{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/hbs/hbs46.htm","path":"neu/hbs/hbs46.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/hbs/hbs46.htm","text":"I WILL tell you a marvel, brethren, how the King of Budim was wed,\nAnd nine full years passed over, yet there was no child to his bed.\nForth issued King Mil\u00fatin; he went to the forest-close;\nBut God and fortune granted him not to strike the stags and does.\nAnd his thirst was great; to a chilly spring Mil\u00fatin went his way,\nAnd drank the chilly water. Then down \u2019neath a fir he lay.\nThree vilas of the hill came then, thereby their thirst to slake,\nAnd gossip by the water; and the eldest of them spake:\n\u201cHarken, belov\u00e8d daughters! Harken me now, and hear!\nSince the King of Budim married, now is it full nine year;\nAnd yet no child of his heart hath he to cherish and hold dear.\u201d\nSaid the vila also: \u201cOf any herb doth either of you know,\nBy the virtue whereof, hereafter, his wife with child shall go?\u201d\nBut the younger twain said nothing. Only the eldest said:\n\u201cIf the king knew all my knowledge, he would gather every maid\nIn Budim, and before them the dry gold would he set,\nUntil their hands should have woven thereof a splendid net.\nDown on the quiet Danube, he would throw the fair net in.\nIn it, a great fish would he take; and golden is every fin.\nHe would take the right fin from it; then back the fish would he throw,\nAnd give the fin to the queen to eat. Straightway with child would she go.\u201d\nBut King Mil\u00fatin saw them, and heard whate\u2019er was said;\nAnd he went to the town of Budim and gathered every maid\nIn Budim, and before them the good dry gold he set,\nUntil their hands had woven thereof a splendid net.\nDown on the quiet Danube he threw the fair net in.\nIn it he took a mighty fish, and golden was every fin.\nHe took the right fin from it; and back the fish did he throw;\nHe gave the fin to his queen to eat. Straightway with child did she go.\nA year she carried her burden; and then the time came on\nOf the bringing forth of the kingly child, but she did not bear a son.\nNay, a fierce serpent was it! On the earth when it did fall,\nStraightway the serpent crept away through a crevice in the wall.\nAnd straight the queen departed; unto the king she spake:\n\u201cFor the child of thy heart, it is hard, O king, to be merry for his sake.\nNo son but a serpent! What time on the earth the snake did fall,\nForthwith the serpent crept away through a crevice in the wall.\u201d\nThen said the king: \u201cNow glory to God for his gift\u2019s sake.\u201d\u2014\nThen seven years passed over. From the wall the serpent spake:\n\u201cWherefore, thou King of Budim, findest thou no bride for me?\u201d\nSore was Mil\u00fatin troubled, but at length aloud said he:\n\u201cMy serpent, my evil offspring, who will give a maid to a snake?\u201d\nBut thus to him the serpent raised up his voice and spake:\n\u201cMy father, the King of Budim, do thou saddle Swallow, and wend\nTo the tsar. He will give thee a maid for me in the city of Prizrend.\u201d\nWhen the King of Budim heard it, he saddled Swallow, the steed;\nThere went unto a hero, a hero then indeed!\nHe came to the city of Prizrend. When he came \u2019neath the tsar\u2019s tower,\nThe tsar looked down upon him, and saw him in that hour.\nThe tsar came down unto him, and in the open square\nThe heroes spread out wide their arms, and kissed each other there,\nAnd each asked how fared the other. The tsar the king did lead\nTo the palace; to the new stable the servants took the steed.\nFor three white days with yellow wine their thirst the kings did slake,\nTill they had ta\u2019en their fill thereof, and then the brandy spake.\nSore was the King of Budim by his embassy distressed.\nThe Tsar of Prizrend saw it, and thus the king addressed:\n\u201cI conjure thee, King of Budim; what trouble troubles thee,\nThat thou art distressed in spirit before my lords and me?\u201d\nThe king to the tsar spake likewise:\n\u201cO tsar of Prizrend, hear!\nWhen I married, no son of my heart was born for the space of full nine year.\nWhen that their term was over, and the nine year course was run,\nTo me was born a serpent instead of a little son;\nAnd, at its birth, unto the earth did the fierce serpent fall,\nAnd forthwith the serpent crept away through a crevice in the wall.\nWhen seven years were over, therefrom did the serpent call:\n\u2018Wherefore, thou King of Budim, dost thou find no bride for me?\u2019\nAnd unto the fierce serpent I answered finally:\n\u2018My serpent, my evil offspring, who will give a maid to a snake?\u2019\nBut thereupon the serpent lifted his voice and spake:\n\u201c \u2018My father, the King of Budim, do thou saddle Swallow and wend\nTo the tsar. He will give thee a maid for me in the city of Prizrend.\u2019\n\u201cAnd tsar, a wretch am I in this. But I labored and came from afar.\u201d\nAnd unto the king in answer outspake at last the tsar:\n\u201cHearest thou, King of Budim? To Budim for me thou shalt go.\nThere shalt thou ask the serpent in the wall, whether or no\nHe will lead the wooers from Budim to Prizrend through the land,\nSo that no sun shall warm them, nor dew upon them stand.\nIf in such wise the serpent will venture them to lead,\nThen for a bride to the serpent I will give the maid indeed.\u201d\nWhen the King of Budim heard it, forth was steed Swallow led.\nHe threw himself on the back of the steed, and forth away he sped,\nOver the level country, like a star in the lucid sky.\nAnd the king thought within him, when Budim he came nigh:\n\u201cAlas! In the name of God the One, now whither shall I wend,\nTo give to the serpent in the wall the greetings the tsar doth send?\u201d\nBefore the gates of Budim but a little space was he.\nSpake the serpent: \u201cMy father, gave the tsar his maiden unto me?\u201d\nSaid the king:\n\u201cMy evil offspring, if thou darest, snake, to wend\nWith the crowd of gay-clad wooers from Budim to Prizrend,\nSo that no sun shall warm them, nor dew upon them stand,\nThe tsar will lightly surrender the maiden to thy hand.\nBut if the crowd of wooers thou wilt not venture to lead,\nNo maiden of his whatever will the tsar give thee indeed.\u201d\nWe will go hence for the maiden; I will lead them through the land,\nSo that no sun shall warm them, nor dew upon them stand.\u201d\nThey gathered a host of wooers, a thousand with all speed;\nThey came to the king\u2019s courtyard. They brought forth Swallow the steed;\nAlone in the courtyard stood the steed. Then the quick heralds cried:\n\u201cMake ready, gay-clad wooers! Make ready, groom of the bride!\u201d\nAnd when in the wall\u2019s crevice the serpent heard the call,\nForthwith crawled down the serpent from the crevice in the wall;\nBy the knee he gripped the charger; on the saddle he coiled and lay.\nThen out through Budim the city they hastened on their way.\nFrom Budim to Prizrend a dark blue cloud drave o\u2019er them through the land,\nSo that no sun could warm them, nor dew upon them stand.\nWhen they came to Prizrend, they led their steeds through the tsar\u2019s courtyard there;\nBut the serpent guided not Swallow that went alone through the square.\nGloriously the tsar welcomed them with gifts that were splendid indeed,\nTo every wooer a shirt of silk, to the groom a hawk and a steed,\nAnd moreover the maiden of Prizrend. Then the quick heralds cried:\n\u201cMake ready, wooers, and groomsman, and bringer of the bride!\nMake ready, maiden of Prizrend! It is time for us to ride.\u201d\nThe wooers and the maiden, they mounted one and all.\nWhen the serpent heard it, down he came from the crevice in the wall;\nHe gripped the charger by the knee; on the saddle he coiled and lay.\nThen out through Prizrend the city they hastened on their way,\nBut evermore above them drave on the dark blue cloud.\nThe wooers spurred their horses, until they trampled proud;\nAnd thereupon the serpent on Swallow that did ride,\nHe made the charger trample on the pavement in his pride.\nHe goaded him so fiercely, that the steed from end to end\nHath ruined all the pavement in the city of Prizrend.\nPlague strike on it! In twelve full years the masons scarce will mend\nThe damage that upon that time unto the tsar was done.\nAnd merrily and with good heart to Budim they were gone,\nAnd anew the marriage festival they held a full week more,\nAnd solemnized it duly until the rites were o\u2019er.\nThen each returned unto the house, and the serpent to the wall,\nAnd the king remained a season within the council-hall.\nTime came to bring together the bridegroom and the bride.\nThey brought her to the tower; to the highest room they hied;\nThey left her in the highest room. At the middle of the night\nThere was a sound of voices in the chamber in the height;\nAnd the Lady Queen in the tower stole on from floor to floor,\nTill she reached the highest story; then she opened the chamber door.\nWhat saw she in the chamber? A mighty marvel therein!\nOn a cushion in the chamber, there lay a serpent-skin;\nOn the pillow a good hero in slumber deep was laid;\nAnd the damsel out of Prizrend, he held the lovely maid.\nA mother has joy of her children. She stole the serpent-skin;\nShe bore it to the living fire, and swiftly threw it in.\nTo the king, her lord and master, she ran forth hastily:\n\u201cO king, upon this hour it is well with thee and me!\nI went to the high chamber, and opened the door. Therein\nOn a cushion in the chamber there lay a serpent-skin;\nOn the pillow a good hero in slumber deep was laid;\nThe damsel out of Prizrend, he held the lovely maid.\nAnd forthwith from the chamber I stole the serpent-skin,\nAnd took it to the living fire, and quickly threw it in.\u201d\n\u201cWhat is this, wife? May the serpent now seize thee and devour!\u201d\nAnd they hastened forth together to the summit of the tower.\nWhat saw they? A mighty marvel! On the pillow a hero dead;\nThe maid of Prizrend embraced him. She lifted her voice and said:\n\u201cAlas! In the name of the one God, I am widowed and alone!\nMy mother, for me\u2014God slay thee!\u2014little enow hast thou done,\nAnd this woe hast thou brought upon thyself.\u201d So the mother lost her son.","title":"THE SERPENT BRIDEGROOM","type":"page"}