Nibelungenlied

Siegfried wishes to return to the Netherlands, but Kriemhild insists that they wait for her brothers to gift them land. Gunther, Gernot, and Giselher swear allegiance to Siegfried and tell him that they plan to share “the lands and castles that are [their] sovereign possession” (95). Siegfried declines the offer and says that Kriemhild can forgo her inheritance. Kriemhild is willing to do so, but requests that her brothers give her Burgundian knights, and Gernot lends her 1,000. She wishes to bring Hagen to serve her in the Netherlands, but he refuses to leave Gunther.

Siegfried and his company depart and send messengers to tell Siegmund and Sieglind of his marriage. Siegmund’s vassals ride out to greet Siegfried while Sieglind and her company ride out to meet Kriemhild. Soon, Siegfried and Kriemhild are crowned, and Siegmund passes his kingdom on to his son.

Siegfried rules for a decade, and he and Kriemhild have a child named Gunther. When Sieglind dies, Kriemhild inherits her power and influence. Meanwhile, Gunther and Brunhild have a son named Siegfried.