From: http://sunsite3.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Nibelungenlied/preface.html

THE NIBELUNGENLIED (1)

ADVENTURE I (2)

Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #31

Full many a wonder is told us in stories old, of heroes worthy of praise, of hardships dire, of joy and feasting, of the fighting of bold warriors, of weeping and of wailing; now ye may hear wonders told.

In Burgundy there grew so noble a maid that in all the lands none fairer might there be. Kriemhild (3) was she called; a comely woman she became, for whose sake many a knight must needs lose his life. Well worth the loving was this winsome maid. Bold knights strove for her, none bare her hate. Her peerless body was beautiful beyond degree; the courtly virtues of this maid of noble birth would have adorned many another woman too.

Three kings, noble and puissant, did nurture her, Gunther (4) and Gernot, (5) warriors worthy of praise, and Giselher, (6) the youth, a chosen knight. This lady was their sister, the princes had her in their care. The lordings were free in giving, of race high-born, passing bold of strength were they, these chosen knights. Their realm hight Burgundy. Great marvels they wrought hereafter in Etzel's (7) land. At Worms (8) upon the Rhine they dwelt with all their power. Proud knights from out their lands served them with honor, until their end was come. Thereafter they died grievously, through the hate of two noble dames.

Their mother, a mighty queen, was called the Lady Uta, (9) their father, Dankrat, (10) who left them the heritage after his life was over; a mighty man of valor that he was, who won thereto in youth worship full great. These kings, as I have said, were of high prowess. To them owed allegiance the best of warriors, of whom tales were ever told, strong and brave, fearless in the sharp strife. Hagen (11) there was of Troneg, thereto his brother Dankwart, (12) the doughty; Ortwin of Metz (13); Gere (14) and Eckewart, (15) the margraves twain; Folker of Alzei, (16) endued with fullness of strength. Rumolt (17) was master of the kitchen, a chosen knight; the lords Sindolt and Hunolt, liegemen of these three kings, had rule of the court and of its honors. Thereto had they many a warrior whose name I cannot tell. Dankwart was marshal; his nephew, Ortwin, seneschal unto the king; Sindolt was cupbearer, a chosen knight; Hunolt served as chamberlain; well they wot how to fill these lofty stations. Of the forces of the court and its far-reaching might, of the high worship (18) and of the chivalry these lords did ply with joy throughout their life, of this forsooth none might relate to you the end.

In the midst of these high honors Kriemhild dreamed a dream, of how she trained a falcon, strong, fair, and wild, which, before her very eyes, two eagles rent to pieces. No greater sorrow might chance to her in all this world. This dream then she told to Uta her mother, who could not unfold it to the dutiful maid in better wise than this: "The falcon which thou trainest, that is a noble man, but thou must needs lose him soon, unless so be that God preserve him."

"Why speakest thou to me of men, dear brother mine? I would fain ever be without a warrior's love. So fair will I remain until my death, that I shall never gain woe from love of man."

"Now forswear this not too roundly," spake the mother in reply. "If ever thou shalt wax glad of heart in this world, that will chance through the love of man. Passing fair wilt thou become, if God grant thee a right worthy knight."

"I pray you leave this speech," spake she, "my lady. Full oft hath it been seen in many a wife, how joy may at last end in sorrow. I shall avoid them both, then can it ne'er go ill with me."

Thus in her heart Kriemhild forsware all love. Many a happy day thereafter the maiden lived without that she wist any whom she would care to love. In after days she became with worship a valiant here's bride. He was the selfsame falcon which she beheld in her dream that her mother unfolded to her. How sorely did she avenge this upon her nearest kin, who slew him after! Through his dying alone there fell full many a mother's son.  

ENDNOTES:

(1)  "Nibelungenlied", the lay of the Nibelungs.  The ordinary

     etymology of this name is 'children of the mist'

     ("Nebelkinder", O.N. "Niflungar"), and it is thought to have

     belonged originally to the dwarfs.  Piper, I, 50, interprets

     it as 'the sons of Nibul'; Boer, II, 198, considers

     "Hniflungar" to be the correct Norse form and interprets it

     as 'the descendants of Hnaef' (O.E. "Hnaef", O.H.G.

     "Hnabi"), whose death is related in the "Finnsaga".

(2)  "Adventure" (M.H.G. "aventiure", from O.F. "aventure", Lat.

     "adventura").  The word meant originally a happening,

     especially some great event, then the report of such an

     event.  Here it is used in the sense of the different cantos

     or "fitts" of the poem, as in the "Gudrun" and other M.H.G.

     epics.  Among the courtly poets it also frequently denotes

     the source, or is the personification of the muse of poetry.

(3)  "Kriemhild" is the Upper German form of the Frankish

     "Grimhild".  In the MSS., the name generally appears with a

     further shifting as "Chriemhilt", as if the initial

     consonant were Germanic "k".  On the various forms of the

     name, which have never yet been satisfactorily explained,

     see Mullenhoff, ZsfdA. xii, 299, 413; xv, 313; and

     Bohnenberger, PB. Beit. xxiv, 221-231.

(4)  "Gunther" is the historical "Gundahari", king of the

     Burgundians in the fifth century.

(5)  "Gernot" was probably introduced by some minstrel in place

     of the historical "Godomar", who appears in the Norse

     version as "Gutthormr", though the names are not

     etymologically the same, as "Godomar" would be "Guthmarr" in

     Old Norse.

(6)  "Giselher" is the historical "Gislaharius".  Although

     mentioned by the "Lex Burgundionum" as one of the Burgundian

     kings, he does not appear in the early Norse version, or in

     other poems dealing with these persons, such as the

     "Waltharius", the "Rabenschlacht", the "Rosengarten", etc.,

     and was probably introduced at a late date into the saga.

     Originally no role was ascribed to him, and not even his

     death is told.  He probably came from some independent

     source.

(7)  "Etzel" is the German form for the historical "Attila"

     (Norse "Atli").  A discussion of his connection with the

     saga will be found in the introduction.

(8)  "Worms" is the ancient "Borbetomagus", which in the first

     century B.C. was the chief city of the German tribe of the

     "Vangioni".  In the fifth century it was the capital of the

     Burgundian kingdom, but was destroyed by the Huns.  The

     Merovingians rebuilt it, and in the seventh century it

     became a bishopric where Charlemagne at times held his

     court.  It was later noted as the meeting-place of many

     imperial diets.  It remained a free city till 1801.  In the

     "Thidreksaga" the name is corrupted into "Wernize".

(9)  "Uta" (M.H.G. "Uote").  The name means ancestress, and is

     frequently used for the mother of heroes.  The modern German

     form is "Ute", but in order to insure its being pronounced

     with two syllables, the form "Uta" was chosen.

(10) "Dankrat" (M.H.G. "Dancrat") appears as the father only in

     the "Nibelungenlied" and poems dependent on it, e.g., the

     "Klage" and "Biterolf", elsewhere as "Gibiche" (Norse

     "Giuki").

(11) "Hagen of Troneg".  Troneg is probably a corruption of the

     name of the Latin colony, "colonia Trajana", on the Lower

     Rhine, which as early as the fifth century was written as

     "Troja", giving rise to the legend that the Franks were

     descended from the ancient Trojans.  "Troja" was then

     further corrupted to "Tronje" and "Tronege".  Hagen was

     therefore originally a Frank and had no connection with the

     Burgundian kings, as the lack of alliteration also goes to

     show.  Boer thinks that not Siegfried but Hagen originally

     lived at Xanten (see note 3 to Adventure II), as this was

     often called Troja Francorum. When the Hagen story was

     connected with the Burgundians and Hagen became either their

     brother or their vassal, his home was transferred to Worms

     and Siegfried was located at Xanten, as he had no especial

     localization.  Thus Siegfried is never called Siegfried of

     Troneg, as is Hagen.  Other attempts to explain Troneg will

     be found in Piper, I, 48.

(12) "Dankwart" is not an historical character nor one that

     belonged to the early form of the legend.  He may have come

     from another saga, where he played the principal role as

     Droege (ZsfdA. 48, 499) thinks.  Boer considers him to be

     Hagen's double, invented to play a part that would naturally

     fall to Hagen's share, were he not otherwise engaged at the

     moment.  In our poem he is called "Dancwart der snelle", a

     word that has proved a stumbling-block to translators,

     because in modern German it means 'speedy', 'swift'.  Its

     original meaning was, however, 'brave', 'warlike', although

     the later meaning is already found in M.H.G.  In all such

     doubtful cases the older meaning has been preferred, unless

     the context forbids, and the word 'doughty' has been chosen

     to translate it.

(13) "Ortwin of Metz" appears also in the "Eckenlied",

     "Waltharius", and in "Biterolf".  He is most likely a late

     introduction (but see Piper, I, 44).  Rieger thinks that he

     belonged to a wealthy family "De Metis".  Though the "i" is

     long in the original, and Simrock uses the form "Ortewein"

     in his translation, the spelling with short "i" has been

     chosen, as the lack of accent tends to shorten the vowel in

     such names.

(14) "Gere" is likewise a late introduction.  He is perhaps the

     historical Margrave Gere (965) of East Saxony, whom Otto the

     Great appointed as a leader against the Slavs.  See O. von

     Heinemann, "Markgraf Gero", Braunschweig, 1860, and Piper, L

     43.

(15) "Eckewart" is also a late accession.  He is perhaps the

     historical margrave of Meissen (1002), the first of the

     name.  He, too, won fame in battle against the Slavs.

(16) "Folker of Alzet" (M.H.G. "Volker von Alzeije"), the

     knightly minstrel, is hardly an historical personage, in

     spite of the fact that Alzey is a well-known town in Rhine

     Hesse on the Selz, eighteen miles southwest of Mainz.  The

     town has, to be sure, a violin in its coat of arms, as also

     the noble family of the same name.  It is most likely,

     however, that this fact caused Folker to be connected with

     Alzei.  In the "Thidreksaga" Folker did not play the role of

     minstrel, and it is probable that some minstrel reviser of

     our poem developed the character and made it the

     personification of himself.

(17) "Rumolt", "Bindolt", and "Hunolt" have no historical basis

     and merely help to swell the retinue of the Burgundians.

(18) "Worship".  This word has been frequently used here in its

     older meaning of 'worth', 'reverence', 'respect', to

     translate the M.H.G. "eren", 'honors'.

  

NIBELUNGENLIED

ADVENTURE II
Of Siegfried.

Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #31 

In the Netherlands there grew the child of a noble king (his father had for name Siegemund, (1) his mother Siegelind), (2) in a mighty castle, known far and wide, in the lowlands of the Rhine: Xanten, (3) men called it. Of this hero I sing, how fair he grew. Free he was of every blemish. Strong and famous he later became, this valiant man. Ho! What great worship he won in this world! Siegfried hight this good and doughty knight. Full many kingdoms did he put to the test through his warlike mood. Through his strength of body he rode into many lands. Ho! What bold warriors he after found in the Burgundian land! Mickle wonders might one tell of Siegfried in his prime, in youthful days; what honors he received and how fair of body he. The most stately women held him in their love; with the zeal which was his due men trained him. But of himself what virtues he attained! Truly his father's lands were honored, that he was found in all things of such right lordly mind. Now was he become of the age that he might ride to court. Gladly the people saw him, many a maid wished that his desire might ever bear him hither. Enow gazed on him with favor; of this the prince was well aware. Full seldom was the youth allowed to ride without a guard of knights. Siegmund and Siegelind bade deck him out in brave attire. The older knights who were acquaint with courtly custom, had him in their care. Well therefore might he win both folk and land.

Now he was of the strength that he bare weapons well. Whatever he needed thereto, of this he had enow. With purpose he began to woo fair ladies; these bold Siegfried courted well in proper wise. Then bade Siegmund have cried to all his men, that he would hold a feasting with his loving kindred. The tidings thereof men brought into the lands of other kings. To the strangers and the home-folk he gave steeds and armor. Wheresoever any was found who, because of his birth, should become a knight, these noble youths were summoned to the land for the feasting. Here with the youthful prince they gained the knightly sword. Wonders might one tell of this great feast; Siegmund and Siegelind wist well how to gain great worship with their gifts, of which their hands dealt out great store. Wherefore one beheld many strangers riding to their realm. Four hundred sword-thanes (4) were to put on knightly garb with Siegfried. Many a fair maid was aught but idle with the work, for he was beloved of them all. Many precious stones the ladies inlaid on the gold, which together with the edging they would work upon the dress of the proud young warriors, for this must needs be done.

The host bade make benches for the many valiant men, for the midsummer festival, (5) at which Siegfried should gain the name of knight. Then full many a noble knight and many a high-born squire did hie them to the minster. Right were the elders in that they served the young, as had been done to them afore. Pastimes they had and hope of much good cheer. To the honor of God a mass was sung; then there rose from the people full great a press, as the youths were made knights in courtly wise, with such great honors as might not ever lightly be again. Then they ran to where they found saddled many a steed. In Siegmund's court the hurtling (6) waxed so fierce that both palace (7) and hall were heard to ring; the high-mettled warriors clashed with mighty sound. From young and old one heard many a shock, so that the splintering of the shafts reechoed to the clouds. Truncheons (8) were seen flying out before the palace from the hand of many a knight. This was done with zeal. At length the host bade cease the tourney and the steeds were led away. Upon the turf one saw all to-shivered (9) many a mighty buckler and great store of precious stones from the bright spangles (10) of the shields. Through the hurtling this did hap.

Then the guests of the host betook them to where men bade them sit. With good cheer they refreshed them and with the very best of wine, of which one bare frill plenty. To the strangers and the home-folk was shown worship enow. Though much pastime they had throughout the day, many of the strolling folk forsware all rest. They served for the largess, which men found there richly, whereby Siegmund's whole land was decked with praise. Then bade the king enfeoff Siegfried, the youth, with land and castles, as he himself had done. Much his hand bestowed upon the sword- companions. The journey liked them well, that to this land they were come. The feasting lasted until the seventh day. Siegelind, the noble queen, for the love of her son, dealt out ruddy gold in time-honored wise. Full well she wot how to make him beloved of the folk. Scarce could a poor man be found among the strolling mimes. Steeds and raiment were scattered by their hand, as if they were to live not one more day. I trow that never did serving folk use such great bounty. With worshipful honors the company departed hence. Of the mighty barons the tale doth tell that they desired the youth unto their lord, but of this the stately knight, Sir Siegfried, listed naught. Forasmuch as both Siegmund and Siegelind were still alive, the dear child of them twain wished not to wear a crown, but fain would he become a lord against all the deeds of force within his lands, whereof the bold and daring knight was sore adread.

 

ENDNOTES:

(1)  "Siegmund" (M.H.G. "Sigemunt") was originally the hero of an

     independent saga.  See "Volsungasaga", chaps. 3-8.

(2)  "Siegelind" (M.H.G. "Sigelint") is the correct name of

     Siegfried's mother, as the alliteration shows.  The Early

     Norse version has "Hjordis", which has come from the "Helgi

     saga".

(3)  "Xanten" (M.H.G. "Santen" from the Latin "ad sanctos") is at

     present a town in the Rhenish Prussian district of

     Dusseldorf.  It does not now lie on the Rhine, but did in

     the Middle Ages.

(4)  "Sword-thanes" (M.H.G. "swertdegene") were the young squires

     who were to be made knights.  It was the custom for a

     youthful prince to receive the accolade with a number of

     others.

(5)  "Midsummer festival".  The M.H.G. "sunewende" means

     literally the 'sun's turning', i.e., the summer solstice.

     This was one of the great Germanic festivals, which the

     church later turned into St. John's Eve.  The bonfires still

     burnt in Germany on this day are survivals of the old

     heathen custom.

(6)  "Hurtling" translates here M.H.G. "buhurt", a word borrowed

     from the French to denote a knightly sport in which many

     knights clashed together.  Hurtling was used in older

     English in the same significance.

(7)  "Palace" (M.H.G. "palas", Lat. "palatium") is a large

     building standing alone and largely used as a reception

     hall.

(8)  "Truncheons" (M.H.G. "trunzune", O.F. "troncon", 'lance

     splinters', 'fragments of spears'.

(9)  "To-shivered", 'broken to pieces', in imitation of the older

     English to-beat, to-break, etc.

(10) "Spangles" (M.H.G. "spangen"), strips of metal radiating

     from the raised centre of the shield and often set, as here,

     with precious stones.

 

 

 

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