Stories of the Nibelungen for Young People

In Short

This adaptation of the Nibelungenlied traces the life and tragic end of the legendary hero Siegfried. After slaying a dragon to claim a cursed hoard, Siegfried finds himself enmeshed in the complex politics of the Burgundian court. His path crosses with the warrior-maiden Brunhilda and the beautiful Kriemhild, leading to a web of betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. It is a foundational work of Germanic myth, capturing the transition from the world of gods and magic to a stark, human reality defined by honor, treachery, and the inexorable toll of pride.

The Story

The narrative begins with the willful young prince Siegfried, who leaves his home in Niederland to seek his fortune. He becomes an apprentice to a scheming dwarf named Mimi, who intends to use the boy to slay the dragon Fafner, the guardian of a vast, cursed treasure. Siegfried succeeds, and upon tasting the dragon's blood, he gains the ability to understand the speech of birds. These voices reveal the path to the enchanted mountain where the Walkyrie Brunhilda lies in a magic sleep, surrounded by flames. Siegfried rescues her, but their bond is interrupted when he arrives at the court of King Gunther of Burgundy. There, a magic potion clouds his memory, leading him to marry Gunther’s sister, Kriemhild, while helping Gunther win the hand of Brunhilda through a series of deceptive feats of strength.

The tension shifts from heroic conquest to domestic ruin when Kriemhild and Brunhilda clash over the status of their respective husbands. When Brunhilda discovers that Siegfried—not Gunther—was the true hero who overcame her trials, she demands vengeance for the deception. Hagen, Gunther’s cold-hearted uncle, orchestrates a plot to murder Siegfried. Learning from an unsuspecting Kriemhild that her husband has one vulnerable spot on his back, Hagen strikes him down during a hunt.

The final act moves to the distant kingdom of the Huns, where Kriemhild, now the wife of King Etzel, invites the Burgundians to a feast. Her true intention is to lure Hagen into a trap. Years of suppressed grief and calculated patience culminate in a brutal slaughter at Etzel’s court. The palace becomes a tomb for both the Huns and the Burgundians. In the final confrontation, Kriemhild demands that Hagen disclose the location of the hidden Rhine gold. When he refuses, she orders his execution, fulfilling her oath to avenge Siegfried. The story concludes with the total collapse of the Burgundian house, leaving only a single survivor to carry the grim news back to a land now defined by silence and the weight of memory.

How It Unfolds

The call to adventure Siegfried abandons his royal birthright to apprentice with the dwarf Mimi, unaware of the dwarf’s treacherous designs. He quickly discovers his own superhuman strength, easily shattering anvils and slaying a forest monster.

The dragon’s hoard Siegfried defeats the dragon Fafner and recovers the cursed Rhine gold and the magical tarnhelm. He realizes that the gold carries a heavy, lingering blight that dooms its possessors.

The waking of the Walkyrie Guided by birds, Siegfried rides through a ring of fire to rescue Brunhilda. He promises to return for her, but fate intervenes before he can fulfill his vow.

The deception at Worms At the court of King Gunther, a magic potion erases Siegfried’s memories, allowing him to act as a pawn in Gunther’s quest for Brunhilda. Siegfried uses his hidden strength to win the princess for his king, unknowingly setting the stage for his own betrayal.

The seeds of discord The pride of two queens leads to a public quarrel that exposes the secret of Siegfried’s help in the tournament. Brunhilda’s wounded pride becomes the spark that drives Hagen to murder.

The final reckoning Kriemhild bides her time for thirteen years before orchestrating a banquet in Etzelburg. The feast devolves into a desperate blood-feud that leaves the royal lines of Burgundy decimated.

The People

Siegfried is the central figure—a man of unmatched physical power and naive spirit. His desire for adventure leads him to greatness, but his inability to navigate the duplicity of others makes him a victim of his own strength.

Kriemhild undergoes the most dramatic transformation. She begins as a gentle, sheltered princess whose dreams warn of coming sorrow. Through the trauma of losing her husband to a "foul murder," she evolves into a cold, vengeful force who orchestrates the total destruction of her own kin to satisfy her grief.

Hagen represents the chilling pragmatism of the court. He is loyal to Gunther, yet his loyalty is warped by a willingness to commit any atrocity to protect the status quo. He is the architect of the story’s tragedy, driven by a desire to control the power and secrets of the Rhine gold.

Brunhilda is a tragic figure of lost authority. As a Walkyrie forced into mortality, she struggles to reconcile her warrior past with her role as a queen. Her rage is not born of pure malice, but of the humiliation of being tricked into a marriage that betrayed her own noble standards.

In Its Own Voice

The narrative often emphasizes the weight of the cursed gold and the finality of the hero’s fate.

"A curse upon the gold! Death to all its possessors!"

The dwarf Alberich screams this warning as the gold is taken from him, setting the dark tone for everything that follows.

"And thus died Siegfried, the great and mighty hero, calling upon Kriemhild with his last breath to avenge his foul murder."

This line captures the pivotal moment where the story shifts from a legend of heroic adventure into a dark chronicle of retribution.

What It's Really About

This book explores the high cost of oaths and the corrosive nature of secret knowledge. The Rhine gold serves as a physical manifestation of power that destroys the moral integrity of anyone who touches it. The story questions whether justice can ever be achieved through blood-feud, as Kriemhild’s quest for vengeance results in the annihilation of her own family and culture. Ultimately, the narrative serves as a meditation on the permanence of the past; the characters are unable to escape the consequences of their previous actions, proving that a life built on a foundation of deception cannot stand against the inevitable truth.

Why Read It Today

This version of the Nibelungenlied offers an accessible gateway into the somber, elemental world of Germanic mythology. For readers who enjoy the interplay between destiny and human agency, the book provides a stark, straightforward account of characters driven by forces larger than themselves. It feels like a campfire story told with a sense of urgent, impending tragedy—there is little room for lightheartedness, as the plot relentlessly moves toward its grim conclusion.

Contemporary readers should be aware of the period’s storytelling style, which is direct and often unflinching regarding violence. The language is simple and utilitarian, reflecting its 1905 origins as a school text. Because it condenses a massive epic, it moves quickly, sometimes smoothing over the psychological nuance found in more scholarly translations. However, the emotional core—the transition from innocence to absolute, hardened resolve—is unmistakable. It is an excellent choice for those who want to understand the archetypal structure of these legends without the barrier of dense, archaic poetry. What remains with you is the haunting image of the queens and kings of Burgundy, stripped of their power by the weight of their own choices, trapped in a cycle of vengeance that leaves no one unscathed.