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The Nibelungenlied (Song of the Nibelungs) is a German epiclong poem about legendary or historical heroes, written in a grand style poem of the Middle Ages. Based on old Norsereferring to the people and culture of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland legends, it tells the story of Siegfried (Sigurd), a German prince. The Nibelungs of the poem's title were originally evil dwarfs who had a magical but cursed treasure of gold. In time, people who possessed the gold were also identified as Nibelungs.

Tales of the Nibelungs. The dwarfs known as the Nibelungs lived in Nibelheim, an underground land of darkness or mist. Many stories about their treasure appear in Norse and Germanic mythology. The Nibelungenlied, written in about A.D. 1200 by an unknown Austrian, combines a...