Date of Award

Spring 4-30-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

First Advisor

Alex Novikoff

Second Advisor

Eliza Ablovatski

Abstract

In 1755 physician and writer Jacob Hermann Obereit “rediscovered” a thirteenth-century manuscript of Das Nibelungenlied in Hohenems, Austria. The texts of the epic had been left forgotten in the obscurity of monasteries and libraries for the previous two hundred years. Nevertheless, the Nibelung legend soon came to be praised as the national epic of a German nation that was still yet to be formed. The hero of the legend, Siegfried over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth century grew into an icon celebrated in various forms of popular media. My thesis My thesis analyzes representations of Siegfried in popular culture from the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) to the aftermath of the First World War (1924). This analytical and comparative study draws on various forms media, including written translation, drama, opera, and film to investigate how cultural norms translated into an idealized medieval heroic figure like Siegfried.

Rights Statement

All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.

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