Siegfried the dragon-slayer, Lord of the Nibelungs and prince of Xanten on the Lower Rhine, is the most glorious of heroes. He knows no fear, is virtually invincible, yet innocent to the point of naivety. The song tells of Siegfried, who is said to have used his sword to take the Nibelungs' treasure before wresting the invisible cloak from Alberich the dwarf, slaying a dragon and bathing in its blood, which made him invincible. He comes to Worms where he woos Kriemhild, the sister of the Burgundian kings Gunther, Gernot and Giselher, and finally wins her hand after defeating the mighty Brunhild - Queen of Iceland - using his invisible cloak and helping Gunther to win her hand in marriage. When Brunhild realises she has been deceived, she orders Gunther's henchman Hagen von Tronje to murder Siegfried while hunting in Odenwald forest by driving a spear into a spot on the back of his neck which she has discovered is the hero's only vulnerable spot. Kriemhild, who has not only had her husband murdered by Hagen but has also had her Nibelung treasure stolen and sunk in the Rhine, marries Attila, King of the Huns and invites the Burgundians to what they think is a reconciliation gathering at his court. There, they are all killed in a bloody battle in the hall. Kriemhild has her brother Gunther killed before beheading Hagen with Siegfried's sword. Full of anger at the fact that such a hero has been killed by a woman, old Hildebrand, Dietrich von Bern's armourer, executes her.
The Kingdom of Burgundy around Worms was taken by the Huns in the fifth century. In Worms there is a monument to this great work, depicting Hagen von Tronje, the strongest Burgundian knight and Siegfried's murderer, sinking the Nibelung's treasure in the Rhine. But exactly where the treasure was sunk remains a mystery to this day. The Nibelung saga has been adapted many times and is still used as the subject of captivating theatre and film productions. However, there really is nothing to compare with a visit to the actual world of the Nibelung saga to discover the secrets of the story for yourself. A number of sculptures - all created by the same artist - depicting the characters from the Nibelung saga can be found at various locations along the Nibelung-Siegfried Route.