Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-03-29

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gary IS the scene Of that greatest Of
fighting epics, the roaring and ter
rifle NibeJungen-Lied. The men Of
the Rhine and the men Of Bavaria,
Hungary and Austrio are depicted
IN the lied as killing each other.
Battling side by side today, they are
fired for united Uar By the chants
from this tale, which IS the priced
possession Of all races and classes Of
the Ceramic stock.
Strong and beautiful was Siegfried,
the kings son Of Xante in the Meth
erIands Strong and beautiful, he rode
down into Worms to win from King
Gunther Of the Rhine his sister Krien-
hid, who was fair as q dawn that
comes from behind dark clouds.
None were 50 happy as they. But
in an evil hour Siegfried told Kriem-
hid Of trick he had put on Brun-
hid, Gunther's queen and Kriemhild
tWitted BrunhiId in public with what
she had learned.
"Shall this outrage lie upon me"
wept BrunhiId, 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
his overlordship.
Hagen brought the dead man home
sit 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 unburied, 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.
"The devils wife will never forgive
me-" said Hagen. He worked on Gun
Their till the king took from Kriemhild
the Nibelungs 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
ther knew 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 we'll 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-
yaria till their saddles were gay with
blood. They rode into Austria and
were met by loyal Rudeger of Bech-
1aren, King Etzers markgrave, who
welcomed them and plighted them the
faith Of 4 true host. Splendidly he
led them into Hungary to King Ell
Zel's thousand towers of Gran.
Kriemhild stepped down from the
castle and&iSSed her brother, Gunther.
When Hagen saw that, he bound his
helm on tighter.
He had need of it. 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 wine!" cried Hagen then,
and cut off the head of Etzel's 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 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 ayenpe them