Who is hagen in nibelungenlied

It is there that he can be wounded, and this is why I am so anxious. Then — and he had cause - he rebuked those who had plotted his foul murder. I was always loyal to you, but now I have paid for it. Alas, you have wronged your kinsmen so that all who are born in days to come will be dishonoured by your deed. You have cooled your anger on me beyond all measure. You will be held in contempt and stand apart from all good warriors.

Now learn of a deed of overweening pride and grisly vengeance. They pealed the bells as usual at the minster, and lovely Kriemhild waked her many maids and asked for a light and her attire.

From the moment she. Now that Kriemhild had possession of the hoard she lured many foreign warriors to Burgundy, and indeed her fair hand lavished gifts with such bounty that the like has never been seen […] Hagen declared that were she to live for any time she would recruit so many men that matters would go ill with the Burgundians.

The priest made great efforts to keep himself afloat, thinking to save his life if only someone would help him. This, however, was ruled out, for mighty Hagen vehemently thrust him to the bottom, to the scandal of everyone there. Seeing no aid forthcoming, the miserable cleric turned back to the shore to his great discomfort, and although he could not swim he was succoured by the hand of the Lord and reached dry land in safety.

Standing up, he shook his cassock, and this brought it home to Hagen that there would be no escaping the fate which the wild nixies had foretold. Someone must have warned them! If I knew who it was he would surely die! And now indeed the bright morning sent its rays into the hall to light the guests, while Hagen roused the knights everywhere, asking whether they wished to go to mass in the cathedral, for there was a great pealing of bells in keeping with the Christian rite.

But Christians and heathen sang mass differently, as was very evident — they were at variance in this. Leaving Bloedelin resolved on battle, the Queen went to table with King Etzel and his men. She had laid a deadly plot against their guests. How could a woman ever do a more dreadful thing in pursuance of her. My fair lover was wearing it when last I saw him, through whom I suffered mortal sorrow at your hands. She raised it in both hands - and struck off his head! King Etzel saw this, and great was the grief it gave him.

The Nibelungenlied. Plot Summary. Barbarism Honor vs. All Symbols Clothes Dawn. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play.

Sign Up. Already have an account? Sign in. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Literature Poetry Lit Terms Shakescleare. Download this LitChart! Teachers and parents! Struggling with distance learning? Our Teacher Edition on The Nibelungenlied can help. Themes All Themes. Symbols All Symbols. Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive.

Hagen is a vassal of the Burgundian kings Gunther , Gernot , and Giselher. He is known as a particularly fearsome warrior. He is also calculating and acquisitive, always looking for ways to accumulate power and wealth, whatever the cost.

Hagen crafts an elaborate scheme which culminates in him stabbing Siegfried in the back during a hunting trip. When the festival becomes a massacre, Hagen survives to the last, then is finally slain by Kriemhild herself.

For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:. Chapter 7 Quotes. Related Characters: Hagen speaker , Gunther , Brunhild. Related Symbols: Clothes. Related Themes: Idealized and Deviant Womanhood. Page Number and Citation : 65 Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. Chapter 14 Quotes. Related Themes: Honor vs. Page Number and Citation : Cite this Quote. Chapter 15 Quotes. Related Characters: Kriemhild speaker , Hagen speaker , Siegfried.

Related Themes: Civilization vs. Chapter 16 Quotes. Chapter 17 Quotes. Related Characters: Kriemhild , Siegfried , Hagen. Related Symbols: Dawn. Chapter 19 Quotes. Related Characters: Hagen speaker , Kriemhild , Gunther. Chapter 25 Quotes. Chapter 28 Quotes. Related Characters: Kriemhild speaker , Dietrich speaker , Hagen. Chapter 31 Quotes. Related Characters: Gunther , Hagen. Related Symbols: Clothes , Dawn.

How could a woman ever do a more dreadful thing in pursuance of her revenge? Chapter 39 Quotes. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Chapter 1. Chapter 3. Though Hagen has never seen him before, he guesses that the unfamiliar knight is Siegfried, slayer of Hagen further relates that Siegfried once slew a dragon and bathed in its blood, which caused Chapter 4. Gunther should choose to negotiate with them. Gunther summons his men to court for advice.

Hagen suggests asking Siegfried for help. Gunther continues to brood over the matter, and when Siegfried Chapter 6. So Siegfried performs the necessary feats, using his trick of invisibility to make Gunther seem the athletic hero. Brunhild accepts Gunther as her husband. After the double marriage has taken place, the deception is discovered by Brunhild. A follower of Gunther's, the evil Hagen, uses the occasion to murder Siegfried - presenting it as an act of vengeance.

Siegfried is given a magnificent funeral. Hagen, to prevent Kriemhild receiving Siegfried's treasure, sinks the gold in the Rhine. The second half of the poem in which Brunhild plays no further part concentrates on another process of retaliation - Kriemhild's attempts to avenge the murder of her husband Siegfried.

She achieves this by getting her brothers and Hagen invited to the court of Etzel, king of the Huns. Away from the safety of Burgundy, the brothers are killed. Kriemhild herself slays a captive Hagen when he refuses to tell her the whereabouts of Siegfried's treasure - after which she, the last of the Burgundians, is herself slain.

The central theme of this dark story echoes a disaster of, when the Huns in alliance with the Romans take Worms and destroy the royal family.