Rezia stop
at, 174; Sherasmin parts from
Huon at, 177.

Lieb'gart. Same as Sidrat, 97;
magic eggs of, 98 ; waits for return
of Ortnit, 99 ; suitors of, 99 ; Wolf-
dietrich's compassion for, 107;
Wolfdietrich saves and marries,
108; mother of Hugdietrich, 109;
Dietrich marries, 127.

Lil-ien-por'te. Siege of, 103.

Loch'heim. Nibelungen hoard
buried at, 71.

Lo'cri-a. Named by Locrine, 309.

Lo-crine'. Son of Brutus, 309.

Lod'brok. See Ragnar.

Lode'stone Rock. Ogier wrecked
on the, 138.

Lod-ger'da. Ragnar marries and
forsakes, 271.

Lo'hen-grin. Story of Else and,
201-203.

Lo'ki. See Haloge.

Lom'bards. Same as Langobards,
87; Rother complains of king of,
90; Ortnit king of, 94; Wolfdietrich
rules, 108; Charlemagne subdues,

129. 137-
Lom'bar-dy. Oda returns to, 94;
Sidrat goes to, 97 ; Liebgart to se-
lect king of, 99 ; Ortnit's ancestors
in, 100; Wolfdietrich starts for,
104 ; Wolfdietrich returns to, 109 ;
Didier king of, 136.

Lon'don. St. Stephen's Church in,
215 ; Arthur comes to with Sir
Hector, 215 ; Guinevere's journey
to, 230 ; founding of, 280, 309.

Long'fel-low. " Tales of a Way-
side Inn " of, 136, 202.

Lon-gi'nus. Rosamund seeks, 88.

LoRCH. Kriemhild's sojourn at, 71.

Louis the Fat, 280.

Lov'el, Lord. Story of, 245.

Luces de Gast. Version of Tristan
by, 234.

Lu'ci-FER. Fall of, 182.

LuD. Descendant of Brutus, 309.

Lu'de-gast. King of Denmark,
threatens to invade Burgundy, 56.

Lu'de-ger. King of Saxons, Gun-
ther's wars with, 56, 66,

Lud'wig. King of Normandy,
suitor of Gudrun, 28 ; kills Hettel,
29; tries to drown Gudrun, 30;
killed by Herwig, 33.

Lu'na. Vikings besiege, 276; Nor-
mans' stratagem to enter into, 277;
Don Garcia a prisoner in, 290.

Lun-du'na Burg. Same as London,
280.

Lym-Fiord. Ragnar's victory at,
271.

Lyn-eite'. Story of Gareth and,
222.

Ly'o-nel.. Cousin of Lancelot, 219.

Ly-o-nesse'. Arthur's boyhood spent
in, 226; Meliadus lord of, 234;
Tristan recovers, 236.

Ma-bri-an'. A chanson de geste,
152.

Mac'e-don. Alexander king of, 305 ;
early history of, 305.

Ma-cho-rell'. Father of Sidrat, 95 ;
Alberich carries challenge to, 97 ;
sends dragon eggs to Liebgart, 98.

Malagigi (mal-a-je'je). The necro-
mancer, same as Malagis, 152; and
Bayard, 153; rescues Aymon, 154;
joins Renaud, 157; warns Renaud
of Richard's peril, 159; strategem
and escape of, 160.

Mal'a-gis. See Malagigi.

Mal'e-bron. Servant of Oberon,
170, 180.

Ma-le-par'tus. Brown the bear

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

331

reaches, 39 ; Hintze at, 41 ; Bellyn
and Lampe accompany Reynard to,
46; Grimbart at, 47.

Mal'o-ry. Old legends used by,
204, 219.

Man'tu-a.' Ermenrich takes, 123.

Map, Walter. Works of, 182, 204,
219.

Mark. King of Cornwall, Meliadus
visits, 235; Tristan and Kurvenal
visit, 236 ; Tristan praises Iseult to,
238; Tristan emissary of, 240;
Iseult marries, 242; indifference
of, 242 ; illtreats Iseult, 244 ; gives
orders for burial of Tristan and
Iseult, 245.

Mar-seilles'. Joseph of Arima-
thea at, 184.

Marsiglio (mar-sel'yo). Saracen
king, 144; killed by Roland, 145.

Mar-sil'i-US. See Marsiglio.

Mar'tin. I. Parson's son, 41. II.
Ape met by Reynard, 49.

Mar'tin Gon-za'lez. Cid's fight
virith, 286.

Ma'ry. Queen of England, marries
Philip of Spain, 232.

Mat'e-lan. Hilde goes to vi'ith Het-
tel, 27 ; Herwig comes to, 28 ; Hart-
mut comes to, 29.

Mau'gis. a chanson de geste, 152.

Max-i-mil'i-AN I. Emperor of
Germany, 22.

Mayence (ma-yens'). Charlemagne's
vfife buried at, 131.

Me-de'a. In mediaeval literature,
304-

Me-le'a-gans. Guinevere a captive
of, 221.

Me-li'a-dus. I. Lord of Lyonesse,
vifars against Morgan, 234 ; marries
Blanchefleur, 235. II. Squire of
Mark, 242.

Meran (ma'ran). Berchther duke
of, 89; Wolfdietrich educated at,
103 ; Hildburg at, 103.

Mer'ki-nau. Accuses Reynard, 47.

Mer'lin. Round Table to be con-
structed by, 184; legend of, 204;
real and mythical, 205 ; birth and
infancy of, 206 ; the prophecies of,
206, 207, 208, 210, 231; builds
Stonehenge and castle at Carduel,

208 ; changes Uther into form of
Gorlois, 209; Arthur virhen an in-
fant confided to, 210, 214; magic
arts of, 211; and Vivian, 211-213;
reveals Arthur's parentage, 215;
adviser of Arthur, 216, 217; frames
laws for knights of Round Table,
218.

Mer-o-vin'gi-an. Rulers of the
Franks, 36.

Meur'vin. a chanson de geste, 139.

Midsummer-Night's Dream, 163.

Mil' an. Invested by imperial army,
123.

MiL'oN. Father of Roland, 133,
141 ; quest of for jewel, 134, 135.

MiM'uNG. Sword of Wittich, 115;
Wittich loses, and Hildebrand re-
stores, 116; Heime steals, 121;
Wittich recovers, 122.

Mo-HAM'med. Ferracute calls upon,

143-

Mon-tau-BAN'. Renaud builds for-
tress at, 156; siege of, 156; Renaud
escapes to, 157; Charlemagne again
besieges, 159; Charlemagne a cap-
tive in, 160; Aymon's sons escape
from, 160; Renaud returns to, 161.

Montfaucon (m6n-fo-k6n'). Ad-
venture of Renaud and Bayard at,

159-

Mont'glave, GutR'iN DE. A dian-
son de geste, 139.

Mont-sal'vatch. Holy Grail on,
185 ; Frimoutel weary of life on,
189; Parzival's first visit to, 193;
Gawain on the way to, 197 ; Parzi-
val's second visit to, 199; Parzival
king on, 200; Lohengrin's return
to, 201 ; Else goes to, 203.

Moor. Fierefiss a, 200.

Moor'ish. Kings defeated by Cid,
282; kings send tribute to Cid,
287; kings warn Cid of danger,
287.

Moor'land. Kingdom of Siegfried,
28.

Moors. Enmity between Christians
and, 154; Saforet king of, 156;
and Holy Grail, 182; Rodrigo
meets the, 283, 285, 287, 289, 294,
296 ; Tizona won from the, 285 ;
Don Alfonso joins, 290; Don Al-

33^

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

fonso wars against, 293 ; at Valencia,
294, 296, 298, 300 ; flee at sight of
Cid, 299.

Mor'dred. Related to Arthur, 230 ;
treachery of, 230; death of, 231.

Mor'gan. I. Meliadus wars against
234 ; kills Meliadus, 235 ; killed
by Tristan, 236. II. Same as Fata
Morgana, 95.

Mor-ga'na. Predictions of, 135 ;
Ogier meets, 138 ; mother of Meur-
vin, 139; mother of Oberon, 166;
steals Arthur's scabbard, 231; con-
veys Arthur to Avalon, 232.

Mo-ROC'co. Bucar king of, 298.

Mo'ROLD. Comes to Cornwall to
claim tribute, 236; challenged and
slain by Tristan, 237; Iseult dis-
covers murderer of, 240.

MoRTE d'Arthur. By Malory, 219.

Moses. A hypocrite, 184.

Mun-ta-bure'. In mirage, 95 ; Ortnit
besieges, 97.

Na'ge-ling. Sword of Beowulf, 12.
Na'gel-ring. Sword of Dietrich,

III, 112, 117.
Naismes de BAVllfcRE (nam de bav-

e-6r'). " Nestor of the Carolingian

legends," 144.
Nantes. Arthur's court at, 191.
Na-varre'. Charlemagne's wars in,

141, 143; Don Sancho king of,

289; Infantes of, 297.
Nen'ni-us. Writes romances, 204,

307-

Nes'tor. Naismes de Bavi^re like,
144.

Neth'er-lands. Reynard in the,
35 ; kingdom of the, 54.

New Troy. Same as London, 309.

Ni'be-ldng-en. Hoard, 55, 63, 70,
77, 127; land, 55,61, 64.

Ni'be-lung-en-lied, 53-85; Gu-
drun alluded to in, 22 ; Germany's
greatest epic, 53; end of, 85; in-
cidents in, 126, 242.

Ni'be-lungs. Treasure of, 53; fol-
lowers of Siegfried, 6i ; Brunhild
escorted by, 62; guard Siegfried's
son, 64; mourning and wrath of,
69 ; Burgundians called, 75 ; fall of,
126.

Nic-o-de'mus. Slain by Jews, 183.

Njor'fe. King of Uplands, friend of
Viking and Halfdan, 248; sons of
attack Viking's sons, 249.

No'bel. King of the animals, 36;
anger of against Reynard, 37;
Brown returns to, 41 ; Reynard be-
fore, 43 ; hears of treasure, 45 ;
pardons Reynard, 46; discovers
Lampe's murder, 47.

Non'nen-worth. Hildegarde re-
tires to convent of, 150; Roland
lingers near, 151.

Nor'man-dy. Ludwig king of, 28;
Gudrun taken to, 29; Ortwine
comes to, 32 ; RoUo settles in, 280.

Nor'mans. Conquer England, 9;
pursued by Hegelings, 29 ; and
Hegelings, 32; invade Paris, 138;
strategy of, 277; defeated by Ella,
279 ; found Lunduna Burg, 280.

NoRNS. Frithiof's vision of, 267.

Norse. Origin of Gudrun, 22; lit-
erary treasures, 246.

NORSE'MEN. Tristan and the, 235,
236.

North. Literary treasures of, 246 ;
gods and heroes of, 246; Thorsten
owner of great treasures of, 251.

North Cape. Discovered by Othere,
18.

North-gal' LIS. Queen of, 232.

North'men. Kidnap Tristan, 235.

Nor-thum'ber-land. Ella king of,
278.

Nor'way. Wilkina land is, 121 ;
ships from, 235 ; Halogaland in,
246; Uplands in, 248; Ringric
in, 255 ; Ragnar's sojourn in, 271.

Nu'dung. Son of Riidiger, death of,
126.

O'be-ron. I. Poem by Wieland, and
opera by Weber, 163. II. King
of fairies, 163; Huon sees, 166;
magic horn of, 167; gives horn
and goblet to Huon, 168 ; ring of,
169; shelters Huon, and sends
Malebron to his aid, 170; Rezia's
vision of, 171; promises aid to
Huon and Rezia, 1 72 ; comes to
Huon's aid, 173; warns Oberon,
174; Huon disobeys, 175; Titania

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

333

and, I75> 176, 179; Huon rescued
by, 178, 181; brings Huon to
fairyland, 179, 181; Julius Caesar
father of, 210.

O'da. Daughter of Constantine, 89 ;
Rother wooes and wins, 89-93;
kidnaped by magician, 93 ; Rother
rescues, 94; Helche daughter of,
94-

O'den-wald. Death of Siegfried in
the, 67, 71.

0-Dl'Ll-A. Wife of Dietmar, 110.

O'DIN. Hrothgar a descendant of,
9; Skeaf sent by, 10; Loki comes
north with, 246 ; Sigurd Ring dedi-
cates himself to, 266; ancestor of
Danish kings, 269.

Of'ter-ding-en, Von. Supposed
author of " Nibelungenlied, " 53;
" Heldenbiich " partly compiled
from, 86.

O'gier le Dan'ois. a chanson de
geste, 135.

O'GIER THE Dane. A paladin of
Charlemagne, 129; a hostage, 135;
marries Bellissande, 136; admiration
of Danes for, 136; quarrels with
Charlemagne, 136; terror and es-
cape of, 137; made king of Eng-
land, 138; shipwreck of, 138; magic
crown and ring of, 138 ; son of, 139 ;
boast of, 140; defeated by Ferra-
cute, 142 ; death of, 148.

Old Troy. Sigeminne queen of,
105 ; Wolfdietrich and Sigeminne
return to, 106.

Ol'ger. See Ogier.

Ol'i-vant. Horn of Roland, 139;
blasts on, 145, 146.

Ol'i-ver. Paladin of Charlemagne,
129; champion of Duke of Genoa,
139; fights with Roland, 139, 149;
boast of, 140 ; son of, 140 ; advises
Roland to blow his horn, 145 ; death
of, 147, 148; sister of, 149; and
Malagigi, 160.

Or-gueil-leuse', Duchess. Adven-
ture of Gawain and, 197; Gawain
marries, 198.

Or'i-hjs, Lord. Parzival's adven-
ture vdth wife of, 191 ; Parzival de-
feats, 196.

Ork'ney Islands. Conquest of, |

250 ; Frithiof sent to, 258 ; Frithiof
and Bjorn in, 259.

Or-lan'do Fu-ri-o'so, 211, 302.

Or-lan'do In-na-mo-ra'to, 302.

Ort'gis. a magician, holds Vir-
ginal a captive, 113 ; Jambas son of,
114.

Ort'heb. Son of Kriemhild, 73;
killed by Hagen, 80.

Ort'nit. I. Poem of the ninth cen-
tury, 86. II. Lombardian king,
vision of, 94 ; vow of, 95 ; adventure
of with Alberich, 96; adventures
and marriage of, 97; goes to kill
dragons, 98; death of, 99; ances-
tors of rule over Lombardy, 100;
Wolfdietrich wants aid of, 104;
Wolfdietrich vows to avenge, 107 ;
ring of, 108; widow of, 127.

Or'trun. Sister of Hartmut, 30;
saved by Gudrun, 7)'^ ; marries Sieg-
fried, 34.

Ort'wine. I. Son of Hettel and
Hilde, 27 ; comes to rescue Gudrun,
31; wooes Hildburg, 32; marries
Hildburg, 34. II. Vassal of Gun-
ther, 56 ; goes to Hungary, 75. III.
Son of Helche, 125.

0-san'trix. Etzel wars against, 121 ;
Hertnit brother of, 121.

Os'born. See Asprian.

Os'TRO-GOTHS. Defeated by Alboin,
87.

O 'there. Discoverer of North Cape,
sons of, 18.

Ot'nit. See Ortnit.

Ot'u-el, Sir. Story of, 143.

Ox'ford. Walter Map, Archdeacon
of, 182.

Pad'auwe. Same as Padua, Die-
trich takes, 126.

Pad'u-a. See Padauwe.

Pal'mer-ins. Cycle of, 302.

Pam-plo'na. Siege of, 140, 141.

Pan-dra'sus. King of Greece,
defeated by Brutus, 308.

Pan-no'ni-a. Gepidse and Lom-
bards in, 86.

Papillon (pa-pe-y6n'). The magic
horse, 138.

Par'IS. I. Judgment of, iji ; picture
of in act of kidnaping Helen, 304.

334

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

II. Invasion of, 138; news of
Roland's death brought to, 14.9;
Renaud's journey to, 157 ; Malagigi
in, 158; Renaud's body to be
brought to, 162; Huonin, 163, 179;
siege of, 180.

Par-me'ni-a. Meliadus lord of, 234.

Par'zi-val. I. Poem of, 182. II.
Birth of, 188; youth of, 189 ; starts
out into the world, 190; adventures
of on the way to Nantes, 191 ; wins
armor, 192 ; visits Gurnemanz and
Belripar, and marries Conduira-
mour, 192; visits Montsalvatch, 193,
199 ; seeks Holy Grail, 195 ;
knighted by Arthur, 196; Gawain
seeks, 196 ; fights Gawain, 198 ; at
the hermit's, 199; meets Fierefiss,
199; made king of Holy Grail,
200; children of, 201; Lohengrin
son of, 203 ; sees Holy Grail, 226.

Pas'sau. Kriemhild's arrival at, 73 ;
Burgundians at, 76 ; funeral mass
at, 85.

Pel'li-nore, Sir. Arthur and, 216.

Pen-drag'on. Son of Constans,
205 ; war of Britons under, 208.

Pen'te-cost. Arthur's feast at, 217,
224.

Pep'in. Charlemagne son of, 129.

Per-i-de'US. A giant, kills Alboin,
88.

Per'si.a. Sultan of, 298 ; Alexander's
conquest of, 306.

Pe'ter, St. Cid's vision of, 298.

Phil'ip. I. Of Spain, oath of in
favor of Arthur, 232. II. Of Mace-
don, death of, 305.

Pi-Az'zA OF St. Mark's. Stone lion
on the, 281.

Pier-le-pont'. Castle of Aymon,
154; Aymon's sons leave, 156;
Charlemagne comes to, 157.

Pil'grim. Bishop of Passau, wel-
comes Kriemhild, 73 ; Burgun-
dians visit, 76 ; mass for the dead
by, 85.

Pin'a-bel. Champion of Ganelon,
148.

Plym'outh. Same as Lam Goe-
magot, 309.

Po'land, 125.

Pol-y-ol'bi-on. By Drayton, 310.

Pon'ce de Le-on'. Quest of, 306.

Pope. Asks aid of Charlemagne,
129; Huon and the, 164, 174, 175,
180; reconciles Arthur and Lance-
lot, 229 ; emperor of Germany com-
plains to, 287 ; and Ferdinand, 288 ;
and Cid, 288, 289.

Por'tu-gal. Hildburg a princess
of, 23.

Po'RUS. Alexander's fight with,
306.

Pres'ter John. Holy Grail in-
trusted to, 201.

Pri'am. Descendants of, 307.

Pyr'e-nees. Defeat in the, 130, 144
Aymon in the, 154.

Ra'ben. Same as Ravenna, taken
by imperial army, 123; battle of,
126.

Rag'nar Lod'brok. 269-281; saga
of, 269; successor of Sigurd Ring
when only fifteen, 270; marries
Lodgerda, 271 ; marries Thora,
272 ; sons of, 272, 274, 275, 276,
279; and Krake, 273-275 ; battles
of, 277; and Ella, 278; death of,
278.

Ra-mi'ro, Don. Quarrel of with
Ferdinand, 286 ; wars against Don
Sancho, 289.

Rand'wer. Son of Ermenrich, death
of, 123.

Ra-oul' de Beau-vais'. Metrical
version of story of Tristan attrib-
uted to, 234.

Rauch-El'se. The witch, Wolfdie-
trich meets, 104 ; transformation of,
105.

Ra-ven'na. Longinus intrenched in,
88; same as Raben, 123.

Re-deem'er. Blood of the, 183.

Red Knight. Parzival and the,
191, 192.

Red Sea. Huon at the, 165, 170.

Rei'ne-ke Fuchs. Epic of, 35 ;
Goethe's poem of, 36.

Rei'nold. See Renaud.

Re-naud' de Mon-tau-ban'. Pala-
din of Charlemagne, 129 ; defeated
by Ferracute, 142 ; body of, 148 ;
son of Aymon, 154; receives Bayard
and Flamberge, 155; prowess of,

GLOSS AH Y AND INDEX.

335

ISS; avenges Alard and flees, 156;
marries Clarissa, and builds Mont-
auban, 156; goes to rescue his
brothers, 157 ; loses and recovers
Bayard, 157, 158; betrayed by
Iwo, 158; saves Iwo, 159; and
Roland, 159; on Montfaucon, 159;
sacrifices Bayard, l6i ; sets out for
Holy Land, 161 ; death of, 162.

Re-panse' de Joie. Daughter of
Frimoutel, 1 88; jeweled garment
sent by, 193 ; bears Holy Grail,
193, 199; marriage of, 200, 201.

Reussen (rois'sen). Vlyas prince of
the, 94 ; Waldemar king of, 125.

Rey'nard the Fox, 35-52; epic of,
302 ; importance of story of, 303.

Re'zi-a. Princess, dream of, 171 ;
bridal array of, 172; escapes with
Huon, 173; embarks at Ascalon,
174; conversion and marriage of,
175; Amanda same as, 175-

Rhine. Franks cross, 35 ; Xanten
on, 54, 64; Siegfried rides down
along, 55 ; Gunther's journey on,
59, 61 ; Nibelungen hoard in, 71,
77; Worms on, 120; Charlemagne
dwells near, 129, 130; Roland's
name connected with, 150; Non-
nenworth in, 15 1; Renaud's body
cast in, 162.

Rhon, Von DER. Edited " Helden-
buch," 86.

Rhone. Island in the, scene of duel,

139. 149-
Rhym'er. Thomas of Ercildoune

the, 234.
Rich'ard. Son of Aymon, 154;

prisoner of Roland, 159.
Ri-chou'de. I. Wife of Titurel,

188. II. Daughter of Titurel, 188.
Rim'stein. Revolt and defeat of,

122.
Ri-nal'do de Treb-i-zon'de. A

chanson de geste, 152. '
Ring. Son of Viking, 248.
Ring'ric. Sigurd Ring king of,

255; Frithiof in, 267.
Ris'PA. Horse of Heime, 115.
Ri-va-lin'. See Meliadus.
Rob'ert de Bor'ron. Works of,

182, 204, 205, 219, 234.
Rob'ert of Sic'i-ly, King. In

Longfellow's " Tales of a Wayside
Inn," 302.

Rod-ri'go Di'az. See Cid.

Ro'gen-wald. Son of Ragnar, 274;
death of, 276.

Rog'er. See Hrothgar.

Rog'ers. Translator of " Reineke
Fuchs," 36.

Rohand (ro'an). See Kurvenal.

Ro'land. Paladin of Charlemagne,
129 ; birth and childhood of, 133 ;
fights knight of the Ardennes, 134,
135 ; knighted, 135 ; duel with Oli-
ver, 139; horn of, 139, 145, 146;
character of, 141 ; combat with Fer-
racute, I42 ; combat with Otuel,
143; at battle of Roncesvalles, 144;
kills Veillantif, 145 ; breaks Duran-
dana^i46; death of, 147; squire
of, 14S; betrothed to Aude, 149;
bethrothed to Hildegarde, 150;
death and burial of, 151; treats
with Ayraon, 154; and Renaud,
159; Renaud intrusts his family to,
l6i; Italian cycle treats of, 302.

Ro'land, Chan'son de, 130.

Ro'land Rise. See Meliadus.

Ro'lands-eck. Retreat of Roland,

Rolf Gang'er. Same as RoUo, 280.

Rol'lo. Famous giant, independence
of, 280.

Rom'a-burg. Wolfdietrich goes to,
109; Dietrich visits, 117; Dietrich
crowned at, 127; threatened inva-
sion of, 277.

Ro-mance' Literature. General
survey of, 301-310.

Roman de Troie (ro-mon' de trwa).
Popularity of, 304.

Ro'mans. And Jews, 183; claim
^neas, 307; Britain invaded by,

309-

Rome. Martin the ape on his way to,
49; same as Romaburg, 109, 117,
127, 277; Charlemagne crowned
at, 155; Huon at, 164, 174, 180;
Sherasmin at, 177; Merlin goes to,
210; Don Sancho visits, 288; early
history of, 304 ; Alexander conquers,
306.

Roncesvalles (ron-ces-val'yes).
Battle of, 129, 140, 144-147, 150.

336

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Ros'A-MUND. Wife of Alboin, 87;
rebellion and death of, 88.

Rose Garden. I. Laurin's, 118,
120. II. Kriemhild's, 120.

Ro'SEN. Sword of Ortnit, 96, 98;
Wolfdietrich finds, 108.

Rot'her. King of Lombardy, 88 ;
wooing of, 89-91 ; captures Imelot,
92 ; kidnaps Oda, 92 ; second jour-
ney to Constantinople, 93 ; secures
his wife, 94; accompanied by
Berchther, 100.

Rou-me'li-a. Wolfdietrich's ride
through, 104.

Round Table. Knights tell Parzi-
val of, 190; Parzival admitted to
the, 196, 198; knights of, 200, 224,
225 ; legend of, 204 ; Merlin estab-
lishes, 208; Arthur receives, 217;
at Camelot, 218 ; Lancelot the prin-
cipal knight of, 219, 220; Gareth
admitted to, 222 ; Geraint one of
knights of, 222 ; feast at, 225 ; Sir
Bedivere a knight of, 231.

Ru'AL. See ICurvenal.

R&CK'E-NAU, Frau, 50, 51.

Ru'di-ger. Sues for Kriemhild, 71,
72 ; oath of, 72, 82 ; castle of, 73 ;
warns Burgundians, 76; entertains
Burgandians, 77; refrains from
tournament, 79 ; safe-conduct
granted to, 81 ; forced to fight, 83 ;
death of, 83 ; at Rose Garden on
Rhine, 120; saves Dietrich, 125;
son of, 126.

Ru'molt. Squire of Gunther, 75.

Runes. Magic letters of the North,
276.

Ru-OT'ZE. Giantess who hatches
magic eggs, 98.

Rus'siA. A part of Reussen, 125.

Rus-Ti'ci-EN DE Pise, 234.

RUY Dl'AZ. See Cid.

Ry'ance. King of Ireland, last bat-
tle and death of, 21 7.

Sa-bene'. Guardian of Hildburg,
102; machinations of, 103 ; besieges
Lilienporte, 104 ; defeated and slain,
108.

Sa-bri'na. Drowned in Severn, 309.

Sa-fo-ret'. Aymon's sons serve
and kill, 156.

Saint 0-mer'. Ogier a prisoner at,

136.
Saints'bur-y, 204.
Salisbury (sawlz'ber-i). Fortress

on, 205, 207.
Sam'son. Father of Dietmar, no.
San'cho, Don. King of Castile, Cid

serves, 288 ; a prisoner, 289 ; freed

by Cid, 290 ; robs his sisters, 290 ;

banishes and recalls Cid, 291 ; death

of, 291.
San'gre-al. Same as Holy Grail,

201.
San Pe'isio de Car-den'a. Given

to Cid, 285 ; Cid buried at, 300.
San-ti-a'gi ■je Com-pos-te'la, 140,

285. ■■..,
Sar'a-cen. Huon's encounters with,

172.
Sar'a-cens. Charlemagne defeats,

129, 140, 141, 144, 147, 148; de-
vice of, 143; Roland and, 145 ; Sher-

asmin escapes from, 165 ; Titurel

wars against, 185.
Sar-a-gos'sa. Marsiglio in, 144;

Cid besieges, 289.
Sav'ior. Dish used by, 183.
Sax'ons. Liideger king of, 56; led

by Hengist, 208 ; Arthur wars

against, 217-
Sax'o-ny. Burgundian army enters,

57-

Scan-di-na'vi-a. Iliad in, 304.

Scan-di-na'VI-an. Raids and settle-
ments, 280; cycle, 301, 302.

Scot'land. Arthur's name in, 214;
Leodegraunce king of, 217; same
as Albania, 309.

Scratch-foot. Death and epitaph

of. 39-

Seine. Bayard drowned in, l6l ;
Renaud casts Flamberge in, 161.

Sen'lis, Countess of, 138.

Sev'ern. Named after Sabrina, 309.

Shakes'peare, 163, 305, 309, 310.

Shar-fe-NEB'be. Killed by Rey-
nard, 47.

Sher-as-min'. Same as Gerasmes,
Huon finds, 165 ; accompanies
Huon into forest, l56; Oberon dis-
pleased with, 167; forgiven by
Oberon, 168; journeys to Bagdad,
171 ; helps Huon to elope with

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

337

Rezia, 1^3; journeys to France,
174; quest of, 177; in fairyland,
- 179; duel of, 180; casket stolen
from, 180.

Si'bich. Wife of, 122 ; kills Ermen-
rich, 126 ; death of, 127.

Sic'-ILY. Part of Ortnit's realm, 94.

SiD'RAT. Vision of, 95 ; elopes with
Omit, 97.

SlE'GE-UND. I. Mother of Sieg-
fried, 54; death of, 64. II. A
swan maiden who prophesies to Ha-
gen, 75.

Siege Per'il-ous. Vacjit place at
Round Table called, 184 ; Parzival
in the, 196; Merlii In the, 213;
the empty, 218; G_iahad in the,
224.

SlEG'FRIED. I. King of Moorland,
suitor of Gudrun, 28; invades Zea-
land, 28; joins Hettel and Herwig,
29 ; marriage of, 34. II. Same as
Sigurd, 53 ; parentage and birth of,
54; goes to Worms, 55; prowess
ofi 56, 57; wooes Kriemhild, 58;
with Gunther in Issland, 58-61;
Nibelung warriors of, 61 ; marriage
of, 62 ; conquers Brunhild, 63 ; in
Xanten, 64 ; invited to Worms, 64 ;
punishes Kriemhild, 65; Hagen
plots against, 66; betrayal and
death of, 67 ; burial of, 69 ; mourn-
ing for, 70; body of removed to
Lorch, 71 ; Kriemhild mourns for,
73; Hagen confesses murder of,
78 ; sword of, 84 ; Swanhild daugh-
ter of, 123; Kriemhild widow of,
126.

Sieg'mund. Father of Siegfried, 54;
welcomes Kriemhild, 64; visits
Woms, 64; hears news of Sieg-
fried's death, 69.

Si'ge-bant. Father of Hagen, 23;
death of, 24.

Si-ge-min'ne. Same as Rauch-
Else, tran.- formation of, 105 ; mar-
riage and kidnaping of, 105 ; res-
cued by Wolfdietrich, 106; Lieb-
gart resembles, 107; magic shirt
given by, 108.

Si-ge-not'. Dietrich's adventure
with, iiz; Hildebrand's encounter
with, 113.

Si'gune. Daughter of Josiane, 188;
Parzival finds, 19I, 195.

Si'gurd. Same as Siegfried, 53;
Danish dynasty traces origin to,
269; Fafnisbane, 274.

Si'gurd Ring. Sues for Ingeborg's
hand, 255 ; kings of Sogn make
treaty with, 256 ; Frithiof offers to
conquer, 257; marries Ingeborg,
261, 269; Frithiof visits, 264; hunt-
ing expedition of, 265 ; death ot,
266, 270; son of, 266; marries Al-
fild, 269; wooes Alfsol, 270.

Si'gurd the Snake-eyed. Son of
Ragnar, 275.

Si-mil'de. See Kunhild.

Si-milt'. See Kunhild.

SiN'DOLT. Helps Siegfried, 56.

Sin'tram. Dietrich delivers, 117.

Skeaf. Son of Odin, 9; career of,
10.

Skiold. Same as Skeaf, 9, 10.

Skiol'dungs. Dynasty of, 9.

Sod'om.. Huon and Amanda deluded
by apples of, 175.

SoGN. Kingdom of taken by Jokul,
249; kings of, Sigurd Rings threaten
war against, 255.

Sol-dan 'A. City given to Cid, 285.

Sol-ta'ne. Forest where Parzival
was brought up, 188.

SoL'wAY Firth. Battle of, 205. '

Sons of Ay'mon, 152-162.

So't^. . A pirate, stole Volund ring,

251-
Spain. Charlemagne in, 129, 140,

143, 144; Roland in, 149, 150;

Aymon in, 154; Montsalvatch in,

185 ; Arabs in, 282 ; patron of, 285.
Span-gar-he'de. Ragnar at, 273.
Span'iards. Legend of Holy Grail

christianized by, 182; Richoude

belongs to, 188; battle cry of, 287.
Span'ish. Cortes, 297; cycle, 302.
Spen'ser. " Faerie Queene" of, 211,

310.
Stei'er-mark. Province of given to

Dietlieb, 118; Dietlieb of, 120.
Ste'phen, St. Church of, 215.
Stone'henge. Work of Merlin,

208, 211.
Stu'das. Father of Heime, 115.
Styr'i-a. See Steiermark.

338

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Su'DERS. Ortnit sets sail for, 97.

Sul'tan. Daughter of, 164; Amanda
to be sold as slave to, 176 ; gardens
of, 177; Amanda refuses to marry,
178; sends embassy to Cid, 298.

Su'SAT. Dietrich goes to, 124;
Waldemar's son a captive in, 12S ;
Dietrich's mournful return to, 126.

SviTH'l-OD. Eystein king of, 274.

Swan'hild. Daughter of Siegfried
and Kriemhild, death of, 123;
brothers of, 126.

Swan Knight. Lohengrin the, 203.

Swe'den. Eadgils king of, 19;
part of Wilkina land, 121 ; Viking
in, 247; Svithiod same as, 274.

Swedes. Beovifulf conquers, 12.

Swe'dish. Writers, 246; princess,
Hunvor a, 247; king, Eystein the,
276.

Swem'mel. Hungarian minstrel, 74.

Swin'eurne, 204, 234.

Swords. See Nageling, Nagelring,
Mimungf MckesaXf Joyeuse^ Duran-
dana, Altecler, Plamberge, Excali-
bur, Angurvadel, Tizona, Colada.

Syr'i-a. Ortnit's journey to, 95.

Tan'tris. Same as Tristan, 238.

Ta-ras-co'NI-a. Iwro prince of, 156.

Tarn'kap-pe. Siegfried and, 55, 60 ;
Laurin and, 1 19.

Tchio-na-tu-lan'der. AndSigune,
188; Parzival to avenge, 191 ;
shrine of, 195.

Teg-n£r'. Writings of, 246, 267.

Tem'plars. Guardians of Holy Grail
called, 186; divine guidance of,
187; anticipation of, 189; disap-
pointment of, 199 ; customs of,
202; renown of, 301.

Ten'ny-son, 204.

Teu-ton'ic. Cycle, 301.

Thames. Brutus visits the, 309.

The-od'O-RIC. Of Verona, same as
Dietrich of Bern, no, 127; tomb
of, 128.

The-OD-o-RI'cus. And Roland aX
Roncesvalles, 146, 147.

The'seus. Adventures of, 249.

Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca. Walgundof, ICO;
Hugdietrich at, 100; Berchther at,
lOi.

Thie'dric. Roland's squire, 148.

Thing. Convoked by Hygd, 18;
Beowulf elected by, 19; Bel6 con- .
vokes, 252 ; Ragnar recognized by,
270.

Thom'as, Lord, 245.

Thom'as of Er'cil-doune, 234.

Tho'ra. Daughter of Jarl Herrand,
271 ; Ragnar rescues and marries,
272 ; sons and death of, 272.

Tho'rer. Son of Viking, 249.

Thor'sten. I. Saga, 246. II. Son
of Viking, receives Angurvadel, 249;
shipwrecks of, 250; marriage and
conquests of, 250 ; at Framnas, 25 1 ;
father of Frithiof, 251, 260, 261 ;
last interview with Bel^, 252 ; death
and burial of, 252.

Thu'ri-sind. King of Gepidae, 86 ;
granddaughter of, 87.

Tin-ta'gel. In Cornwall, Gorlois
lord of, 209; Uther's secret visit
to, 209 ; Mark at, 235 ; Tristan at,
236 ; Iseult to go to, 240.

Ti-ta'ni-a. Queen of the fairies,
17s; carries off Huonet, 176; re-
stored to Oberon's favor, 179.

Tit'u-rel. And the Holy Grail,
182-203; V°" Eschenbach's poem
of, 182; birth of, 185; vision of,
185; sees Holy Grail, 186; builds
temple, 186 ; guardian of Holy Grail,
187; children of, 188; intercedes
for Amfortas, 189; crowns Parzi-
val, 200 ; disappearance of, 200.

Ti-TU'RI-SONE. Pilgrimage of, iSj.

Ti'tus. Disease of, 183 ; miraculous
cure of, 184.

Ti-zo'na. Sword of Cid, won from
Moors, 285, 294; given to Infante
of Carrion, 296 ; recovered by Cid,
297; dead Cid draws, 300; inscrip-
tion on, 300.

To-le'do. School of magic at, 153 ;
Don Alfonso at, 290 ; Cid at, 291 ;
Don Alfonso a prisoner at, 292 ;
Yahia ruler of, 294 ; Cortes at, 297.

To'ro. City given to Dofia Elvira,
288 ; taken by Don Sancho, 290.

Tour'mont. Huon at, 169.

Tours. Origin of name, 308.

Tran-syl-va'ni-a. Herrat princess
of, 126.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

339

Trev're-zent. Son of Frimoutel,

i88 ; Parzival visits, 199.
Tri-ent'. Dwelling place of dragons,

98.
Tris'tan. Ogier and, 138; legend

of, 204; story of, 234-245.
Tris'trem. See Tristan.
Tro'i-lus. And Cressida, story of,

3°5-

Tron'je. Hagen of, 124.

Troy. Sigeminne queen of, 105 ;
downfall of, 303.

Tu'NIs. Huon, Amanda, Fatima,
and Sherasmin in, 177; Galafre
king of, 180.

Tu-rol'dus. Probatle author of
" Chanson de Roland," 130.

Tu-RO'NUS. Nephew of Brutus, 308.

Tur'PIN. Latin chronicle attributed
to, 129, 140; adviser of Charle-
magne, 131, 132, 147, 156.

Tyre. See Suders.

Ty-ro'le-an, 113, 118.

Ul'fin. Councilor of Uther, 209.
U-LYS'SES. In mediaeval literature,

303-

UoTE (wo'te). See Ute II.

Up'lands. Njorfe king of, 248.

Ur-Ra'ca, Dona. Receives Zamora,
288 ; loses Zamora, 289 ; pleads for
Alfonso, 290; besieged by Don
Sancho, 290; reviles Cid, 291;
warns Alfonso of Sancho's death,
292.

U'ta. See Ute II.

U'te. I. Queen of Burgundy, 53 ;
interprets Kriemhild's dream, 54;
at tournament, 57; Pilgrim, broth-
er of, 73 ; disapproves of journey to
Hungary, 74. II. Marries Hilde-
brand, 112; rejoined by Hilde-
brand, 127.

U'ther. Son of Constans, 205;
fights with Vortigern and Hengist,
208 ; Merlin builds palace for, 208,
211 ; changed into form of Gorlois,
209; marries Yguerne, 210; death
of, 210; father of Arthur,2l4, 215;
a descendant of Brutus, 309.

Val-duer'na. Given to Rodrigo,
285,

Vale of Thorns. See Roncesvalles.
Va-len'ci-a. Taken by Moors, 294,

300; recovered by Cid, 294; Cid
■ master of, 295 ; Moors besiege, 296,

298; Cid's return to, 296, 298;

Christians cannot hold, 299; evac-
uation of, 300.
Val-hal'la. Ragnar summoned to,

278.
Val'kyrs. Brunhild one of the, 274 ;

Ragnar warned by, 278.
Va-ran'gi-an Guard. The, 281.
Veillantif (va-an-tef). Roland

kills, 145.
Ven'ice. Lion of, 281.
Ver'gen. Place on Danube, 73.
Ve-ro'NA. Same as Bern, 77, 1 10;

Theodoricof, no; tomb of Theodo-

ric near, 128.
Ve-ron'i-ca, St. Story of, 183.
Ves-pa'si-an. Sends commission to

Jerusalem, 183; at Jerusalem, 184;

at Rome, 185.
Vi-a'nb. Renaud meets Aude at

siege of, 149.
Vi-en'NA. Library at, 22; wedding

at, 73-

VlK. Frithiof enters the, 264.

Vi'king. Grandson of Haloge, 247 ;
early adventures and marriage of,
247; second marriage of, 248; ad-
ventures of sons of, 248 ; iEgir gives
EUida to, 250.

ViR'GlL. In " Rome la Grant," 307.

Vir'gin-al. Dietrich's adventure
with, 113, 114; Dietrich forsaken
by, 123.

Viv'l-AN. And Merlin, 211-213;
Lancelot stolen by, 2ig.

Vol'ker. Follower of Gunther, re-
ceives gifts, 77; ally of Hagen, 78,
79; kills Hun, 80; might of, 81.

Vol' SUNG. The race, no.

Vol'sung-a sa'ga, 53, 269.

Vo'lund. The smith, 115,250; ring
of, 253, 257.

Vor'ti-gern. Made king and builds
fortress, 205; messengers of, 206;
death of, 208; advised by Merlin,
210.

Vos'ges. See Wasgenstein.

Vul-ca'nus, Mount. Malagigi's ad-
venture at, 153.

340

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Wace. Writer of metrical tale of
Brutus, 307.

Wa-chil'de. AndWittich, 115, 126.

Wack'er-LOS. Complaint of, 36, 38.

Wag'ner. Used mediaeval legends,
182, 204, 234.

Wal'de-mar. King of Reussen,
Dietrich wars against, 125.

Wa-leis'. Battle at, 27.

Wales. Arthur's name in, 214.

Wal'gund of Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca.
Hagdietrich's visit to, 100; finds
grandson with wolf, 102.

Wal'ther von Was'gen-stein.
Champion of Ermenrich, 118; at
Gerimsburg, 122 ; a hostage in
Hungary, 124; elopes with Hilde-
gunde, 124; marries Hildegunde,
125.

Was'gen-stein. Walther and Hilde-
gunde flee to, 124.

Wat. Follower of Hettel, 25 ; ath-
letic skill of, 26; wounds Hagen,
27 ; fosters Ortwine, 27 ; to be
Gudrun's deliverer, 31 ; challenges
Normans, 32 ; kills Gerlinda, 33.

Wax'muth. Son of Hildburg, 103 ;
and Hugdietrich, 103.

Way'land. See Wieland.

Weal'theow. Wife of Hrothgar, 15.

We'ber. " Oberon " of, 163.

Welsh. Poetry, 204; version of
Tristan, 234.

We'ner, Lake. Battle of, 249.

Wer'bel. Hungarian minstrel, 74;
Hagen strikes off hand of, 80.

We'ser. See Wisara.

Wes'ter-lands. Queen of, 232.

West-pha'li-a. Dortmund in, 162.

Whit'a-by. Ragnar at, 271 ; second
battle at, 276.

Wie'land. I. The smith, weapons
of, 115, 154. II. "Oberon" of,
163.

Wif'lis-B0RG. Hastings at, 276.

Wig'laf. Avenges Hardred, 19;
accompanies Beowulf, 19 ; saves
Beowulf's life, 20.

Wil-de'ber. Joins Dietrich, 117;
in Hungary, 121 ; escape of, 122.

Wil-ki'na Land. Dietrich invades,
121.

Win'ches-ter. See Camelot.

Wi-sa'ra. Falster wood on banks
of, 117.

Wit'ig. See Wittich.

Wit'tich. Son of Wieland, starts
for Bern, 115; conquers Dietrich,
116; goes to Rose Garden, 118,
120; made prisoner, 121; released,
122 ; pursued by Dietrich and saved
by Wachilde, 126.

Wolf-die'trich. Rescue of, 102;
at Meran, 103 ; besieges Constanti-
nople, 103, 108; adventures with
Rauch-Else, 104; marries Sige-
minne, 105 ; kills Drusian, 106 ;
adventure with Belligan, 106 ; kills
dragon and marries Liebgart, 108 ;
descendants of, 109.

Wolf'hart. Nephew of Hilde-
brand, 112; in Rose Garden, 118,
120.

Wol'fram von Esch'en-bach, 86,
182, 204.

Worms. Capital of Burgundy, 53 ;
Siegfried at, 55, 57, 58; Kriemhild
at, 64; Siegfried carried to, 68;
mourning at, 6g; Riidiger at, 71,
82; minstrels at, 74; chaplain re-
turns to, 75 ; tidings carried to, 85 ;
Rose Garden at, 120; Gunther and
Hagen do not return to, 124.

Wul'pen-sand. Battle of, 29.

Xan'ten. Tournament at, 54; Sieg-
fried and Kriemhild at, 64.

Xi-me'na, Dona. Seeks to avenge
her father, 284 ; marries Cid, 285 ; at
Zamora, 287 ; Cid parts from, 293 ;
executes last wishes of Cid, 299.

Ya'hi-a. Grandson of Alimaymon,

294.
Y-GUERNE'. Wife of Gorlois, 209;

marries Uther, 210; mother of

Arthur, 215.
Y-solde'. See Iseult.
Y'voiR-iN OF' Mont'brand. Uncle

of Esclarmonde, 180.
Y' wain. Grandson of Yguerne, 209.
Za-mo'ra. Cid returns to, 287 ; Dona

Urraca at, 288, 290; Don Sancho

takes, 289; siege of, 290, 291 ; Don

Alfonso's arrival at, 292.
Zea'land. Herwig's kingdom, 28.

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