The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)
General
The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)
Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
Rymenhild looked at him, a chill creeping over her heart. What he meant
by his fishing she did not see. She filled her horn and drank to him,
handed it to the pilgrim, and said, "Drink thy fill, and tell me if ever
thou saw Horn." Horn drank, and threw the ring into the vessel. When the
princess went to bower, she found the ring she had given Horn. She
feared he was dead, and sent for the palmer. The palmer said Horn had
died on the voyage to Westerness, and had begged him to go with the ring
to Rymenhild. Rymenhild could bear no more. She threw herself on her
bed, where she had hid a knife, to kill both King Modi and herself if
Horn should not come; she set the knife to her heart, and there Horn
stopped her. He wiped off the black, and cried, "I am Horn!" Great was
their bliss, but it was not a time to indulge themselves fully.
Horn sprang out of hall,
And let his sclavin fall, (1246)
and went to summon his knights. Rymenhild sent after him the faithful
Athulf, who all the while had been watching for Horn in the tower. They
slew all that were in the castle, except King Ailmar and Horn's old
comrades. Horn spared even Fikenild, taking an oath of fidelity from him
and the rest. Then he made himself known to Ailmar, denied what he had
been charged with, and would not marry Rymenhild even now, not till he
had won back Suddenne. This he went immediately about; but while he was
engaged in clearing the land of Saracens and rebuilding churches, the
false Fikenild bribed young and old to side with him, built a strong
castle, "married" Rymenhild, carried her into his fortress, and began a
feast. Horn, warned in a dream, again set sail for Westerness, and came
in by Fikenild's new castle. Athulf's cousin was on the shore, to tell
him what had happened; how Fikenild had wedded Rymenhild that very day;
he had beguiled Horn twice. Force would not avail now. Horn disguised
himself and some of his knights as harpers and fiddlers, and their music
gained them admittance. Horn began a lay which threw Rymenhild into a
swoon. This smote him to the heart; he looked on his ring and thought of
her. Fikenhild and his men were soon disposed of. Horn was in a
condition to reward all his faithful adherents. He married Athulf to
Thurston's daughter, and made Rymenhild queen of Suddenne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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