What is it about?
The Migration Period (c. 375–568 AD) left its mark on most of the Germanic heroic poems: Three medieval empires – Burgundy, Hunland, and Lombardy – are involved in struggles for power, reputation, and vengeance. But the poems were also influenced by contemporary political conditions – particularly by the presence of the Holy Roman Empire as a great power in Europe. The ›Klage‹, a sequel to the ›Nibelungenlied‹, presents not only ancient kings like Etzel and Dietrich but also the Roman-German emperor. This examination looks for parallels between the ›Klage‹ and related poems like ›Nibelungenlied‹ and ›Biterolf und Dietleib‹ dealing with a medieval empire.
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Why is it important?
The Nibelungs were also called Burgundians and Rhine-Franks. This examination shows that the ›Nibelungenlied‹ is influenced by the concept of the Holy Roman Empire.
Perspectives
›Nibelunge - Burgonde - Rinfranken‹ should be a impetus for further research activities about the connections between MHG literature and historical reality.
Walter Kofler
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This page is a summary of: Nibelunge – Burgonde – Rinfranken, Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur (PBB), December 2019, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/bgsl-2019-0032.
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