Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-03-02


Rhine valley and from Metz to Hun
gary is the scene of that greatest of
fighting epics. the roaring and ter
rible Nibelungen-Hed. The men of
the Rhine and the men of Bavaria,
Hungary and Austria are depicted
iw~Shs Hed-as killi~g ~eacS other.
Battling side by side today, they are
fired for united war by the chants
from this tale, uhich is the priced
possession of all races and classes of
the Germdnic stock.
Strong and beautiful was Siegfried,
the kings son of Xante in the Meth
erlands. Strong and beautiful, he rode
down into Worms to win from King
Gunther Of the Rhine his sister Kriem-
hid, who was fair as dawn that
comes from behind dark clouds.
None were so happy as they. But
in an evil hour Siegfried told Kriem-
hild of a trick he had put on Brun-
hild, Gunther's queen and Kriemhild
twitted Brunhild in public with what
she had learned.
"Shall this outrage lie upon me?"
wept Brunhild, till Gunther, the king,
went whispering up and down, and his
fierce. loyal vassal, Hagen of Irony,
swOre that revenge must be.
At fateful Odenheim, in the Oden-
wald, when Siegfried stopped to drink
at a spring. Hagen thrust him through
with a spear, so that 1t entered at the
champions back and came out at his
heart.
So died the great warrior, he that
had conquered the Land of the Nibe-
lungs and won their mighty hoard and
brought the Nibelung knights under
his Overlordship.
Hagen brought the dead man home
"It cOncerneth me little if Kriemhild
weep" said dauntless Hagen Of Irony.
She kissed Siegfried's beautiful
head and swOre vengeance. For three
days and nights she wept him while
he lay -pnburied, and for many years
after, when III had long slept in his
coffin Of sil,Serhnd gold in Lorsch on
the Rhine. ahk could do naught else.
'The. deviljs rife will never forgive
me-" SAID H6seh. He worked on Cum
ther till the king took from Kriemhild
the Nibelung's treasure; for he feared
lest the hero's widow win adherents
with 1t.
They sank the hoard in the Rhine
at LOcheim and only Hagen and Gun
ther kneY the place.
Kriemhild wept anew and nursed
another need for revenge.
There came a day when King Etzel
of Hungary sent knights to WOO her,
and she Jared into Hun-land to become
the mighty queen Of that mightiest
king. Sweetly and well she ruled with
him till she was assured that the love
of all Etzel's knights was hers. Then
she spoke to the king and said: 'Let
us bid my kin from the Rhine to a
hightide."
Sixty high warriors and a thousand
Nibelung knights, they rode out Of
Worms. There were Gunther and his
two tall brothers, Gernot, the mighty,
and Giselher, the blooming. There
were Hagen with the sword Of Bal
mung that Siegfried had won from the
Nibelungs, and Folker, Gunther's min
strel.
They fought their way through Ba-
varia till their saddles were gay with
blood. They rode into Austria and
were met by loyal Rudeger of Bech-
laren. King Etzels markgrave, who
welcomed them and plighted them the
faith of a true host. Splendidly he
led them into Hungary to King Et-
zel's thousand towers Of Gran.
Kriemhild stepped down from the
castle and kissed her brother, Gunther.
When Hagen saw that, he bound his
helm on tighter.
He had need Of 1t. While King Etzel
sat drinking with them in all trust
and love, Kriemhild's knights fell on
them In the banquet hall. Drink we
the kings winew cried Hagen then,
and cut off the head of Etzel's child,
SO that 1t flew into Kriemhild's lap.
Balmung whirled again. and bit the
head of Etzel's brother, helmet and all.
The Nibelungs, hard pressed, fought
with swords and benches and stools.
Scarce could Etzel and Kriemhild win
from the tumult. Folker fiddled death
tunes with his blade on many Huns
head. Dankwart. Hagen's brother,
held the door and gathered red gate
money.
The Nibelungs threw the dead and
wounded down the stairs and cried:
ENTER! Enter! And earn your queens
pay. oh Huns!"
All the long summer day they fought.
In the dusk Kriemhild ordered the
place to be kindled. All night it
burned. Yet in the dawn there were
Nibelungs still left alive.
"They have orphaned the land!"
cried the Hun knights, all red and
black with slaughter. King Etzel
sobbed in his beard and called TO Ru-
deger of Bechlaren to avenge them.
81 brought the strangers into the
land as guests. o King!" cried the
faithful man. "Take back what thou
has given me. 1 will quit the country
empty rather than I will die dishon-