Siegfried having slain Fafner the snake

Taken from the Nibelungenlied (ch. III), the scene shows the hero Siegfried after he has killed Fafner the snake and bathed in its blood. In doing so Seigfried hardens his skin so that no weapon can bite into it. In the tale the hero is dominated by women, and Fuseli makes subtle reference to this in Siegfried's androgynous hairstyle, which hints at the feminine attributes symbolised by the snake in Christian iconography. (Monsters and Maidens, 2004)

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