Brunhilde is a German feminine given name, derived from a combination of the
Germanic word elements ''brun'', or ''
armor
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
'', and ''hild'', or ''battle''. The
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...
Brunhild
Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( , , or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigoths, Visigothic princess and queen Brunhilda of Austrasia.
In the Norse tradition, Brunhild i ...
is a heroine of
Germanic heroic legend
Germanic heroic legend () is the heroic literary tradition of the Germanic peoples, Germanic-speaking peoples, most of which originates or is set in the Migration Period (4th-6th centuries AD). Stories from this time period, to which others were ...
.
Variants in regular use include the Albanian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish ''Brunilda'' and ''Brunilde''; the Norwegian ''
Brynhild
Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( , , or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess and queen Brunhilda of Austrasia.
In the Norse tradition, Brunhild is a shield ...
''; and the
Icelandic ''
Brynhildur''.
Brunhilde was in regular use for girls in Germany from the late 19th century through the 1960s, a time period when
romantic German nationalism
German nationalism () is an ideological notion that promotes the unity of Germans and of the Germanosphere into one unified nation-state. German nationalism also emphasizes and takes pride in the patriotism and national identity of Germans as ...
was in vogue and the names of idealized heroines such as Brunhild from
Germanic heroic legend
Germanic heroic legend () is the heroic literary tradition of the Germanic peoples, Germanic-speaking peoples, most of which originates or is set in the Migration Period (4th-6th centuries AD). Stories from this time period, to which others were ...
became more popular.
Brünhild was also a character in
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's four-part opera cycle ''
Der Ring des Nibelungen
(''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...
'', which became popular world-wide in the late 1800s.
Brunhilde
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Brunhilde Baßler, German former pair skater
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Brunhilde Hanke (1930–2024), German politician
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Brunhilde Hendrix (1938–1995), West German track and field athlete and Olympian
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Brunhilde Irber (born 1948), German politician
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Brunhilde Nauer (born 1959), German politician
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Brunhilde Pomsel (1911–2017), German personal secretary to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels
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Brunhilde Sonntag (1936–2002), German composer, musicologist and music teacher
Brunhilda
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Brunhilda of Austrasia
Brunhilda ( 543 – 613) was queen consort of Austrasia, part of Francia, by marriage to the Merovingian king Sigebert I of Austrasia, and regent for her son, grandson and great-grandson.
In her long and complicated career she ruled the eastern ...
(c. 543–613), queen consort of Austrasia
Brunilda
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Brunilda Ruiz
Brunilda Ruiz ( – ) was a Puerto Rican ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She toured internationally as a founding member of the Joffrey Ballet and Harkness Ballet companies.
Biography
Ruiz was born in Rincón, Puerto Rico, and rai ...
(1936–2019), Puerto Rican ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer
Brunilde
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Brunilde Bianchi (born 1964), Italian ice dancing coach, choreographer, and former competitor
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Brunilde Ridgway (1929–2024), Italian-born American archaeologist and specialist in ancient Greek sculpture
See also
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Brunild Pepa (born 1990), Albanian footballer
References
{{reflist
German feminine given names