Герой и его убийца. К иконографии Зигфрида и Хагена

Siegfried and Hagen, the main characters of the German heroic epic "Song of the Nibelungs", are still recognizable and culturally significant images. There are certain "ideal" conceptions about their physical appearance. These visualizations come from a long tradition of iconographic representation of the main characters of the great epic, formed by various texts and works of fine art. This article examines the main milestones of this iconographic tradition, starting from the period of classicism and romanticism. The author gives a brief history of illustrations of the epic and examines the worlds of Richard Wagner and his tetralogy "Ring of the Nibelung". The author also analyzes the ideological attitudes behind the image of the bodies of Nibelung heroes in the Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. The article is richly provided with illustrations and figurative examples.