thrilling adventures on the way.

The greatest of all the German epics is undoubtedly the
Nibelungenlied,--of which we give a synopsis,--which is often termed
the Iliad of Germany, while "Gudrun" is considered its Odyssey. This
folk epic relates how Hagan, son of a king, was carried off at seven
years of age by a griffin. But, before the monster or its young could
devour him, the sturdy child effected his escape into the wilderness,
where he grew up with chance-found companions. Rescued finally by a
passing ship, these young people are threatened with slavery, but
spared so sad a fate thanks to Hagan's courage. Hagan now returns
home, becomes king, and has a child, whose daughter Gudrun is carried
away from father and lover by a prince of Zealand. On his way home,
the kidnapper is overtaken by his pursuers and wages a terrible battle
on the Wülpensand, wherein he proves victorious. But the kidnapper
cannot induce Gudrun to accept his attentions, although he tries hard
to win her love. His mother, exasperated by this resistance finally
undertakes to force Gudrun to submit by dint of hardships, and even
sends her out barefoot in the snow to do the family washing. While
thus engaged, Gudrun and her faithful companion are discovered by the
princess' brother and lover, who arrange the dramatic rescue of the
damsels, whom they marry.[26]

Next in order come the philosophic epics of Wolfram von Eschenbach,
including the immortal Parzifal--which has been used by Tennyson and
Wagner in their poems and opera--and the poetic tales of Gottfried of
Strassburg, whose Tristan und Isolde, though unfinished, is a fine
piece of work. Hartmann von der Aue is author of Erek und Enide,--the
subject of Tennyson's poem,--of Der arme Heinrich,--which served as
foundation for Longfellow's Golden Legend,--and of Iwein or the Knight