Brunnhild

Brunnhild, also spelled Brynhildr or Brünhilde, is a prominent figure in Germanic heroic legend. She is most famously depicted in the Norse Poetic Edda and the German Nibelungenlied, though variations of her story appear in various related sagas and epic poems. Her lineage is often portrayed as that of a Valkyrie, a chooser of the slain, destined to serve Odin or to eventually find her own mortal fate.

In many tellings, Brunnhild is a powerful warrior princess. Her character is defined by her strength, beauty, and her complex relationships with heroic figures, particularly Sigurd (Sigfried in the Nibelungenlied). A common element of her narrative involves a magical sleep or enchantment placed upon her, from which she can only be awakened by a hero of unparalleled courage.

The story often involves deception. In some versions, Sigurd is tricked into breaking a promise to Brunnhild, leading to tragedy. He may be compelled to marry another woman, Gudrun, and Brunnhild is led to believe she has been betrayed by the man who woke her. This betrayal fuels a chain of events culminating in the death of Sigurd and, in many accounts, Brunnhild's own suicide, often by joining him on his funeral pyre. Her story explores themes of love, honor, fate, and vengeance, making her a multifaceted and enduring character in mythological literature.