or "fitts" of the poem, as in the "Gudrun" and other M.H.G.
epics. Among the courtly poets it also frequently denotes
the source, or is the personification of the muse of poetry.
(3) "Kriemhild" is the Upper German form of the Frankish
"Grimhild". In the MSS., the name generally appears with a
further shifting as "Chriemhilt", as if the initial
consonant were Germanic "k". On the various forms of the
name, which have never yet been satisfactorily explained,
see Mullenhoff, ZsfdA. xii, 299, 413; xv, 313; and
Bohnenberger, PB. Beit. xxiv, 221-231.
(4) "Gunther" is the historical "Gundahari", king of the
Burgundians in the fifth century.
(5) "Gernot" was probably introduced by some minstrel in place
of the historical "Godomar", who appears in the Norse
version as "Gutthormr", though the names are not
etymologically the same, as "Godomar" would be "Guthmarr" in
Old Norse.
(6) "Giselher" is the historical "Gislaharius". Although
mentioned by the "Lex Burgundionum" as one of the Burgundian
kings, he does not appear in the early Norse version, or in
other poems dealing with these persons, such as the
"Waltharius", the "Rabenschlacht", the "Rosengarten", etc.,
and was probably introduced at a late date into the saga.
Originally no role was ascribed to him, and not even his
death is told. He probably came from some independent
source.
(7) "Etzel" is the German form for the historical "Attila"
(Norse "Atli"). A discussion of his connection with the
saga will be found in the introduction.
(8) "Worms" is the ancient "Borbetomagus", which in the first