Dankrat and Ute, King and Queen of Burgundy, were the fortunate parents of four children:  three sons, Gunther, Gernot, and Giselher; and one beautiful daughter, Kriemhild.  When the king died, his eldest son, Gunther, succeeded him, and reigned wisely and well, residing at Worms on the Rhine, his capital and favorite city.

[Sidenote:  Kriemhild’s dream.] As was customary in those days, Kriemhild lived a peaceful and secluded life, rarely leaving her mother’s palace and protection.  But one night her slumbers, which were usually very peaceful, were disturbed by a tormenting dream, which, upon awaking, she hastened to confide to her mother, thinking that, as Ute was skilled in magic and dreams, she might give a favorable interpretation and thus rid her of her haunting fears.

    “A dream was dreamt by Kriemhild, the virtuous and the gay,
    How a wild young falcon she train’d for many a day,
    Till two fierce eagles tore it.”
                                   Nibelungenlied (Lettsom’s tr.).

Ute declared that the falcon her daughter had seen in her dream must be some noble prince, whom she would love and marry; while the two eagles were base murderers, who would eventually slay her beloved.  Instead of reassuring Kriemhild, this interpretation only saddened her the more, and made her loudly protest that she would rather forego all the joys of married estate than have to mourn for a beloved husband.

[Sidenote:  Siegfried’s home.] In those days there flourished farther down the Rhine the kingdom of the Netherlands, governed by Siegmund and Siegelind.  They were very proud of their only son and heir, young Siegfried, who had already reached man’s estate.  To celebrate his knighthood a great tournament was held at Xanten on the Rhine, and in the jousting the young prince won all the laurels, although great and tried warriors matched their skill against his in the lists.

The festivities continued for seven whole days, and when the guests departed they were all heavily laden with the costly gifts which the king and queen had lavished upon them.

    “The gorgeous feast it lasted till the seventh day was o’er. 
    Siegelind, the wealthy, did as they did of yore;
    She won for valiant Siegfried the hearts of young and old,
    When for his sake among them she shower’d the ruddy gold.

    “You scarce could find one needy in all the minstrel band;
    Horses and robes were scatter’d with ever-open hand. 
    They gave as though they had not another day to live;
    None were to take so ready as they inclin’d to give.”
          
                              Nibelungenlied (Lettsom’s tr.).

After the departure of all these guests, young Siegfried sought his parents’ presence, told them that he had heard rumors of the beauty and attractions of Kriemhild of Burgundy, and declared his wish to journey thither to secure her as his wife.