The Dragon’s Blood 1958

A dying Siegland reaches the house of Mime, Alberto Cinquini the dwarf, begging him to raise her baby, called Sigfried, and handing over the sword of Sigfried’s father. The moment is heavy with fate, as the infant’s future seems tethered to a world of peril and prophecy.

Years pass, and the grown-up Sigfried, Sebastian Fischer, sets out in search of the treasure of the Nibelungs. He slays a dragon with his invincible sword, and the dragon’s blood bathes him in a terrifying near-invulnerability that earns him the title of the bravest fighter of his era. He also uncovers a magic ring and Alberich’s hat, artifacts that grant invisibility and amplify the sense that nothing can stand in his way.

His feats bring him to the court of the King Gunther of Burgund, where he triumphs in a tournament for the hand of the beautiful Kriemhild, Ilaria Occhini. Yet an implacable opponent awaits him: Hagen von Tronje, Rolf Tasna, a rival who had already been defeated by Sigfried in a duel but remains a formidable obstacle in the political and romantic game that unfolds.

With the aid of his magic hat, Sigfried helps Gunther subjugate the queen of Iceland, Brunhild, Katharina Mayberg, and to make her Gunther’s wife, weaving a web of deceit that will have consequences beyond the immediate victory. The deception does not stay hidden for long, and Brunhild learns of Sigfried’s tricks, rejecting Gunther and vowing revenge against Sigfried.

Meanwhile, on Brunhild’s side, Hagen uncovers Sigfried’s secret—the vulnerable spot on his shoulder. This knowledge becomes deadly, and during a hunting trip, Hagen kills Sigfried, a blow that echoes through the hall of Burgund. Yet the victory is pyrrhic, for Hagen himself perishes in the collapsing grotto while clawing at the treasure that lies within.

Brunhild, shaken by the unintended role she played in Sigfried’s death, cannot escape the consequences of the tragedy and ultimately takes her own life, closing a saga that begins with a child’s fate and ends in a ruinous war of pride, love, and ambition.