Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
could as easily slay three of them." At last the king allowed Horn to
attempt the combat alone, and spent the night in sorrowful musing on
the result of the contest, while Horn slept well and arose and armed
himself cheerily. He then aroused the king, and the Irish troop rode
out to a fair and level green lawn, where they found the emir with
many companions awaiting them. The combat began at once, and Horn gave
blows so mighty that the pagan onlookers fell swooning through very
fear, till Horn said: "Now, knights, rest for a time, if it pleases
you." Then the Saracens spoke together, saying aloud that no man had
ever so daunted them before except King Murry of Suddene.
This mention of his dead father aroused Horn, who now realized that he
saw before him his father's murderers. His anger was kindled, he
looked at his ring and thought of Rymenhild, and then, drawing his
sword again, he rushed at the heathen champion. The giant fell pierced
through the heart, and his companions fled to their ships, hotly
pursued by Horn and his company. Much fighting there was, and in the
hot strife near the ships the king's two sons, Harold and Berild, were
both slain.
Horn Refuses the Throne
Sadly they were laid on a bier and brought back to the palace, their
sorrowful father lamenting their early death; and when he had wept his
fill the mournful king came into the hall where all his knights
silently awaited him. Slowly he came up to Horn as he sat a little
apart from the rest, and said: "Cuthbert, wilt thou fulfil my desire?
My heirs are slain, and thou art the best knight in Ireland for
strength and beauty and valour; I implore thee to wed Reynild, my only
daughter (now, alas! my only child), and to rule my realm. Wilt thou
do so, and lift the burden of my cares from my weary shoulders?" But
Horn replied: "O Sir King, it were wrong for me to receive thy fair
daughter and heir and rule thy realm, as thou dost offer. I shall do
thee yet better service, my liege, before I die; and I know that thy
grief will change ere seven years have passed away. When that time is
over, Sir King, give me my reward: thou shalt not refuse me thy
daughter when I desire her." To this King Thurston agreed, and Horn
dwelt in Ireland for seven years, and sent no word or token to
Rymenhild all the time.
Rymenhild's Distress
In the meantime Princess Rymenhild was in great perplexity and
trouble, for a powerful ruler, King Modi of Reynes, wooed her for his
wife, and her own betrothed sent her no token of his life or love. Her
father accepted the new suitor for her hand, and the day of the
wedding was fixed, so that Rymenhild could no longer delay her
marriage. In her extremity she besought Athulf to write letters to
Horn, begging him to return and claim his bride and protect her; and
these letters she delivered to several messengers, bidding them search
in all lands until they found Sir Horn and gave the letters into his
own hand. Horn knew nought of this, till one day in the forest he met
a weary youth, all but exhausted, who told how he had sought Horn in
vain. When Horn declared himself, the youth broke out into loud
lamentations over Rymenhild's unhappy fate, and delivered the letter
which explained all her distress. Now it was Horn's turn to weep
bitterly for his love's troubles, and he bade the messenger return to
his mistress and tell her to cease her tears, for Horn would be there
in time to rescue her from her hated bridegroom. The youth returned
joyfully, but as his boat neared the shore of Westernesse a storm
arose and the messenger was drowned; so that Rymenhild, opening her
tower door to look for expected succour, found her messenger lying
dead at the foot of the tower, and felt that all hope was gone. She
wept and wrung her hands, but nothing that she could do would avert
the evil day.
Horn and King Thurston
As soon as Horn had read Rymenhild's letter he went to King Thurston
and revealed the whole matter to him. He told of his own royal
parentage, his exile, his knighthood, his betrothal to the princess,
and his banishment; then of the death of the Saracen leader who had
slain King Murry, and the vengeance he had taken. Then he ended:
"'King Thurston, be thou wise, and grant my boon;
Repay the service I have yielded thee;
Help me to save my princess from this woe.
I will take counsel for fair Reynild's fate,
For she shall wed Sir Athulf, my best friend,
My truest comrade and my doughtiest knight.
If ever I have risked my life for thee
And proved myself in battle, grant my prayer.'"
To this the king replied: "Childe Horn, do what thou wilt."
Horn Returns on the Wedding-day
Horn at once invited Irish knights to accompany him to Westernesse to
rescue his love from a hateful marriage, and many came eagerly to
fight in the cause of the valiant Cuthbert who had defended Ireland
for seven years. Thus it was with a goodly company that Horn took
ship, and landed in King Ailmar's realm; and he came in a happy hour,
for it was the wedding-day of Princess Rymenhild and King Modi of
Reynes. The Irish knights landed and encamped in a wood, while Horn
went on alone to learn tidings. Meeting a palmer, he asked the news,
and the palmer replied: "I have been at the wedding of Princess
Rymenhild, and a sad sight it was, for the bride was wedded against
her will, vowing she had a husband though he is a banished man. She
would take no ring nor utter any vows; but the service was read, and
afterwards King Modi took her to a strong castle, where not even a
palmer was given entrance. I came away, for I could not endure the
pity of it. The bride sits weeping sorely, and if report be true her
heart is like to break with grief."
Horn Is Disguised as a Palmer
"Come, palmer," said Horn, "lend me your cloak and scrip. I must see
this strange bridal, and it may be I shall make some there repent of
the wrong they have done to a helpless maiden. I will essay to enter."
The change was soon made, and Horn darkened his face and hands as if
bronzed with Eastern suns, bowed his back, and gave his voice an old
man's feebleness, so that no man would have known him; which done, he
made his way to King Modi's new castle. Here he begged admittance for
charity's sake, that he might share the broken bits of the wedding
feast; but he was churlishly refused by the porter, who would not be
moved by any entreaties. At last Horn lost all patience, and broke
open the door, and threw the porter out over the drawbridge into the
moat; then, once more assuming his disguise, he made his way into the
hall and sat down in the beggars' row.
The Recognition
Rymenhild was weeping still, and her stern husband seemed only angered
by her tears. Horn looked about cautiously, but saw no sign of Athulf,
his trusted comrade; for he was at this time eagerly looking for his
friend's coming from the lofty watch-tower, and lamenting that he
could guard the princess no longer. At last, when the banquet was
nearly over, Rymenhild rose to pour out wine for the guests, as the
custom was then; and she bore a horn of ale or wine along the benches
to each person there. Horn, sitting humbly on the ground, called out:
"Come, courteous Queen, turn to me, for we beggars are thirsty folk."
Rymenhild smiled sadly, and, setting down the horn, filled a bowl with
brown ale, for she thought him a drunkard. "Here, drink this, and more
besides, if thou wilt; I never saw so bold a beggar," she said. But
Horn refused. He handed the bowl to the other beggars, and said:
"Lady, I will drink nought but from a silver cup, for I am not what
you think me. I am no beggar, but a fisher, come from afar to fish at
thy wedding feast. My net lies near by, and has lain there for seven
years, and I am come to see if it has caught any fish. Drink to me,
and drink to Horn from thy horn, for far have I journeyed."
When the palmer spoke of fishing, and his seven-year-old net,
Rymenhild felt cold at heart; she did not recognise him, but wondered
greatly when he bade her drink "to Horn." She filled her cup and gave
it to the palmer, saying, "Drink thy fill, and then tell me if thou
hast ever seen Horn in thy wanderings." As the palmer drank, he
dropped his ring into the cup; then he returned it to Rymenhild,
saying, "Queen, seek out what is in thy draught." She said nothing
then, but left the hall with her maidens and went to her bower, where
she found the well-remembered ring she had given to Horn in token of
betrothal. Greatly she feared that Horn was dead, and sent for the
palmer, whom she questioned as to whence he had got the ring.
Horn's Stratagem
Horn thought he would test her love for him, since she had not
recognised him, so he replied: "By St. Giles, lady, I have wandered
many a mile, far into realms of the West, and there I found Sir Horn
ready prepared to sail home to your land. He told me that he planned
to reach the realm of Westernesse in time to see you before seven
years had passed, and I embarked with him. The winds were favourable
and we had a quick voyage, but, alas! he fell ill and died. When he
lay dying he begged me piteously, 'Take this ring, from which I have
never been parted, to my dear lady Rymenhild,' and he kissed it many
times and pressed it to his breast. May God give his soul rest in
Paradise!"
When Rymenhild heard those terrible tidings she sighed deeply and
said: "O heart, burst now, for thou shalt never more have Horn, for
love of whom thou hast been tormented so sorely!" Then she fell upon
her bed, and grasped the dagger which she had concealed there; for if
Horn did not come in time she had planned to slay both her hateful
lord and herself that very night. Now, in her misery, she set the
dagger to her heart, and would have slain herself at once, had not the
palmer interrupted her. Rushing forward, he exclaimed: "Dear Queen and
lady, I am Horn, thine own true love. Dost thou not recognise me? I am
Childe Horn of Westernesse. Take me in thy arms, dear love, and kiss
me welcome home." As Rymenhild stared incredulously at him, letting
the dagger fall from her trembling hand, he hurriedly cast away his
disguise, brushed off the disfiguring stain he had put on his cheeks,
and stood up straight and strong, her own noble knight and lover. What
joy they had together! How they told each other of all their
adventures and troubles, and how they embraced and kissed each other!
Horn Slays King Modi
When their joy had become calmer, Horn said to his lady: "Dear
Rymenhild, I must leave thee now, and return to my knights, who are
encamped in the forest. Within an hour I will return to the feast and
give the king and his guests a stern lesson." Then he flung away the
palmer's cloak, and went forth in knightly array; while the princess
went up to the watch-tower, where Athulf still scanned the sea for
some sign of Horn's coming. Rymenhild said: "Sir Athulf, true friend,
go quickly to Horn, for he has arrived, and with him he brings a great
army." The knight gladly hastened to the courtyard, mounted his steed,
and soon overtook Horn. They were greatly rejoiced to meet again, and
had much to tell each other and to plan for that day's work.
In the evening Horn and his army reached the castle, where they found
the gates undone for them by their friends within, and in a short but
desperate conflict King Modi and all the guests at the banquet were
slain, except Rymenhild, her father, and Horn's twelve comrades. Then
a new wedding was celebrated, for King Ailmar durst not refuse his
daughter to the victor, and the bridal was now one of real rejoicing,
though the king was somewhat bitter of mood.
Horn's Departure
When the hours wore on to midnight, Horn, sitting beside his bride,