Mythological Dragon ()
A lot of English histories gloss over the early Middle Ages in Germany. I mean, after the Romans left, wasn’t it the Dark Ages? This was the time of dragons guarding hoards, invisibility cloaks, underwater nixies, magic and a chivalrous Attila the Hun. At least, that is what the legends say.
Many of these legends were written during the “Migration Period” of northern European history, from around 300 to 600 AD when tribal groups were invading and being displaced. This is when the Angles and Saxons went to England, the Goths descended from Scandinavia and when the Huns arrived from the eastern plains. Stories of great leaders from the time mixed with fantastical tales of dragons or gods and they became legends told around fires by bards and skalds for centuries. These were finally written down in many different places as Christianity brought literacy northward in the 1000s-1400s.
Each written manuscript has its own version of the story, and they vary greatly by location. The “Nibelungenlied” (Nee-bull-OONG-en-leed) is the most popular in Germany. The oldest known versions are from three complete manuscripts written in the 1200s.
“Nibelungenlied”: The Old High German Version
Princess Kriemhild from Worms is the hero of this story. She is known for her beauty, so many young men come hoping to court her, including a prince from Xanten named Siegfried. But her three brothers are very protective. Siegfried takes on knightly duties for her brother King Gunther and helps him defeat the Saxons and Danes. His valor finally sways Gunther into allowing the two to meet, and Kriemhild soon finds herself in love with Siegfried.
1882 Engraving of Kriemhild ()
You can walk in the footsteps of Kriemhild and Siegfried in Worms. As the historic seat of the Burgundian kings, this city really did host royalty. From fountains in the city squares to the stone Siegfried tossed over the cathedral, the legend is found all over town. In fact, Worms touts itself the “Nibelungenstadt.” Venture to the Torturmplatz to walk along the city wall, parts of which have been in the same place since 360 AD. Siegfried’s traditional burial mound (an art installation) nobly sits opposite the city tower which holds the Nibelungelied Museum (closed at the time of writing).
Siegfried comes with a reputation since he has conquered the lands of the Nibelung (maybe Norway) where there are dwarves and giants. He wields the legendary sword Balmung, which he won from the Nibelung princes. He tricked a guardian dwarf to earn the Tarnkappe (invisibility cloak) and claimed the Nibelung’s golden hoard. There are plenty of other tales of Siegfried’s daring adventures, but most impressive is that on his way to Worms he slayed a dragon that lived under a mountain so he could bath in its blood and become invincible (except a small spot he missed because a leaf was covering it).
1874 engraving of the dwarven kingdom in Nibelung ()
The Drachenfels across the Rhine River from Bonn is where Siegfried slayed this unfortunate dragon. You can visit this hill at the end of a uniquely high ridgeline from Königswinter, where you catch the Drachenfelsbahn, a historic cog railway ascending the mountain. With a one-way ticket up, you can see the sights as you walk back down the mountain. At the top, explore the ruins of Drachenfels Castle and be sure to find the carving of a dragon. After admiring the view, head down the trail to the ornate Drachenburg, a late 19th-century palace built in the romantic style of a fantasy past. Next is the perfect rest stop: The Winzerhäuschen, where you can grab lunch in the beergarden of an adorable half-timbered house with an impeccable view of the river. The last attraction before you’ve made it all the way down the hill is Drachenwelt (Dragon World). This kitschy place is worth a visit to see the reptile zoo, the dragon’s cave and the Nibelungenhalle with murals from the legendary story.
After Kriemhild and Siegfried meet, the legend takes a bit of a tangent. King Gunther asks Siegfried to travel with him to an island in the far north (maybe Iceland). He wants to woo a magical queen, or valkyrie, named Brünhild, who kills any man who attempts her challenge and fails. He wins, thanks to Siegfried and the invisibility cloak.
Back in Germany, Kriemhild finally marries Siegfried. They are madly in love and return to Xanten where Siegfried rules as the king of the Nibelungs. Years pass. They are happy. But, trouble is brewing back home.
1874 Woodcarving of Brünhild ()
Today, in Xanten you can retrace the lovers’ story at the Siegfried Museum. There are plenty of versions and variations of the “Nibelungenlied”, and the museum features a comprehensive collection of historic books and retellings. It also illustrates the significance of the legend across regions and throughout time. While in Xanten, you should also visit Germany’s largest open-air archaeological park: APX. This area had been one of the largest Roman cities in Europe before its downfall led to the Migration Period of “Nibelungenlied” legend.
One of Gunther’s henchmen plots to kill Siegfried to get the Nibelung gold for the king. The couple are tricked into returning to Worms. Then the henchman gets Kriemhild to reveal Siegfried’s vulnerability. Siegfried is speared through the shoulders while hunting across the Rhine River. While the henchman claims it was an accident Kriemhild suspects the truth and vows revenge on her whole family.
The golden hoard is stolen from Kriemhild by her brother’s henchman and secreted away. It is still supposedly hidden somewhere along the Rhine River. From then on, the family uses the Nibelung name as a title, since they have now claimed the dwarven gold.
1874 Carving. Kriemhild is heartbroken and will seek revenge. ()
For the adventurous, the 130km Nibelungensteig is a Siegfried-themed trail on the east bank of the Rhine. It traverses the Odenwald, up and over boulder-strewn mountains where the Nibelung people hunted and where Siegfried is killed. There are dragon sculptures and knight’s castles looming over the forest in villages along the way. You can earn a trail pin by getting your hiking pass stamped at each stage.
Years later, Kriemhild marries the Hun King Etzel (Atilla the Hun), the most powerful ruler at the time. Though she is not in love, her marriage is the beginning of a plot to destroy her brother Gunther. She travels to Vienna for the wedding and becomes a powerful queen. More years pass (Kriemhild plays the long game) and schemes to get her family to visit the Hunnic Empire. King Gunther arrives with a 1,000-man entourage of knights “just in case” things get heated. Along the way, they are warned by some nixies (water spirits) in the Danube that only one man will return alive.
It all comes to a bloody end when Kriemhild instigates confusion and fighting between her brother and the Huns. King Gunther is defeated, and both he and his scheming henchman are brought to her for pardons. But, Kreimhild has her final revenge and beheads them both.
Magasin Pittoresque 1836. The Huns meet the Nibelungs ()
The secret burial place of the Nibelung’s golden hoard, known as the Rhinegold, was never revealed. However, in 2014 a buried hoard was found near Ruelzheim in one of the many former courses of the Rhine as it has shifted over time. Such hoards are very rare in Germany. It was dated to 405-406 AD, perfect timing to potentially be the lost Nibelung’s hoard.
“Beowulf”: The Old English Version
The story of Beowulf was written around the year 1010 by Anglo-Saxon immigrants to England. This epic poem is much shorter, focusing only on Beowulf (Siegfried) who is from Geatland in Norway. He goes on a quest to help Danish king Hrothgar rid his land of a monster called Grendel. Instead of dying young, Beowulf becomes a king back in Geatland, lives to old age, and then encounters a dragon who is guarding its hoard. He finds a chink in the dragon’s scales and kills it, but he dies from a bite to the neck.
To experience the world of Beowulf, visit the Sagnlandet Lejre, (Saga Land Lejre) where the world’s largest Viking hall has been painstakingly rebuilt. Lejre was home to the (likely) historical King Hrothgar who features in numerous other epics and sagas. The rest of this archaeology park has plenty of living-history activities and buildings, so you can experience life during the legendary period.
Beowulf fighting the dragon (Rights Managed)
“Völsungasaga”: The Old Norse Version
The Old Norse version is less focused on Kriemhild and her revenge. Instead, our hero Sigurd (Siegfried) is descended from Odin. He gets caught in a love triangle with Gudrun (Kriemhild) and the Valkyrie Brynhild (Brünhild). Interestingly, in this version, Sigurd and Brynhild’s daughter Aslaug marries Ragnar Lothbrok of Viking hero fame. The oldest Saga of the Völsungs manuscript is from around 1400, but parts of the story are also in the Icelandic Poetic Edda from the 1200s.
Völsung hero Sigurd (lcrms)
“The Ring of the Nibelung”: Wagner’s Opera Version
In the late 1800s, German composer Richard Wagner reworked the legend into an opera. His version blends the use of Norse gods from the Völsungsaga with the basic plot of the Nibelungelied. Most important, however, is that the golden hoard was represented by a golden ring that grants its owner power to rule the whole world.
Often called “The Ring Cycle,” the opera has four parts, each a full-length performance. It is still popularly performed across Germany. But for an opera newbie, you can watch all four parts for free online at the U.K.-based Opera North website, www.operanorth.co.uk/the-ring-cycle. Many people will recognize the French-horn rif from “Flight of Valkyrie” from the beginning of act III. Bavarian King Ludwig II was a huge fan of the opera and sponsored Wagner while he completed it. You can see his obsession with the legend at his palaces, including a specially built grotto at Linderhof Palace where he could watch the opera alone from a swan boat.
1910 opera poster with the Valkyrie (Rights Managed)
“The Hobbit”: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Version
Echoes of “One ring to rule them all…” are popping into your head for good reason. J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” studied medieval languages and mythology. He worked on translating “Beowulf” from Old English and certainly drew inspiration from the amalgamation of old Germanic Legendary hero sagas.
The One Ring ()
