Siegfried's Murder is a snippet from the legendary German saga the Nibelungenlied, arguably the greatest literary work in the German language. It is the 15th book in the Penguin Epics series and represents a significant development in literary quality. The 138 page translation by A.T. Hatto is an excellent feudal romance and tragedy. The Penguin Epics edition tells is the story of the Nibelungenleid told from the hero Siegfried's arrival at the Burgundian court of Worms until his death. The work does not include the backstory of Siegried or the tragic cycle of events following his death.

The original story of the Nibelungenlied is of course a conflation of several episodes which have been modified through different cultural ages. The Penguin Epics version is a translation of the Germanic rather than Nordic version. The translation into readable English is magnificent. The rhythm and word order are entirely dispensed with so this is a very readable English version which still retains the immense character and a real feel of early feudal society. As a translation into readable English it is not necessarily the purest form of translation. There are a couple of words which are very obscure in English and presumably relate to objects no longer in use.

The story told in the Penguin Epics edition is of the mighty Siegfried of the Netherlands. The use of the phrase Netherlands is a modern imposition which makes for easy reading but is not a phrase which appears in the original versions. It makes sense geographically to have Siegfried hail from a nearby country but it is later confusing when he is in Nibelgunenland apparently in Denmark. The use of modern country names aids the reader in making it easy to understand but takes away from the greatess of what came before.

Siegfried is a hero figure when he arrives at the Burgundian court at Worms under King Gunther. Burgundy, Worms, and most likely Gunther are facts. The Burgundian tale has become a part of the Germanic fabric thanks to the Nibelungenlied in part because the tale is based on some real events.

The story as told in the Penguin Epics version is partly a reality but uses several conventions to explain character motivations. These conventions are fascinating because they speak to changing values as the story has developed over the centuries. Siegfried is Gunther's vassal though both are at pains to stress this is not the case. He clearly is because Gunther calls on him to go to war. For the audience, Siegfried could not have been some mere vassal so instead Siegfried voluntarily enters into alliance with Gunther because he has heard of the beauty of Gunther's sister Kriemhild and has fallen in love with the idea of her.

Gunther and Siegfried lead their knights to war against the Saxons. The convention used here is that the Saxons threatened the Burgundians. The battle takes place on Saxon territory so it was clearly Burgundy who invaded Saxony. Of course heroic warriors are not belligerent so it was the Saxons fault.

Siegfried is a mighty warrior, a handsome and highly skilled leader. In this version his goal is the love of Kriemhild. The virtues of both are extolled repeatedly and endearingly. The pair share a love that forms an archetype for chivalric narratives throughout the romantic period. They are constrained by form and ceremony but express their feelings with glances and internal admiration for the other. The combination of great people in love who exercise the self-control their societal positions require has never fallen out of fashion in the time since. It is only when Siegfried helps Gunther defeat the Saxons that he and Kriemhild finally have the chance to be together.

Of course an epic like this could not end with happy marriage. The serenity is eventually shattered by Brunhild. The Valkyrie of legend in this version is the queen of Iceland. Gunther travels to Iceland with Siegfried and a couple of the most prominent liegemen including Hagen. Gunther must defeat Brunhild in three trials of strength in order to woo her. Brunhild has no particular skillset except her extraordinary strength which with Siegfried's help, Gunther eventually overcomes. That great strength extends to the bedroom where Gunther struggles to subdue Brunhild. She bests him initially, humiliating him in a sequence of female domination. The language of this version implies almost that Brunhild is a great bucking mare to be tamed. It is a balance between men and women that makes little sense now but speaks to an ancient culture where women were actually much more free to play defining roles in Celtic and Germanic societies.

Brunhild is the key player in the eventual downfall of Siegfried thanks to a feud with Kriemhild. It does not really make sense why Brunhild would hold a grudge for so many years. It is a part of the tale where remnants of the older stories underneath the Nibelungenlied burst through without quite enough context. There are parts of this version that do not fit amazingly well. The Christianisation of the socities the story was told in have affected the story. It is interesting though of course provides a different message for a different time. Why Hagen eventually betrays Siegfried is not absolutely clear, there is probably something else just not present here.

What is present though is outstanding. The quality of the writing as translated by A.T. Hatto is magnificent. It is a really beautiful story, full of atmosphere and heroism. The heroes do not win by luck, they win through their valour and skill. For all the greatness ascribed to the Burgundians, there is a sense of sadness of those they conquer. There is a clear understanding that the battle against the Saxons is a great victory but that the losers are to be mourned. As part of the German national narrative, the Nibelungenlied seems to recognise that Germans killing Germans is not to be wholly celebrated.

This work is part of that great episode of world literature. That it is only the part of the story in which Siegfried travels to Burgundy, forges alliance, wins battles, woos a beautiful woman, and is murdered means it is only a snippet. This is not the fuller version nor does it have all the more ancient elements from the Nordic version. However, to understand the history, culture, and people of Europe the Nibelungenlied is a must read. Siegfried's Murder takes much of that story and presents it in a very easily readable English form. A magnificent part of the Penguin Epics collection. ( )