Feinberg/Whitman  Notes and Notebooks  Notebooks  Undated  The Nibelungen Leid   (DCN 127)
Box 38  Folder 8

The Nibelungen Leid [sic]; a study and synopsis.
A.MS. (7p. 20 x 13 cm.)
The pages were tied together with red ribbon by Walt Whitman to form a
booklet.
Manuscript title page: The Nibelungen Leid: Nebelungen-Nibel is Fog,
ungen-land;  Leid [sic] - song- lay-poem; real author unknown-arranged
12th century-(or perhaps first half 13th century).  See pp. 195-200
-Fauriel". (no.  ,) The first page is an explanation of the motive idea
of the epic which is "A woman's revenge which after slumbering for twenty
years at last breaks out & satiates itself in a scene of slaughter .  .  . "  Followed
by a synopsis in five short MS. pages, including descriptions of some
of the characters in the epic.  {127}

The
Nibelungen
Leid
Nibelungen Nibel ie fog
ungen-land
Leid} song-lay-poem
real author unknown
arranged 12th century
(or perhaps first half 13th
century)
see pp 195-220 Fauriel

The [active] motive idea of
the epic is revenge
a woman's revenge
which after
slumber for twenty
years [only to] at last breaks
& [op??] satiates itself
out in a scene of
[blood &] slaughter
[to end] to [be] [that] culmination 
& end
worthy, this powerful
chart of action,
[quarrel] strife [annihilation],
jealousy, [revenge] bitterness,
smouldering hatred,
strong animal emulation
& passion & wholesale
angry war fighting (Likeness to
Iliad, also a  poem of
moodiness and revenge
cup producing invisibility

contains good verses (I suppose 
lines)
The Story
toward middle of 5th
century existed kingdom of
Burgundia, along the Middle
Rhine - capital Worms (pr. Vurons)
King Gunther, with two
younger brothers Gernot &
Giselher - a great Chief &
vassel Hagen- 
-Sister of the King &c-
Chrimhil (the motive personage- 
the pivotal person 
of the story)
then another Kingdom
Niderland, or [of] the Lower country
King Sigmund - the son
Sigfried - he (Sigfried the epical 
hero of those thing) 
had conquered the
treasures of the Nibelungen
-& buried them in a cavern
-had a wondrous sword & a
cup producing invisibility

Siegfried seeks Chrimhild
-goes to Gunther's court
does him varies services
-wins for him Brunhild
a famous Amason & queen
[G? his invisibility ??]
- wins her virginity, (a
curious passage to modern
notions, but [the] a pivotal
part of the plot of
the poem.) -
Siegfried marries
Chrimhild - the
jealousy &c of the imperious
Brunhild
- Siegfried is treacherously
assassinated
by Hagen to satisfy Brunhild

Chrimhild remains
at Worms,very rich
from the Nibelunger
treasures - but
Hagen machinates
& steals them from
her - time passes
-13 years elapses
from the assassination 
of Siegfried -
-Now appears in
the poem Attila King
of the Huns, suing for
Chrimhild to be his wife
-also Rudiger
Margrave of Bechlare on the
Danube the Kings his representative
'& spokesman

Chrimhild  refuses once
& again  -  but at last
consents to Mary King
Attila [under a] in the
expectations of their winn'g
vengeance  -  She married 
Attila, is received  at
Vienna goes to her new
kingdom  -  seven years
pass away -  Still,  still, harp'g
on her wrongs  -  she
plans an invitation
for her brothers, Hagen
&c to come to make a
visit to Attila's court
- They are invited &
accept  -  (The adventure 
with the sirens on the

banks of the Danube
-the priest thrown
overboard-
Volken, 
a Burgundian warrior &
minstrel, with Guntha
[*Huns*]
Rudiger, of the Huns
receives them, feasts them
&c in his city Bechlure
Dietrich of Verona
Hildebrand his servant
& warrior
Ortliebe boy, the son of
Attila & Chrimhilde

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.