Siegfried

Siegfried

SIGFRID (in the Scandinavian versions - Sigurd) - the hero of the cycle of epic tales about the Nibelungs (see). Plot elements associated with Z. (“the heroic tale of Z.”), as well as elements associated with his father Sigmund (“the legend of the Velsungs”) and the death of the Nibelungs (“the legend of the invasion of Attila and the death of the Burgundians” ), are relatively easy to isolate and, in turn, are decomposed into a number of episodes and motifs that are widespread in the literatures and myths of other peoples: the upbringing of a hero endowed with superhuman strength and beauty by a demonic creature in a secluded place; fight with the dragon - the keeper of the treasure; the awakening of an enchanted maiden sleeping in a magical dream; the conquest of the maiden-warrior and the replacement of the groom on the wedding night; the death of a hero struck by a traitor in the only weak spot. There are numerous parallels to all these motifs in Old Norse (myths about Frigga, Baldur), ancient Indian (the myth of the battle of Indra with Vritra), ancient Greek myths and in the folklore of almost all peoples. Hence the numerous attempts of scientists, firstly, to identify the plot of Z. with one of the divine or demonic myths symbolizing natural phenomena - solar, meteorological, vegetative (the theories of Lachmann, Muller, etc.) and, secondly, to establish the internal development of the plot, gradual contamination with this myth of a number of other mythical and epic features (cf., for example, Jericzek O., Die deutsche Heldensage, Lpz., 1906), attempts that have not yet been brought to final unanimity.
The type of a brave and trusting young hero of the ancient Germanic epic, complicated by the features of knightly nobility and vassal fidelity in the medieval processing of the Nibelungen, - the image of Z. degrades in a popular print book about the "horned Seyfried" into a fabulous simpleton-lucky, and in a folk tale - thanks to his reinterpretation named - in Saufritz-swineherd. With the revival of the German Middle Ages in the new German literature, the image of Z. often acquires the features of a “national hero” (Fouquet, Uhland), sometimes becoming the embodiment of Germany or the German people (Heine, Zeitgedichte). Nibelungen.

Literary encyclopedia. - In 11 tons; M .: publishing house of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Friche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929-1939 .

See what "Siegfried" is in other dictionaries:

Name of several rulers in Germany. Siegfried I Count of Merseburg, "legate" of the East Saxon March from 936 Siegfried I of Luxembourg 1st Count of Luxembourg ... Wikipedia

- (German Siegfried, Middle Upper German Sivrit) (Sigurd, Old Icelandic from sigr victory), a hero in Germanic and Scandinavian mythology. His exploits are described in a number of songs of "Elder Edda", "Younger Edda", "Velsunga Saga", "Tidrek Saga", ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

SIGFRID, look Sigurd... Modern Encyclopedia

See Sigurd... Historical dictionary

See Sigurd. (Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world.") ... Encyclopedia of mythology

- (Siegfried), Andre (April 25, 1875 - March 29, 1959) - French. sociologist, geographer and publicist; prof. economic geography at the College de France, prof. sociology in the Inte political. Sciences and National school administration, employee of the right gas. Figaro, one of ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

The hero of a number of German folk legends about the Nibelungs. A complete dictionary of foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. Popov M., 1907 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Favorite of the gods Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary

One of the most important personalities of the ancient German epic, the Nibelungen hero saga. The question of the starting point of Z.'s epic personality has not yet been fully elucidated. Some wanted to see in it an epic reflection of the memories of the historical prince of the Cherusci ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Siegfried- SIGFRID, see Sigurd. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Siegfried-Idyll, WWV 103, Wagner Richard. Reprinted music edition of Wagner, Richard "Siegfried-Idyll, WWV 103". Genres: Pieces; for orchestra; scores featuring the orchestra; For 2 violins, viola, cello, piano (arr); For 5 players;…

Lavnichenko Maxim

Siegfried

Summary of the myth

Sigurd and Brunhilda -
Arthur Rackham

Siegfried(German Siegfried, Middle High German Sivrit) or Sigurd(ancient Icelandic Sigurðr, from sigr - "victory") - one of the most important heroes of the German-Scandinavian mythology and epic.

Scandinavian and German epic works give different versions of the legend of Sigurd, reflecting the stages of its formation in the oral tradition, in changing cultural and social conditions. In general terms, the myth of Sigurd can be recounted as follows.

The blacksmith sorcerer Regin, brother of the dragon Fafnir, guarding the cursed golden treasure of the dwarf Andvari, found the baby Siegfried on the river bank in a glass vessel and began to educate him. When Siegfried grew up, Regin forged the Balmung sword for the hero.

In the Edda, the sword is called Gramm. Before this sword was called Gram, it was called Barnstock (Barnstock, taken out), because. Sigmund (Siegfried's father) took it out of the tree trunk. According to another version, Siegfried himself found fragments of his father's sword and forged them.

Siegfried in Regina's forge
W. von Hanschild, 1880

The blacksmith told Siegfried about the dragon Fafnir, who guards the treasure. Regin incited the young man to kill the dragon, as he himself sought to seize fatal wealth. To all the requests of Regin, Siegfried replied that he must first take revenge on the murderers of his father, and only then he could fight for gold. Soon, Siegfried avenged his father's death and, together with Regin, went to Mount Gnitaheyd, where Fafnir lived. But they did not find the dragon there, but they saw its trace, which Fafnir left behind him, crawling away to the watering place. Then Siegfried decided to go for a trick and dug a hole near the road along which Fafnir was crawling. When Fafnir crawled back over the pit, Siegfried plunged his sword into his heart. Fafnir's blood got on his tongue, and he began to understand the language of birds. So he learned about the plan of the blacksmith to kill him. Some sources mention that Siegfried bathed in the blood of the dragon and became invulnerable. But, when he was bathed in Fafnir's blood, a lime leaf stuck to his shoulder blade, and this became his weak point - hence the expression "horny Siegfried". Then, having killed his “adoptive father” and stole Fafnir’s treasure, the hero ended up on the top of the Hindarfjall hill, where the Valkyrie Brunhilde, surrounded by fire shields, rested, lulled by Odin for granting victory in the battle to someone not intended by God.

After awakening the Valkyrie, Siegfried received wise advice from her and became engaged to her. Then the hero came to the kingdom of the Burgundians, where the mother of King Gunnar (Günther), Grimhild, gave him a drink of oblivion to drink. Siegfried forgets about his bride and marries Grimhild's daughter, the beautiful Gudrun (Kriemhild).

The murder of Siegfried on the hunt - drawing by S. Borin

In the meantime, Gunnar was wooing Brunhilde. But the Valkyrie took an oath to marry only the one who overcomes the fire surrounding her, and only Siegfried could do such a thing. Siegfried agreed to help Gunnar. During the marriage test, the hero changed form with Gunnar and went through the fire instead of him. Brunhilde was forced to marry Gunnar. But later, when the deception was revealed, the angry Brunhild demanded that her husband kill Sigurd. Incited by his wife, who wanted to restore his honor, and also, wanting to take possession of Siegfried's treasure, Gunnar and his brother Hogni (Hagen) mortally wounded Sigurd while hunting.

On his deathbed, dying, Sigurd called to him his beloved Brunhild. Unable to bear the pangs of conscience, Brunhilde committed suicide in order to be close to her beloved at least in the grave.

Images and symbols of myth

Siegfried challenges
Konstantin Vasiliev

Siegfried is an ideal image of a beautiful hero who is destined for an early death (just like Gilgamesh, Achilles, Cuchulainn). At the same time, Siegfried's involuntary guilt is interpreted as a consequence of evil fate. Ancient heroic ballads portray him as the slayer of giants and dragons. The stories about the young hero, who is endowed with "sunny" features, are permeated with magic; his life ends as a result of heinous atrocities, but he finds revenge through the cunning actions of his widow. Siegfried is endowed with all the features of an ideal epic hero. He is noble, brave, courteous. Duty and honor are above all for him. The authors of the Nibelungenlied emphasize his extraordinary attractiveness and physical strength. His very name, consisting of two parts (Sieg - victory, Fried - peace), expresses the national German self-consciousness at the time of medieval strife.

In the rootlessness of Siegfried it is permissible to see a relic of ideas about the ancestral hero, the “first man”.

Sword, as a rule, symbolizes spiritual activity, or the courage of a hero, a broken sword serves as a symbol of the same qualities that are in a state of destruction. However, like the "buried sword", it appears more often in medieval legends as an inheritance to be won back with the help of personal prowess. So, in his youth, Siegfried finds fragments of Balmung's sword, which Odin was said to have given to his father.

Interesting and image of Fafnir's treasure. According to legend, Fafnir got the treasure after he killed his own father Hreidmar, and the latter received it from the Ases (gods) as a ransom for their son Hreidmar, Otr, who had been killed by them. Ases, however, obtained these treasures from the dwarf Andvari, and he put a curse on the gold: it will destroy everyone who owns it. Thus, the magical means of abundance - the treasures of dwarfs and gods - turns into fatal wealth, bringing misfortune to its owners.

Sigurd defeats the dragon
Fafnir. wood carving
Norway, XII century

The main feat of Siegfried is the killing of the dragon Fafnir. This feat can be interpreted as an act of a cultural hero overcoming the forces of chaos. In a large number of legends that have a deep symbolic meaning, the dragon appears in this very sense - a primitive enemy, the battle with which is the highest test. So, the saints - the patrons of chivalry - St. George and St. Michael the Archangel are depicted just at the moment when they kill the monster. Dragons symbolize disasters plaguing a country or a person.

The story, mythological in origin, when Siegfried wakes up Brunchhilde (the story of the Sleeping Beauty), appears in pagan and Christian legends and in books about knights errant.

brünnhilde frame
from the movie "The Ring"
Nibelungen"

You can find a large number of examples of the liberation of girls by knights, which was considered almost their main mission. The plot is a symbol of the search for a spiritual path and her liberation from captivity.

In modern times, the Valkyrie Brunhilde, who in the Nibelungenlied plays a tragic role, has become especially famous, leading to the death of the hero who invisibly fought for King Gunther. In the German epic, Brynhilde appears as the ruler of the fabulous country of Iceland, where marriage trials are performed. Brunhilda is the image of a strong woman.

Image of Kriemhild(Gudrun) can be described as the ideal of femininity. She possesses not only physical beauty, but also high moral qualities. Consequently, in the image of Kriemhild we see a reflection of the cult of the "Beautiful Lady", which is a characteristic feature of the chivalric romance.

Communicative means of creating images and symbols

The exploits of Sigurd. Fragment of a rune stone of the 11th century. from Upland (Sweden)

The main medium for the transmission of the myth of Siegfried was the Old Norse epic. The exploits of Siegfried are sung by the songs of the "Elder Edda" ("Gripir's Prophecy", "Regin's Speeches", "Fafnir's Speeches"), his death is told in "A fragment of a song about Sigurd", "The first song about Gudrun", "A short song about Sigurd" , "Brynhild's Journey to Hel" ("Elder Edda"). The Younger Edda, the Völsunga Saga, the Tidrek Saga and Scandinavian medieval ballads tell about Sigurd. Also, Siegfried is the central character of the first part of the German "Nibelungenlied", he is also mentioned in Middle High German epic poetry, in the "Song of the Horned Siegfried".

Despite the fact that the image of Sigurd is most likely completely fictional, in Iceland he is revered as a real hero. The modern Icelandic historian Einar Olgeirsson in his book “From the Past of the Icelandic People” writes: “To this day, every Icelander can easily trace his family to Sigurd.”

Siegfried kills Fafnir -
monument in Bremen

Another important means of conveying the myth was the traditional Scandinavian wood and stone carving depicting scenes of Siegfried's exploits. There was also an oral form of transmission of the myth with the help of minnesingers and trouvers - poets who sang the exploits of the glorious Siegfried.

There are also modern means of communication that convey the myth of Siegfried. So in Germany, in the city of Worms, a museum was opened, bearing the name of Siegfried. His image is captured in many literary works, films and in painting. Composer Richard Wagner used the epic in his operatic tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. His motives are reflected in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Blond, with blue eyes, Siegfried found his place among the idols of the German nationalist forces. Back in 1755, when the manuscript of the Nibelungenlied was found, it was elevated to the rank of the Iliad of the North, which brought the return of "German glory". When the Prussian troops entered Paris in 1871, Chancellor Bismarck was called the two parts of the name Siegfried "Siege - Fried", i.e. "victory is peace". In the First World War, at the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Siegfried Line defensive line was built on the border with France, improved by Hitler in 1936-39. For the Nazis, Siegfried the Hun was a symbol of the superiority of the Germanic race over other peoples.

The social significance of the myth

The exploits of Sigurd
wood carving
Portal of the Church of the 12th century.
in Urnes (Norway)

Of course, the myth of Siegfried has become one of the most important texts for the Germans, and its various versions date back to the pagan era. For Germany, Siegfried is a cult figure. Siegfried in the attitude of the Germans is the ideal balance of spirit and body.

"Elder Edda" and "Younger Edda", which describe the exploits of Siegfried, have become great cultural monuments of the Icelanders, whose work has preserved the world's oldest traditions of the peoples of Northern Europe.

In the art of Scandinavia, the image of Sigurd found its vivid artistic embodiment. In Norway, woodcarving has always been an important means of artistic expression. So, many fragments with wood carvings in the Scandinavian style depicting the exploits of Sigurd have survived to this day.

It should be noted that with the help of the myth of Siegfried, images were formed that became archetypal in world culture. Ancient German-Scandinavian legends in the 19th and 20th centuries. took an important place in the European cultural consciousness, and became a significant part of it.

The heroic legend "The Nibelungenlied" is the largest monument of the German folk epic. The Nibelungenlied is based on ancient German legends dating back to the events of the period of barbarian invasions, the historical basis of the epic is the death of the Burgundian kingdom, destroyed in 437 by the Huns. In the battle with the Huns, whose leader was, of course, not Attila, then King Gundahar and his squad died. The death of the king, Attila the Huns, who married in 453 a German girl named Hildiko, occurred on their wedding night. This event gave rise to many rumors. Subsequently, historians reported that the bride killed Attila.
In the folk epic, these facts received a new understanding, and all the everyday coloring in it is more connected with the feudal-knightly Germany of the XII century than with the life of the barbarian tribes of the V century. The facts related to the life of Siegfried are vague, some historians see in Siegfried the incarnation of the god of the ancient Germans Balder. Others believe that its prototype was the leader of the Kherusci Arminius, who defeated a detachment of Roman troops in the Teutoburg Forest. Still others point to King Siegibert of the Franks, who was killed at the instigation of his daughter-in-law in 575. In the epic, the Netherlands is called the birthplace of Siegfried, fabulous feats are attributed to him: the victory over the dragon and the conquest of the treasure of the Nibelungs (possibly from the word: Nebel - fog, Nibelungs - children of the fogs).

The Nibelungenlied took shape in literature at the beginning of the 13th century, and it was obviously influenced by the chivalric novel that was widespread at that time, describing court life, loving service, and the norms of knightly honor. The unknown poet combined the prose narratives and legends that existed before him and reworked them in his own way. Various assumptions have been made regarding the identity of the author. Some considered him a shpilman and a wandering singer, others were inclined to think that he was a clergyman, others that he was an educated knight of a low family.
The Nibelungenlied was very popular. Probably, thanks to this, numerous lists of her have survived to our time. The majestic creation of antiquity subsequently inspired the outstanding masters of German culture more than once. Composer Richard Wagner wrote the musical tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelungs", the events of the heroic legend were reflected in their canvases by the artists Peter Cornelius, Henry Fussli, Schnorr von Karolsfeld and other painters.

The exploits of young Siegfried

In ancient times, King Sigmund and Queen Siegelinda ruled in the city of Xanten, on the lower Rhine. Their son Siegfried grew up. From childhood, the boy was distinguished by beauty, courage and strength, and already in his youth he showed extraordinary heroism!
Once young Siegfried came to the blacksmith Mime, an old experienced craftsman, watched how he and his henchmen work at the anvil, hit the red-hot iron with heavy hammers so that sparks fly in all directions, and said to the venerable master:
- I would like to learn blacksmithing. If you agree, I will become your student. The blacksmith looked at the young man - the guy is fine, strong, and left him with him. The next morning, the blacksmith took his new apprentice to the forge, took the huge billet off the fire, and placed it on the anvil. And Siegfried was given the heaviest hammer in his hands. Siegfried struck with a hammer with all his might, and the anvil went into the ground, and the red-hot billet and tongs, which the blacksmith held with both hands, shattered into pieces, like rotten chips. The assistants were surprised, and the blacksmith muttered displeasedly:
“No other person has ever been able to do this. You are not fit for blacksmithing.
But Siegfried began to beg him, saying that he would moderate his strength. And then the blacksmith left the young man with him. But he soon regretted his decision, as Siegfried began to quarrel with his apprentices, and they did not want to work with him. They threatened to leave the forge if the newcomer remained.

Then the owner thought of how to get rid of his student, he sent Siegfried to the forest to prepare charcoal. And in the forest under the linden, a mighty dragon lived. The blacksmith thought that the monster would devour the young apprentice.
And so Siegfried went into the forest, unaware of the insidious plan of the blacksmith, and began to cut down trees. He put the trunks in a heap, lit the fire, and he sat down on a stump, watching the fire.
Suddenly, a huge monster crawls out from under the roots, with such a mouth that it can swallow a person without choking. The dragon crawled up to Siegfried, began to sniff. Without delay, Siegfried grabbed a burning tree from the fire and hit the monster with all his might. He beat and beat until the dragon fell dead.
Steaming dragon blood flowed in a stream. Siegfried dipped his finger into the boiling blood and saw that the finger hardened, then it seemed to be keratinized, no sword could cut it. He quickly threw off his clothes and bathed in dragon blood. He became horny all over, with the exception of a small area of ​​the back between the shoulder blades, where a leaf from a linden fell. Siegfried got dressed and went to his parents' castle. He did not stay at home, often went out in search of adventure and performed many miracles thanks to his great strength.

Once Siegfried landed in a dense forest and saw noble men who carried a huge treasure from the cave. Never in his life had he seen such riches, and those were the treasures of the Nibelungs. Two kings - Nibelung and Schilbung were going to share the treasure. Siegfried approached them. The kings greeted him in a friendly manner and asked him to fairly share the treasures. Siegfried saw so many precious stones and gold that even a hundred wagons could not take them away. And all this had to be divided equally. As a reward, the kings gave Siegfried the sword of the Nibelungs, Balmung.
Siegfried set about a fair division, but each of the kings felt deprived, and before the knight had time to finish the division, the kings attacked him. But how can they cope with a brave hero? Siegfried utterly defeated the debaters with the glorious sword Balmung. The mighty dwarf Alberich saw this and decided to avenge the death of his masters. He threw on a cloak of invisibility, giving the strength of twelve men, and rushed at Siegfried. The knight tensed up and nevertheless defeated him in a fair duel, then took away the invisibility cloak from Alberich and took possession of the treasures of the Nibelungs.
So Siegfried defeated foreign knights, became the ruler of the land of the Nibelungs and the owner of their treasures. Siegfried ordered to again transfer the treasure to the cave, put the mighty dwarf Alberich to guard it and took an oath from him to continue to be his faithful servant.

In the morning, Gunther and Hagen, with a cheerful look, went to the forest to poison a wild beast. The Burgundians carried a lot of food with them. Without any fear, Siegfried also got ready to go. He went to say goodbye to his wife, Kriemhild's heart was restless. She was afraid to admit to her husband that she had revealed his secret to Hagen. The queen's soul was tormented by heavy forebodings. She told her husband that she had a bad dream and tried to persuade him not to go hunting. Siegfried reassured his wife, promising to return alive and well soon. He said goodbye and hurried after his brother-in-law. Kriemhild never saw him alive again.

Sovereign Gunter took with him the entire color of the country, only Gernot and young Giselher were absent - fun did not go to the minds of the two younger kings. Having learned from those close to him that his son-in-law had arrived, the lord of the Burgundians ordered the hunt to begin. Hagen advised the hunters to split up and hunt one by one, then, they say, we'll see who was the luckiest of all. The king of the Netherlands took with him only a skilled hunter and one hound. Siegfried served as an example for everyone in every business. The game raised by his dog never escaped the well-aimed blow of the knight. He was the first to lay the booty that morning, and all day he was lucky. The hunters even joked that there would be no game left for them. All the heroes shot a lot of the beast, but none of them could compare with the Dutchman. It's time to return to the halt to refresh the forces. Siegfried also hastened to the sound of the horn that called the hunters. On the way he came across a bear. The hero caught him alive, strapped him to the saddle and brought him to the camp. There he set the beast free. The bear made a big commotion at a halt, only Siegfried managed to overtake him in the wilderness and kill him with a sword. The Burgundians were astonished to see such strength and dexterity. Then the owner invited the hunters to the table. On a green meadow, Gunter arranged a feast for the guests. The treat was a success, but, due to malicious intent, no wine was served. Siegfried noticed this and told his brother-in-law. With hypocritical regret, the king answered him that the wine would have to be replaced with something, since through the fault of Hagen the convoy with drink was sent to another place. The cunning vassal confirmed the words of his master and invited the Dutch king to show the way to a stream with icy water. The brave Siegfried was completely exhausted by thirst, so he hastened to take Hagen's advice. The animals that Sigmund's son managed to shoot were ordered to be sent on carts to the capital. Everyone who saw the prey praised the hunter. On the way to the stream, Hagen suggested to Siegfried that they should check which of them would reach the goal faster. He agreed to the contest. Gunther and his vassal ran like two panthers, but the Dutchman still won, although he fled in armor. The valiant husband of Kriemhild was barely alive from thirst, but kindly gave the knight of the Burgundians a drink first. The brave man was badly rewarded for his politeness. As soon as Siegfried leaned towards the spring, Hagen took away his sword and bow, grabbed the hero's spear and aimed at the cross on his clothes. Then the Dutchman scooped up water with his hand, and the vengeful vassal threw a spear at him. It went all the way to the knight's heart, blood from the wound sprayed onto Hagen. As soon as the wounded hero realized what was happening to him, he tried to find his weapon in order to punish the traitor with death. Hagen had never run so fast from anyone in his life. Because of the grievous wound, Siegfried did not find the sword, but managed to throw his shield at the killer. The villain fell off his feet from such a powerful blow, if the Dutchman had a sword, then the traitor would have come to an end. Even before death, the son of Sigmund was powerful. But then he staggered, suddenly weakened, the hero's eyes dimmed, and death put its seal on his forehead. He fell on the grass, but, dying, managed to curse his killers. The brave Siegfried said: “If you repaid my services and loyalty in this way, shame and eternal shame await your whole family. My blood will be on you and your children."

Then hunters ran to him, every honest knight shed tears for the brave hero. The Burgundian king also began to mourn him. But the wounded man said: “What is the use of the culprit of evil to shed tears about his villainy? Feigned grief will not hide shameful deeds. The cruel Hagen said: “Now there is nothing to grieve about. From now on, not a single fighter is dangerous to us. I am glad that I have delivered my king from this proud man." Barely audible, Siegfried said: “Now it’s easy to boast! If I knew about treason, I would have swept you off the face of the earth long ago. But now I have to think only about the fate of my wife and son. If at least a drop of honesty remains in you, king, I beg you to take care of Kriemhild and be her protection and support in everything. After that, the earthly days of the hero came to an end.

When everyone was convinced that he was sleeping forever, they put Siegfried on a gilded shield, and the Burgundians began to think how they could cheat in order to hide Hagen's crime. The nobles decided to say that the Dutchman liked to hunt alone, got lost in the forest and was killed by robbers. Hagen himself volunteered to take the corpse. He wanted the proud Kriemhild to know everything. Siegfried's wife dared to hurt the honor of the Burgundian queen, and the vengeful vassal did not want to spare her.

Based on the retelling of the Nibelungenlied by A. Chanturia

Hero of the Nibelungenlied.

Origin of the legend

Siegfried in the Nibelungenlied

Siegfried is the protagonist of the Nibelungenlied. A prince from the Lower Rhine, the son of the Frankish king Sigmund and a cross, the starting point of the epic personality of Siegfried has not yet been fully clarified. Some wanted to see in it an epic reflection of the memories of the historical prince of the Cherusci Arminius, the winner of Var in the Teutoburg Forest (Gisebrecht, Wigfusson). Most likely, Siegfried, next to Brynhild and Hagen, is the bearer of the central mythical motif of the saga, which was later joined by other, partly historical elements.

The saga is based on a common Indo-European myth (divine or demonic), which is interpreted differently: some see the hero's struggle with opponents as a mythical expression of the change of winter and summer, others - of light and darkness, day and night; hence the identification of Siegfried either with the god Baldr (Lachmann), or with Freyr (W. Müller) or Thor - Donar, the god of thunder; depending on this, Brynhild is understood either as spring, or as the sun, or terrestrial vegetation. There are also scientists (Fischer, Heinzel) who see in the legends about Siegfried the result of a merger of several myths or legends.

The form in which the main motif is preserved in the Nibelungenlied was given to it by the Franks on the Rhine; from here, not earlier than the 6th century, he passed to other Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia, where the Frankish name Sigifrid, which was incomprehensible there, was replaced by the name of Sigurd. In the same place, the legends about his father, Sigmund, and his ancestors, which partly already existed on the mainland, received a rich development. “The saga of Velo the role of Sieglind, the conqueror of the Nibelungs, who took possession of their treasure - the gold of the Rhine, is endowed with all the features of an ideal epic hero. He is noble, brave, courteous. Duty and honor are above all for him. In the "Song" his extraordinary attractiveness and physical strength are repeatedly emphasized.

Still a beardless youth was a bold prince,

And everywhere and everywhere his praise thundered.
He was so lofty in spirit and so handsome in face,
That more than one beauty had to sigh about him.

He was raised well by his parents.
Although nature was generous, he was exacted without that.
Therefore, by right, a young warrior

He was considered an ornament of his native country.

In popular culture

To the cinema

• Nibelungen: Siegfried / Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924; Germany) directed by Fritz Lang, in the role of Siegfried Paul Richter.
• Ring of the Nibelungen (2004), as Benno Fuhrmann.

Literature

• Gurevich A. Ya. Sigurd // Myths of the peoples of the world: Encyclopedia. - M .: Russian Encyclopedia, 1994. - T. 2. - pp. 432-433. - ISBN 5-85270-072-X.
• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing Siegfried

Seven years have passed since the 12th year. The agitated historical sea of ​​Europe has subsided to its shores. It seemed quiet; but the mysterious forces that move mankind (mysterious because the laws governing their movement are unknown to us) continued their action.
Despite the fact that the surface of the historical sea seemed motionless, humanity moved as continuously as the movement of time. Various groups of human clutches were formed and disintegrated; the reasons for the formation and disintegration of states, the movements of peoples were prepared.
The historical sea, unlike before, was directed by gusts from one coast to another: it seethed in the depths. Historical figures, not as before, were carried in waves from one coast to another; now they seemed to circle in one place. Historical figures, who previously at the head of the troops reflected the movement of the masses with the orders of wars, campaigns, battles, now reflected the seething movement with political and diplomatic considerations, laws, treatises ...
Historians call this activity of historical persons reaction.
Describing the activities of these historical figures, who, in their opinion, were the cause of what they call reaction, historians condemn them severely. All the famous people of that time, from Alexander and Napoleon to m me Stael, Photius, Schelling, Fichte, Chateaubriand, etc., are put before their strict judgment and are justified or condemned, according to whether they contributed to progress or reaction.
In Russia, according to their description, a reaction also took place during this period of time, and the main culprit of this reaction was Alexander I - the same Alexander I, who, according to their own descriptions, was the main culprit of the liberal undertakings of his reign and the salvation of Russia.
In real Russian literature, from a schoolboy to a learned historian, there is no person who would not throw his stone at Alexander I for his wrong actions during this period of his reign.
“He should have done this and that. In this case, he did well, in this badly. He behaved well at the beginning of his reign and during the 12th year; but he acted badly, giving a constitution to Poland, creating a Holy Alliance, giving power to Arakcheev, encouraging Golitsyn and mysticism, then encouraging Shishkov and Photius. He did badly, being engaged in the front part of the army; he acted badly, cashiering the Semyonovsky regiment, etc.”
It would be necessary to fill out ten sheets in order to list all the reproaches that historians make to him on the basis of the knowledge of the good of mankind that they possess.
What do these accusations mean?
The very actions for which historians approve of Alexander I - such as: the liberal undertakings of the reign, the struggle with Napoleon, the firmness shown by him in the 12th year, and the campaign of the 13th year, do not follow from the same sources - the conditions of blood , upbringing, life, which made the personality of Alexander what it was - from which those actions follow, for which historians blame him, such as: the Holy Alliance, the restoration of Poland, the reaction of the 20s?
What is the essence of these accusations?
In the fact that such a historical person as Alexander I is, a person who stood at the highest possible level of human power, as if in the focus of the blinding light of all the historical rays concentrating on him; a person who was subject to those strongest influences in the world of intrigue, deceit, flattery, self-delusion, which are inseparable from power; a person who felt on himself, every minute of his life, responsibility for everything that happened in Europe, and a person not invented, but living, like every person, with his personal habits, passions, aspirations for goodness, beauty, truth - that this person , fifty years ago, not only was it not virtuous (historians do not reproach for this), but did not have those views on the good of mankind that a professor now has, who is engaged in science from a young age, that is, reading books, lectures and copying these books and lectures in one notebook.