2 h 14 minAudiobook11 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What can a dragon slayer trust when the greatest dangers wait among kings, warriors, and friends?
In Siegfried the Hero, Rudolf Herzog retells the old Germanic legend of a warrior set apart by his courage. Siegfried faces a great beast in a world of dragons and treasure. But the strength that marks him as a hero cannot answer every challenge he meets.
At royal courts, rulers and warriors face questions of loyalty, honor, and betrayal. Here, danger takes a human shape. Drawing on a legend rooted in medieval German and Norse tradition, Herzog explores what a hero owes his friends—and what the world takes from him in return.
What you’ll discover
- The dragon slayer Meet Siegfried, whose encounter with a great beast sets him apart from ordinary men.
- Danger behind courtly walls Enter royal courts where the threat comes from people rather than fearsome beasts.
- Loyalty under strain Explore the uneasy bond between a hero's duty to friends and the danger of betrayal.
- Courage against fate Follow a hero who moves forward bravely, though his path seems already marked.
- Roots of a legend Discover a heroic world rooted in the German and Norse traditions of medieval storytelling.
Who will love it
Readers who love legends of dragons, enchanted fire and swordsmen, and listeners who enjoy a story told in a bold, singing voice. It suits anyone curious about the tale behind the Nibelung ring.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A restless prince learns the smith's craft
- The dragon falls and the hoard is won
- Through the wall of flames to Brunhild
- At Gunther's court, a war and a wreath
- A disguise and three contests in Iceland
- Weddings, a ring and a quiet grudge
Who’s who
- SiegfriedThe red-haired prince of Xanten, fearless and generous, who wants deeds and glory, then home and love.
- MimeA hunchbacked smith who trains Siegfried, forges his sword Balmung and watches over him like a father.
- BrunhildA proud former Valkyrie and queen of Iceland who will marry only a king and a conqueror.
- KriemhildGunther's gentle, golden-haired sister, who falls in love with Siegfried from his songs before she ever meets him.
- King GuntherThe proud Burgundian king of Worms, who wants Brunhild as his queen and relies on Siegfried to win her.
- Hagen of TronjeThe one-eyed counselor who cares only for his lords' greatness and plans how to turn Siegfried's power to their use.
- AlberichThe dwarf leader of the Nibelung knights, who becomes Siegfried's loyal steward after losing a fight over the dragon's gate.
- Volker of AlzeyA knight of Gunther's court who fiddles love songs and carries the banner into battle.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 2 h 14 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 11 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Sigfrido l’eroe in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Sigfrido l’eroe
A boy from Xanten rides through fire and slays a dragon, then lends his strength to a king's wooing.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
Siegfried the Hero is a retelling of the old German legend of the dragon slayer from the Rhine. Rudolf Herzog, a German writer who died in 1943, gives it the voice of a tale told aloud, full of horses, storms, sword blows and songs.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A restless prince learns the smith's craft
The story opens in Xanten, a dreaming city on the Lower Rhine. There King Siegmund and Queen Siegelinde have a son, and because peace follows their victories, they name him Siegfried. He learns his lessons as if at play, then runs through meadows and forests until he knows the call of every animal. At ten he rides the wildest stallion without reins. At twelve he beats all his father's pages and men-at-arms. At fourteen he slips away to a tournament with his visor closed and knocks proud knights from their saddles with a spear he has carved himself.
Siegfried begs his father to let him go out into the world. The king answers that strength alone cannot subdue enemies, and that a wise mind turns them into friends. The boy thinks it is easy for a gray-bearded man to say so. Then one stormy evening a minstrel sings in the hall of the gold hoard of the dwarf king Nibelung, guarded in a mountain by the dragon Fafner. Siegfried cannot sleep. He runs out into the storm, tears up a young oak and fights whatever the dark forest sends against him.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Sigfrido l’eroe
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Siegfried the Hero about?
It tells the legend of Siegfried, a prince of Xanten who kills a dragon, wins the Nibelung treasure, wakes the warrior maiden Brunhild and helps the Burgundian king Gunther win her, all while a cursed ring passes from hand to hand.
Who are Siegfried, Brunhild, Kriemhild and Hagen?
Siegfried is the dragon-slaying hero and Brunhild the queen he first frees. Kriemhild is Gunther's sister, whom he loves, and Hagen is Gunther's one-eyed counselor, loyal to the Burgundian throne above all else.
What is the Tarnkappe in the story?
The Tarnkappe is a cloak of invisibility that Siegfried wins from the dwarf Alberich. He wears it to cross the flames, and later to stand unseen beside Gunther and help him in the contests.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
