Ruth Rocelle Clarin

IT41FC1

August 18, 2015

Short Summary of the Nibelungenlied

The kings Gunther, Gernot and Giselher, and their sister Kriemhild live at the court in Worms, which is the
capital of the kingdom of Burgundy.
They are surrounded by loyal liegemen such as Hagen of Troy, the minstrel Folker from Alzey, Ortlieb of
Metz, Dankwart and many others. One night, beautiful Kriemhild dreams of a falcon rent to pieces by two
eagles. Her mother, Uta, interprets the falcon as her lover, so Kriemhild decides never to fall in love. But
far from it. Soon after, Siegfried of Xanten, curious to see the fabled charming queen, arrives at the
Worms court. On his way, he had captured the Treasure of the Nibelungs, including the sword Balmung
and the Cloak of Darkness (which makes its bearer invisible), and made himself ruler of the Nibelungs.
He had also killed a dragon and bathed in his blood, which made him invulnerable.
At first Siegfried decides to be Gunther's vassal, takes the field in the Saxon wars for him and gains his
confidence.
When Gunther asks him to win strong Brunhild of Isenland for him, he agrees, on condition that he may
marry Kriemhild. The Cloak of Darkness makes it easy for Siegfried to overwhelm Brunhild in a sort of
combat sports game in Isenland, and so the Burgundians return to Worms in triumph. A double wedding is
performed. But Brunhild senses that the man entering her bedchamber is not her true husband. She ties
him and hangs him up at the wall. Siegfried helps once again, taking her girdle awayfrom her. The conflict
seems resolved. Siegfried and Kriemhild set off for Xanten.
The so-called war quickly turns into a hunting contest in the nearby Odenwald forest. When Siegfried
bends to sip the water of a fountain, Hagen kills him from behind with his spear. The next day Kriemhild
finds the corpse in front of her chamber. When Hagen later passes the bier in the Cathedral, the wounds
of the dead body open up again, and Kriemhild recognises the murderer.
The desperate widow swears to herself to take the Treasure and find new friends and avengers. To avert
this, Hagen steals the Treasure and throws it into the Rhine.
Kriemhild stays mourning for many years until Rudeger of Bechelaren pays a visit to Worms and asks for
her hand on behalf of Etzel, king of the Huns. She goes to the land of the Huns and becomes Etzel's wife.
Years later, she invites her brothers and their followers to Hungary.
Although Hagen warns them not to go, the Burgundians, whom the poet from now on calls Nibelungs, set
off. While they are crossing the Danube, three wise water nymphs tell him that none of the Burgundians
but the chaplain will survive the travel. To see for himself whether it is true, Hagen throws the chaplain
into the Danube, but with God's help the chaplain manages to swim to the other side. After a pleasant
stay in Bechelaren, the Nibelungs arrive at Etzel's castle. Kriemhild gives them a cool welcome, and it is
obvious that she still thinks of revenge.
Hagen and Folker can frustrate her first plans, but eventually a brutal massacre takes its course, only
sparing Gunther and Hagen on the Burgundian side. To make Hagen tell her the place where he lowered
the Treasure, Kriemhild has her brother Gunther beheaded.
But when Hagen still says nothing, she kills him with Siegfried's sword. Horrified to see this, Hildebrand,
Dietrich of Berne's armour bearer and mentor, cuts her head off. This is where the Nibelungenlied ends,
or, in the original language: "Das ist der Nibelunge Lied" (as Manuscript C reads).