The Nibelungenlied
This is the German national epic — a story of love, betrayal, and catastrophic revenge that Wagner turned into the Ring cycle.
“In the midst of their joy, sorrow came to them, as in the end it always must.”
Why It Matters
This is the German national epic — a story of love, betrayal, and catastrophic revenge that Wagner turned into the Ring cycle. Its bleak view of honor and loyalty leading to total destruction makes it one of the darkest heroic poems in any language. It shaped German cultural identity for centuries and remains the foundation of Germanic literary mythology.
The 
Take
Personal reviewPretty great medieval epic but not as good as Beowulf. All the scheming and the ladies hating each other and the honor and stuff was pretty cool though. Also killing off who seemed like the main character is pretty wild
Notable Quotes
“We must all go the way that is appointed for us.”