nd their
array, but full strange were they to him in the Burgundian land. He
spake: "From wheresoever these warriors be come unto the Rhine, they may
well be princes or envoys of kings, for their steeds are fair and
their garments passing good. Whencesoever they bear these, forsooth
high-mettled warriors be they."

"I dare well say," so spake Hagen, "though I never have seen Siegfried,
yet can I well believe, however this may be, that he is the warrior that
strideth yonder in such lordly wise. He bringeth new tidings hither to
this land. By this here's hand were slain the bold Nibelungs, Schilbung
and Nibelung, (5) sons of a mighty king. Since then he hath wrought
great marvels with his huge strength. Once as the hero rode alone
without all aid, he found before a mountain, as I have in sooth been
told, by Nibelung's hoard full many a daring man. Strangers they were to
him, till he gained knowledge of them there.

"The hoard of Nibelung was borne entire from out a hollow hill. Now hear
a wondrous tale, of how the liegemen of Nibelung wished to divide it
there. This the hero Siegfried saw and much it gan wonder him. So near
was he now come to them, that he beheld the heroes, and the knights
espied him, too. One among them spake: `Here cometh the mighty
Siegfried, the hero of Netherland.' Passing strange were the tidings
that, he found among the Nibelungs. Schilbung and Nibelung greeted well
the knight; with one accord these young and noble lordings bade the
stately man divide the hoard. Eagerly they asked it, and the lord in
turn gan vow it to them.

"He beheld such store of gems, as we have heard said, that a hundred
wains might not bear the lead; still more was there of ruddy gold from
the Nibelung land. All this the hand of the daring Siegfried should
divide. As a guerdon they gave him the sword of Nibelung, but they were
served full ill by the service which the good knight Siegfried should
render them. Nor could he end it for them; angry of mood (6) they grew.
Twelve bold men of their kith were there, mighty giants these. What
might that avail them! Siegfried's hand slew them soon in wrath, and
seven hundred warriors from the Nibelung land he vanquished with the
good sword Balmung. (7) Because of the great fear that, many a young
warrior had of the sword and of the valiant man, they made the land and
its castles subject to his hand. Likewise both the mighty kings he
slew, but soon he himself was sorely pressed by A