Under pretext of protecting this vulnerable point, Hagen persuades Kriemhild to embroider a cross on her husband’s garment over the fatal spot.  Then, sure now of triumphing over this dreaded foe, he feigns the kings have sent word they will submit, and proposes that instead of fighting they all go hunting in the Odenwald.

16th Adventure. Troubled by strange presentiments, Kriemhild tries to prevent Siegfried from going to the chase, but, laughing at her fears, he departs joyfully, although he is never to see her again.  After describing the game slain in the course of this day’s hunt, the poet declares Siegfried captured a live bear and playfully let it loose in amp, to the horror of his fellow hunters.  Then, feeling thirsty, Siegfried loudly began to call for drink, and, discovering that owing to a mistake the wine has been conveyed to another part of the forest, proposes that he, Gunther, and Hagen should race to a neighboring spring, undertaking to perform the feat in full armor while his companions run in light undress.  Although handicapped, Siegfried arrives first, but courteously steps aside to allow Gunther to take a drink, pretending he wishes to remove his armor before quenching his thirst.  But, when he, in his turn, stoops over the fountain, Hagen, after slyly removing his weapons out of his reach, steals up behind him and runs a spear into the very spot where the embroidered cross shines on his doublet.  Mortally wounded, Siegfried turns, and, grasping his shield, hurls it at the traitor with such force that he dashes it to pieces.

  E’en to the death though wounded, he hurl’d it with such power
  That the whirling buckler scatter’d wide a shower
  Of the most precious jewels, then straight in shivers broke. 
  Full gladly had the warrior ta’en vengeance with that stroke.

Sinking to the ground after this effort, Siegfried expends his last breath in beseeching Gunther to watch over his wife.  Gazing down at the corpse, Gunther, afraid to acknowledge so dastardly a deed, suggests they spread the report that Siegfried was slain by brigands while hunting alone in the forest.  Hagen, however, proud of his feat does not intend to subscribe to this project, and plots further villainy while following the body back to Worms.

17th Adventure. The funeral train arriving there at midnight, Hagen directs the bearers to lay Siegfried’s body at Kriemhild’s door, so that she may stumble over it when she comes out at dawn on her way to mass.  On perceiving that the dead body over which she has fallen is that of her beloved spouse, Kriemhild faints, while her women raise a mournful cry.

Roused from his slumbers by the terrible news, old Siegmund joins the mourners, and he and the Nibelung knights carry the body to the minster, where Kriemhild insists all those who took part in the hunt shall file past it, for she hopes thereby to detect her husband’s murderer. (Mediaeval tradition averred that a dead man’s wounds bled whenever his murderer drew near.) Because Siegfried’s wounds drop blood at Hagen’s touch, Kriemhild publicly denounces him as her husband’s slayer.