ALBERICH m Ancient Germanic, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
alf "elf" and
ric "ruler, mighty". Alberich was the name of the sorcerer king of the dwarfs in Germanic mythology. He also appears in the
Nibelungenlied as a dwarf who guards the treasure of the Nibelungen.
BRÜNHILD f German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
brun "armour, protection" and
hild "battle". It is cognate with the Old Norse name
Brynhildr (from the elements
bryn and
hildr). In Norse legend
Brynhildr was the queen of the Valkyries who was rescued by the hero
Sigurd. In the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied she was a queen of Iceland and the wife of
Günther. Both of these characters were probably inspired by the eventful life of the 6th-century Frankish queen Brunhilda (of Visigothic birth).
ETZEL m Germanic MythologyForm of
ATTILA used in the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied. In the story Etzel is a fictional version of Attila the Hun.
GÜNTHER m German, Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic name
Gundahar, derived from the elements
gund "war" and
hari "army, warrior". This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen
Brünhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero
Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow
Kriemhild (Günther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.
HAGEN (1) m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic element
hagan meaning
"enclosure". In the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the half-brother of
Günther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
ING m Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic *
Ingwaz, possibly meaning
"ancestor". This was the name of an obscure old Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god
Freyr.
KRIEMHILD f German (Rare), Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
grim "mask" and
hild "battle". Kriemhild was a beautiful heroine in the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied, where she is the sister of
Günther and the wife of
Siegfried. After her husband is killed by
Hagen with the consent of Günther, Kriemhild tragically exacts her revenge.
NERTHUS f Germanic MythologyLatinized form of
Nerþuz, the Germanic (feminine) equivalent of
Njǫrðr (see
NJORD). Nerthus was a Germanic goddess of fertility as described by the Roman historian Tacitus in the 1st century.
SIEGFRIED m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
sigu "victory" and
frid "peace". Siegfried was a hero from Germanic legend, chief character in the
Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king
Günther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen
Brünhild so that Günther might win her hand. In exchange, Günther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister
Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brünhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by
Hagen with Günther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. His adventures were largely based on those of the Norse hero
Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera
The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).
WIELAND m German, Germanic MythologyMeaning uncertain, perhaps a derivative of Germanic
wela meaning
"skilled, artful". In Germanic mythology Wieland (called Völundr in Old Norse) was an unequaled smith and craftsman.