When she found no whit of faithlessness in the lord of Berne, quickly
she promised Bloedel a broad estate, that Nudung (5) owned aforetime.
Later he was slain by Hagen, so that he quite forgot the gift. She
spake: "Thou must help me, Sir Bloedel, forsooth my foes be in this
house, who slew Siegfried, my dear husband. Ever will I serve him, that
helpeth me avenge this deed."
To this Bloedel replied: "My lady, now may ye know that because of Etzel
I dare not, in sooth, advise to hatred against them, for he is fain to
see thy kinsmen at his court. The king would ne'er forget it of me, and
I did them aught of wrong."
"Not so, Sir Bloedel, for I shall ever be thy friend. Certes, I'll give
thee silver and gold as guerdon and a comely maid, the wife of Nudung,
whose lovely body thou mayst fain caress. I'll give thee his land and
all his castles, too, so that thou mayst always live in joy, Sir knight,
if thou dost now win the lands where Nudung dwelt. Faithfully will I
keep, whatso I vow to thee to-day."
When Sir Bloedel heard the guerdon, and that the lady through her beauty
would befit him well, he weened to serve the lovely queen in strife.
Because of this the champion must needs lose his life. To the queen
he spake: "Betake you again to the hall, and before any be aware,
I'll begin a fray and Hagen must atone for what he hath done you. I'll
deliver to you King Gunther's liegeman bound. Now arm you, my men,"
spake Bloedel. "We must hasten to the lodgings of the foes, for King
Etzel's wife doth crave of me this service, wherefore we heroes must
risk our lives."
When the queen left Bloedel in lust of battle, she went to table with
King Etzel and his men. Evil counsels had she held against the guests.
Since the strife could be started in no other wise (Kriemhild's ancient
wrong still lay deep buried in her heart), she bade King Etzel's son
be brought to table. How might a woman ever do more ghastly deed for
vengeance' sake? Four of Etzel's men went hence anon and bare Ortlieb,
(6) the young prince, to the lordings' table, where Hagen also sat.
Because of this the child must needs die through Hagen's mortal hate.
When now the mighty king beheld his son, kindly he spake to the kinsmen
of his wife: "Now see, my friends, this is the only son of me and of
your sister. This may be of profit to you all, for if he take after
his kinsmen, he'll become a valiant man, mighty and noble, strong and
fashioned fair. Twelve lands will I give him, and I live yet a while.
Thus may the hand of young Ortlieb serve you well. I do therefore
beseech you, dear friends of mine, that when ye ride again to your
lands upon the Rhine, ye take with you your sister's son and act full
graciously toward the child, and bring him up in honor till he become
a man. Hath any done you aught in all these lands, he'll help you to
avenge it, when he groweth up."
This speech was also heard by Kriemhild, King Etzel's wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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