Traditions and novations in nibelungen-studies. Part 2

The tales of the Nibelungs have been popularized in the European culture and have attracted a lot of researchers. The contribution of A. Gurevich, H. Haefs, J. Harris, Yu. Kleiner, M. Steblin-Kamensky, R. Winsniewsky and other Russian and foreign scholars cannot be underestimated. Nevertheless, most of the research papers dedicated to the Norse version of the Nibelungs’ story were published several decades ago, and ever since have been many findings which might lead to a drastic change and a complete revision of the Nibelungs’ (Niflungs’) plot in the Norse tradition. It is to be stressed that the article is going to deal with Niflungs’ story only, so other subjects are not discussed in here, though Eddic literature has been profoundly studied by Scandinavian linguists. We focus on the most considerable texts containing Niflung’s story, these are: The Poetic Edda, The Volsunga-Saga and Thidrekssaga. We also include a review of the studies dedicated to Faroese ballads which had preserved the Niflungs’ lay till the 15th century. After the 15th century, the Niflungs’ cycle collapsed and its heroes turned into folklore creatures. This oral stage of the story existence should also be included into the studies of the Niflungs’ cycle. The second part of the article is dedicated to scholarly and cultural reception of Nibelungs’ lay in modern Europe (19-20th centuries). The Nibelungenlied was re-opened in the 18th century, its reception, however, started first in the 19th century during the period of Romanticism. The 20th century saw the use of Nibelungs’ mentality for promoting the nationalistic ideas by Hitler which lead to reducing of Nibelungs’ story popularity after WWII.