totally changed. Instead of being the avenger of her brothers,
as depicted in the Norse versions, she herself becomes the cause
of their destruction. Etzel is not only innocent of any desire
to harm the Nibelungs, but is even ignorant of the revenge
planned by his wife. This change in her role was probably due to
the feeling that it was incumbent upon her to avenge the murder
of Siegfried.

Our "Nibelungenlied" knows but little of the adventures of
Siegfried's youth as depicted in the Norse versions. The theme
of the poem is no longer the love of Sigurd, the homeless
wanderer, for the majestic Valkyrie Brunhild, but the love idyll
of Siegfried, the son of the king of the Netherlands, and the
dainty Burgundian princess Kriemhild. The poem has forgotten
Siegfried's connection with Brunhild; it knows nothing of his
penetrating the wall of flames to awake and rescue her, nothing
of the betrothal of the two. In our poem Siegfried is carefully
reared at his father's court in the Netherlands, and sets out
with great pomp for the court of the Burgundians. In the Norse
version he naturally remains at Gunther's court after his
marriage, but in our poem he returns to the Netherlands with his
bride. This necessitates the introduction of several new scenes
to depict his arrival home, the invitation to the feast at Worms,
and the reception of the guests on the part of the Burgundians.

In the "Nibelungenlied" the athletic sports, as an obstacle to
the winning of Brunhild, take the place of the wall of flames of
the older Norse versions. Siegfried and Gunther no longer change
forms, but Siegfried dons the "Tarnkappe", which renders him
invisible, so that while Gunther makes the motions, Siegfried