Brunhild

Family: Isenland · Role: queen · First appears: Adventure VI · How Gunther Fared To Isenland for Brunhild · Part 1

In Adventure VI, Gunther declared that he would risk his life to win Brunhild. In Adventure VII, she refused to become Siegfried’s wife and made becoming Gunther’s wife conditional on his winning her games, threatening death if he lost. She granted Gunther power in her land and ordered her kinsmen and liegemen to submit to him, but said her people must first be told. In Adventure VIII, she entrusted her lands and castles to her mother’s brother until Gunther ruled there, then left her fatherland with Gunther and his company, never to return.

In Adventure X, Gunther led Brunhild by the hand at Worms, where she was welcomed by Uta and Kriemhild and wore the crown in his domain. She refused to lie with Gunther until he explained why Kriemhild was Siegfried’s bride; that night she bound and hung him, but after the explanation she gave over her resistance and became his wife. In Adventure XI, she bore a son, Siegfried (son of Gunther), named for Siegfried. In Adventure XII, she persuaded Gunther to invite Siegfried and Kriemhild to the Rhine.

In Adventure XIII, Brunhild said she had good cause to be Kriemhild’s friend, but later their affection turned to hatred. In Adventure XIV, they quarrelled over whether Siegfried was Gunther’s vassal: Siegfried had declared Gunther his liege lord, and Brunhild held that he was Gunther’s man. Kriemhild then used Brunhild’s ring and girdle to accuse her publicly, saying Siegfried had taken her maidenhood. Brunhild complained to Gunther. In Adventure XVI, the poet foretold that Siegfried would later lose his life at a spring, as Brunhild had counselled. After his death, Kriemhild accused Brunhild of counselling the murder and Hagen of carrying it out; in Adventure XVII, Hagen had avenged Brunhild’s wrath by murdering Siegfried.