Comparing Beowulf And The Song Of The Nibelungs

The epic of Beowulf is thought to be the oldest example of English literature. It was written between 975 and 1025 but it cannot be accredited to any particular author. This lack of author provides some very interesting arguments as to why the epic is written in two parts. The first part tells the story of how Beowulf came to be the hero, and the battles he fought with Grendel and his mother. The second part, takes place 50 years later, and tells the story of Beowulf fighting and slaying a dragon. Because of the large gap in time, and the noticeable difference in hand writing in the manuscript, as spoken about by many scholars, the epic is said to have two authors which could have attributed to the difference in the quality and quantity within
The story begins by introducing Kriemhild, a Burgundian princess of Worms, and Siegfried, a prince from the lower Rhine region. Kriemhild has three brothers, Gunther, Gernot, and Giselher, but the first brother is the only one who is more important throughout the story. Gunther’s actions and desires propel the story as much as Kriemhild's do, and he is often spurred to action by the advice and forethought of his vassal Hagen. At the beginning, the kingdom of Worms has passed to Kriemhild's three brothers, because of her father's age, which made it difficult to reign, and Kriemhild chose to never get married. Siegfried comes to Worms and meets Gunther and Hagen. Siegfried is recognized as a great warrior and because of his accomplishments Gunther wants Siegfried to join him on a journey. However, Siegfried wants to be able to marry Kriemhild as payment. On this journey Siegfried was supposed to help Gunther marry the queen of Iceland, Brunhild. Brunhild does not trust Gunther and therefore does not consummate the marriage. Siegfried then sneaks into their bedroom the next night using an invisibility cloak and forces her into having sex with Gunther. During a dinner party after some time, Brunhild learns that Siegfried had a hand in this violation. This creates a lot of tension between the two couples. Siegfried has one spot that is a sort of Achilles heel, in the middle of his back. Brunhild sets out to find this spot and kill him, with the help of Hagen. Gunther turns his back on his friend and Siegfried is eventually defeated. Kriemhild vows to avenge her husband, but Hagen makes her plan