The Nibelungenlied

by Unknown (possibly composed by an Austrian poet)

Also known as: The Song of the Nibelungs

"A tale of heroism, betrayal, vengeance, and the tragic inevitability of fate, reflecting the warrior ethos and values of medieval Germanic culture."
The Nibelungenlied cover
Type:Epic Poem
Source:Medieval Germany
Original Date:oral tradition from 500-700 CE
Written Date:1200 CE
Length:9,600 lines (~10 hours)

Summary

The Nibelungenlied is a Middle High German epic that recounts the life and death of the hero Siegfried, his marriage to Kriemhild, and the treacherous events that follow. After Siegfried’s murder, Kriemhild marries King Etzel (Attila the Hun) and orchestrates a bloody revenge against her brothers and the Burgundians, leading to a cataclysmic massacre. The poem weaves together Germanic legend, Norse myth, and courtly ideals, making it one of the central epics of the medieval European tradition.

Themes

Heroism and gloryBetrayalRevengeLoyalty and honorFate and doomTragic love

Major Characters

SiegfriedKriemhildGuntherHagenBrunhildEtzel (Attila the Hun)

Notable Quotes

"We must all endure our fate."

"Then Hagen struck Siegfried, where a cross had been sewn upon his tunic, and with his spear he pierced his heart."

"There was weeping and lamenting, yet vengeance burned brighter still."

Notable Translations

Karl Lachmann(1826)

First modern critical edition.

A.T. Hatto(1965)

Penguin Classics edition, widely read.

Cyril Edwards(2007)

Oxford World’s Classics, accessible and faithful.

Margaret Armour(1897)

Early English poetic rendering.