Cycle of the Ring

In Germanic myths, the most important narratives were the legends in the Nibelungen cycle or the Cycle of the Ring, which can be found in Scandinavian (Norse) and German literature. It centred on the hero Sigurd/Siegfried and the Burgundian family. Though both the Norse and German works have common themes, they were different in many ways.

In the Cycle of the Ring, I will provide some background information about the Volsunga Saga, the Nibelungenlied and other Nibelungen tales.

Please note that I have retold in full the episode of Helgi son of Sigmund that is found in theVolsunga Saga and two poems from the Poetic Edda on a new and separate page called The Two Helgi.

Below are the choices for the legends' background information and the pages containing the tales of the Volsunga Saga and the Nibelungenlied.