The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. It tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, his murder, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge. The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... Middle High German (MHG, German Mittelhochdeutsch) is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. ... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... Sigurd sculpture in Bremen Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr, German: Siegfried) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Gudrun and Sigurd In Norse mythology, Gudrun, who is called Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied, was the sister of Gunnar. ...

The Nibelungenlied is based on pre-Christian Germanic heroic motifs (the "Nibelungensaga"), which includes oral traditions and reports based on historic events and individuals of the 5th and 6th centuries. Old Norse parallels of the legend survive in the Völsunga saga, The Prose Edda, The Poetic Edda, the Legend of Norna-Gest and the Þiðrekssaga. German Nibelung and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung (Niflungr) refers in most of the German texts and in all the Old Norse texts to the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... The Ramsund carving depicting the Saga of the Völsungs The Volsunga saga is a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the story of Sigurd and Brynhild, and the destruction of the Burgundians. ... The Younger Edda, known also as the Prose Edda or Snorris Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ... The death of Nornagest, by Gunnar Vidar Forssell Norna-Gests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Norna-Gest. ... Þiðrekssaga (also Thidreksaga, Thidrekssaga, Niflungasaga or Vilkina saga) is a saga of the adventures of the hero Dietrich von Bern, believed to be based on the historical Theodoric the Great, and written down about 1250. ...

First page from Manuscript C (ca. 1230)

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (461x639, 69 KB) Nibelungenlied Manuscript C, Folio 1r, about 1220 File links The following pages link to this file: Nibelungenlied ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (461x639, 69 KB) Nibelungenlied Manuscript C, Folio 1r, about 1220 File links The following pages link to this file: Nibelungenlied ...

Manuscript sources

The poem in its various written forms was lost by the end of the 16th century, but was re-discovered during the 18th century. There are thirty-five known manuscripts of the Nibelungenlied and its variant versions. Eleven of these manuscripts are essentially complete, and twenty-four are in various fragmentary states of completion, including one version in Dutch (manuscript 'T'). The text contains approximately 2400 stanzas in 39 Aventiuren. The title under which the poem has been known since its discovery is derived from the final line of one of the three main versions, "hie hât daz mære ein ende: daz ist der Nibelunge liet" ("here the story takes an end: this is the lay of the Nibelungs"). Liet here means lay, tale or epic rather than simply song, as it would in Modern German. German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

The manuscripts sources deviate considerably from one an other. Philologists and literary scholars usually designate three main genealogical groups for the entire range of available manuscripts, with two primary versions comprising the oldest known copies: *AB and *C. This categorization derives from the signatures on the *A, *B, and *C manuscripts as well as the wording of the last verse in each source: "daz ist der Nibelunge liet" or "daz ist der Nibelunge nôt". Nineteenth century philologist Karl Lachmann developed this categorisation of the manuscript sources in Der Nibelunge Noth und die Klage nach der ältesten Überlieferung mit Bezeichnung des Unechten und mit den Abweichungen der gemeinen Lesart (Berlin: Reimer, 1826). Philology is the study of ancient texts and languages. ... Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann (March 4, 1793 - March 13, 1851), was a German philologist and critic. ...

Authorship

Prevailing scholarly theories strongly suggest that the written Nibelungenlied is the work of an anonymous poet from the area of the Danube between Passau and Vienna, dating from about 1180 to 1210, possibly at the court of the bishop of Passau, Wolfger von Erla (in office 1191–1204). Most scholars consider it likely that the author was a man of literary and ecclesiastical education at the bishop's court, and that the poem's recipients were the clerics and noblemen at the same court. The Danube (ancient Danuvius, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river of the European Union and Europes second-longest[3] (after the Volga). ... Old Town of Passau Passau (Latin: Batavia) is a town in Niederbayern, Eastern Bavaria, Germany, known also as Dreiflüssestadt (the City of three rivers), because the Danube River is joined there by the Inn River from the South, and the Ilz River coming out of the Bavarian Forest to... Vienna (German: , see also other names) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... 1180 to 1210 - Nibelunglied The Tale of Igors Campaign in Old East Slavic, dated near the end of the century Categories: | | ... Nibelunglied written approximately 1180 - 1210. ...

The "Nibelung's lament" (Diu Klage), a sort of appendix to the poem proper, mentions a "Meister Konrad" who was charged by a bishop "Pilgrim" of Passau with the copying of the text. This is taken as a reference to Saint Pilgrim bishop of Passau from 971–991.

The search for the author of the Nibelungenlied in German studies has a long and intense history. Among the names suggested were Konrad von Fußesbrunnen, Bligger von Steinach and Walther von der Vogelweide. None of these hypotheses has wide acceptance, and mainstream scholarship today accepts that the author's name cannot be established. German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. ... Portrait of Walther von der Vogelweide. ...

Synopsis

Though the preface to the poem promises both joyous and dark tales ahead, the Nibelungenlied is by and large a very tragic work, and these four opening verses are believed to have been a late addition to the text, composed after the body of the poem had been completed.

Gunther's wedding night (Johann Heinrich Füssli 1807)

Gunther orders Hagen to drop the hoard into the Rhine (Peter von Cornelius, 1859)

The epic is divided into two parts, the first dealing with the story of Siegfried and Kriemhild, the wooing of Brünhild and the death of Siegfried at the hands of Hagen, and Hagen's hiding of the Nibelung treasure in the Rhine (Adventures 1-19). The second part deals with Kriemhild's marriage to Etzel, her plans for revenge, the journey of the Nibelungs to the court of Etzel, and their last stand in Etzel's hall (Adventures 20-39). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1576x2450, 316 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nibelungenlied ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1576x2450, 316 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nibelungenlied ... Fuseli talking to Johann Jakob Bodmer, 1778-1781. ... Image File history File links Peter_von_Cornelius_Hagen_versenkt_den_Nibelungenhort_1859. ... Image File history File links Peter_von_Cornelius_Hagen_versenkt_den_Nibelungenhort_1859. ... ΑÖÖÖÜđiÔ:For the character of the sitcom Friends see here. ... For the Högni of the Heimskringla and the legends of Helge Hundingsbane, see Högne. ... Peter von Cornelius (1784 - 1867), German painter, was born in Düsseldorf. ...

Siegfried and Kriemhild

Adventure 1 introduces the court of Burgundy. Kriemhild, the virginal sister of King Gunther and his brothers Gernot and Giselher, has a dream of a falcon that is killed by two eagles. Her mother interprets this to mean that Kriemhild's future husband will die a violent death, and Kriemhild consequently resolves to remain unmarried. région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ... This article should be merged with Grimhild In the medieval Nibelungenlied, Kriemhild is one of four children of Uote. ... ΑÖÖÖÜđiÔ:For the character of the sitcom Friends see here. ... Gernot is a king of Burgundy in the Nibelungenlied, brother to kings Gunther and Giselher. ... Giselher is a king of Burgundy in the Nibelungenlied, brother to kings Gunther and Gernot. ...

Adventure 2 tells of the background of Siegfried, crown prince of Xanten. He is already a warrior of great renown prior to the main events of the poem, most famous for slaying the dragon Fafnir and stealing its giant hoard of treasure, the Nibelungenschatz. After killing the dragon, he had bathed in its blood, rendering him invulnerable. Unfortunately for Siegfried, a leaf fell onto his back from a linden tree above as he was bathing, and the tiny patch of skin that it covered did not come into contact with the dragon's blood, so that Siegfried remains vulnerable in that one spot (much as the ancient Greek hero Achilles was vulnerable only on his heel). In Adventure 3, Siegfried arrives in Worms with the hopes of wooing Kriemhild, but her family refuses to allow him even to set eyes on her. Disappointed, he nonetheless remains in Worms and helps Gunther defeat the invading Saxons (4). Siegfried finally meets Kriemhild (5), and is allowed to marry her after he helps Gunther to defeat Brünhild, the queen of Iceland, with his heroic strength and the aid of a cloak which lets him become invisible (6-8). On a visit to Iceland, Siegfried had posed as a vassal of Gunther's, and Brünhild thinks King Gunther, not Siegfried, defeated her. She is persuaded to marry Gunther by this trickery. Siegfried could refer to: The opera by Richard Wagner; see Siegfried (opera). ... Xanten is a town in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, located in the district of Wesel. ... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... Fáfnir guards the gold hoard in this illustration by Arthur Rackham to Richard Wagners Siegfried. ... Species About 30; see text A lime-lined avenue in Alexandra Park, London Tilia leaf Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America; it is absent... The Wrath of Achilles, by François-Léon Benouville (1821–1859) (Musée Fabre) In Greek mythology, Achilles (also Akhilleus or Achilleus) (Ancient Greek: ) was a hero of the Trojan War, the central character and greatest warrior of Homers Iliad, which takes for its theme, not the War... // Worms (pronounced ) is a city in the southwest of Germany. ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ... Sigurd and Brynhilds funeral In Norse mythology, Brynhildr was a shieldmaiden and a valkyrie. ... Evening cloak or manteau, from Costume Parisien, 1823 A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat—it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable...

But on their wedding night, Brünhild's great strength and unwillingness are too much for Gunther, who overcomes her only with the aid of an invisible Siegfried, who then takes her ring and belt (symbols of defloration) as presents for his own wife Kriemhild (10).

Years later, Siegfried and Kriemhild are on visit to Worms. Brünhild is still under the impression that Gunther married off his sister to a low-ranking vassal, while Gunther and Siegfried are in reality of equal rank. Before entering the Worms Cathedral, Kriemhild and Brünhild argue who should have precedence, according to their husbands' ranks. To Brünhild it is obvious that she should go first. Kriemhild, unaware of the deception involved in Brünhild's wooing, insists that they are of equal rank, and as the dispute escalates, she shows Brünhild the belt which Siegfried took from Brünhild on her wedding night, and calls her Siegfried's kebse (mistress or concubine). Worms Cathedral East facade The spacious Cathedral of St. ...

The argument between the queens is both a risk for the marriage of Gunther and Brünhild and a possible cause for a rivalry between Gunther and Siegfried. Hagen von Tronje, the dark, cruel and faithful vassal of Gunther, decides to kill Siegfried to protect the honor and reign of his king. Although it is Hagen who does the deed, Gunther and his brothers know of the plan and quietly assent. Hagen persuades Kriemhild to mark Siegfried's vulnerable spot with a cross as divine protection. Hagen then uses the cross as a target, killing Siegfried with a spear as he is drinking from a brook during a hunt. Hagen also steals the hoard from Kriemhild and throws it into the Rhine (Rheingold), to prevent Kriemhild from using it to establish an army of her own. For the Högni of the Heimskringla and the legends of Helge Hundingsbane, see Högne. ... The Rhine (Dutch: ; French: ; German: ; Italian: ; Romansh: ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. ... Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold) is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ...

Kriemhild's revenge

Kriemhild showing Gunther's head to Hagen (Johann Heinrich Füssli, ca. 1805)

Kriemhild swears to take revenge for the murder of her husband and the theft of her treasure. Many years later, King Etzel of the Huns (Attila the Hun) proposes to Kriemhild, she journeys to the land of the Huns, and they are married. For the baptism of their son, she invites her brothers, the Burgundians, to a feast at Etzel's castle in Hungary. Hagen does not want to go, but is taunted until he does: he realises that it is a trick of Kriemhild in order to take revenge and kill them all. As the Burgundians cross the Danube, this fate is confirmed by Nixes, who predict that all but one monk will die. Hagen tries to drown the monk in order to render the prophecy futile, but he survives. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2621, 486 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nibelungenlied ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2621, 486 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nibelungenlied ... Attila (AD 406 - 453), also known as Attila the Hun was Khan of the Hun people from 434 until his death and leader of the Hunnic Empire. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river of the European Union and Europes second-longest[3] (after the Volga). ... Strömkarlen from 1884 by Ernst Josephson has formed many modern Swedes view of Näcken. ...

The Burgundians arrive at Etzel's castle and are welcomed by Kriemhild "with lying smiles and graces". But the lord Dietrich of Bern, an ally of Etzel's, advises the Burgundians to keep their weapons with them at all times, which is normally not allowed. The tragedy unfolds. Kriemhild comes before Hagen, reproaches him for her husband Siegfried's death, and demands the return of her Nibelungenschatz. Hagen answers her boldly, admitting that he killed Siegfried and sank the Nibelungen treasure into the Rhine, but blames these acts on Kriemhild's own behaviour. Dietrich von Bern is a character in the Nibelungenlied where he captures Gunther and Hagen and is portrayed as a Christian knightly hero. ...

King Etzel then welcomes his wife's brothers warmly. But outside a tense feast in the great hall, a fight breaks out between Huns and Burgundians, and soon there is general mayhem. When word of the fight arrives at the feast, Hagen decapitates Kriemhild's and Etzel's little son before his parents' eyes. The Burgundians take control of the hall, which is besieged by Etzel's warriors. Kriemhild offers her brothers their lives if they hand over Hagen, but they refuse. The battle lasts all day, until the queen orders the hall to be burned with the Burgundians inside.

All of the Burgundians are killed except for Hagen and Gunther, who are bound and held prisoner by Dietrich of Bern. Kriemhild has the men brought before her and orders her brother Gunther to be killed. Even after seeing Gunther's head, Hagen refuses to tell the queen what he has done with the Nibelungen treasure. Furious, Kriemhild herself cuts off Hagen's head. Old Hildebrand, the mentor of Dietrich of Bern, is infuriated by the shameful deaths of the Burgundian guests. He hews Kriemhild to pieces with his sword. In a variant of Manuscript B, he is said to strike Kriemhild a single clean blow to the waist; she feels no pain, however, and declares that his sword is useless. Hildebrand then drops a ring and commands Kriemhild to pick it up. As she bends down, her body falls into pieces. Dietrich and Etzel and all the people of the court lament the deaths of so many heroes. Hildebrand is a character from Norse mythology. ...

Historical background

A possible archetype for the dragon-slayer Siegfried might have been the historical figure of Arminius, who defeated the Roman imperial legions (clad in scale armour) at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... The Hermannsdenkmal Arminius (also Hermann, Armin, 16 BC–AD 21) was a war chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. ... Dacian scale armour on Trajans column. ... Battle of the Teutoburg Forest Conflict Roman-Germanic wars Date 9 Place Teutoburg Forest Result German victory In the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9) an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius (also known in German as Hermann), the son of Segimerus of the Cherusci, ambushed and wiped...

A historical nucleus of the saga lies in events of the Germanic Migration Period, in particular the defeat of the Burgundians by Flavius Aëtius with the aid of Hunnic mercenaries near Worms in ca. AD 436. Other possible influences are the feud between the 6th century Merowingian queens Brunhilda and Fredegunde, as well as the marriage of Attila with the Burgundian princess Ildikó in AD 453. Human migration denotes any movement of groups of people from one locality to another, rather than of individual wanderers. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Flavius Aëtius or simply Aetius, ( 396–454), was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. ... // Worms (pronounced ) is a city in the southwest of Germany. ... Events Attila the Hun attacks Britain Births Deaths Categories: 436 ... Philippoteaux and Girardet, Die Folterung von Brunhilde. ... Queen Frédégonde, seated on her Throne, gives orders to two young Men of Térouanne to assassinate Sigebert, King of Austrasia. ... Events Theodoric II succeeds his brother Thorismund as king of the Visigoths. ...

These events became conflated with common Germanic mythological material concerning Niflheim and the Nibelungs, originally likely a race of dwarfs guarding treasure, but from the evidence of Waltharius also a name for a Frankish or Burgundian dynasty. The Nibelungenlied combines a first mythological part dealing with the Gunther's wooing of Brünhild, with a second political part taking place in specific locations like Worms, the capital of Burgundy, describing the journey of the Nibelungs east across the Danube to Etzelburg, the residence of Attila the Hun (Etzel), the location of the catastrophe. Niflheim (Land of Mists) is the realm of ice and cold in Norse Mythology. ... German Nibelung and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung (Niflungr) refers in most of the German texts and in all the Old Norse texts to the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms. ... // This page is about the legendary race, for the medical condition see dwarfism, and for other meanings see Dwarf (disambiguation). ... Waltharius, a Latin poem founded on German popular tradition, relates the exploits of the west Gothic hero Walter of Aquitaine. ... région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river of the European Union and Europes second-longest[3] (after the Volga). ... Attila (AD 406 - 453), also known as Attila the Hun was Khan of the Hun people from 434 until his death and leader of the Hunnic Empire. ...

The Nibelungenlied arranges these traditional materials in a composition aiming at a High Medieval audience that was familiar with the epics Matter of Britain and Matter of France, casting the inherited Germanic theme in his contemporary terms of courtly Christian chivalry. Consequently, Siegfried changes from a dragon killer to a courting man who will express his love to Kriemhild explicitly only after he has won the friendship of the Burgundian king Gunther and his brothers, Gernot and Giselher. Some situations, which exaggerate the conflict between the Germanic migrations and the chivalrous ethics (such as Gunther's embarrassing wedding night with Brunhild) may be interpreted as irony. The notoriously bloody end that leaves no hope for reconciliation is far removed from the happy ending of typical courtly epics. The Arthurian legend or the Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, especially those focused on King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle is a body of legendary history that springs from the Old French medieval literature of the chansons de geste. ...

Textual history

The death of Siegfried (illustration of Manuscript K, 1480s)

The epic was lost during the 16th century, and was rediscovered with the finding of a manuscript (C) in 1755 in Hohenems, Vorarlberg. About three dozen manuscripts survive, with three main manuscripts, labelled by Karl Lachmann as A, B and C: Image File history File linksMetadata Nibelungenlied_manuscript-k. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Nibelungenlied_manuscript-k. ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Hohenems in Vorarlberg, Austria Hohenems is a town in the westernmost Austrian province of Vorarlberg, in the Dornbirn district. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost state (Land) of Austria. ... Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann (March 4, 1793 - March 13, 1851), was a German philologist and critic. ...

• A: Hohenems-Munich codex, late 13th century, discovered in Hohenems, now kept in Munich
• B: St. Gallen codex, 13th century, kept in the St. Gallen Abbey library
• C: Hohenems-Laßberg / Donaueschingen codex (early 13th century), since 2001 kept in Karlsruhe

These three manuscripts preserve three variants of the text with an uncertain relationship. It is impossible to condense them into a single "original" version, likely because oral tradition had a continuing influence on manuscript tradition during the 13th century. Munich (German: , pronounced  ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga; Italian: Monaco; Latin language: Monacum) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: ). Munich is Germanys third largest city and one of Europes most prosperous. ... Abbey of St. ... Karlsruhe (population 285,812 in 2006) is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border. ...

The text was edited by Karl Bartsch in 1870. A Modern German translation by Karl Simrock appeared in 1826 and an English translation by Daniel B. Shumway in 1909. Karl Joseph Simrock (August 28, 1802 – July 18, 1876), was a German poet and writer. ...

Legacy

An early critic labeled it a German "Iliad", arguing that, like the Greek epic, it goes back to the remotest times and unites the monumental fragments of half-forgotten myths and historical personages into a poem that is essentially national in character.However, others criticised the work for being inferior to the Greek classics and not worthy of the status of 'National Epic'. It has been suggested that Deception of Zeus be merged into this article or section. ...

Despite its many critics, imagery from the Nibelungelied was used in many poems, essays, posters and speeches at every stage in the development of German nationalism, from the Brefreiungskriege (Wars of Liberation) to the period of Nazi rule, to less jingoistic interpretations and references today.

For example, the faithfulness among the Burgundian king and his vassals, ranked higher than family bonds or life, is called Nibelungentreue. This expression was used in Germany, prior to World War I to describe the alliance between the German Empire and Austria-Hungary, as well as by Nazi Propaganda, e.g. when referring to the Battle of Stalingrad. This article is becoming very long. ... Motto: Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Polish (Posen, Lower Silesia,Upper Silesia, Masuria) French (Alsace-Lorraine) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Combatants Germany Italy Hungary Romania Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Maximilian von Weichs Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovsky Rodion Malinovsky Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army...

The word Nibelungen is transferred from a legendary race of Germanic dwarfs and their treasure, to the followers of Siegfried and finally to the Burgundians which are portrayed in the poem. German Nibelung and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung (Niflungr) refers in most of the German texts and in all the Old Norse texts to the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms. ... In Norse mythology, the dwarves (Old Norse: dvergar, sing. ... région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ...

In October of 2006 USA Today listed Siegfried as #7 on their list of Imaginary Luminaries: the 101 most influential people who never lived.[1] USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ...

However, it is very difficult to separate the influence of the Nibelungenlied itself from that of other works of art and propaganda dealing with the Siegfried myths. Often, images which clearly refer to part of this story differ in some way. For example, one famous poster from the 1930s links Siegfried's death with the 'Dolchstosslegende' (the idea that German soldiers were stabbed in the back by the peace treaties of 1918) and shows a Siegfried-like figure stabbed with a dagger, not a spear.

Essentially, the Nibelungenlied provides a wealth (a great hoard, as it were) of emotive and instantly recognisable images applicable to almost any political event.

Adaptations

The Nibelungenlied, Thidreks saga and the Völsunga saga served as source materials for Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (English: The Ring of the Nibelungs), a series of four music dramas popularly known as the "Ring Cycle". Thidreks saga (also Thidreksaga, Thidrekssaga, Niflungasaga) is a saga of the adventures of the hero Dietrich von Bern, believed to be based on the historical Theodoric the Great, and written down about 1250. ... Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... This article is about the series of operas; for the film, see Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Music drama is the term ascribed to the revolutionary medium of artistic expression created by the German composer Richard Wagner. ...

In 1924, Austrian-American director Fritz Lang made a duology of silent fantasy films of the epic: Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache. Lang and Thea von Harbou wrote the screenplay for the first film; von Harbou has the sole screenwriting credit on the second. Remakes were made in 1966. 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Friedrich Anton Christian Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known émigrés from Germanys school of expressionism. ... Duology also known as dilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that develop a single theme over two works. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. ... Thea von Harbou (December 27, 1888 â€“ July 1, 1954) was a German actress and author of some noble Prussian descent. ...

The premise of the Nibelungenlied was made into a [mini-series] called Ring of the Nibelungs (also called Sword of Xanten) in 2004. It uses the title of the series by Wagner and, like the Ring Cycle, is in many ways closer to the Norse legends of Siegfried and Brunhild than to the Nibelungenlied itself. Like many adaptations, it only deals with the first half of the epic, ignoring Kriemhild's revenge. On the SciFi Channel, it is broadcast with title Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (2006). 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... SCI FI (sometimes rendered Sci-Fi when part of a longer phrase) is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

See also

• Alberich
• German mythology
• Nibelungs
• Sigurd
• Völsunga saga

Alberich was a legendary sorcerer originating in the mythos of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty. ... German mythology is a subset of Germanic mythology, going back to South Germanic polytheism as practiced in parts of Central Europe before gradual Christianization during the 6th to 8th centuries, and continued as legends, folklore, fairy tales, and Middle High German epics during the Middle Ages. ... German Nibelung and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung (Niflungr) refers in most of the German texts and in all the Old Norse texts to the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms. ... Sigurd sculpture in Bremen Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr, German: Siegfried) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. ... The Ramsund carving depicting the Saga of the Völsungs The Volsunga saga is a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the story of Sigurd and Brynhild, and the destruction of the Burgundians. ...

Editions

• Karl Bartsch, 1870/1880
• Margaret Armour, Translator. Franz Schoenberner, Introduction. Edy Legrand, Illustrator. The Nibelungenlied, Heritage Press, New York, 1961.
• Michael S. Batts. Das Nibelungenlied, critical edition, Tübingen: M. Niemeyer 1971. ISBN 3-484-10149-0
• Helmut de Boor: Das Nibelungenlied, 22nd revised and expanded edition, ed. Roswitha Wisniewski, Wiesbaden 1988, ISBN 3-7653-0373-9
• Hermann Reichert, Das Nibelungenlied, edition of manuscript B, Berlin: de Gruyter 2005. VII, ISBN 3-11-018423-0.
• Ursula Schulze, Das Nibelungenlied, based on manuscript C , Düsseldorf / Zürich: Artemis & Winkler 2005. ISBN 3-538-06990-5.
• Burton Raffel, Das Nibelungenlied, new translation. Foreword by Michael Dirda. Introduction by Edward R. Haymes. Yale University Press 2006. ISBN 13: 978-0-300-11320-4. ISBN 10: 0-300-11320-X

Burton Raffel is a translator, a poet and a teacher. ... Michael Dirda, a Fulbright Fellowship recipient, is an award-winning book critic for the Washington Post. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Nibelungenlied

• texts of manuscripts A, B and C
• facsimile of manuscript C
• Karl Bartsch edition (Leipzig, 1870/80)
• index of online manuscript facsimiles

English translations: Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

• translation by Daniel B. Shumway
• translation by Daniel B. Shumway
• translation by Daniel B. Shumway
• The Nibelungenlied: Translated into Rhymed English Verse in the Metre of the Original by George Henry Needler