Gunther

Also known as: King Gunther / Lord Gunther / king Gunther · Family: Burgundians · Role: king · First appears: Adventure I

In Adventure I, Gunther inherited the Burgundian lands with his brothers Gernot and Giselher after their father Dankrat died; their mother was Uta, and their sister was Kriemhild. His liegemen included Hagen, Dankwart, Ortwin, Gere, Eckewart, Folker, Sindolt and Hunolt. In Adventure IV, when Liudeger and Liudegast threatened his land, Siegfried pledged to defend it and took charge of the campaign while Gunther stayed at home. After the fighting, Gunther welcomed the captives, agreed to free them on surety, and asked Siegfried to stay when he sought leave.

In Adventure VI, Gunther set out to woo Brunhild, asking Siegfried for help and promising him Kriemhild in marriage if Brunhild came to the Rhine. At Isenstein in Adventure VII, Siegfried secretly helped him win Brunhild’s contests. Siegfried declared that Gunther was his master and he Gunther’s man; Brunhild believed this, while Kriemhild later denied it. In Adventure VIII, Brunhild left her homeland with Gunther, and in Adventure X she became his wife after Siegfried secretly helped him overcome her resistance. Gunther kept his promise to Siegfried, giving him Kriemhild as wife. Brunhild bore Siegfried (son of Gunther) in Adventure XI.

In Adventure XII, at Brunhild’s urging, Gunther invited Siegfried and Kriemhild to visit. During the queens’ quarrel in Adventure XIV, Gunther heard Brunhild’s accusation against Siegfried, accepted Siegfried’s offered oath, and said he had been faithful; nevertheless, he followed Hagen’s plan to bring about Siegfried’s death. When Kriemhild accused them in Adventure XVII, Gunther denied that Hagen had killed Siegfried. After years of estrangement, Kriemhild agreed to greet him in Adventure XIX. In Adventure XX, Gunther and his brothers agreed to allow her to marry Etzel if she wished.

In Adventure XXIV, Gunther accepted Etzel’s invitation and Hagen’s counsel to travel armed. At Bechelaren in Adventure XXVII, Rudeger welcomed the Burgundians and gave Gunther a coat of mail. In Adventure XXXIII, Gunther ordered the fighting to stop and granted Rudeger safe passage for his men. But when Rudeger later declared he must fight them, Gunther and Gernot engaged him. In Adventure XXXVI, Gunther told Etzel, “I came to thee in trust, I weened thou wast my friend.” In Adventure XXXIX, Dietrich overcame and bound him, then delivered him to Kriemhild; she later killed Gunther and showed his head to Hagen.