fifteen hundred years ago... ... most of europe had abandonedits old beliefs... ... and turned to the christian faith. only in the north did the peoplehold on to the gods of their ancestors. the most powerfulof these gods was odin. he reigned amongthe stars in valhalla... ... and his ravens gavehim wisdom and memory. but whilst the fire of theancient powers faded... ... a wondrous tale arose that capturedthe hearts of the people.
it told of a blacksmithwho slew a mighty dragon... ... and won a legendary treasure. ;the dragon gold. - where are we going?- quick! my king! we can't hold the wallmuch longer. we can't stay. take our son and go. i'm not leaving you. siegfried! xanten whelp! siegfried.
- my son.- go now. go! my brother always watchesout for me. this way, my lady. what do we do? we must cross here, my queen. - where are they?- come on. get up on here. siegfried. hold on.hold on tight. hold on. my son.
a little early for a morning swim,isn't it? who are you, boy?what happened? what happened? i don't know. i can't remember. 12 years later what do you see? be patient, child. odin's powers are in the runes.they never lie... ...but they won't be rushed.- don't keep me waiting.
fire will rain downfrom the sky very soon. tell me more. and the light of that firewill reveal your destiny. so far from home. what destinycould i have here? after the fire, a man will come... ...a man as strong as you. the warrior's strength will match yourown. he will even best you in battle. no one's ever done that before. no one else ever will.
we should anchor for the night soon. i better get the cargo readyfor the king. you work on this. all right. - whoa.- whoa, whoa. greetings.how can i help you? we're looking foreyvind the blacksmith. that's me. they say your ironis the best around. what can i do for you?
what swords have you got? well, right now, nothing at all. i can see a lot of "nothing"right there inside. oh, those. they were madefor king gunther of burgund. well, he's not here, and we are. meaning that you plan to stealking gunther's property? "stealing," he says. just count yourself luckywe aren't offended. eric, i think your iron is getting cold.
good day to you. i don't like saxons. i do, once in a while. yeah, i know. for sword practice. look at that pale path of light. that's the road to valhalla. i wish i could see themsitting up there. all the great heroes at tablewith the gods. - and they're watching over us mortals.- but why do they care about us?
they need us just as muchas we need them. we'll fight on their sidewhen the evil powers attack us. but how do we knowwhat they want us to do? they map out our destinies. they'vegiven you all the signs in the sky. if they see, from up there, that wedo something that's bad for us, they... they get furious. the christians say their godis all about forgiveness. the christians?they are a strange lot. look.
it's ragnarã¶k. the gods go to war. - i wanna take a closer look.- no, no, don't go. don't go. we should never meddlewith the gods. never. you're the woman from the longship. and you're the man from the smithy. a tamer of fire and the elements. then maybe you can tell mewhat this is. some kind of strange metal.i've never seen its like before. imagine the weaponone might forge from it.
- is this metal the reason you came?- no. you are. never mind him, blacksmith. tell me something. do you believe in destiny? why? we were both sent a signthat would bring us together here. that sign was big enoughfor the whole country to see. the only ones here are you and me.
today the runes promised... ...to lead me to a man whose strengthwould be as great as mine. and you defeated me. i just wrestled you down. no one has ever done that before. until now. so you see,we were meant to meet. - why don't you stay here with me?- oh, eric, i would love to. but like you, i have duties to perform.
but i will wait for you. but where will i find you? iceland. but there might be more thanjust one brunhild in iceland. not more than one who is queen. you're the queen of iceland? yes. does that make a difference? no.
- not to how i feel about you.- good. because no matter what happens,i will love you forever. i promise i will come. well, the gods wanted it to happen. but i'm a blacksmith,and she is a queen. up north are many tales aboutblacksmiths who became kings. really? there have always been thingsthat were different about you. maybe she felt them too.
father, take me with youon your journey to burgund this year. maybe the river holds an answer towhat happened before you found me. you were never curiousabout that before. it never really mattered before. maybe last night changed you. i don't know anything about myself. i've never even left the smithy.and now i feel i must. let's get the boat ready.we'll leave tomorrow morning. thank you.
thank you, father. what's that? is it a war? it sure looks like that. but who's the enemy? king guntheris at peace with the saxons. up here. - alberich.- lord hagen. i see you have not changed. nor have you.
i got your message.what is it you want now? fafnir the dragon is awake. you must convince king gunther togather his best warriors and kill fafnir. why would i put their lives at risk, andmine? i don't care about the dragon. you wouldn't say that if you knewwhat was hidden in his cave. go on. the ancient treasure hoardof the nibelungs. you've been babbling about that... ...ever since they cast you outfor trying to thieve it.
now you want me to believethe hoard is here? the dragon was sleeping on it. so you've wasted yearsof the mortal life they cursed you with... ...and the treasure was underyour nose the whole while. that's funny. you won't laugh so hardwhen you've seen it. you've never dreamed ofsuch a hoard of gold and jewels. why would i help you and not keepthe whole hoard for myself? we know each other too well,you and i.
some of my blood coursesthrough your veins. enough. don't ever dareto speak of it. you know it's true. hold your tongue! i know that you're ashamedof where you come from. but remember how many timesi've helped you with my magic. we could help each other now. very well. i'll choosethe best of the king's men. move fast.
there again, why do things by half? - all right, kriemhild, let it go.- ready? go. so much for the pigeon. i need to work onthat bird's hunting technique. if he ever comes back. good to see you.good to see you, my friend. there he is. are you sure he'll come back?
of course. he knowsi'm his lord and master. very well, lord and master,go get him back. what a beautiful bird. - give him back. he belongs to me.- what's its name? arminius. like the hero who chasedthe romans out of the country. yes, now give him back to me, boy. who are you calling a boy, boy? i'm the king's brother,and i call common men what i please.
did you hear that? what? he says i'm no common man,but the tamer of fire and the elements. and that's what youshould call me. shall we try again? stop that nonsense, eric. give back the hawkto prince giselher. at once. i hoped you wouldn'tgive up so easily. i'll get you a new one.
- eyvind.- oh, lord dankwart. we've been waiting for you.i'm glad you got here safely. we saw the devastationcoming up the river. it's a dragon. fafnir, they call it. the monster came out of nowhere andstarted killing, destroying everything. - i'll tell the king you're here.- yeah. thank you. now, look at this. this is even better. you have a good eyefor blades, my king. forged and temperedby my son here.
it's well-balanced in order to make itmove like an extension of your arm. - you've learned your craft well.- thank you, my king. i've always said there's nobetter weapon-maker in the land. eyvind, you arrived just in time. i need your best iron to helpmy men fight the dragon. brother, with this sword i couldfight the dragon at your side. - let me come with you.- you know my answer, giselher. it is not wise to put two princesof burgund in danger at the same time. you handle it very well,prince giselher.
the balance is perfect for you.keep it. it's yours. a simple gift. the creature should be hunted down. i, too, ask to join your questagainst the dragon. that task is only for warriors mosthonoured and favoured by the king. please excuse hisimpetuous youth, my king. i know exactly how you feel. what did you think, eric? the king would be waitingfor you to kill the dragon for him? i can do it.
with your mouth you can. make sure it reachesthe right temperature. aren't you helping me with this? it's your sword.didn't i teach you how to do it? yes, you did. then do it. i will love you forever. to the forest of fafnir. may god be with us,and grant us swift victory.
open the gates. don't stare at the princess.it's not polite. i'm not staring. she is, though. tamer of fire and the elements... ...may i enter?- you may. and please do call me eric. i'm prince giselher. well, would you care to pumpthe bellows, prince?
i came to thank your father forthe sword. i neglected to do so earlier. oh, he's asleep now.but i'll let him know you stopped by. i've never met a blacksmith who knowshow to use the sword so well. father says you can't forge a swordif you don't know how to use one. - it's good to have a father like that.- what about your father? my father was killedin a battle years ago. my mother died soon after. how do you know whenthe iron's ready? the feel. the way it looks.
this one will needhammering for days. it must be wonderful to make thingswith your hands. do you have a talent or a craft? i'm a prince. i'm not allowed to work. it would disgracemy brother, the king. - don't you get bored?- yes. if it weren't for my sister, i'd go mad. she's quite a pretty girl. every nobleman in our kingdom wantsher. she doesn't want any of them.
who does she want then? why do you ask so many questions?are you smitten by her too? my heart is elsewhere. i just hope my brother is ableto kill the dragon. the king! the king is returning! gunther! the dragon's hide was hard as iron.our weapons were useless against it. take him in. careful.
he will be avenged, my lady. i swear it. this is your masterpiece, my son. what will you call him? i don't know. why? a sword as great as thisdeserves a name. then i shall call you "balmung." balmung? balmung was the sword of the lastking of xanten, destroyed in battle.
why do you want to call him that? i just like the sound of it. fafnir! come out! come out, you worm! fafnir, i'm right here! that's it. come out! come on! blood... bathe in the dragon blood.
in the dragon blood.bathe in the dragon blood. if you are wise, you will leaveempty-handed. this gold is not for humankind. it belongs to us. i think it belonged to the dragon. we are the keepers of the gold. gold that only we can hold. the hoardwas ours till fafnir stole it from us. heed our warning,or you too will pay. who are you?
the nibelungs.the people of mist and twilight. you gave the gold back to usby slaying fafnir. and we thank you for it. thanks are all very well. but i'm the one who risked my lifeto kill the dragon. that should be worth something. it is not worth a single coinof this treasure. not when it comes with a curse. - i don't believe in curses.- the proof is outside.
fafnir lies dead because of it. i think he lies dead because of me. and what's this? that is the ring of the nibelung. the oldest thing in the hoard.its heart. the one who possesses itis the treasure's owner. - it's beautiful.- and as deadly to you... ...as anything else here. it's gonna take more than just wordsto frighten me today.
i'll be back for it soon. when the cursebegins to bite, beware... ...for it will find your weakness,and through it, destroy you. - what sorcery is this?- give it back. - i should've known better.- what? the dragon's blood.it's made your skin impenetrable. i killed the dragon.what's to stop me from killing you? the magical tarnhelm.you can keep it. it made me take your shape.
what do i need that for?i look like me already. yes, but with it, you can wearany shape you desire. - prove it.- put it on your head. listen, are you trying to...? you must say the magical words: shadows and vapours, all the same. and you must think who it isyou want to turn into. you look really ugly. then i must look like you.
are you going to spare me? another mistake, young mortal.now you also own his enmity. - and the curse.- why? who is he? his name is alberich,and he was one of us. but greed awoke in alberich. he wanted the treasureall for himself, like you. when he tried to steal it... ...we cast him out,and stripped his immortality away. how about we make a bargain?i'll only take half of the treasure...
...you keep the rest.would that be fair? half the treasure, all the treasure,or just that single ring. it's enough to bringthe whole curse down on you. it's all mine now. lady, you set tests for your suitors. such tests are almost an insultto their rank. these men who ask for your handare royal kings and princes. and i am a queen, their equal. i have a right in my own landto make whatever laws i please.
- yes, but...- then tell them... ...that the queen of iceland will wedthe man who passes the tests she sets. and who can defeat herin single combat. but no man can hope to succeedat such tasks, majesty. one man will succeed.and one man will marry me. and i will know that manas soon as i see him. you may go. you are thinking of the man you meton the night the star fell, aren't you? the blacksmith? i have thought of that manever since.
and i will marryno one else, hallbera. not a prince, not a king,not the roman emperor himself. and if your handsome sword-makerdoes appear, what then? are you sure he's strong and braveenough to pass the tests you planned? he has defeated me once already.only he will defeat me again. the rune stones do not lie. it's eric. - where have you been?- hunting. any luck?
- what is it?- what does it look like? it's a dragon's claw. - where did you find it?- on a dragon's foot. of course you didn't. you thinkyou can fool your own father? if you don't like its claw, how about... ...its head? i don't believe it.it really is the dragon! it's wonderful. fafnir is dead!
eric the blacksmith killed the dragon! yes, he's dead, do you hear?the dragon is dead! eric killed the dragon! it's true! it's over, it's over! please, i'm fine. gunther. eric killed the dragon, alone. this blacksmith must beblessed by god. or the devil.
he succeeded where youand 12 of your best warriors failed. whatever power he used againstthe dragon, he could use against you. he did this for me. open your eyes, hagen, and let yoursuspicious mind have a holiday. people of burgund. i command that eric the blacksmithbe proclaimed a hero of the kingdom. long may he be honouredfor his great victory. long live the dragon slayer. even the honour of guardingsuch a treasure...
...would bring fame to burgund,my lord. and respect for its kingwill increase beyond measure... ...once it's known that you have beenentrusted with the safety of the hoard. - my king, the dragon slayer's outside.- send him in. it sounds most attractive, hagen. but all of these benefits depend upon... ...what our young hero has to say. king gunther, i am greatly honouredby your offer to hold the treasure... ...in safekeeping for me, but...- you don't trust the king?
i trusted him well enough to killa dragon on his behalf, lord hagen. did you? that was a fair hit, hagen. now, eric, the word "but" usuallymeans some difficulty. my king. it's only i'm not sureyour treasury has enough room. - can i see your face?- no, that would ruin everything. he's my only son. i brought him up all by myself.
the father of our saviour. not just that. i'm also a sword-maker,favoured by the king. and still a pagan. the hammer of thor,the god of thunder. the workingman's godand my god. - you're baptized?- yes. but tonight, i'm pagan again. let's go get some water. what does a dragon slayer do now thatthere are no dragons left to slay?
he goes home to his smithy. with all the gold you brought back,you don't need to work. my father taught me the art of changingcharcoal and ore into iron... ...and i enjoy doing it. defeat dragons with iron,but win maidens with gold. how many? one? two? a dozen? none. my heart is pledged already. who is this fortunate lady?
highborn or low? high, i think. or fear. maybe too high. perhaps she doesn't knowyou love her so deeply. all sorts of arrangementsmight be made for so great a hero. - would i know her?- no. she lives far away. so to whom is your heart pledged?
- are you married?- no, i'm not. if i ever marry, it will onlybe for love. will you finally come to me? i'm waiting for you, my love. do you know who you are at last? they call me eric the blacksmith,eric the dragon slayer... ...and eric the hero of burgund. ah, but these are just titles. one honest, one honoured,one honourable.
but none of themare who you really are. the twin kings have struckat odinwood. they've burned our townsand taken our people as slaves. even as we speak,bonna is under siege. damn them. damn them both. we've lived in peace withthe twin kings for ten years. but for most of those ten years... ...burgund's treasury hasn't been filledto overflowing with fafnir's hoard. greed will negate any treaty.
how strong is their army? - four, perhaps, 5000 men.- we can match them in strength. but they're on the move. send messengers to all our towns.muster the army. we leave at once. but my king... ...eric the blacksmithowes you no allegiance. but he killed fafnir on your behalf. if he agreed to join our army... ...i'm certain it would encourageour warriors.
and discourage the enemy. to meet a man who slew a dragonsingle- handed... ...would give anyonea pause for thought. command... no, ask that he ridewith the burgund host. - brother, l...- i honour your intention... ...but this is not about glory. if we don't come back, you must liveto defend burgund. and your sister. meanwhile... ...we ride.
king of the burgunds, my masters,kings thorkwin and thorkilt... ...do not wish for this battle. since we outnumber you,i believe that. we will spare your lives, and spareburgund its certain devastation... ...if you yield up to usthe dragon gold. i am the wrong man to askfor the gold. if your masters want the gold... ...they must take it up with the manwho slew the dragon. - let me talk to them, my king.- no.
i will never allow this. - we will fight them together.- it is my treasure, my king. and i feel enough blood'sbeen spilled over it already. my king, if the dragon slayer can helpavoid more bloodshed... ...then let him. if he fails, we attack. another messenger. i hear you want something of mine. i'm the lord of the dragon's gold.
if you want it, you're welcometo try to take it. but you have to fight me first. big words for a blacksmith. it takes more than gold to make a manworthy to fight a king. and it takes more than a crownto make a man be a king. you're nothing morethan a burgund whelp. you killed my father! i am siegfried, son of siegmund,king of xanten. you're beaten. and your kingdomswill be divided...
...between the kingsof burgund and xanten. i should kill you bothfor what you did. but that wouldn't give meany satisfaction. just get out of my sight. i want him tied to the houseof burgund forever. what do you have in mind, my king? my sister will marrysiegfried of xanten. and i'm sure you will not find thistoo difficult to arrange. go now!
father, i'm awakened at last. i finally know who i am. a king. and worthy, i hope,of a queen. come to iceland, my love,and find out. soon, my love. but i've won a mighty treasure,and i wanna bring it home for you. siegfried, you are the only treasurethat i wish for. hurry, my love, i'm waiting. and now you send for me.what do you want?
siegfried means to take the treasureto his father's castle in xanten. he must be stopped. from what i hear, a whole armycouldn't stop him. king gunther wants himbound to burgund... ...through marriage to kriemhild.but there's some other woman. what do you have in mind? one of your cantrips, spellsor potions. if he could forget his other love andfind the princess attractive instead? then the gold stays where it is.
i think i can help you... ...if the price is right.- what do you want? that boy took something from me.it looks like a mask. the man who knows its secretcan look like anyone else. - siegfried knows that secret.- interesting. get me the tarnhelm back,and the potion's yours. the potion first, thief. once i have proof that it works,you'll get your tarnhelm. you'll have itthe day after tomorrow, my son.
don't ever call me that. but my son you are. if killing you could change it,i would've done so long ago. as the moon wanes,the heart wanders. sweet memories dwindle,the heart grows cold. drinking the draught,mak e new love sweeter. past love a memory,withered and old. power... nothing prevaileth,grey iron nor silver. sweet memory dwindles,the heart grows cold.
drinking the draught,mak es new love sweeter. against potion's power,nothing prevaileth. grey iron nor silver,jewel nor gold. father? father. what's the matter? are you sick? if old age is a sickness, yes. you've just been workingfor a long time.
but there's no need to work anymore. there's all the gold we ever need. don't tempt me with gold, son. iron is my metal. you're just tired, father, that's all.i'll get you something to eat. "father." can you still call me that? your true father was a king. you knew?
i suspected it. i saw the mark of the royal houseon your tunic. and later i learned that the twin kingswere looking for the lost son... ...but never found him. because you gave me another nameto protect me. it would be a lie to say thatthat was the only reason. you see, i never had a wife. but with you, i got a son. and...
and it was such a joy to be a father. your father. and i've always been proud of you. i wanted you to know that. and whatever i am,it's because of what you taught me. listen. the world around usis in the throes of great change. and the new powers strugglewith the old for domination. and i've done my partin that struggle. so when my time comes...
...my body can descend to the godsin the old way... ...the way of fire and water. but you and your queenare children of the old world too. the gods gave youwondrous powers... ...and you must fulfilyour destiny together... ...wherever it leads you. i'll bring my love with meto xanten as my wife. i promise you. but you're gonna come with me.
i have no more travelling left in me. i have hardly even breath anymore. there's still so much for you to do. so many swords to make. my best blade is forged. there's no need to botherwith lesser ones. my throat is dry, son. that drink you said you were goingto get me, i could use that now. of course, father. i'll be right back.
father! beasts die... ...and men die. all who walk the earth must die. but the true hero never dies. in our memory he will live forever. my love. so near to my heart and my mind. yet so far from my armsand my body.
how much longer? how much farther? yes? my lady kriemhild. may i please speak with you? i wish to be alone, lord hagen. it's about siegfried. what about him? i expect him back any day.
of course he will come back,for the treasure. and not because of you? what are you implying, hagen? i have noticed you havefeelings for him. you speak of mattersyou know nothing about. i know, my lady kriemhild... ...that you have loved the dragon slayersince the first moment you saw him. and i have come here to help you. once the treasure is gone,there is nothing to keep him here.
- what is that?- certain herbs... ...with interesting properties. which, if correctly brewed,will make a heart grow warm. that is wrong.that is no christian thing. it is the old magicof spells and curses. all he must do is to drink thismixed with wine... ...and so long as it is youwho gives him the cup... ...any love for any other womanwill be forgotten. and only you will burn in his heartfrom that moment on.
but why? in battle and in council... ...i have always servedthe house of burgund... ...and the best interestsof the kingdom. in the story so far... - my son.- go now. i can't remember. after the fire, a man will come. the warrior's strengthwill match your own.
he will even best you in battle. we were meant to meet. - you're the queen of iceland?- yes. does that mak e a difference? no. not to how i feel about you. - don't stare at the princess.- i'm not staring. lord hagen.fafnir the dragon is awake. i ask to join your questagainst the dragon. the oldest thing in the hoard. it comes with a curse.
- what sorcery is this?- the magical tarnhelm. with it, you can wearany shape you desire. but greed awok e in alberich. he wanted the treasure for himself. - like you.- it's all mine now. ...would bring fame to burgund... - but you're gonna come with me.- i have no more travelling left in me. ... and eric the hero of burgund. i am siegfried.
son of siegmund, king of xanten. you're beaten.your kingdoms will be divided... ...between the kingsof burgund and xanten. - what do you have in mind?- one of your cantrips... ...spells or potions. how much longer?how much farther? king siegfried of xanten. i came to thank youfor your hospitality. you are always welcome.
i know that the treasurehas brought your kingdom... ...misfortune and bloodshed,and for that, i apologize. please, siegfried. many wars are foughtover gold and treasure. no army ever waged warwith a hero such as you among them. you didn't destroy lives,you saved them. you have done the kingdomof burgund a great service. - thank you, my king.- king siegfried. would you join us in a toastbefore you leave?
this is a special wine of burgund... ...mixed with spices. to siegfried of xanten. to the hero who arriveda blacksmith... ...and leaves a king. - king siegfried of xanten.- king siegfried of xanten. good wine. though the spices give ita strange flavour. where are gunther and hagen?
they left. will you make it againfor me sometime... ...only with less cinnamon? of course i will. but first i must confess something. what? at the dragon feast... ...you told a masked girl that your heartwas already pledged to somebody else. so it was you.
forgive me. i couldn't say anything because... please... ...it doesn't matter... ...because i love you. i don't know why it never occurred... nothing matters now. except that you love me. and i love you.
where might my raven be? i'm proud that burgund has won youas brother- in-law. nobody could bring more honour to ourkingdom than you, siegfried of xanten. i want to make your sister my queenbefore i return to my kingdom. unfortunately, in our kingdom... ...the law decrees that the king mustmarry before any of his siblings. how long do we have to wait then? it's not that simple. the queen i desireis a beautiful and powerful woman...
...who challenges her suitorsto single combat. till now, nobody has provedstrong enough to defeat her. - and who is this powerful woman?- her name's brunhild, queen of iceland. i've met her once. you know her? her ship sailed byour smithy one day. how could i forget?she is of extraordinary beauty. you said you've met her? i did.
that night a star fell from the skyinto the forest near our smithy... ...and we met by the crater it made,and we fought. i mistook her for a saxonand wrestled her down. you mistook the queen of icelandfor a saxon? how did she react? she was a little surprised, that's all. siegfried... ...she is the woman i wish to marry. would you help me win herfor burgund's queen?
how? by fighting her in my stead. wouldn't she notice? not if you wearthat magic helmet of yours. - these powers shouldn't be misused.- you're the man who could defeat her. king gunther has given youhis only sister in marriage. will you not help himwin a queen for himself? think, siegfried. if brunhild and i marry...
...you and kriemhild can be marriedthe very same day. i knew what the wagons were carryingwhen they came... ...but i had no ideait could look so beautiful. it's yours. mine? the treasure ismy wedding gift to you. but this ring... ...is the symbol of our love. wear it till i come back from iceland.
every day without youwill be an eternity. come back soon. and bring my brother back safely. my king, we found a stowawayhidden amongst the stores. - throw him over the side.- i think you should see him first. giselher, are you insane? i only wanted to see the norse women,the great valkyries who fight like men. why, giselher? do you wanta warrior woman of your own? why didn't you ask me?
i always ask you,and you always turn me down. your place is at home,looking after burgund. - besides, kriemhild will be worried.- kriemhild knows. i've half a mind to send you backin a barrel! oh, come on, gunther. what boy doesn't cravean adventure like this? sit down. and those are the seven silver applesof the goddess of youth. - you know a lot.- not as much as my father, eyvind, did.
see over there? that's orwandil, the giant. and next to it is fearr,the bull that he hunts. and see there? that's the spirits' road,the bright road to valhalla. the gods sit up therewith the holy dead... ...and decide what we should doto help them save the world. how are we supposed to find outwhat they want us to do? they send us signs.
in water... ...fire, or in the sky. what happens if we readthose signs wrong? i don't know. he's coming. your future husband is coming. - captain, hoist the mainsail.- yes, my king. raise the sail! queen brunhild, come quickly.
welcome to my country,tamer of the fire and the elements. at last you found your way to me. the dragon slayer's famereaches even here. it is not i who cometo challenge you, great queen. it is king gunther of burgund... ...who seeks your hand. i only serve him. my queen... ...i come here to seek your handin marriage.
we will fight a duelof double- bladed axes. if you win... ...i will wed you. if i win... ...it will cost you your life. if i fail to make you my wife... ...i will die gladly. the contest commences in one hour. giselher, let's wait outside.
just stay hidden until it's done. what about siegfried? he'll follow us later. the dragon slayer doesn't join you? he's already preparing the shipfor our return. the axes. you can still sail backto burgund alive. there! come on!
here! bow to my future husband... ...the king of burgund. now the king of iceland. leave until i call youand close the door. they make no sense, lady. look there. that means a cloak or a mask. something or someonehas been hidden...
...the way truth is hidden by lies,our eyes are covered by a blindfold. is that why siegfrieddidn't recognize me? there is nothing here. the gods are silent. noble siegfried... ...ever since you came to burgundin the guise of a humble blacksmith... ...many good things have happenedin our kingdom. around this table are the two meni love most in the world. giselher is my brother by birth.
and it would please me... ...if you would becomeour brother by blood. the dragon's bloodmade my skin impenetrable. but i guess tonight is a nightfor trust. this... ...is the only place wherei can be wounded. and now both of you sharethe greatest secret i have. this cup will hold no lesser drinkthan the blood of brotherhood. it will be raised in no lesser toast.
and may those who betray that trustdie, dishonoured and accursed. people of burgund! your queen! i present my sister, kriemhild. i'll be a sister to you as well. we will celebratetwo weddings on one day. where's my tarnhelm? we're not done with it yet. you can have it in due course.
that wasn't the deal, hagen. - we're not sure if it worked.- it worked! it worked! now you're trying to cheat me! perhaps i should find a wayto have a little talk with the king. no need for that. i'll do it! queen brunhild. - can i help you?- i waited for you. as i said i would.
...what happened? did you find you couldn't love a queenas well as you did a passing stranger? or was it the gold? that has turned many heartscold before. who shall i ask why you loved me then,and you don't love me now? i didn't. don't lie to me. you cannot claimyou didn't love me then. it was your first time, blacksmith.
and mine as well. and i knew then that the godshad sent you to me... ...and me to you. and you knew it too. does that mean nothing? that's not how i remember it. and you never... ...ioved me? even though you said you did?
i was a boy then. if this is what manhood brings... ...i only wish i'd learnedthis lesson sooner. but it's too late now. perhaps i should pray... ...that i, too, will rememberour love so little. because i will neverknow joy again... ...till i forget... ...or you remember.
king gunther... ...do you take brunhildas your wife and queen? i do. and do you, brunhild... ...accept my king as your rightfulhusband and lord? do you, kriemhild... ...take siegfried as your lawfulwedded husband? king siegfried... ...do you take kriemhildas your lawful wedded wife?
i now pronounce you... ...man and wife. this warlike display... ...shows our burgund swordsand warriors at their finest. they could only be betteredby the great queen brunhild... ...and the extraordinary king gunther. those few of us who were privilegedto travel with king gunther to iceland... ...witnessed a displayof incomparable skills. and king gunther was the only manwho could match...
...his beautiful queenin her challenge. siegfried could. but siegfried didn't. would he like to try? it would be an honour... ...queen brunhild. what weapons shall we choose then? weapons that were forgedfrom the same ore... ...and have never been crossed.
my spear... ...and your sword. thank you... ...for this chanceto recognize my limits. - what happened?- i was tired. - i decided to lie down.- that's not what i meant. - why did you leave without me?- siegfried. - in front of everyone.- but you won. he let me win.
i know a feigned defeatfrom an honest victory. he was lucky, that's all. he probably gave up so he didn't go tohis marriage bed covered with bruises. you're the only womani've ever really wanted. and you have me. or do you? you want me, my strong husband? i'm waiting. no more of this, my queen.
i've drunk too much tonightto deal with such foolishness. - the man who defeated me hadn't.- what? or maybe you had been drinking. some magical potionto give you strength, perhaps? well, i'll let you in on a little secret: my strength... ...is a gift from the gods. and it lies in this belt. once you've removed it, you'll finda yielding maiden in your arms.
can the man who survived my challengenot survive his own wedding night? brunhild, stop. untie me. stop this. untie me. untie me right now. - be quiet now.- wife, are you mad? let me loose! - gunther's a lucky man.- not as lucky as i am. don't you think brunhild's beautiful?
what a questionfor such a time and place. - siegfried, answer me.- all right, yes, she's beautiful. - but it's a hard beauty.- you noticed it then. - what?- that coldness. the angry way she looks at us. well, she's certainly angryabout being defeated by gunther. i don't think she likes me much. well, maybe because you won yourhusband without having to fight him. hear that?
that's thor swinging his hammer. probably to tell us about the war godwho's going to be conceived tonight. giselher... ...you don't really believe inall this pagan nonsense, do you? and so does siegfried. and he's the greatest heroburgund has ever known. i believe in what he does: living life by the sword. and i'm going to do the same.
and when i die... ...i'll be rewarded by sittingat the warriors' table... ...next to father odin himself. you should hear yourself. - don't the old ways fascinate you?- no, they don't. they scare me. the powers in itare uncontrollable, dangerous. anyway, it's not the waywe were brought up. lena...
...i didn't mean to hurt you. brunhild... ...please don't let the servantssee me like this. - i'll never try to subdue you again.- then let this be a lesson to you. i might be captive in this gilded cage,but i will never be your wife. can i speak openlyand know you won't tell anyone? of course. the queen... we haven't... i mean...
siegfried, she won't let meinto her bed. - i'm sorry.- and burgund needs an heir. i must have a son. if there wasanything i could do, i would. - but this isn't a battle i can win for you.- but that's not true. you've proven that your strengthis greater than hers. and her strength doesn't even comefrom her own body. it comes from a pagan beltthat she wears. - lf you can get it away from her...- no!
no, gunther. i'm only asking you to take her belt,not substitute for me in some other way. you'd refuse to help the manwho gave you his own sister? your magic tarnhelm worked for usin iceland, blood brother. but if you don't use it here, tonight... ...then all of that's been wasted,and my marriage is a joke. good night, my king. lena. - you two go ahead.- don't be long.
i have to tell you something.come in here. i love you too. he just passed this way. something very strangeis happening here. i just want us to be happy together... ...to be man and wife. look at you, my king. you are a match for me, are you not? after all, you defeated me in iceland.
well, well... ...my king regains his steel. strange how it comes and goeswithout warning. listen, i don't wanna fight. - i love you.- prove it. that's what i needed to know. siegfried? now you can be my husband. where are you going?
to get rid of this pagan witchery. and when i return... ...i expect you to be my wife. do you swear to keep this secret? in iceland, i saw two gunthers too. when my brother returned afterhis victory over queen brunhild... ... it wasn't guntherwho arrived in the room. it was siegfried. gunther had been hidingin there all the time.
i know it wasn't my brotherwho defeated brunhild. where have you been? kriemhild. why aren't you in bed? i woke up and you weren't there. i couldn't get back to sleepwithout you, so i waited. what's that in your hand? nothing important. let me see.
a woman's belt? why try to hide it? it's not what you think. we've only been married one day. all i can tell you is... ...your brother needed me. what for? that i cannot tell you. why not?
i promised not to. i swear before all the gods that i remainyour true and faithful husband. so why won't you answermy questions? what help did my brother need thattook you from your bed at this hour? and what kind of helpleaves a woman's belt in your hand? if i told you, i would be breakinga vow of the utmost secrecy. break it. - open the doors for us, please.- i cannot do that, my lady. - cannot? why not?- we have orders from the queen.
no one may enter the church untilthe queen of the burgunds does so. - you must be joking. open the doors.- we cannot, lady kriemhild. how dare you order the doorsof this place closed to me? i am the king's own sister. and i am his wife... ...queen of all burgund. it is only right that i should enterbefore other lesser royals. - step aside and let your queen pass.- you're no queen of mine, brunhild. and how dare you referto my husband as lesser than anyone?
he even introduced himself in icelandas gunther's servant. he served your husband wellwhen he defeated you last night. - what did you say?- you heard me. and it was also my husbandwho conquered you in iceland. you insult the queen of burgundin public with these lies? so first i'm a servant's wife,and now i'm a liar? do you recognize this? - who gave you that?- my husband. do you believe me now?
he took it from you last night,in your own bedroom. it surprises me that you couldn't tell. now get out of my way. i don't understand how you couldreveal my most intimate secret... ...and your brother's,in front of the whole of burgund. kriemhild, i only broke my vowbecause i counted on your discretion. i know. i'm sorry.please forgive me. i love you more than life. now i'm terrified something awful willhappen, and somehow we'll be parted.
no more tears. in two days, we'll be far awayfrom this place... ...far away from your brotherand his marriage. he was wrong to make you a part of it.he took advantage of your loyalty. but it's over now. i'll attend the hunt with him,and we'll part as friends. today, i'll give orders for the goldto be loaded onto our ship. as soon as the hunt is done... ...we can be on our way.- can't it be done any sooner?
i wish... ...but we cannot give your brotherthe impression... ...that we leave bearing him ill will. - i told you he wasn't to be trusted.- never mind that. what justice can i administerto put this right? the simple justice laid down inour books of law may not be sufficient. siegfried has used magicto help you, it's true. but what other usehas he made of it? you've heard the peoplepraise him more than you.
now he has your sister's handin marriage. he has a legitimate claimto the throne of burgund. what's he planning next, my king? - your downfall?- you said the presence of that hoard... ...in my chamberwould bring me good. even if the queen begets a child by you,every tongue in burgund will wag... ...with the gossip that it's reallysiegfried's bastard. the kingdom is already rifewith the scandal. it won't go away. it will taint you and your housetill the end of your days...
...unless something is done. i'll end the allianceand send him away. - let him live out his days in xanten.- it's not enough. you may not care if men scorn youas a weakling and a cuckold. but what about me? i was betrayedby the dragon slayer and by you. i am the queen of icelandand burgund. i will not be dishonored.i will be avenged. there is only one punishmentfit for such a crime. what would you have me do?
it's very simple. siegfried must die. you can't mean it. he's my friend. more than my friend... ...my blood brother. after what we've shared,a betrayal like that... i can't just have him killed. either you kill him...
...or i kill myself. my king... ...perhaps his punishment couldcome about accidentally at the hunt. you know siegfried is invincible. and you know as well as ithat he is not. - king siegfried, shall we ride together?- brother- in-law. - may i join you as well?- i'd be honoured. queen brunhild? queen brunhild,please let me talk to you.
this trouble between ushas to be settled. please, queen brunhild. i have something that's rightfully yourswhich i must return. indeed you have somethingthat is rightfully mine. but it is far too late for youto return it. you christians make muchof forgiveness. - don't look for such in me.- i don't, queen brunhild. all i can do is say how bittermy sorrow is... ...for the way i treated youin front of the cathedral.
i was jealous. and when i thought of what seemedto be happening, i couldn't bear it. once i loved a man who i thoughtthe gods themselves had sent me. i loved the whole worldbecause he was in it. long we were parted... ...but i could bear it... ...because i knewhe would return one day. but when he came again... ...it was as if his hearthad been wiped clean.
i loved him as i had... ...but he did not love me. we were strangers... ...as before we had been... ...iovers. brunhild, i have done youa terrible wrong. - let us speak no more of the cathedral.- i am not. i speak of something far worse. what are you talking about?
you have done meno other great harm. once i loved a manwho did not love me. and i could not bear it, for the worldwas an empty place without him. so when hagen came to mewith an unholy thing... ...that would banish the memoryof old loves and plant a new one there... ...i blinded myself to what was rightand gave it to that man to drink. it was hagen's magic.siegfried never knew. and even if he did, there would benothing he could do against it. that is my great sin against you...
...and him. and i will do penance for itfor the rest of my life. so i'm not the only onewho got lucky. well done, brother. - have a drink with us.- i'll wash the blood off first. brunhild. is siegfried not back? we should leave before dark. i'll go and get him.
help. help! help! somebody help! arminius! there was an ambush. a group of saxons. murderer. how can you accuse me? what reason do i have to kill a manwho's done us so much good?
envy and guilt... ...and greed. with siegfried dead... ...you wouldn't have to faceyour own weakness and dishonour. and with him dead, you couldkeep the hoard for yourself. all of it. the hoard. i don't want it anymore. you wanted the gold for yourself.that's why you slew him.
- we planned it together!- you'll never have the gold! but the gold ismy nibelung birthright! it's mine! you insolent son of a dwarf! keep out of this, boy. he murdered our king! i order you to arrest him! those of you who ally with me... ...will be rewardedwith gold from the hoard. and finally betrayed,as he betrayed me.
hagen of tronje... ...face the fate my gods have chosen. your gods are dead! soon we will know. return this ring to its rightful owner. take it back to the nibelungs. today the old gods live again. no, giselher. today the old godswill die with them.
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