ABSTRACT

The Nibelungenlied, an early thirteenth century Germanic saga, based on Nordic myths related to the Edda with the hero Siegfried at its centre, contrasts sublime values of chivalry, honesty, loyalty and friendship with their opposites, which includes treachery, murder and slaughter. During the years leading up to the First World War and throughout the Nazi dictatorship, the text was used to glorify heroism, embracing death and voluntary sacrifice for the sake of honour and nationalist ideas. The most atrocious cruelty was distorted and turned into actions of sublime morality. The author suggests that the Nibelungenlied is dominated by an archetypal male value system, which neglects and denigrates the feminine. Following C.G. Jung’s concept of animus and anima, anima values, such as true relating, compassion, human warmth, fear and grief, are neglected and denigrated. This is illustrated in the disparagement of the central female figures of the saga. The chapter ends with a reflection on neglected anima values in today’s politics.