The Nibelungenlied serves as a cautionary tale of what befalls a person when they give into deception and vengeance. Siegfried, Hagen, and Kriemhild’s acts of deception as well as Kriemhild’s avenging wrath drive the story. The poet establishes acts of deception and the desire for vengeance as the two evils “from which ladies were to reap the greatest sorrow” (119), and he shows how they engender death, the weakening of nations, and the warping of an individual’s moral character.

Deception at its core involves lying, and lying is considered morally wrong in most moral systems, especially chivalry. Siegfried, Hagen, and Kriemhild all deceive other characters within the epic—and these deceptions engender serious consequences. Siegfried deceives Brunhild multiple times. When they first meet, Brunhild welcomes Siegfried as a ruler until he proclaims, “You accord me too much favor, my lady Brunhild, magnanimous Queen when you deign to salute me before this noble knight, who, as befits my lord, stands nearer to you than I” (62). In saying this, Siegfried tricks Brunhild into believing that he is a mere vassal so that she will take more interest in