Hermel the Strong
Hermann, or Hermel, as he was called by all those
who
knew him, was a wild fellow.
He was like his contemporary the young prince of
the
Cheruscian tribe, who defeated the legions of Varus on the Osning.
Hermel, this son of the mountains, hated with all
his
heart the Roman tyrants who at that time inhabited the banks of the
Rhine
and its affluents, and who had overrun Germany with fire and sword.
These cunning intruders step by step tightened
their
grip on the territory they had conquered. They laid their hands upon
the
land, and on everything that grew thereon. The poor peasants were
compelled
to render them hard services for very low wages. The consequence of
this
state of things was, that bitter hatred prevailed between the outwitted
peasants
and the foreign conquerors.
The men of the valleys of the Sieg complained
bitterly
to Sigurd, chief of the Sigambrians, their lawful master, but it was of
no
use, as he had been seduced by the glittering gold of Tiberius, greatly
to
the disadvantage of his own tribe.
It happened that a tall strong fellow was ordered
to
do some of this forced labour.
This was Hermel who had been nourished for seven
years
at his mother's breast, and had therefore become as strong as a bull.
The conquering invaders were highly pleased with
the
fair hero who surpassed two Gauls in strength, though he was only
twenty
years old.
When the appointed day for working arrived, the
others
gathered in time at the threshing-floor and made ready to begin, while
this
lazy fellow was still lying on his straw mattress snoring. The bailiff
woke
him up and scolded him severely.
Hermel opened his eyes and said laughingly, "What
is
up? It is not necessary to begin so early for such a handful of work.
Before
noon I will thresh the whole heap of corn without any help. But I shall
want
two things as a recompense; first, a cart so full of straw that it
cannot
hold any more. That will be for my bed. Besides I ask for as much bread
and
meat as I am able to eat."
"All right," answered the bailiff, "it shall be as you
wish."
The young giant rose slowly from his couch, yawned
lazily,
and walked out into the wood. There he took the trunk of an oak and
fastened
it with a strong rope to a fir-tree. Coming back he lifted off the roof
of
the barn, that it might not hinder him.
Then he threshed away with his enormous flail,
till the
straw flew about as in a hurricane.
After having finished all the corn, Hermel took
the roof,
and using it as a broom, he cleared the threshing-floor of the straw
and
chaff.
Thereafter he put the corn in sacks and carried
them
to the loft.
Then he asked for his wages. His masters who had looked
on in utter astonishment, hastened to comply with his demand.
Hermel himself loaded the cart with straw, but
found
that the two oxen were unable to draw it away. He grew angry, and gave
them
such a heavy blow with his fist that they fell down dead. He
unharnessed
them quickly, threw them upon the straw, and dragged the cart himself,
calling
out to the bystanders: "I am supplied with meat. I only want some
bread."
At this unusual spectacle a murmur rose from the crowd. They felt
rather
uneasy at the display of such unnatural strength, and the high lords
held
a council to see how they could rid themselves of this strong fellow,
and
they hit on what they thought was a good plan.
On the following morning the bailiff ordered
Hermel to
clean the well in the castle-yard, promising him the fattest sheep as a
reward.
The lad descended without suspicion, and began to remove the mire from
the
bottom of the well.
While he was working far below, the conspirators
roiled
huge stones to the edge of the well, and tumbled them down in order to
crush
Hermel. He was just humming a merry tune when the stones rolled down on
him.
"Chase the chickens up there," he called out,
"they are
throwing pebbles and sand in my eyes, so that I cannot go on with my
work."
The men above thought to themselves, "Well if he
calls
the huge rocks pebbles and sand, we shall teach him a lesson." And they
brought
a heavy millstone. Five men had to move it by a lever as it was so
heavy.
When they threw it down, an oath was heard from the depth of the well,
and
a minute later the giant came leaping forth with the millstone round
his
neck.
The people ran away when they saw him, but he was
by
no means furious. He only said with a grim smile that they had made his
head
ache a little.
He bore no malice whatsoever and asked for another
job,
as it was not yet evening, and he said he could only relish his supper
after
a good day's task.
They sent him into the forest to cut wood,
thinking to
play another treacherous trick on him. For a few hours he worked
undisturbed.
The day being hot, he lay down for a little rest and soon fell asleep.
The Romans who were hidden behind the bushes
quickly
came forward. They collected huge branches, heaped them round the
sleeping
man, and kindled them.
Having done so, they danced in triumph round the
blazing
fire.
In a few moments a sound like a subdued cough was
heard
among the flames.
Then they heard Hermel breathing heavily, as if
troubled
by the smoke.
Then there was a terrible bustle in the fire, and
the
betrayed lad sprang out in wild fury.
Without losing a moment he tore an oak tree out of
the
blazing heap and, wielding it sturdily right and left, he slew every
one
of the cowardly Romans, who a moment before had been dancing with joy.
Hermel's revenge however was by no means
satisfied. With
great eloquence he incited the inhabitants of the district to rise
against
their oppressors and to take up arms for their liberty.
The massacre which followed in the Sieg valley was the most
terrible that ever was recorded there. Even women and children were not
spared.
Very few of the Romans escaped to the western banks of the Rhine.
The valley of the Sieg was now free. Hermel's
name, as
that of a brave and patriotic hero who had delivered his countrymen
from
the yoke of the Romans, still lives in song and legend.
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