Siegfried

The hero of the Nibelungenlied. Siegfried was the son of Siegmund (Sigmund), the king of the Netherlands, and Sieglind (Sisibe or Hjordis). His counterpart was the hero Sigurd who appeared in many of the Icelandic and Scandinavian sagas, such as the Volsunga Saga.

Siegfried was knighted at the age of eighteen. Siegfried, hearing of Kriemhild's great beauty, decided to woo Kriemhild. Siegfried also hoped to win fame and glory through his own prowess in warfare.

Siegfried became lord of Nibelungland after killing the two brothers, Schilbung and Nibelung. Siegfried gained the Nibelungs' treasure and the cloak of darkness (Tarnkappe) from Alberich, the dwarf and Nibelungs' treasurer. Siegfried also possessed the sword Balemung and the horse, Grani.

Siegfried's skin became invulnerable when he killed a dragon and was bathed in the dragon's blood. The only vulnerable spot on his body was on his back, where a large leaf fell on his back between his shoulders. Only Kriemhild knew of her husband's weakness. Hagen would later trick Kriemhild into revealing this weakness to him.

When Siegfried arrived in Worms, a city in Burgundy, Gunther won his friendship. Though he sought to woo Gunther's sister, he did not see her until a year later. They were only formally introduced after helping the king to win the war against the Saxons and the Danes, when Siegfried captured the two kings.

Siegfried fell in love with Kriemhild, and her brothers approved of the marriage if the hero would help Gunther win Brunhild in marriage. Siegfried did so by defeating the warrior-queen, using his magic cloak, Tarnkappe. Brunhild thought she was contesting against Gunther.

There was a double wedding. Whereas Siegfried's marriage was happy, Gunther's was humiliating. When Gunther tried to make love to his new wife, Brunhild fought him, bound the king, and hung the king up on the wall. Gunther was no match for Brunhild's superhuman strength.

Again, Siegfried had to secretly overcome Brunhild for Gunther. When Brunhild finally submitted to her husband, Siegfried stole her ring and girdle, giving them to Kriemhild. The ring and girdle became symbols of their deception over Brunhild.

Siegfried returned home in Xanten (Netherlands) with his new wife, and Siegmund shared the kingdom with his son. Siegmund and his wife treated Kriemhild like their own daughter. Siegfried and Kriemhild had a son, which they named after Gunther (Gunther II).

Ten years later, Gunther invited them to a festivity in Worms. Brunhild was curious about Siegfried's status, because when she had first met Siegfried and Gunther they had told her that Siegfried was her husband's vassal. Yet Gunther and his brothers treated Siegfried as an equal. Not realising this deception, she became involved in an argument with Kriemhild over precedence.

The quarrel climaxed with total humiliation for Brunhild. Kriemhild told Brunhild that Siegfried was the man who overcame her strength in the contest, not Gunther, and that Siegfried had taken her virginity (not true). Kriemhild proved this by revealing the ring and the girdle that Siegfried had taken from Brunhild.

Outraged and humiliated, Brunhild demanded punishment for Siegfried and Kriemhild. Hagen agreed. Hagen believed that Siegfried had earned death for the deception and betrayal.

Together with Gunther, they plotted Siegfried's assassination. Hagen tricked Kriemhild into revealing Siegfried's weakness, and then they lured the hero into the woods on the pretence of a hunting trip.

As Siegfried drank water from the spring, Hagen hid the hero's sword before plunging a javelin into Siegfried's back. Even though mortally wounded, Siegfried pursued and attacked Hagen, until his strength gave out and he died. Siegfried prophesied Gunther's own death.

Kriemhild was inconsolable, and knew that Gunther and Hagen were responsible over her husband's death. At the funeral, Siegfried's wound bled again, revealing his killer when Hagen stood before Siegfried's bier.

Kriemhild decided to stay with her brother Giselher, but gave her son (Gunther II) to her father-in-law, Siegmund. She promised to Siegmund that she would somehow avenge Siegfried.

Twenty-six years later, Kriemhild managed to lure Hagen and her brothers to their deaths and the destruction of her people. Kriemhild had finally avenged her husband, but it also cost her life.

There is another Siegfried in the German legend, from the poem Kudrun (or Gudrun). This Siegfried was a Moorish king who tried to woo Kudrun (not to be confused with Gudrun in the Volsunga Saga), daughter of King Hetel of the Hegelings, from Denmark. But this poem had nothing to do with the Burgundian family and Attila. See Kudrun.