Written by an unknown author in the twelfth century, this powerful tale of murder and revenge reaches back to the earliest epochs of German antiquity. It transforms centuries-old legend into a masterpiece of chivalric drama. Siegfried, a great prince of the Netherlands, wins the hand of the beautiful princess Kriemhild of Burgundy by aiding her brother Gunther in his struggle to seduce a powerful Icelandic Queen. However, the two women quarrel, and Siegfried is ultimately destroyed by those he trusts the most.

Comparable in scope to the Iliad, this skilfully crafted work combines the fragments of half-forgotten myths to create one of the greatest epic poems. It serves as the principal version of the heroic legends used by Richard Wagner in The Ring.