Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-02-16

9".y 70 WV "CO'VO " '''"V y wv y! |
fighting epjcs, the roaring and ter
ribie Nibelungen-Lied. The men Of |
the Rhine and the men of Bauaria,
Hungary and austria are depicted
IN the lied as killing each other.
Battling side By side today, they are
tired for united War by the chants
from this tale, Which is the priced
possession of al! races and classes of
the GermanlC stock.
Strong and beautiful was Siegfried,
the kings son of Nante in the Meth
erlands. Strong and beautiful, he rode
down into Worms to win from King
Gunther of the Rhine his sister Kriem-
hld 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-
hid of a trick he had put on Brun-
hid, Gunther's queen and Kriemhild
twitted Brunhild in public with what
she had learned.
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 Hateful Odenheim, in the Oden-
valid, when Siegfried stopped to drink
at a spring, Hagen thrust him through
with a spear, so that it 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
ais Overlordship.
Hagen brought the dead man home
at 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 unbured, and for many years
after, when he had long slept in his
coffin of silver and gold in Lorsch on
the Rhine. She could do naught else.
me-" said Hagen. He worked on Gun
Their till the king took from Kriemhild
the Nibelung's treasure for he feared
lest the hero's widow win adherents
with it.
They sank the hoard in the Rhine
at LOCheim and only Hagen and Gun
Their knew the place.
Krlemhild 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 Etzels knights was hers. Then
= she spoke to the king and said: Let
? us bid my kin from the Rhine to q
= lightide."
Sixty high warriors and q 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 Siegfred had won from the
Nibelungs, and FOlker, Gunther's min
Htrel.
They fought their way through Ba-
yaria till their saddles were gay with
blood. They rode into Austria and
were met by loyal Rudeger of Bech-
laren, King Etzel's markgrave, who
welcomed them and plighted them the
faith of true host. Splendidly he
he'd them into Hungary to King Eft
2el'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 it. While King Etzel
cat drinking with them in all trust
md love, Kriemhllds knights fell or
them in the banquet hall. Drink we
the kings wine!" cried Hagen then
and cut off the head of Etzers child
so that it flew into Kriemhild's lap
Balmung whirled again, and bit the
head of Etzels brother, helmet and all
The Nibelungs, hard pressed, fought
with swords and benches and stools
Scarce could Etzel and Kriemhild wiz
from the tumult. Folker fiddled death
tunes with his blade on many a Huns
head. Dankwart, Hagen's brother
held the door and gathered red gate
money.
The Nibelungs threw the dead ant
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 Il
burned. Yet in the dawn there were
Nibelungs still left alive.
"They have orphaned the land =
cried the Hun knights, all red ant
black with slaughter. King Etze
sobbed in his beard and called to Ru
deger of Bechlaren to avenge them.
Il brought the strangers into tn,
land as guests, o Kingw cried tn,
faithful man, "Taka hack what tho,