These four sources represent the early introduction of the Siegfried
legend into Skandinavia. A second introduction took place about the
middle of the thirteenth century, at the time of the flourishing of
the Hanseatic League, when the story was introduced together with other
popular German epics. These poems are products of the age of chivalry,
and are characterized by the romantic and courtly features of this
movement. The one which concerns us here, as the fifth source of the
Siegfried story, is the so-called "Thidreksaga", which celebrates
the adventures of the famous legendary hero, Dietrich of Berne,
the historical Theodorich of Ravenna. In as far as it contains the
adventures of the Nibelungs, it is also called the "Niflungasaga". The
"Thidreksaga" was written about 1250 by a Norwegian who, as he himself
tells us, heard the story from Germans in the neighborhood of Bremen
and Munster. Since it is thus based on Saxon traditions, it can be
considered an independent source of the legend, and, in fact, differs
from the earlier Norse versions in many important details. The author
was acquainted, however, with the older versions, and sought to
compromise between them, but mostly followed his German authorities.
The story, as given in the older Norse versions, is in most respects
more original than in the "Nibelungenlied". It relates the history of
the treasure of the Nibelungs, tracing it back to a giant by the name of
"Hreithmar", who received it from the god "Loki" as a compensation for
the killing of the former's son "Otur", whom Loki had slain in the form
of an otter. Loki obtained the ransom from a dwarf named "Andwari",
who in turn had stolen it from the river gods of the Rhine. Andwari
pronounces a terrible curse upon the treasure and its possessors, and
this curse passes from Loki to the Giant Hreithmar, who is murdered when
asleep by his two sons "Fafnir" and "Regin". The latter, however, is
cheated out of the coveted prize by Fafnir, who carries it away to the
"Gnita" heath, where he guards it in the form of a dragon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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