(2) "Siegelind" (M.H.G. "Sigelint") is the correct name of
Siegfried's mother, as the alliteration shows. The Early
Norse version has "Hjordis", which has come from the "Helgi
saga".
(3) "Xanten" (M.H.G. "Santen" from the Latin "ad sanctos") is at
present a town in the Rhenish Prussian district of
Dusseldorf. It does not now lie on the Rhine, but did in
the Middle Ages.
(4) "Sword-thanes" (M.H.G. "swertdegene") were the young squires
who were to be made knights. It was the custom for a
youthful prince to receive the accolade with a number of
others.
(5) "Midsummer festival". The M.H.G. "sunewende" means
literally the 'sun's turning', i.e., the summer solstice.
This was one of the great Germanic festivals, which the
church later turned into St. John's Eve. The bonfires still
burnt in Germany on this day are survivals of the old
heathen custom.
(6) "Hurtling" translates here M.H.G. "buhurt", a word borrowed
from the French to denote a knightly sport in which many
knights clashed together. Hurtling was used in older
English in the same significance.
(7) "Palace" (M.H.G. "palas", Lat. "palatium") is a large
building standing alone and largely used as a reception
hall.
(8) "Truncheons" (M.H.G. "trunzune", O.F. "troncon", 'lance
splinters', 'fragments of spears'.
(9) "To-shivered", 'broken to pieces', in imitation of the older
English to-beat, to-break, etc.
(10) "Spangles" (M.H.G. "spangen"), strips of metal radiating