Story summary
Краткое содержание: The Nibelungenlied
- Чтение: 8 мин.
- 11 parts
- Аудио скоро
A falcon dream, a hidden weak spot and a queen's revenge draw Siegfried, Kriemhild and Hagen toward ruin.
3 months free · unlimited eBooks, audiobooks and summaries, and print and large print at cost
Nothing to pay today · Мы отправим вам электронное письмо до списания средств. · Отмените онлайн в два нажатия
The Nibelungenlied — кратко о книге
Краткое содержание: 8 min на чтение
- Время чтения
- Около 7 h 5 min5 h 35 min fast, 8 h 25 min slow
- Длительность
- Слов: 101 10039 chapters
- Страницы
- Страниц: 309466 in large print
- Уровень в библиотеке
- Средний longer sentences, everyday words
- Первая публикация
- 1200by G. H. Needler
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). Сколько времени нужно на чтение классики · Обновлено
Бесплатно на 3 мес.
Получите полное краткое содержание The Nibelungenlied бесплатно
- 200 000+ классических книг в формате электронных книг, аудиокниг и кратких содержаний на 15 минут, а также печатные книги, в том числе крупным шрифтом, по себестоимости печати
- До 5 читателей в вашей семье на одном плане
The Nibelungenlied in short
The Nibelungenlied is the story of a chain of wrongs, each caused by the one before. A dream foretells a husband's loss. A prince wins a bride for another man by a trick.
What The Nibelungenlied is about
Why would a young woman's dream of a falcon end with a whole kingdom in flames? Kriemhild, a princess of Burgundy, dreams that two eagles kill the falcon she has raised. Her mother Ute says the falcon stands for a noble husband. Kriemhild vows never to marry, because joy so often brings sorrow.
The Nibelungenlied is a German epic poem, written down around 1200 by an unknown poet from much older tales. It follows the hero Siegfried, the three Burgundian kings at Worms, and Hagen of Tronje, their grim vassal, through love, trickery, murder and revenge. You hear how a quarrel between two queens turns deadly.
Для кого. You will love this if you enjoy heroic legends, dragon-slayers and cursed treasure, or stories of feuds, oaths, loyalty and revenge.
The story in 11 parts
Key idea 1 · free to read
A dream of a falcon darkens Worms
The poem opens at Worms on the Rhine, where Kriemhild grows up under the care of her three brothers, Gunther, Gernot and Giselher. Around them stand knights who will matter later, among them Hagen of Tronje, his brother Dankwart and Volker the fiddler. The poet lists them with pride, then warns that these proud warriors will perish through the hatred of two noble women.
Then comes the dream. Kriemhild sees a wild falcon she has raised torn apart by two eagles. Ute explains that the falcon is a noble husband. Kriemhild refuses love and says she will live unmarried and so escape grief.
The poet tells us at once that she will fail. She will marry the falcon of her dream, and her own kin will kill him. You watch every feast and courtesy knowing what it leads to.
A warning given early can make every happy scene weigh more.
- 2Начните читать бесплатно
Siegfried arrives and proves himself useful
Far down the Rhine, in the castle of Xanten, grows up Siegfried, son of King Siegmund.
- 3Начните читать бесплатно
A bride is won by a hidden helper
Gunther wants to marry Brunhild, a queen across the sea in Isenland.
- 4Начните читать бесплатно
Two weddings and two wounds to pride
At Worms a double wedding is held.
- 5Начните читать бесплатно
A quarrel on the church steps leads to murder
During the festival the queens watch the knights.
- 6Начните читать бесплатно
The hunt, the spring and a widow's grief
Kriemhild begs Siegfried not to go, telling him of her dreams of boars and falling mountains.
- 7Начните читать бесплатно
A stolen hoard and an invitation from the Huns
After three years of silence, Kriemhild makes peace with Gunther, though not with Hagen.
- 8Начните читать бесплатно
Kriemhild invites her family, and the road to the Huns
After years in Hunland, Kriemhild bears Etzel a son.
- 9Начните читать бесплатно
Loyalty is the poem's strength and its curse
Almost everyone in the story is bound by a promise.
- 10Начните читать бесплатно
Gold, gifts and the power of words
Gifts run through the poem like a second thread.
- 11Начните читать бесплатно
How the poet tells the story
The poem is built from short stanzas under adventure titles such as How Siegfried Was Slain, which announce the turning point before it happens.
Read all 11 key ideas now
3 months free, then 0,14 USD a day: unlimited eBooks, audiobooks and summaries, and print and large print at cost.
- Nothing to pay today
- Мы отправим вам электронное письмо до списания средств.
- Отмените онлайн в два нажатия
Characters, plot and themes
Main characters
- Kriemhild A Burgundian princess who dreams of a falcon, marries a hero, and later seeks justice for his loss.
- Siegfried A prince of Xanten, famed for killing a dragon and taking the Nibelung hoard, who comes to Worms to win Kriemhild.
- Gunther King of Burgundy at Worms, who wants to marry the strong queen Brunhild and relies on his friends and advisers.
- Brunhild Queen of Isenland, powerful in battle, who agrees to wed only the man who can beat her in three contests.
- Hagen of Tronje Gunther's fierce, loyal vassal, who knows the legends of Siegfried and puts his lords' power above all else.
- Giselher The youngest Burgundian king, trusting and kind, who loves his sister and later becomes betrothed to Ruediger's daughter.
- Etzel King of the Huns, a widower who seeks a new queen and welcomes Kriemhild's family with open hospitality.
- Ruediger of Bechelaren A generous margrave who brings Kriemhild to Etzel and gives his oath to protect her, then welcomes her brothers as guests.
How it ends (spoiler)
Siegfried's killer is finally punished. At Etzel's court, Kriemhild's plan unfolds in a feast that becomes a massacre. Ortlieb, her own child, is killed, the hall is burned, and Ruediger dies fighting his own friends. At last Dietrich captures Gunther and Hagen. Kriemhild has her brother killed, then kills Hagen with Siegfried's sword after he refuses to reveal the hoard's hiding place, and Hildebrand cuts her down. Etzel and Dietrich are left to mourn.
The whole book is coming to your plan
The full text of The Nibelungenlied opens soon. Keep this summary as a file today.
Paperback, hardcover and large print, printed for you at cost, are on their way. Email me when it is printed
Вопросы о книге The Nibelungenlied
What is the Nibelungenlied about?
It follows the hero Siegfried, who wins Kriemhild's hand by helping King Gunther win Brunhild. A quarrel between the queens leads to Siegfried's murder, and years later Kriemhild plans a revenge that engulfs both families.
Who is Hagen of Tronje?
Hagen is the grim, clever vassal of the Burgundian kings. He knows the legends of Siegfried, guards the royal interests fiercely, and remains loyal to his lords even when he can see where their choices lead.
What is the Nibelung hoard?
It is a vast treasure that Siegfried takes from the Nibelung princes and the dwarf Alberich. It later passes to Kriemhild and becomes a symbol of power, fear and the secrets that drive the story.
When was the Nibelungenlied written, and is it a true story?
An unknown poet wrote it around 1200, using much older tales. It is a legend, not a record of events, though it includes echoes of real peoples and places, such as the Burgundians and Huns.
Is the Nibelungenlied easy to follow?
Yes, its story moves in clear steps, with short stanzas, thirty-nine labelled adventures and constant reminders of who each person is. Feasts, contests and journeys give the reader plenty of vivid scenes to hold on to.
Как сослаться на это издание
Needler, G. H. The Nibelungenlied. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-nibelungenlied.
Needler, G. H. (2026). The Nibelungenlied. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-nibelungenlied (Original work published ca. 1200)
Needler, G. H. The Nibelungenlied. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-nibelungenlied.
@book{needler2026nibelungenlied,
author = {Needler, G. H.},
title = {The Nibelungenlied},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-nibelungenlied},
note = {First published ca. 1200}
}
Crime and Punishment
Wuthering Heights
Pride and Prejudice
The Iliad
Romeo and Juliet
The Picture of Dorian GrayБесплатно на 3 мес.
Получите полное краткое содержание The Nibelungenlied бесплатно
- 200 000+ классических книг в формате электронных книг, аудиокниг и кратких содержаний на 15 минут, а также печатные книги, в том числе крупным шрифтом, по себестоимости печати
- До 5 читателей в вашей семье на одном плане
