The author of the Nibelungenlied is not known. The author is thought to have been male, possibly an Austrian from the Danube region, either a minstrel poet (a travelling poet or one associated with a court), a knight, or a clergyman associated with court life. Some critics express doubt that the author was a knight, primarily because the epic does not contain convincing or extensive details about military skill and technique, despite the numerous battle scenes. Critics believe that the "final" version of the poem was written by only one author because of its consistency in tone, language, and action. It was conventional at the time not to sign literary works. In fact, many written work that survive from the Middle Ages (the years 500 through 1500, approximately) are anonymous.