a) Names in "Das Nibelungenlied"
Siegfried
der Sieg n. = victory in German
der Frieden n. = peace in German
Sieglind
der Sieg n. =see above
lindern v. = to ease, alleviate
lind adj. = mhg. soft, tender
but: die Linde n. =linden tree (the leave of a linden tree is responsible for Siegfried's vulnerability)
Siegmund
der Sieg n. = see above
der Mund n. = mouth
What is really interesting about the names of especially Siegfried's family is that his mother and his father as well have the German word for victory in their name. This word connects them as a family.
b) Die Nibelungentreue
This is a German noun that is used to express unconditional loyalty which is potentially fatal. When Kriemhild asks her brothers to give her Hagen who she blames for Siegfried's death, the kings refuse to do so because they have to remain faithful to Hagen because of the medieval honor code. This leads to their downfall. The expression "Nibelungentreue" has been in use since the early 20th century. It also was propagated by the Nazis since they demanded unconditional loyalty from their soldiers. Once again, the epic had been misused by them which is why the expression has a particularly negative connotation nowadays.
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