Ekkehard Volume I Part 32

"Here, sword of G.o.d and St. Michael!" triumphantly rose again the joint cry of monks and arrier-ban-men! Rallying their strength, they rushed on to one last despairing attack. The knight in the gilt armour was still the foremost in the fight. The death of their leader, caused such a panic to the Huns, that they turned round, and sped away in wild, disorderly flight.

The woman of the wood, had already perceived the unfavourable turn which the battle was taking. Her horses were ready harnessed, and casting one last angry glance at the victorious monks and the rocky mountain which had once been her home, she drove on the horses at a quick pace, in the direction of the Rhine, followed by the rest of the train. "To the Rhine!" was the watch-word of the flying Huns. Hornebog was the last, who, unwillingly turned his back on the battle-field, and the Hohentwiel.

"Farewell, till next year!" cried he tauntingly.

The victory was gained; but he, whom they believed to be the archangel Michael, sent to their rescue, now let his heavy head sink down on his horse's neck. Reins and arms, had both fallen from his hands, and whether the cause was the last thrust of the Hunnic chieftain, or suffocation in the heat of the battle, he was lifted down from his horse, a dead man. On opening his visor, a happy smile was still visible on his wrinkled old face, and from that hour the headache of the old man of the Heidenhohlen, had ceased for ever.

A black dog ran about searching on the battlefield, till he found the old man's body. Dismally howling he then licked his forehead; Ekkehard standing near, with a tear in his eye, saying a prayer for the welfare of his soul....

The conquerors returned to the Hohentwiel, their helmets adorned with green fir-twigs, and leaving twelve of the brothers behind, to watch the dead on the battle-field. Of the Huns, one hundred and eighty had fallen in battle, whilst the Suabian arrier-ban had lost ninety six; those of the Reichenau eighteen, and those of St. Gall twenty, besides the old man and Rauching his bondsman.

With a handkerchief tied round his face, Moengal stalked over the field, using his s.h.i.+lalah like a staff. One by one he examined the dead. "Hast thou not seen a Hun amongst them, who in reality is a Hunnic woman?" asked he of one of the watchkeeping brothers.

"No," was the reply.

"Then I may as well go home," said Moengal.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: The _Allemannic_ land or _Allemannia_ as it was then called, consisted of part of the present Wurtemberg, Baden and Lothringen; where a dialect, called "_Allematmisch_" has been preserved to the present day.]

[Footnote 2: These notes, for the greatest part have been omitted, as being of no possible interest to the English reader.]

[Footnote 3: Old German words.]

[Footnote 4: Chriemhilde and Brunhilde.]

[Footnote 5: This fable has its origin in the "_historia naturalis_" of Plinius.]

[Footnote 6: A peculiar kind of fish in the Bodensee.]

[Footnote 7: This it had, surely enough; for when lately a learned son of the emerald isle, paid a visit to the library of St. Gallus, there to inspect the work of his pious countryman, he soon burst into a merry laugh, and then the Rector of Dublin, translated some of the Irish comments as follows:

"G.o.d be thanked that it is getting dark!" "St. Patrick of Armagh release me from this book-writing." "Oh, that I had a gla.s.s of good old wine beside me" etc.]

[Footnote 8: Ausonius. Idyll. 7.]

[Footnote 9: The curious custom, that by this act, called the "_Chrene Chruda_," the debt pa.s.sed on to the next relation by blood, who was able to pay it, is described in Merkel's "_lex Salica_." The origin of "_Chrene Chruda_" has not yet been sufficiently explained.]

[Footnote 10: A kind of caterpillars, migrating in large numbers.]

[Footnote 11: Places notorious for their sour bad wines.]

[Footnote 12: Revelation XX, 7.]