Marriage is just a transaction
None of the characters in the epic poem express their feelings of love towards a person of the opposite sex. Still, the ruling class remains interesting in tying what is in their view, a profitable marriage. Consequently, the idea that marriage and relationships in general are just another form of transaction which can be highly profitable is used here as a common motif.
Hoard
The main action of the poem revolves around the hoard which is first gifted as a weeding present and then searched by Kriemhild after her first husband dies. The hoard, or rather the riches, are extremely important for the widowed Queen because it represents the only way through which she can gain back her power. Because of this, the hoard becomes used as a symbol for the power money and riches have.
The girdle
In the ancient times, a girdle was a piece of cloth or a piece of leather used by women to tie their clothes and keep them in place. The girdle was something a woman was highly positive of because it was tied to a woman’s morality and her purity. When Brunhild’s girdle was stolen on her wedding night, it is used here to suggest the young Queen lost her virginity that night.
Virginity
Another common motif in the epic play is the accent which is put on the idea that the two most important women in the story are virgins. If we take into consideration the historic context, the most important thing for a young woman was to maintain her virginity until she married. Virginity is praised here and connected with the idea of purity, thus further emphasizing how important it was for the ancient society.
The slaying of the dragon
Siegfried was already famous in the beginning of the poem because he slayed a dangerous dragon which terrorized the area. It is common in epic poems for the main character to kill a dragon and this is seen as the moment when the otherwise normal person transformed into a hero. The killing of the dragon is used here as a symbol, representing the power and the ruthlessness of the character.
