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Within a twelfth night Werbel and Swemmel came to the Rhine, to the land of Worms. To the kings and their liegemen tidings were told that there came strange messengers. Gunther, the lord of the Rhineland, gan ask: "Who will do us to wit, from whence these strangers ride into our land?"
Prince Bleedel of Hungary bade empty many traveling chests of their silver and their gold; all this was given away. The king's champions were seen to live right merrily. Werbel and Swemmel, the minstrels of the king, each gained at the wedding feast, I ween, full thousand marks, or even better, when fair Kriemhild sate crowned at Etzel's side.
ADVENTURE XXIV. How Werbel And Swemmel Brought The Message. When that Etzel had sent his envoys to the Rhine, these tidings flew from land to land. Through full speedy messengers he begged and bade to his high feasting. From this many a one met there his death. The envoys rode away from the Hunnish land to Burgundy.
For the sake of his sister Giselher, the youth, was fain to see the envoys. He spake to them in loving wise: "Ye messengers, be very welcome to us. An' ye would ride more often hither to the Rhine, ye would find friends here whom ye would be glad to see. Little of harm shall hap you in this land." "We trust you in all honor," spake then Swemmel.
In our poem the name appears frequently with the diminutive ending, as "Bloedelin". "Werbel and Swemmel", who doubtless owe their introduction to some minstrel, enjoy special favor and are intrusted with the important mission of inviting the Burgundians to Etzel's court, an honor that would hardly be accorded to persons of their rank.
When they were come, Gernot spake: "The king will do as Etzel asked us, we will gladly come to his high feast to see our sister; be no more in doubt of that." Then King Gunther spake: "Wist ye how to tell us, when this feast shall be, or in what time we should go thither?" Swemmel replied: "Of a truth it shall be on next midsummer's day." This Folker hindered, which pleased her much.
Swemmel appears mostly in the diminutive form "Swemmelin". "Heimburg" lies on the Danube near the Hungarian border. "Misenburg" is the modern Wieselburg on the Danube, twenty-one miles southeast of Pressburg.
Then spake the minstrel, the proud Swemmel: "When shall your feasting be in these lands, that I may tell it yonder to your kin?" King Etzel answered: "On next midsummer's day." "We'll do as ye command," spake then Werbel. The queen bade them be brought secretly unto her bower, where she then talked with the envoys. From this but little joy happed to many a knight.
"My lady offereth you of a truth," so spake Swemmel, "her love and duty. Might that be that she could see you oft, ye may well believe she had no better joy in all the world." Then spake the queen: "That may not be. However gladly I would often see the dear daughter of mine, yet doth the wife of the noble king live, alas, too far from me. May she and Etzel be ever blessed.
She spake: "Now tell me, both of you, Werbel and Swemmel, which of my kin are minded to be at the feast? Will the best of those we bade come hither to this land? Pray tell me what Hagen said when he heard the tale." The minstrel answered: "He came on a morning early to the council, and but little of fair speech he spake thereby.
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