Abstract
This article explores, informed by recent ecocritical thinking regarding the interpretation of literature in past and present, the symbolic function of the forest space in the Middle High German heroic epic Nibelungenlied. Intriguingly, both the protagonist Siegfried and his nemesis Hagen operate in, through, and with the forest, but only Siegfried emerges as a true master of the forest, which provides him, through various channels, with much of his true strength and power. In many respects, the poet projects the forest as an ominous space where the lives of the courtly protagonists are reflected and determined. However, each protagonist responds to and engages with the forest in different way. This ecocritical approach uncovers a heretofore mostly ignored perspective regarding the importance of the forest in the Nibelungenlied.
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