The tale of  "How siegfried Was Slain" is about betrayal and jealousy.  This story comes from the Nibelungenlied, which is the national epic of Germany.  This author is unknown, but scholars agree the epic was composed between the years 1195 and 1205.

The Holy Roman Empire was the German based empire controlling western and central Europe from 962 up until 1806.  In 962, King Otto was crowned emperor by Pope John XII of what became known as the Holy Roman Empire.  The empire suffered due to its association with the Roman Catholic Church because of constant disputes between the emperors and the popes.  The emperors' troubles were made worse because he was chosen by election.  His authority was often challenged by powerful German nobles, which eventually lead to the fall of the empire.

In "How Siegfried Was Slain", King Gunther felt constant competition with siegfried's growing power.  This struggle is what lead to Siegfried's death.  The need of power displayed in the story is exactly what is seen during the time of the Holy Roman Empire.

bibliography

"how siegried was slain."  world literature.  austin:  holt, rineheart, and winston, 1998.  733-739.
    the textbook contains excerpts of different literature from around the world and
    throughout time.  editors include background on the nibelungenlied, which "how siegried
    was slain" comes from.  Review questions follow the story discussing meanings, facts,
    and applications.

Ingrao, charles w.  "holy roman empire."  world book encyclopedia.  chicago:  scott fetzer
    co., 1996.
    this text is a part of a collection of resource encyclopedias that consist of twenty-two
    volumes.   topics are in alphabetical order and articles also end with reference to other
    information sources.