Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King
Encyclopedia
Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (also known as Ring of the Nibelungs, Die Nibelungen, Curse of the Ring, and Sword of Xanten) is a fantasy
film
and mini-series based on the Norse mythology
story Völsungasaga and the German epic poem Nibelungenlied
, which tells the mythological
story of Siegfried
the Dragon-Slayer. Richard Wagner's
music dramas Siegfried
and Götterdämmerung
are based on the same material.
It was written by the husband and wife team of Diane Duane
and Peter Morwood
, was directed by Uli Edel
, and is a Tandem Communications production. It was filmed entirely in South Africa
.
It had a theatrical release in the United Kingdom
in November 2004.
The German language version, Die Nibelungen, was shown on the German television
channel Sat.1
on November 29 and November 30, 2004. It was the highest-rated mini-series on German television that year.
On December 23, 2005, Channel 4
showed the entire series in one evening under the title Sword of Xanten, describing it as a "megafeature".
It was shown on the SciFi Channel
on March 27, 2006, retitled Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King for the United States
audience, and minus about one hour of material.
. The castle is soon overrun and all are slain except for Siegfried, whose mother has sent him down the river. In the morning he is picked up by a blacksmith, Eyvind, who raises him under the name Erik. Twelve years later, Brunhild, the Queen of Iceland
(still a pagan like Eyvind and Erik) follows her adviser's runes that lead her to where Erik lives. The runes foretell that a star will fall from the sky and from its smoke a man will appear who will defeat her. Brunhild initially has doubts as no one has ever beaten her in a fight before, thanks to her pagan belt. That night a meteor
hits the earth near the smithy and despite Eyvind's warning, Erik goes to investigate. In the middle of the crater there are two rocks of a strange kind of metal. Wearing a cloak over her face, Brunhild arrives and Erik, believing she is a Saxon, attacks her. After a short battle he defeats her, and she instantly falls in love with him. After making love Erik promises to go to Iceland to meet Brunhild and they fall asleep. In the morning Erik wakes up alone after Brunhild has taken one of the rocks and left. Erik convinces Eyvind to let Erik go with him to Burgund (the kingdom of the Burgundians) and on their way down the river they see a town in flames.
Once in Burgund the hawk
Harmillias, belonging to King Gunther's brother Giselher, lands on Erik's arm and there is a brief fight between Erik and some of the townspeople. Afterwards Eyvind presents his sword
s to Gunther, who reveals that the dragon
Fafnir
has awakened and is responsible for the burnt village. King Gunther and his best men, including army chief Hagen, leave to slay the dragon; Giselher befriends Erik and says that his sister Kriemhild is wanted by every man in the kingdom but she doesn't want any of them. Eyvind leaves Erik to use the rock from the meteor to make a sword.
Gunther returns injured with Hagen; all the other knights have been killed. Erik promises to Kriemhild that Gunther and his men will be avenged. In a fierce battle, Erik manages to slay Fafnir while receiving only a scratch on his arm. Seeing that Fafnir's blood has healed his scratch, Erik bathes in the blood, rendering his skin impenetrable. However, a leaf falls on his upper back, giving him one spot where he can be harmed.
s of immortal twilight beings, the Nibelung
. They warn him that taking any of the treasure will bring the curse
down on him but he does not listen and takes the ring and promises to come back for the rest. Outside he is attacked by an ex-Nibelung who is also Hagen's father Alberich
, he soon defeats Alberich and takes his tarn-helm, an item that lets him take the shape of anyone else. Erik returns to Burgund with the dragon's head and shows it to the people and Gunther proclaims he is a hero
which makes Hagen jealous.
That night, at a large party Eyvind meets a woman and they spend the night, Erik is also confronted by Kriemhild and tells her he is already in love with another woman (Brunhild). Meanwhile, the entire dragon's hoard is moved to the Burgund treasury and fills it near to overflowing. The Saxons suddenly decide to invade Burgund to take the gold and Erik rides with the army to confront the twin Saxon kings, the men who slew his father. During a short fight Erik remembers who he is, then he declares the kingdom to be split between himself and King Gunther. He sadly remembers his father's death, giving the two Saxons the choice to leave but they attack again and are slain.
It is also at this point that Eyvind (who tells Erik that he suspected his origin from the beginning) passes away from old age and Siegfried gives him a proper pagan funeral
in his honor.
A raven
lands on his arm that delivers a message to Brunhild that Erik is actually Siegfried of Xanten, and that he will visit her soon. Having overheard Kriemhild and Erik at the party, Hagen's father makes a potion that Kriemhild gives Erik that causes him to fall in love with her and forget Brunhild. A raven who would deliver this news to Brunhild is then shot down by Hagen.
with double bladed axe
s on the condition that if he loses it will cost him his life. He agrees partially because it will be Siegfried fighting, not him.
The fight starts and unbeknown to everyone else Giselher sees the two Gunthers and becomes suspicious but tells no one. Brunhild loses the fight after the two fall off a waterfall and Siegfried saves her. She reluctantly and sadly returns to Burgund and marries Gunther next to Siegfried and Kriemhild who are also marrying. Brunhild confronts Siegfried who (due to effects of the potion) claims he never loved her which deeply upsets her. She takes her anger out by first challenging Siegfried to combat which he purposely loses to take away any thoughts that it was him who defeated Brunhild, then Brunhild ties Gunther up and leaves him for the night greatly convinced she had been deceived. Gunther requests Siegfried use the tarn-helm again to get the belt away from Brunhild which he does. Giselher again sees two Gunthers and tells his girlfriend Lena what he saw. Siegfried returns to his bedroom to see Kriemhild waiting for him, she convinces him to explain what has happened and he does. The next day outside the church Kriemhild is stopped because she cannot enter before Brunhild, Brunhild arrives quickly afterwards and Kriemhild reveals to her that it was Siegfried who defeated her both in Iceland and in her bedroom. She proves it by showing Brunhild her belt around Kriemhild's waist. This drives Brunhild over the edge. Hagen kills Alberich after not returning the tarn-helm to him and then convinces Gunther to exile Siegfried to Xanten. Brunhild comes and demands that she have justice for the wrongs committed against her, she demands they kill Siegfried at the following day's hunt or she will kill herself. Siegfried confronts Kriemhild who breaks down after thinking about all she has done, Siegfried assures her that everything is all right, and that they are leaving to live in Xanten the next day after the hunt. The men leave for the hunt, where Gunther and Hagen plot to cause Siegfried's death, but for a long time they are unable to. Kriemhild confronts Brunhild again and returns her belt, Brunhild reveals her troubled state of mind is because of Siegfried forgetting about their love. Kriemhild confesses using the potion.
Brunhild realizes that it was not Siegfried's fault that he forgot her and that she has just sentenced him to death. On the hunt Hagen kills Siegfried by throwing a javelin
through his weak spot (which Hagen found out about by eavesdropping on Siegfried and Gunther while going through a blood brother ritual). Siegfried remembers his love for Brunhild and says her name before death seizes him. His body is found by Giselher before they must go back to Burgund and it is wept over by Kriemhild. Gunther claims it was a Saxon ambush but she accuses him of murder by envy
and guilt. She throws the Nibelung's ring onto the ground (Siegfried gave it to her for an engagement ring) and Gunther and Hagen fight over it to Gunther's death. Giselher then tries to kill Hagen but is easily overpowered. A vengeful Brunhild arrives and kills the men who allied themselves with Hagen using the belt that Kriemhild returned to her earlier. Brunhild beheads Hagen and disappears.
US Trailer and Soundtrack info
Reviews BBC Review
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and mini-series based on the Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
story Völsungasaga and the German epic poem Nibelungenlied
Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. The story tells of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge....
, which tells the mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
story of Siegfried
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
the Dragon-Slayer. Richard Wagner's
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
music dramas Siegfried
Siegfried (opera)
Siegfried is the third of the four operas that constitute Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring...
and Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
are based on the same material.
It was written by the husband and wife team of Diane Duane
Diane Duane
Diane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.-Biography :...
and Peter Morwood
Peter Morwood
Peter Morwood is primarily a fantasy novelist and screenwriter, though he has also written works of science fiction. His best-known works include the Horse Lords series and the Tales of Old Russia series.-Biography :...
, was directed by Uli Edel
Uli Edel
Uli Edel is a German film director.-Work:After studying theatre science in Munich, he was accepted into Munich Film School alongside Bernd Eichinger. Uli befriended him and they started working together on their exercise movies, sharing a love for the nouvelle vague and Italian neorealism as well...
, and is a Tandem Communications production. It was filmed entirely in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It had a theatrical release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in November 2004.
The German language version, Die Nibelungen, was shown on the German television
German television
Television in Germany began in Berlin on March 22, 1935, broadcasting for 90 minutes three times a week. The German television market had approximately 36.5 million television households in 2000, making it the largest television market in Europe...
channel Sat.1
Sat.1
Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
on November 29 and November 30, 2004. It was the highest-rated mini-series on German television that year.
On December 23, 2005, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
showed the entire series in one evening under the title Sword of Xanten, describing it as a "megafeature".
It was shown on the SciFi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
on March 27, 2006, retitled Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
audience, and minus about one hour of material.
Synopsis
The film is set around the time when many Europeans had changed their religion from paganism to Christianity. The film is split into three parts, and comprises the story of Siegfried from childhood to his death.Part 1
The film opens with a young Siegfried awakening in the middle of an invasion of his parents' castle by SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
. The castle is soon overrun and all are slain except for Siegfried, whose mother has sent him down the river. In the morning he is picked up by a blacksmith, Eyvind, who raises him under the name Erik. Twelve years later, Brunhild, the Queen of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(still a pagan like Eyvind and Erik) follows her adviser's runes that lead her to where Erik lives. The runes foretell that a star will fall from the sky and from its smoke a man will appear who will defeat her. Brunhild initially has doubts as no one has ever beaten her in a fight before, thanks to her pagan belt. That night a meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
hits the earth near the smithy and despite Eyvind's warning, Erik goes to investigate. In the middle of the crater there are two rocks of a strange kind of metal. Wearing a cloak over her face, Brunhild arrives and Erik, believing she is a Saxon, attacks her. After a short battle he defeats her, and she instantly falls in love with him. After making love Erik promises to go to Iceland to meet Brunhild and they fall asleep. In the morning Erik wakes up alone after Brunhild has taken one of the rocks and left. Erik convinces Eyvind to let Erik go with him to Burgund (the kingdom of the Burgundians) and on their way down the river they see a town in flames.
Once in Burgund the hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
Harmillias, belonging to King Gunther's brother Giselher, lands on Erik's arm and there is a brief fight between Erik and some of the townspeople. Afterwards Eyvind presents his sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s to Gunther, who reveals that the dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
Fafnir
Fafnir
In Norse mythology, Fáfnir or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Ótr. In the Volsunga saga, Fáfnir was a dwarf gifted with a powerful arm and fearless soul. He guarded his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems...
has awakened and is responsible for the burnt village. King Gunther and his best men, including army chief Hagen, leave to slay the dragon; Giselher befriends Erik and says that his sister Kriemhild is wanted by every man in the kingdom but she doesn't want any of them. Eyvind leaves Erik to use the rock from the meteor to make a sword.
Gunther returns injured with Hagen; all the other knights have been killed. Erik promises to Kriemhild that Gunther and his men will be avenged. In a fierce battle, Erik manages to slay Fafnir while receiving only a scratch on his arm. Seeing that Fafnir's blood has healed his scratch, Erik bathes in the blood, rendering his skin impenetrable. However, a leaf falls on his upper back, giving him one spot where he can be harmed.
Part 2
Erik explores the cave and finds a vast hall filled with treasure. He finds a ring, the Ring of the Nibelung, and is then confronted by ghostGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s of immortal twilight beings, the Nibelung
Nibelung
The German Nibelungen and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung is the name in Germanic and Norse mythology of the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms....
. They warn him that taking any of the treasure will bring the curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
down on him but he does not listen and takes the ring and promises to come back for the rest. Outside he is attacked by an ex-Nibelung who is also Hagen's father Alberich
Alberich
Alberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD, and whose name means king of the elves , who possessed the ability to become invisible...
, he soon defeats Alberich and takes his tarn-helm, an item that lets him take the shape of anyone else. Erik returns to Burgund with the dragon's head and shows it to the people and Gunther proclaims he is a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
which makes Hagen jealous.
That night, at a large party Eyvind meets a woman and they spend the night, Erik is also confronted by Kriemhild and tells her he is already in love with another woman (Brunhild). Meanwhile, the entire dragon's hoard is moved to the Burgund treasury and fills it near to overflowing. The Saxons suddenly decide to invade Burgund to take the gold and Erik rides with the army to confront the twin Saxon kings, the men who slew his father. During a short fight Erik remembers who he is, then he declares the kingdom to be split between himself and King Gunther. He sadly remembers his father's death, giving the two Saxons the choice to leave but they attack again and are slain.
It is also at this point that Eyvind (who tells Erik that he suspected his origin from the beginning) passes away from old age and Siegfried gives him a proper pagan funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
in his honor.
A raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
lands on his arm that delivers a message to Brunhild that Erik is actually Siegfried of Xanten, and that he will visit her soon. Having overheard Kriemhild and Erik at the party, Hagen's father makes a potion that Kriemhild gives Erik that causes him to fall in love with her and forget Brunhild. A raven who would deliver this news to Brunhild is then shot down by Hagen.
Part 3
Siegfried, having forgotten about Brunhild, asks to marry Kriemhild but Hagen reminds Gunther that he must marry before any of his siblings. Gunther reveals he is pining for Brunhild, but he is not the best fighter and she challenges all her suitors to single combat and no-one has beaten her yet. Gunther promises Siegfried that he may marry Kriemhild if he uses the tarn-helm to look like Gunther and defeat Brunhild; Siegfried accepts this offer. On the ship to Iceland Giselher has stowed away and after support from Siegfried, Gunther lets him accompany them to Iceland. Once they arrive Brunhild is immensely happy that Siegfried has returned to her but is shocked to see that he doesn't recognize her or is challenging her. She challenges Gunther to single combatSingle combat
Single combat is a fight between two single warriors which takes place in the context of a battle between two armies, with the two often considered the champions of their respective sides...
with double bladed axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s on the condition that if he loses it will cost him his life. He agrees partially because it will be Siegfried fighting, not him.
The fight starts and unbeknown to everyone else Giselher sees the two Gunthers and becomes suspicious but tells no one. Brunhild loses the fight after the two fall off a waterfall and Siegfried saves her. She reluctantly and sadly returns to Burgund and marries Gunther next to Siegfried and Kriemhild who are also marrying. Brunhild confronts Siegfried who (due to effects of the potion) claims he never loved her which deeply upsets her. She takes her anger out by first challenging Siegfried to combat which he purposely loses to take away any thoughts that it was him who defeated Brunhild, then Brunhild ties Gunther up and leaves him for the night greatly convinced she had been deceived. Gunther requests Siegfried use the tarn-helm again to get the belt away from Brunhild which he does. Giselher again sees two Gunthers and tells his girlfriend Lena what he saw. Siegfried returns to his bedroom to see Kriemhild waiting for him, she convinces him to explain what has happened and he does. The next day outside the church Kriemhild is stopped because she cannot enter before Brunhild, Brunhild arrives quickly afterwards and Kriemhild reveals to her that it was Siegfried who defeated her both in Iceland and in her bedroom. She proves it by showing Brunhild her belt around Kriemhild's waist. This drives Brunhild over the edge. Hagen kills Alberich after not returning the tarn-helm to him and then convinces Gunther to exile Siegfried to Xanten. Brunhild comes and demands that she have justice for the wrongs committed against her, she demands they kill Siegfried at the following day's hunt or she will kill herself. Siegfried confronts Kriemhild who breaks down after thinking about all she has done, Siegfried assures her that everything is all right, and that they are leaving to live in Xanten the next day after the hunt. The men leave for the hunt, where Gunther and Hagen plot to cause Siegfried's death, but for a long time they are unable to. Kriemhild confronts Brunhild again and returns her belt, Brunhild reveals her troubled state of mind is because of Siegfried forgetting about their love. Kriemhild confesses using the potion.
Brunhild realizes that it was not Siegfried's fault that he forgot her and that she has just sentenced him to death. On the hunt Hagen kills Siegfried by throwing a javelin
Javelin
A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...
through his weak spot (which Hagen found out about by eavesdropping on Siegfried and Gunther while going through a blood brother ritual). Siegfried remembers his love for Brunhild and says her name before death seizes him. His body is found by Giselher before they must go back to Burgund and it is wept over by Kriemhild. Gunther claims it was a Saxon ambush but she accuses him of murder by envy
Envy
Envy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."...
and guilt. She throws the Nibelung's ring onto the ground (Siegfried gave it to her for an engagement ring) and Gunther and Hagen fight over it to Gunther's death. Giselher then tries to kill Hagen but is easily overpowered. A vengeful Brunhild arrives and kills the men who allied themselves with Hagen using the belt that Kriemhild returned to her earlier. Brunhild beheads Hagen and disappears.
Epilogue
Kriemhild places the ring on Siegfried's hand as they give him a pagan funeral. Giselher wishes the Pagan gods would live again on his death but Lena tells him that the Pagan gods die with him. When the boat has burst into flames Brunhild appears from below Siegfried's alter and kills herself with his sword, she collapses on top of Siegfried's body and the boat sinks into the river where the treasure hoard is shown having been thrown into the river.Cast
- Benno FürmannBenno FürmannBenjamin "Benno" Fürmann is a German film and television actor.-Life and work:Fürmann was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg. By the age of 15 he had lost both his parents. At 17, he had a serious accident while train surfing, and had to spend six weeks in the hospital as a result...
- Erik/Siegfried of XantenSigurdSigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of... - Kristanna LokenKristanna LokenKristanna Sommer Loken is an American actress known for her work in both film and television, and as a fashion model.-Early life:Loken was born in Ghent, New York, the daughter of Rande , a model, and Merlin "Chris" Loken, a writer and apple farmer. All four of her grandparents were born in Norway...
- BrunnhildBrynhildrBrynhildr is a shieldmaiden and a valkyrie in Norse mythology, where she appears as a main character in the Völsunga saga and some Eddic poems treating the same events. Under the name Brünnhilde she appears in the Nibelungenlied and therefore also in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des... - Alicia WittAlicia WittAlicia Roanne Witt is an American film, stage, television actress and singer.-Early life:Witt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her mother, Diane , is a junior high school reading teacher, and her father, Robert Witt, is a science teacher and photographer. She has a brother, Ian...
- KriemhildGudrunGudrun is a major figure in the early Germanic literature centered on the hero Sigurd, son of Sigmund. She appears as Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied and as Gutrune in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.-Norse mythology:... - Julian SandsJulian SandsJulian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
- HagenHagen (legend)Hagen or Högni is a Burgundian warrior in tales about the Burgundian kingdom at Worms. Hagen is often identified as a brother or half-brother of King Gunther .In the Nibelungenlied, he is called Hagen of Tronje... - Samuel WestSamuel WestSamuel Alexander Joseph West is an English actor and theatre director. He is perhaps best known for his role in Howards End and his work on stage. He also starred in the award-winning play ENRON...
- King GuntherGuntherGunther is the German name of a semi-legendary king of Burgundy of the early 5th century... - Max von SydowMax von SydowMax von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
- Eyvind - Robert PattinsonRobert PattinsonRobert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, model, musician, and producer. Born and raised in London, Pattinson started out his career by playing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...
- GiselherGiselherGiselher is a king of Burgundy in the Nibelungenlied, brother to kings Gunther and Gernot. Historically, these correspond to three sons of king Gebicca, Gundomar, Gislaharius , and Gundaharius , who ruled the Burgundians in the 410s... - Mavie Hörbiger - Lena
- Aletta Bezuidenhout - Hallbera
- Sean Higgs - AlberichAlberichAlberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD, and whose name means king of the elves , who possessed the ability to become invisible...
- Götz OttoGötz OttoGötz Otto is a German actor known for his very tall stature. He is 198 cm tall and is often characterised by bleached blonde hair in his films....
- King Thorkwin of Saxony - Ralf Möller - King Thorkilt of Saxony
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released in the U.S. by Dancing Ferret Discs.- "Drachengold" - E NomineE NomineE Nomine is a German musical project, formed in 1999, by producers Christian Weller and Friedrich "Fritz" Graner. Their music, which they call monumental dance, is an unusual combination of trance, techno, and vocals which closely resemble Gregorian singing and chanting...
- "Gone with the Wind" - Blackmore's NightBlackmore's NightBlackmore's Night is an English-American traditional folk rock duo led by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night .-Early:...
- "Somewhere Before" - The DreamsideThe DreamsideThe Dreamside is a rock and metal band formed in the Netherlands in 1994.- History :The band was formed by Italian-Dutch singer Kemi Vita. The Dreamside recorded Pale Blue Lights, the band's debut album, pretty much solo with assistance from various musicians; it was released in 1994 to excellent...
- "Drachentöter" - SchandmaulSchandmaulSchandmaul is a German medieval folk rock band from the vicinity of Munich.As well as using modern instruments like the bass or electric guitar, the band utilizes instruments typically used in Medieval folk songs, such as the bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy or shawm, to produce their trademark folk rock...
- "Uthark Runa" - TherionTherion (band)Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek therion , meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation...
- "Prolog / Andro" - FaunFaun (band)Faun is a German band formed in 2002 who play pagan folk, darkwave and medieval music. The originality of their music style is that they fall back to "old" instruments, and the singing is always the center of attention. The vocals are performed in a variety of languages, including German, Latin,...
- "Owe War Sint Verswunden [Edit]" EstampieEstampie (band)Estampie is a German music group, founded in 1985 by Sigrid Hausen , Michael Popp and Ernst Schwindl. The band plays primarily medieval music, with some modern influences from world and minimalist music.-Members:...
- "Winterborn (Subway To Sally Edit)" The CrüxshadowsThe CrüxshadowsThe Crüxshadows is an Dark Electro group from Florida. Their sound is made up of a combination of male vocals, electric violin, guitar, and synth...
- "Unda" - FaunFaun (band)Faun is a German band formed in 2002 who play pagan folk, darkwave and medieval music. The originality of their music style is that they fall back to "old" instruments, and the singing is always the center of attention. The vocals are performed in a variety of languages, including German, Latin,...
- "Egodram!" - Das IchDas IchDas Ich is a German electronic music group formed in 1989. The group, fronted by Stefan Ackermann and Bruno Kramm, were one of the prominent founders of and contributors to "Neue Deutsche Todeskunst" a musical movement in the early 1990s...
- "Shadow Of The Moon" - Blackmore's NightBlackmore's NightBlackmore's Night is an English-American traditional folk rock duo led by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night .-Early:...
- "Dulcissima (Cantus Buranus)" - Corvus Corax Hymnus
- "Forskaen" - The DreamsideThe DreamsideThe Dreamside is a rock and metal band formed in the Netherlands in 1994.- History :The band was formed by Italian-Dutch singer Kemi Vita. The Dreamside recorded Pale Blue Lights, the band's debut album, pretty much solo with assistance from various musicians; it was released in 1994 to excellent...
- "Score" - Schicksal
- "Eversleeping" - XandriaXandriaXandria is a German symphonic metal band, founded by Marco Heubaum in 1997. The band's music combines elements of symphonic metal with light electronic elements and rock....
- "Score" - Todesfinale
- "Remember Me [Kreimhild Edit]" - QntalQntalQntal is a German "electro-medieval" band founded in 1991 by Michael Popp and Ernst Horn. They later added vocalist Syrah to complete the band. It has roots in Estampie, a band of similar genre but different style; Michael Popp and Syrah are the principal members. Horn left the group in 1999, to...
- "Lebenslicht" - Barbi Schiller
- "Riding On The Rocks" - Katie Knight Adams
External links
Official sitesUS Trailer and Soundtrack info
Reviews BBC Review