The Nibelungenlied

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. Siegfried, prince of the Netherlands, wins the hand of princess Kriemhild of Burgundy but is ultimately destroyed by those he trusts most.

A story of guile, treachery, loyalty and desperate courage

This great German epic poem of murder and revenge recounts with particular strength and directness the progress of Siegfried''s love for the peerless Kriemhild, the wedding of Gunther - her brother - and Brunhild, the quarrel between the two queens, Hagen''s treacherous murder of Siegfried, and Kriemhild''s eventual triumph.

Composed nearly eight hundred years ago by an unnamed poet, the Nibelungenlied is the principal literary expression of those heroic legends of which Richard Wagner made such free use in The Ring. A. T. Hatto''s translation transforms an old text into a story as readable and exciting as Homer''s Iliad.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.