Siegfried: The Liberator of Germania
By John Eklund
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About this ebook
John Eklund
John Eklund is a Northern European history buff and author of the historical fiction novels, The Third Testament, Siegfried, Liberator of Germania, and The Last of the Vikings. He resides with his wife, Jennifer, three children, and three dogs in the Chicago suburbs.
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Siegfried - John Eklund
Copyright © 2020 John Eklund.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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ISBN: 978-1-5320-9515-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-5320-9517-7 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-5320-9516-0 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020902876
iUniverse rev. date: 02/25/2020
10163.pngCONTENTS
Historical Timeline
Chapter 1 Fæðing Prinsins
The Birth of the Prince
Chapter 2 Smiðja Balmung
The Forging of Balmung
Chapter 3 Dýrð Róm
The Glory of Rome
Chapter 4 Drusus Grimmur
Drusus the Cruel
Chapter 5 Mars Guð Stríðs
Mars, the God of War
Chapter 6 Tími í Júdeu
Time in Judea
Chapter 7 Hinn Mikli Illyrian Uppreisn
The Great Illyrian Revolt
Chapter 8 Sögur af Norrænum Guðum
Tales of the Norse Gods
Chapter 9 Tryggur Rómverskur
A Loyal Roman
Chapter 10 Hinn Stórkostlegi Hesti Grani
The Magnificent Steed Called Grani
Chapter 11 Egil Bogamaður
Egil the Archer
Chapter 12 Grimmd Regins
Regin’s Cruelty
Chapter 13 Segestes og Thusnelda
Segestes and Thusnelda
Chapter 14 Teutoburgskógurinn
The Teutoburg Forest
Chapter 15 Annan Bardagadag
The Second Day of Battle
Chapter 16 Priðja Bardagadaginn
The Third Day of Battle
Chapter 17 Fjórða Daginn
The Fourth Day
Chapter 18 Arfleifð Bardaga
The Battle’s Legacy
Chapter 19 Dauði Hetju
The Death of a Hero
Epilogue
Glossary
To my children, Addison, Ellery, and Liam.
Historical Timeline
753 BC: Remus and Romulus found Rome.
52 BC: Julius Caesar conquers Gaul, and the Romans begin to explore across the Rhine and into Germania.
46 BC: Quinctilius Varus is born.
44 BC: Julius Caesar is murdered in the Roman Forum.
31 BC: Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Antium and becomes the absolute ruler of Rome, taking the title Caesar Augustus.
18 BC: Siegfried is born in Xanten, Germania.
12 BC: Rome’s General Drusus begins the conquest of Germania.
AD 6: Quinctilius Varus becomes governor of Germania.
AD 9: The Battle of the Teutoburg Wald occurs, and Siegfried frees his people from the Romans.
AD 21: Siegfried is murdered by his relatives.
AD 88: The Roman historian Tacitus records the history of the Teutoburg battle.
AD 437: Gunther and the Burgundians are exterminated by the Huns.
AD 543: Brunhilda is born in Austrasia.
AD 825: Aslaug becomes a Viking queen.
AD 1220: Author Snorri Sturluson writes the Prose Edda, the earliest recorded version of the Siegfried saga.
AD 1875: A huge monument called the Hermannsdenkmal is erected in Detmold, Germany, in honor of the victory at the Teutoburg Wald.
AD 1876: Richard Wagner’s famous opera Siegfried premieres at the Bayreuth Festival Theater.
CHAPTER 1
Fæðing Prinsins
¹
The Birth of the Prince
Eighteen years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ, during the reign of Caesar Augustus, a prince was born in the city of Xanten in the northwest region of Germania, a land just outside the rule of the all-powerful Roman Empire. The prince was named Siegfried, which means victorious peace.
He was the first child of the great Cheruscan chieftain, Siegimer.
The Cherusci were a tribe of Nordic hunters and farmers that inhabited the forests and plains east of the Rhine River. They were named after the deer because they held that these creatures were brave and noble spiritual beings. They believed that deer offered them protection from evil spirits. Carvings of proud bucks decorated their halls and were central to their feasts and celebrations.
Siegfried’s father, Siegimer, was a wise and compassionate leader but also a brave warrior. He worshipped the Norse gods and taught Siegfried about them. He explained to Siegfried that the knowledge of the gods and the universe they ruled was the key to one day getting to Valhalla, the glorious hall of honor reserved only for the bravest and most noble warriors.
Siegimer taught Siegfried the Nordic people’s belief that the universe consisted of nine realms:
1. Gimle was a paradise like heaven. It was said to have been more beautiful than the sun.
2. Asgard was the home of the Aesir² gods, who were the ruling gods of the universe.
3. Vanaheim was the world of the Vanir gods, who had the ability to see the future.
4. Alfheim was the realm of the elves.
5. Jotunheim was the realm of the giants and trolls.
6.