The Nibelungenlied: The Lay of the Nibelungs (Oxford World's Classics)

'In ancient tales many marvels are told us... now you may hear such marvels told!'The greatest of the heroic epics to emerge from medieval Germany, the Nibelungenlied is a revenge saga of sweeping dimensions. It tells of the dragon-slayer Sivrit, and the mysterious kingdom of the Nibelungs with its priceless treasure-hoard guarded by dwarves and giants, of Prünhilt the Amazonian queen, fortune-telling water-sprites and a cloak of invisibility. Driven by the conflict between Kriemhilt, the innocent maiden turned she-devil, and her antagonist, the stoic, indomitable Hagen, the story is one of human tragedy, of love, jealousy, murder, and revenge, ending in slaughter on a horrific scale. The work of an anonymous poet of c.1200, since its rediscovery in the eighteenth century the Nibelungenlied has come to be regarded as the national epic of the Germans. It has inspired countless reworkings and adaptations, including two masterpieces: Fritz Lang's two-part film, and Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. This is the first prose translation for over forty years: accurate and compelling, it is accompanied by a wealth of useful background information. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. The greatest of the heroic epics to emerge from medieval Germany, the Nibelungenlied is a revenge saga of sweeping dimensions. It tells of the dragon-slayer Sivrit, the mysterious kingdom of the Nibelungs, a priceless treasure guarded by dwarves and giants, an Amazonian queen, fortune-telling water-sprites, and a cloak of invisibility. Driven by the conflict between Kriemhilt, the innocent maiden turned she-devil, and her antagonist, the stoic, indomitable Hagen, the story is one of love, jealousy, murder, and revenge, ending in slaughter on a horrific scale. Since its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, the Nibelungenlied has come to be regarded as the national epic of the Germans, and has inspired countless adaptations, including Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. Cyril Edwards' prose translation, the first in forty years, is more accurate and accessible and captures the poem's epic qualities. Edwards also provides an introduction that discusses the poem's historical background and its status as German national epic. The volume includes an up-to-date bibliography, invaluable notes, a map, and a list of people and places. - Publisher. The Nibelungenlied is the greatest medieval German heroic poem, a revenge saga on an epic scale, which tells how dragon-slayer Sivrit acquires the priceless hoard of the dwarvish Nibelungs, and of the tragic conflict between Kriemhilt and Hagen. This is the first prose translation for over forty years, with full introductory materials. Introduction Note on the text and translation Select bibliography Chronology The Nibelungenlied Appendix I : History and legend Appendix II : The Nordic sources and the problem of genesis Appendix III : The metre of the Nibelungenlied Explanatory notes Glossary of people and places A map of the Nibelungenlied Translated With An Introduction And Notes By Cyril Edwards. Written Down By An Anonymous Poet C.1200. Includes Bibliographical References.