Nibelungenlied: A German Folk Epic

Author: Cao Naiyun Translated
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: In the ancient Netherlands kingdom, there was a prince named Siegfried. The prince was very brave and immensely strong, having once killed a dragon and bathed in its blood, which made him invulnerable to weapons wherever the blood touched, like armor. However, while bathing, a leaf happened to fall on his shoulder, leaving that spot as his fatal weak point. This Dutch prince also conquered and seized the enormous Niebelungen treasure. Additionally, he gained a magic invisibility cap during battle, which not only made him invisible but also greatly enhanced his strength. The prince heard that in the Burgundy kingdom, there was a princess named Kriemhild, who was as beautiful as a goddess. He decided to go and ask for her hand in marriage. The king of Burgundy was Gunther, Kriemhilt's brother. He agreed to Siegfried's request but demanded that Siegfried help him with one task as a condition. It turned out that Gunther had long wanted to marry the beautiful queen of Iceland as his queen, whose name was Brunhild. However, this Icelandic queen was both beautiful and fierce. Any suitor who asked for her hand must compete with her in events similar to modern-day track and field: throwing spears, discus, and long jumps. If he failed in any one of the three events, not only would he fail to win her hand, but he would also lose his life. Gunther knew he was no match for her, so he begged Siegfried to help him fully. Thus, Siegfried disguised himself as Gunther's attendant and went to Iceland. When Gunther competed with Brunhild, Siegfried used the power of the invisibility cap to secretly help Gunther, enabling Gunther to win all three events. Brunhild had no choice but to follow Gunther back to the Burgundy kingdom. After returning, Brunhild and Gunther, as well as Siegfried and Kriemhild, were married. However, on their wedding night, the fierce Icelandic queen severely punished Gunther, tying him up and hanging him on the wall. The next day, Gunther had to ask Siegfried for help again. So, when night fell, Siegfried put on the invisibility cap and sneaked into Gunther's bedroom, helping Gunther subdue Brunhild and making her Gunther's wife. From then on, Brunhild lost her former cruelty and became a gentle wife. That night, Siegfried casually took a ring and a belt from Brunhild and gave them to his wife Kriemhild for safekeeping. Soon after, Siegfried took Kriemhild back to his homeland, the Netherlands kingdom. Twelve years later, they were invited to the Burgundy kingdom again. One day, Kriemhild and Brunhild went together to the Worms church for mass. On the way, they argued about who should walk first. Brunhild said to Kriemhild, "A slave's witch should not walk in front of a queen." Kriemhild replied, "How did a mistress become the wife of a great king?" Brunhild was furious and resolved to take revenge on Siegfried. Gunther's warrior and loyal subject Hagen swore to kill Siegfried to avenge his master, demonstrating his loyalty. Hagen once accidentally learned from Kriemhild where Siegfried's fatal weak spot was. During an expedition, when the enemy was not seen, the mission turned into a hunt. Siegfried went to the spring to drink water, and Hagen followed him and secretly killed Siegfried. Kriemhilt, Siegfried's wife, was deeply grieved and determined to avenge her husband. Several years later, Kriemhilt was persuaded to send the Niebelungen treasure—the gift for her wedding night—to the Burgundy kingdom. After the treasure arrived, Hagen used every means to finally obtain the key to the treasure and secretly sank it to the bottom of the Rhine River. Later, the king of the Huns, Etzel, asked for Kriemhilt's hand in marriage. The messenger promised to solve her troubles after the marriage, and only then did Kriemhilt agree to marry him again. Thus, Kriemhilt set off for the Hun kingdom. She constantly thought of revenge in the Hun kingdom and unknowingly stayed there for 12 years. One day, Kriemhilt invited her brother Gunther and Hagen to the Hun kingdom as guests. Hagen, upon receiving the invitation, immediately understood Kriemhilt's intention and tried to persuade Gunther not to go, but the knight's courage forced him to dare to take the risk. So, Gunther and Hagen, along with ten thousand elite soldiers, set off in grand style to the Hun kingdom. At the grand banquet in the Hun kingdom, the competition turned from a sham to a real battle, eventually leading to a bloody conflict. The Huns and the Burgundians fought fiercely, until the battlefield was covered in blood and bodies. Gunther and Hagen were both captured by the Huns. Kriemhilt could have killed Hagen to avenge her husband, but the words she asked Hagen—where the Niebelungen treasure was now—showed that she would spare his life if he returned the treasure to the Burgundy kingdom. Hagen replied that as long as his king Gunther was alive, he could not reveal the treasure's location. Kriemhilt ended up killing her brother Gunther and showed his head to Hagen. Seeing Gunther's head, Hagen said to Kriemhilt, "Now, only God and I know where the treasure is. You will never find it." Seeing his defiance, Kriemhilt furiously killed Hagen. The warrior Hildibrand, witnessing a noble warrior being cruelly killed by a woman, was furious and stepped forward, cutting off Kriemhilt's head with his sword. Thus, an epic tale ended in a pool of blood and bodies.