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Sigurd & Siegfried - Two Names, One Legend: How Siegfried from the Nibelungenlied really differs from Sigurd from the Norse Edda
Paperback
Series: Norse Myths & Legends
Literary CriticismMythology & FolkloreScandinavian History
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 7 2026
Pages: 118
Weight: 0.37
Height: 0.25 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Two names. Two traditions. One dragon slayer whose tragic legend helped shape Western fantasy.
Was Siegfried, the invulnerable prince of the Nibelungenlied, the same hero as Sigurd, the dragon slayer of the Völsunga Saga? Their stories share dragons, cursed treasure, Valkyries, royal deception, broken vows, and catastrophic revenge-yet they belong to profoundly different mythological worlds.
Sigurd & Siegfried - Two Names, One Legend is an accessible comparative journey through Norse mythology, Germanic legend, medieval history, and epic literature. Beginning with the destruction of the Burgundian kingdom in 436, Einar Thoresen explores how a real Migration Period catastrophe was transformed through centuries of oral storytelling into one of Europe's greatest heroic legends.
In the German Nibelungenlied, Siegfried is a prince of Xanten whose strength comes from dragon's blood, the sword Balmung, the Nibelung hoard, and a magical Cloak of Invisibility. His pursuit of honor and love draws him into the dangerous court of Worms, where wounded pride and political betrayal place his one vulnerable spot in mortal danger.
In the Icelandic Völsunga Saga and Poetic Edda, Sigurd is a descendant of Odin and heir to the divine sword Gram. After killing the dragon Fáfnir, he understands the language of birds, awakens the Valkyrie Brünhild, and learns the power of runes. But prophecy, sorcery, a potion of forgetfulness, and irreconcilable oaths carry him toward an equally tragic fate.
Inside, you will discover:
The historical fall of the Burgundians behind the Nibelung legend
The essential differences between Sigurd and Siegfried
How Fáfnir, the Nibelung hoard, and Andvari's cursed ring entered the story
Why Brünhild appears as both a Valkyrie and a superhuman queen
How Kriemhild and Gudrún transform grief into devastating revenge
The contrasting roles of Odin, fate, magic, honor, and courtly politics
How Wagner's Ring Cycle reimagined the ancient sources
The legend's influence on Tolkien, fantasy literature, film, anime, comics, and video games
Written for mythology enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike, this comparative guide illuminates the human passions beneath the legend: love and jealousy, loyalty and betrayal, greed and vengeance, strength and vulnerability, fate and free will.
Enter the world of Sigurd and Siegfried-and discover why the dragon slayer's shadow still stretches across modern culture.
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