The Story of Siegfried

19

Nibelungen Land.

“Vain were it to inquire where that Nibelungen Land specially is. Its very name is Nebel-land, or Nifl-land, the land of Darkness, of Invisibility.... Far beyond the firm horizon, that wonder-bearing region swims on the infinite waters, unseen by bodily eye, or, at most, discerned as a faint streak hanging in the blue depths, uncertain whether island or cloud.”—Carlyle, on The Nibelungen Lied.

20

Schilbung and Nibelung.

“Old King Nibelung, the former lord of the land, had left, when he died, a mighty hoard concealed within a mountain-cavern. As Siegfried rode past the mountain-side alone, he found Schilbung and Nibelung, the king’s sons, seated at the mouth of the cavern surrounded by more gold and precious stones than a hundred wagons could bear away. Espying Siegfried, they called upon him to settle their dispute, offering him as reward their father’s mighty sword Balmung.”—Auber Forestier’s Translation of the Nibelungen Lied.

We have here made some slight variations from the original versions. An ancient legend relates how King Schilbung had obtained the Hoard in the upper Rhine valley, and how he was afterwards slain by his brother Niblung. This Niblung possessed a magic ring in the shape of a coiled serpent with ruby eyes. It had been presented to him by a prince named Gunthwurm, who had come to him in the guise of a serpent, desiring the hand of his daughter in marriage. This ring, according to the Eddas, was the one taken by Loki from the dwarf Andvari, and was given by Sigurd (Siegfried) to Brunhild in token of betrothal. It was the cause of all the disasters that afterwards occurred.—See W. Jordan’s Sigfridssaga.

21

     “… Siegfried the hero good     Failed the long task to finish: this stirred their     angry mood.     The treasure undivided he needs must let remain,     When the two kings indignant set on him with their     train;     But Siegfried gripped sharp Balmung (so hight their     father’s sword),     And took from them their country, and the beaming,     precious hoard.”      The Nibelungenlied, Lettsom, 96, 97

22

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.

23

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.”

24

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.

25

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.

26

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.”

27

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.

28

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.

29

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.

30

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.

31

Vidar the Silent (The word Vidar means forest.).

“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).

32

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.

33

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.

34

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).

35

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.

36

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.”

37

Morris: Sigurd the Volsung, Bk. III.

38

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.