Book Review: The Nibelungenlied (Book Review Sample)

Book Review: The Nibelungenlied Student: Professor: Course title: Date: Book Review: The Nibelungenlied The poem The Nibelungenlied – or in English, The song of the Nibelungs – contains an estimated 2,400 stanzas. The author of this Germanic poem is anonymous/unknown but is believed to emanate from the Danube region between Vienna and Passau, and it dates from roughly 1,180 to 1,210 A.D (Haymes 18). It is a heroic epic that tells the tale of knight Siegfried’s marriage to Kriemhild as well as his ensuing death at the hands of Hagen, who is Kriemhild’s kinsman. Later on, Kriemhild marries King of the Huns called Etzel. She makes use of her new position in exacting revenge on Hagen for the death of her husband; in the process, her own brothers and a lot more of her kinsmen die. The Nibelungenlied is an exciting text for anybody who loves tragedies and adventure, and Mowatt’s translation is very thrilling and compelling. This old Germanic poem comprises 2 sections. In the poem’s first half, the readers learn about Sifrid, the warrior hero, who is also the magically powerful and very wealthy Netherlandic prince of the Nibelung. Readers also learn about his mission to win Kriemhilde’s heart – Burgundian princess and the sister of King Gunther (Mowatt 7). Afterwards, the readers learn that Brunnhilde of Iceland has come up with an impracticable challenge whose prize is Kriemhilde (Bekker 12). King Gunther journeys to Iceland to take up the challenge with the assistance of Hagen his friend amongst other people, and that of Sifrid’s unique powers. For this however, he pretends that Sifrid is just his vassal. This results in terrible skirmishes between the two sides, secret plottings, and eventually the death of Sifrid by Hagen. The second half of the text tells readers of Kriemhilde’s inconsolable sorrow, which later turned into voracious hunger for vengeance against Hagen and her brother, leading to complete massacre. The Nibelungenlied is truly a gripping tale of murder, love and vengeance. The following are the main themes evident in the poem: Chivalry – chivalry was essentially a code of behaviour that evolved during the Middle Ages and is linked to the tradition of mounted knights in armour, war games, jousts, feasts and lords and ladies. A knight’s behaviour both in daily life and on the battlefield had to follow a particular set of rules – a religious, social and moral code of conduct (Mowatt 20). The concept of chivalry encouraged knights to cultivate the virtues of honour, courage as well as service to their kinsmen or lord. This code stipulated respectful treatment of women. For example, in the poem, Siegfried’s respectful treatment of Kriemhid and their strictly-regulated courtship followed the chivalry code. In addition chivalry is linked to social standing, noble rank, class, and expertise on the combat zone. For example, when king Liudegast and king Liudeger surrender in combat, they and their men are returned to Worms: they are treated as guests and not as prisoners of war. Knights who are wounded receive medical treatment and care, are fed and housed (Mowatt 23). This treatment is in line with the chivalric code. Deception: the Nibelungenlied poem is as much an account of social and political breakdown as it is about heroes and vengeance. By the ending of the narrative, all the Burgundian leaders are dead and many vassals of Etzel have also been killed. In essence, 2 kingdoms have obliterated. The root causes of this disintegration are a sequence of deceptions in which a number of characters are implicated (Mowatt 41). The deception theme is tricky, given that some of the cases of deception could also be considered as instances of skill, bravery or courage. When Siegfried assists Gunther in winning Brunhild by participating in the sports events under the cover of his magical cloak, he is in fact contributing to a marriage that is based upon a bogus idea – superior skill and strength of Gunther. Hagen is similarly deceitful. He engaged in the deception of the death of Siegfried, and Gunther is complicit in the deed (Bekker 25). Courtly love: this symbolized the relationship between a suitor and his woman, and at times between a liegeman or courtier and the daughter, sister or wife. In The Nibelungenlied poem, an example of courtly love ...