What is the summary of Nibelungenlied?
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The epic, which literally translates to “The Song of the Nibelungs” in English, portrays the Burgundians’ historic defeat by the Huns in the 5th century—the tragic result of the mythical queen Kriemhild’s desire to avenge her late husband, Siegfried.
What is the ending of the nibelungenlied?
Each side lost many brave warriors, but the Nibelungs were greatly outnumbered, and in the end every one of them was killed. Gunther and Hagen were the last to die. Both were captured by the Hungarians. Kriemhild ordered that Gunther’s head be cut off and then delivered to Hagen.
What is the main theme of Nibelungenlied?
The Nibelungenlied draws on history, mythology, and legend for its details. It encompasses themes such as heroism, feudalism, justice and revenge, honor, loyalty, deception, dreams, and the importance of “keeping up appearances.”
Who wrote the epic work Nibelungenlied?
This work was composed about 1200 in Middle High German verse by an anonymous poet, probably at Passau, Germany. Link to a translation of the complete epic by Daniel Bussier Shumway (1909): The Nibelungenlied: Online Medieval and Classical Library.
Who killed Kriemhild and what was the reason of doing it?
She marries Etzel (Attila the Hun) for revenge on her brothers, which she achieves by inviting them to Etzel’s court, where she has them killed. She herself is killed by Hildebrand, the weapons master of Dietrich von Bern. The origin of Kriemhild’s legend may be traced to two historical events.
Who wrote the epic story Nibelungenlied?
Composed nearly eight hundred years ago by an unnamed poet, the Nibelungenlied is the principal literary expression of those heroic legends of which Richard Wagner made such free use in.
What is the Nibelungenlied study guide?
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The Nibelungenlied, or The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem originally written in the dead language of Middle High German.
When was the Nibelungs translated from the old German text?
The Lay of the Nibelungs: Metrically Translated from the Old German Text, G. Bell and Sons, London, 1898. [1] Line by line translation of the “B manuscript”.
Where does the Nibelungenlied come from?
Its anonymous poet was likely from the region of Passau. The Nibelungenlied is based on an oral tradition of Germanic heroic legend that has some of its origin in historic events and individuals of the 5th and 6th centuries and that spread throughout almost all of Germanic-speaking Europe.
Was the Nibelungenlied written to absolve Kriemhild of blame?
The earliest attested reception of the Nibelungenlied, the Nibelungenklage, which was likely written only shortly afterwards, shows an attempt both to make sense of the horror of the destruction and to absolve Kriemhild of blame. The C version of the Nibelungenlied, redacted around the same time as the Klage, shows a similar strategy.