Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-12-17
1.-THE NIBBELUNaEN LIED"
The second Lecture i'm the college
Course Delivered by Prof. II. ~. Rich
nrdson of Amherst College.

Course Delivered by Prof. n. ~, Hich-
nrdson Of Amherst College.
The second lecture in the "College"
course was delivered, Tuesday evening be-
fore an audience surprisingly large con-
sidcring the stormy weather, upon the ia
nous German poem. The treatment of
the subject consisted mainly of a para
phrase of the Song" itself, in its modern.
that is to say, thirteenth century form
time permitting but slight reference to the
interesting subject of background and orr
| gin. The author was declared to be I'M
known, but some man of poetic genius,
who gathered up earlier NEUROLOGICAL ele-
ments into more or less homogeneous
| form. The Nature basis of the symbolism
OF the poem was merely suggested; as that
| Siegtrled, the hero, represents spring: Ha-
! gen, his enemy the winter; the Niebe-
I lungen, the cloud warriors of the early
season, who help to overcome Brunhild.
| the strong maiden of Iceland The ma
terlal, as used in Wagner's trilogy, belongs
| TO an earlier stage Of the poem than its
| completed form. The similarity Of the
! Nlebelungen myths such as that of
! Siegtred TO Achilles to those proceeding
more directly from Aryan origins into
| southern literature was barely referred TO-.
! The story of the poem was given as con
/ tanned in its two main divisions. The
! first of these recOunts the history Of oieg.
| fried coming from the Netherlands to the
! Burgundian court. seeking the hand OF
| krlemhild his deeds of knightly proves.
and his first greeting by the hitherto I'M
| seen maiden: his exploits aided by his
| coat Of invsibility, in winning for Guuther.
/ the brother OF Kriemhild. Brunhild. the
| Iceland maiden; his depriying the latter of
| her magical gIrdle and ring. the means Of
| her supernatural strength: his entrust-
| ment OF these trophies to Kriomhild, 10
! the undoing Of all: the fierce encounter of
| the two queens at the door of the cathe-
! dral OF Worms, where kriemhild displays
| the proof Of the iuferiority of Gunther TO
! SIegfried the treachery of Hagen, who
/ gains from Kriemhild the secret of the
! vulnerable point OF Siegfried's body, and
! thereafter murders him; with the trans
! formation of the character of kriemhild
| from tender and trustful woman to a ter
| rlble and blood-thirsty spirit of revenge.
| The second part OF the poem introduces
| the great Hun, Attila, who sends his friend
/ Roiiger to win for him the hand of Kriem-
/ hid. The latter is led to yield through
| thirst for the power that will help her 10
/ consummate her revenge upon Hagen. and
/ the Burgundian court and race. This she
accouplshes 10y inviting the Burgundians
! to the Hungarian capital on the other side
| Of the Rhine, where, al Vienna, a pre-
| arranged quarrel ensues, followed by a
/ conflict Of determination between Huns
| and Burgundians. until OF the latter Gun
| ther and Hagen alone are left. as helpless
| prisoners; and these are slain. the first by
! kriemhild's order and Hagen by her own
! hand
The Niebelungen treasure, which had
/ been won by Siegfred, conveyed 10 Worms.
and subsequently sunk in the river Rhine
/ 10y Hagen, appears from time to time, as a
| subsidiary motive in the plot. until the
secret Of its whereabouts perishes with
| Hagen's death. kriemhild, herself is
slain by Hildebrand, a hero in the service
of Theodore, the Goth
This faithful and terrible drama was
very simply and clearly given by Prof.
Richardson, and illustrated by 90 stereop-
| ticon pictures taken from old versions of
the poem, of which several manuscript
forms were first exhibited: also from re-
| productions of various historic scenes found
in European and American libraries, and
themselves embodying, in a remarkable
manner, the medieval spirit
The views were very promptly and
skillfuly placed upon the screen by Mr..
| James Pullen.
The next event in the course will be
| Prof. John NJ. Tyler's lecture upon "A
Yeast Cake January II, 1895.