“... Siegfried the hero goodFailed the long task to finish: this stirred theirangry mood.The treasure undivided he needs must let remain,When the two kings indignant set on him with theirtrain;But Siegfried gripped sharp Balmung (so hight theirfather’s sword),And took from them their country, and the beaming,precious hoard.”The Nibelungenlied, Lettsom, 96, 97
[EN#20]—Siegfried’s Welcome Home.
In the Nibelungen Lied this is our first introduction to the hero. The “High-tide” held in honor of Siegfried’s coming to manhood, and which we suppose to have occurred at this time, forms the subject of the Second Adventure in that poem.
[EN#21]—Kriemhild’s Dream.
This forms the subject of the first chapter of the Nibelungen Lied. “The eagles of Kriemhild’s dream,” says Auber Forestier, “are winter-giants, whose wont it was to transform themselves into eagles; while the pure gods were in the habit of assuming the falcon’s form.”
[EN#22]—Idun.
The story of Idun and her Apples is related in the Younger Edda. It is there represented as having been told by Bragi himself to his friend AEgir. This myth means, that the ever-renovating spring (Idun) being taken captive by the desolating winter (Thjasse), all Nature (all the Asa-folk) languishes until she regains her freedom through the intervention of the summer’s heat (Loki). —See Anderson’s Norse Mythology.
[EN#23]—Balder.
The story of Balder is, in reality, the most ancient form of the Siegfried myth. Both Balder and Siegfried are impersonations of the beneficent light of the summer’s sun, and both are represented as being treacherously slain by the powers of winter. The errand of Hermod to the Halls of Death (Hela) reminds us of the errand of Hermes to Hades to bring back Persephone to her mother Demetre. We perceive also a resemblance in this story to the myth of Orpheus, in which that hero is described as descending into the lower regions to bring away his wife Eurydice.
[EN#24]
The making of rich clothing for the heroes is frequently referred to in the Nibelungen Lied. Carlyle says, “This is a never-failing preparative for all expeditions, and is always specified and insisted on with a simple, loving, almost female impressiveness.”
[EN#25]—The Winning of Brunhild.
The story of the outwitting of Brunhild, as related in the pages which follow, is essentially the same as that given in the Nibelungen Lied. It is quite different from the older versions.
[EN#26]—Sif.
Sif corresponds to the Ceres of the Southern mythology. (See Grimm, p. 309.) The story of Loki and the Dwarfs is derived from the Younger Edda. It has been beautifully rendered by the German poet Oelenschlager, a translation of whose poem on this subject may be found in Longfellow’s Poets and Poetry of Europe.
[EN#27]—Eigill.
Eigill is the original William Tell. The story is related in the Saga of Thidrik. For a full history of the Tell myth, see Grimm’s Teutonic Mythology, p. 380, and Baring-Gould’s Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, p. 110.
[EN#28]—Welland the Smith.
The name of this smith is variously given as Weland, Wieland, Welland, Volundr, Velint etc. The story is found in the Vilkina Saga, and was one of the most popular of middle age myths. (See Grimm’s Mythology.) Sir Walter Scott, in his novel of Kenilworth, has made use of this legend in introducing the episode of Wayland Smith.
[EN#29]—Vidar[FN#1] the Silent.
“Vidar is the name of the silent Asa. He has a very thick shoe, and he is the strongest next to Thor. From him the gods have much help in all hard tasks.”—The Younger Edda (Anderson’s translation).
[FN#1] The word Vidar means forest.
[EN#30]—Loki.
“Loki, in nature, is the corrupting element in air, fire, and water. In the bowels of the earth he is the volcanic flame, in the sea he appears as a fierce serpent, and in the lower world we recognize him as pale death. Like Odin, he pervades all nature. He symbolizes sin, shrewdness, deceitfulness, treachery, malice etc.”—Anderson’s Mythology, p. 372.
He corresponds to the Ahriman of the Persians, to the Satan of the Christians, and remotely to the Prometheus of the Greeks.
[EN#31]—The Quarrel of the Queens.
In the ancient versions, the culmination of this quarrel occurred while the queens were bathing in the river: in the Nibelungen Lied it happened on the steps leading up to the door of the church.
[EN#32]—Hagen.
Hagen corresponds to the Hoder of the more ancient myth of Balder. In the Sigurd Sagas he is called Hogni, and is a brother instead of an uncle, of Gunther (Gunnar).
[EN#33]—The Death of Siegfried.
This story is related here essentially as found in the Nibelungen Lied. It is quite differently told in the older versions. Siegfried’s invulnerability save in one spot reminds us of Achilles, who also was made invulnerable by a bath, and who could be wounded only in the heel.
[EN#34]—The Burial of Siegfried.
The story of the burning of Siegfried’s body upon a funeral-pile, as related of Sigurd in the older myths, reminds us of the burning of Balder upon the ship “Ringhorn.” (See p. 162.) The Nibelungen Lied represents him as being buried in accordance with the rites of the Roman-Catholic Church. This version of the story must, of course, have been made after the conversion of the Germans to Christianity. “When the Emperor Frederick III. (1440-93) visited Worms after his Netherlands campaign,” says Forestier, “he undertook to have the mighty hero’s bones disinterred, probably in view of proving the truth of the marvellous story then sung throughout Germany; but, although he had the ground dug into until water streamed forth, no traces of these became manifest.”
[EN#35]—Morris: Sigurd the Volsung, Bk. III.
[EN#36]—The Hoard.
The story of bringing the Hoard from Nibelungen Land belongs to the later versions of the myth, and fitly closes the First Part of the Nibelungen Lied. Lochheim, the place where the Hoard was sunk, was not far from Bingen on the Rhine.
[EN#37]—a Short Vocabulary of the Principal Proper Names Mentioned in this Story.
AEGIR. The god of the sea.ALBERICH and ANDVARI. Dwarfs who guard the great Hoard.ASA. A name applied to the gods of the Norse mythology.ASGARD. The home of the gods.BALDER. The god of the summer sunlight.BRAGI. The god of eloquence and of poetry.DRAUPNER. Odin’s ring, which gives fertility to the earth.FAFNIR. The dragon whom Siegfried slays.FENRIS-WOLF. The monster who in the last twilight slaysOdin.FREYJA. The goddess of love.REY. The god of peace and plenty.GRIPIR. The giant who gives wise counsel to Siegfried(Sigurd).GUNTHER. In the older myths called Gunnar.HEIMDAL. The heavenly watchman.HELA. The goddess of death.HERMOD. The quick messenger who is sent to Hela for Balder.HODER. The winter-god. He slays Balder.HOENIR. One of the three most ancient gods.HUGIN. Odin’s raven, Thought.IDUN. The goddess of spring.IVALD. A skilful dwarf.JOTUNHEIM. The home of the giants.KRIEMHILD. In the older myths called Gudrun.LOKI. The mischief-maker. The god of evil.MIMER. In the later German mythology a skilful smith. In theolder mythology a wise giant.NORNS. The three Fates,—Urd, Verdande, and Skuld.ODIN. The chief of the gods.REGIN. The teacher of Sigurd, by whom he is slain.SIEGFRIED. In the older myths called Sigurd.SIF. Thor’s wife.SLEIPNER. Odin’s eight-footed horse.TYR. The god of war.THOR. The god of thunder. The foe of the giants.VALHAL. The hall of the slain.VALKYRIES. The choosers of the slain. Odin’s handmaidens.VIDAR. The silent god.YMIR. The huge giant out of whose body the world was made.