r remorse.

It resembles the older "Spielmannsdichtung", or minstrel poetry, in the
terseness and vigor of its language and in the lack of poetic imagery,
but it is free from the coarseness and vulgar and grotesque humor of the
latter. It approaches the courtly epic in its introduction of the pomp
of courtly ceremonial, but this veneer of chivalry is very thin, and
beneath the outward polish of form the heart beats as passionately and
wildly as in the days of Herman, the Cheruscan chief. There are perhaps
greater poems in literature than the "Nibelungenlied", but few so
majestic in conception, so sublime in their tragedy, so simple in their
execution, and so national in their character, as this great popular
epic of German literature.

ENDNOTES:
(1) A is a parchment MS. of the second half of the thirteenth
century, now found in Munich. It forms the basis of
Lachmann's edition. It is a parchment MS. of the middle of
the thirteenth century, belonging to the monastery of St.
Gall. It has been edited by Bartsch, "Deutsche Klassiker
des Mittelalters", vol. 3, and by Piper, "Deutsche National-
Literatur", vol. 6. C is a parchment MS., of the thirteenth
century, now in the ducal library of Donauesehingen. It is
the best written of all the MSS., and has been edited by
Zarncke.
(2) The "Thidreksaga" differs from the other Norse versions in
having "Sigfrod", as he is called here, brought up in
ignorance of his parents, a trait which was probably
borrowed from the widespread "Genoveva" story, although
thought by some to have been an original feature of our
legend.
(3) The "Thidreksaga", which has forgotten the enmity of the
brothers, and calls Sigurd's tutor "Mimr", tells the episode
in somewhat different fashion. The brothers plan to kill
Sigurd, and the latter is attacked by the dragon, while
burning charcoal in the forest. After killing the monster
with a firebrand, Sigurd bathes himself in the blood and
thus become covered with a horny skin, which renders him
invulnerable, save in one place between the shoulder blades,
which he could not reach. This bathing in the blood is also
related in the Seyfrid ballad and in the "Nibelungenlied",
with the difference, that the vulnerable spot is caused by a
linden leaf falling upon him.
(