Anonymous

The Nibelungenlied by Anonymous (AD 12th Century)

Written during the Middle Ages, The Nibelungenlied is an example of medieval heroic poetry. Sometimes called “the German Iliad”, it is loosely based on a historical event from the fifth century AD. The poem in turn inspired Austrian composer Richard Wagner’s massive Ring Cycle opera series. The plot of The Nibelungenlied could be divided into two main storylines: the romance between Siegfried and Kriemhild, and Kriemhild’s wrath. The narrator lets the reader know almost immediately that this story is a tragedy. Everyone dies. But because there is no mystery about the characters’ fates, the story is driven by their interactions, personalities, and conflicts. It is full of excellent drama and dialog, and exciting action. The story also gives the reader a look into medieval life and customs.

The first half of The Nibelungenlied is dominated by the Dutch prince Siegfried, the greatest warrior of the age. It begins with his journey to the Kingdom of Burgundy (modern Belgium and western Germany) to marry the beautiful Princess Kriemhild, sister of the king, but he must complete a series of tasks before doing so. He is successful, of course. However, one of these tasks would cause the king’s new wife, Queen Brunhild, to develop a deep hatred for the couple, especially Siegfried. Later in the story, Kriemhild and Brunhild get into a shouting match at a festival. They trade brutal insults which lead directly to Siegfried’s murder. Kriemhild’s grief causes so many problems, she is married off to Attila the Hun to get rid of her. The rest of the plot follows her plan for revenge.

Stories about great heroes never seem to get old, no matter the century they’re written. The title translates to The Song of the Nibelungs. The Nibelungs were originally the lands of Siegfried. Later, the term identifies the Burgundian kingdom that Kriemhild plots against. Historically, a Burgundian kingdom was wiped out by the Romans in the fifth century. As the centuries passed, the Romans changed into Attila and the Huns. When the story uses Nibelungs for the Burgundians in the second part, it is to differentiate them from the Huns. I think it may also be an attempt to associate the Burgundians with the fallen hero Siegfried to give the tragedy extra emotional punch. This is ironic. When you read it, you’ll see why.

Except for Siegfried, these knights are all near-equals in skill and battle experience, who each have had legendary quests that made them famous in their own rights. They all know each other and their exploits. One neat scene has them standing around talking about these, but not to see who’s better than the others — everyone accepts it’s Siegfried. Instead, to me, it sounded similar to modern military veterans telling stories from their deployments to each other. They’re just talking and reminiscing, enjoying the company. I thought scenes like this added to the mood. The mutual understanding and respect they have for one another made the ending more devastating and sad.

I also liked how the narrator individualized the characters. Each warrior has a unique fighting style based on their personality. For example, one knight is also a respected musician. When he fights, the narrator describes his moves and weapons using musical terms and metaphors. To me, it made the characters more lifelike and unique and helped me get into the story more. Something else that interested me was how these individuals reacted to Siegfried’s death. Siegfried is the warrior’s warrior. He is handsome, strong, and fearless, and nearly invincible. He cannot be killed except by a wound to a specific part of his body. I think this also made him arrogant and a little reckless. All the warriors have a deep respect for him, so when he is murdered, it drives a wedge through this group. From here, the customs of the medieval warrior class determine everyone’s loyalties and choices. It drives the plot like an out-of-control train towards disaster.

Interestingly, although The Nibelungenlied deals with legendary heroes and daring-do, there are little to no mythology or fantasy elements. Siegfried battles a dwarf, and talks about battling a dragon; three water spirits appear, prophesy, then disappear; Brunhild has superhuman strength and comes from a mystical island. That’s it. At first, I thought the lack of the supernatural seemed strange for something like this, but I found that I preferred it. There’s no magic or monsters that remove reality. There’s no supernatural device that controls the plot. The characters, and drama are believable and relatable, and the story is realistic.

Because I cannot read Old German, I needed a translation. I recommend a more updated edition (mine was from 1901). Make sure it still preserves the poetic style of the original to experience the art behind the text. You may want to find a translation that also includes footnotes for background and context. My translator did his best to preserve the verse, rhythm, and flow of the original. In fact, in some places, the poem’s sing-songy cadence weirdly enhanced my experience. The insults traded between Kriemhild and Brunhild, for example, become more caustic. I read that section out loud and enjoyed it so much. It was like listening to a hard-core rap battle between two people who really, really hate each other and weren’t holding back on the abuse. One of the women finally lands a blow so vicious the other runs off crying. It’s one of my favorite sections.

I have read three medieval epics: Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and this, but The Nibelungenlied is my favorite. I can see why it’s a classic. The themes are timeless: love, betrayal, murder, duty and loyalty, jealousy, hate, revenge, and judgment. The men are heroic. The women are beautiful. All are flawed. Choices made by a character ripple through the story to its logical consequence, and the innocent suffer. Its ideas are universal and very human.