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Adventure VI
Brunhild.
Siegfried and the harper sat together in the little ship as
it lay moored to the sandy shore; and their eyes were turned
towards the sea-green castle and its glowing walls, and they
looked in vain for any movement, or any sign of wakeful
life. Every thing was still. Not a breath of air was
stirring. The leaves of the trees hung motionless, as if
they, too, were asleep. The great green banner on the
tower's top clung around the flagstaff as if it had never
fluttered to the breeze. No song of birds, nor hum of
insects, came to their ears. There was neither sound nor
motion anywhere.
"Play your harp, good Bragi, and awaken all these sleepers,"
said Siegfried.
Then the harper touched the magic strings, and strains of
music, loud and clear, but sweet as a baby's breath, rose up
in the still air, and floated over the quiet bay, and across
the green meadows which lay around the castle-walls; and it
was borne upward over the battlements, and among the shining
turrets and towers, and was carried far out over the hills,
and among the silent trees of the plain. And Bragi sung of
the beginning of all things, and of whatsoever is beautiful
on the land, or in the sea, or in the sky. And Siegfried
looked to see every thing awakened, and quickened into life,
as had oft been done before by Bragi's music; but nothing
stirred. The sun went down, and the gray twilight hung over
sea and land, and the red glow in the castle-moat grew
redder still; and yet every thing slept. Then Bragi ended
his song, and the strings of his harp were mute.
"Music has no charms to waken from sleep like that," he
said.
And then he told Siegfried what it all meant; and, to make
the story plain, he began by telling of Odin's bright home
at Gladsheim and of the many great halls that were there.
One of the halls in Gladsheim is called Valhal. This hall is
so large and wide, that all the armies of the earth might
move within it. Outside, it is covered with gold and with
sun-bright shields. A fierce wolf stands guard before it,
and a mountain-eagle hovers over it. It has five hundred and
forty doors, each large enough for eight hundred heroes to
march through abreast. Inside, every thing is glittering
bright. The rafters are made of spears, and the ceiling is
covered with shields, and the walls are decked with
war-coats. In this hall Odin sets daily a feast for all the
heroes that have been slain in battle. These sit at the
great table, and eat of the food which Odin's servants have
prepared, and drink of the heavenly mead which the
Valkyries, Odin's handmaids, bring them.
But the Valkyries have a greater duty. When the battle
rages, and swords clash, and shields ring, and the air is
filled with shouts and groans and all the din of war, then
these maidens hover over the field of blood and death, and
carry the slain heroes home to Valhal.[EN#15]
One of Odin's Valkyries was named Brunhild, and she was the
most beautiful of all the maidens that chose heroes for his
war-host. But she was wilful too, and did not always obey
the All-Father's behests. And when Odin knew that she had
sometimes snatched the doomed from death, and sometimes
helped her chosen friends to victory, he was very angry. And
he drove her away from Gladsheim, and sent her, friendless
and poor, to live among the children of men, and to be in
all ways like them. But, as she wandered weary and alone
over the earth, the good old King of Isenland saw her beauty
and her distress, and pity and love moved his heart; and, as
he had no children of his own, he took her for his daughter,
and made her his heir. And not long afterward he died, and
the matchless Brunhild became queen of all the fair lands of
Isenland and the hall of Isenstein. When Odin heard of this,
he was more angry still; and he sent to Isenstein, and
caused Brunhild to be stung with the thorn of Sleep. And he
said,--
"She shall sleep until one shall come who is brave enough to
ride through fire to awaken her."
And all Isenland slept too, because Brunhild, the Maiden of
Spring, lay wounded with the Sleepful thorn.
When Siegfried heard this story, he knew that the land which
lay before them was Isenland, and that the castle was
Isenstein, and that Brunhild was sleeping within that circle
of fire.
"My songs have no power to awaken such a sleeper," said
Bragi. "A hero strong and brave must ride through the flame
to arouse her. It is for this that I have brought you
hither; and here I will leave you, while I sail onwards to
brighten other lands with my music."
Siegfried's heart leaped up with gladness; for he thought
that here, at last, was a worthy deed for him to do. And he
bade his friend Bragi good-by, and stepped ashore; and
Greyfell followed him. And Bragi sat at the prow of the
ship, and played his harp again; and the sailors plied their
oars; and the little vessel moved swiftly out of the bay,
and was seen no more. And Siegfried stood alone on the
silent, sandy beach.
As he thus stood, the full moon rose white and dripping from
the sea; and its light fell on the quiet water, and the
sloping meadows, and the green turrets of the castle. And
the last notes of Bragi's harp came floating to him over the
sea.
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