When Hagen came he said: “Never before, forsooth, have I laid eyes on yon bold heroes; yet much have I heard of Siegfried, and it may well be he that towers above the rest.”
And Günther replied:
“Meseemeth thou art right.
Yon dauntless chief of princely air
Is he, that valiant knight!
That he is bold and high of mind
I long have understood,
Let us go forth to greet our guest—
Now is his coming good!”
Though there was none in all Günther’s court so haughty as Hagen, yet he did not gainsay this. And the King went out to welcome Siegfried, whereupon that hero challenged him forthwith to mortal combat, whosoever should be the victor to fall heir to the crown and lands of the vanquished. But Hagen feared for the issue of this; wherefore he spoke soft words to Siegfried, greeting him as friend, not foe, and conducted him to the castle hall, where he drank of the King’s wine and was made welcome.