Nibelungenlied

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

The first page of source C of the text (1220)
Enlarge
The first page of source C of the text (1220)
Peter von Cornelius's image: Hagen orders the hoard to be sunk in the Rhine
Enlarge
Peter von Cornelius's image: Hagen orders the hoard to be sunk in the Rhine

The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. It tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, and of the revenge of his wife Kriemhild, which leads to the death all the heroes of the Bugundians and of Kriemhild as well.

The saga of Siegfried was also used in the opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen of Richard Wagner. Nibelung in this context means "dwarf".