For the characters in the Nibelungenlied appearances and first impressions are very important and often have metaphorical meanings. One way this concern is manifested is through clothing and personal adornment. Clothing, in fact, sends certain messages that, within the courtly culture depicted, can be easily read. When Siegfried first decides to visit Worms to seek Kriemhild's hand in marriage, much effort is put into describing his attire and that of his companions. When they arrive at Worms in Chapter 3, the narrator tells us that they are assumed to be "either princes or princes' envoys, judging by their handsome chargers and splendid clothes." N