In Icelandic and German mythology, Brunhilde was a strong and beautiful princess who was cruelly deceived by her lover. Her story is told in the Edda poems of Iceland and the Nibelungenlied, a German poem of the thirteenth century CE. Her name appears with many slight variations, including Brunhild, Brunhilda, or Brynhildr.
In the Icelandic version of the legend, Brunhilde was a Valkyrie—a warrior maiden of the supreme god Odin (pronounced OH-din). She was asked to settle an argument between two kings, and she did not support the king that Odin favored. For this, Odin punished Brunhilde by causing her to fall into an everlasting sleep surrounded by a wall of fire. The hero Sigurd (pronounced SIG-erd) crossed through the flames and woke the maiden with a kiss. They became engaged, but Sigurd left to continue his travels. Later, after receiving a magic potion that made him forget his love for Brunhilde, Sigurd married Gudrun.
Gudrun’s brother Gunnar wanted Brunhilde for himself and persuaded Sigurd to help him. Gunnar was unable to reach Brunhilde because of the ring of fire that encircled the castle where she stayed. Disguising himself as Gunnar, Sigurd was able to pass through the fire and reach Brunhilde, and they married. Later Brunhilde realized she had been tricked, and arranged to have Sigurd murdered. When she learned of his death, however, she was overcome with grief and committed suicide by throwing herself on his funeral pyre, a large pile of burning wood used to cremate a dead body. In that way, she could join him in death.
In the Nibelungenlied, the story was slightly different. Brunhilde declared that the man she would marry must be able to outperform her in feats of strength and courage. Siegfried (Sigurd), disguised as Gunther (Gunnar), passed the test and won Brunhilde for Gunther. When she discovered the deception, she arranged for Siegfried to be killed.
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