Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy (1966)

In the grand realm of the Burgunds, far surpassing the confines of modern Burgundy, the tale of Siegfried of Xanthen unfolds. Our story is narrated by Volker von Alzey, the royal bard under the rule of the devout Christian king, Gunther. Among his loyal subjects are his two brave brothers and his sister, Kriemhild. Siegfried's journey begins in the northern kingdom of the Lowlands, an apprentice in a forge. A clash with a jealous rival leads him to baptize his blade in blood, transforming it into an all-splitting weapon, the only tool feared by the formidable dragon, Rachnir. After a victorious battle with the dragon, Siegfried bathes in its blood, rendering him invincible. His path crosses with Alberich, the king of the Alves, who gifts Siegfried an invisibility helmet and shows him the dragon-guarded ring of the Nibelungen. Siegfried's quest takes him to Iceland, where he awakens the maiden queen Brunhild, only to refuse her and return to rule from Xanthen on the Rhine, his heart set on finding a queen. An Easter challenge to King Gunther turns into a proposed marital alliance with Kriemhild. This joyous occasion is disrupted by the invasion of Ludegast, king of the Saxons. After a duel with Siegfried, Ludegast is defeated but spared, and swears allegiance to Burgundy. Gunther, eager to seal this alliance, demands that Siegfried win the hand of Brunhild for him, an ideal match for the stability of Burgundy. Siegfried accomplishes this task, albeit with the aid of more magic. But every enchantment comes with a cost, and the price for this magic will send ripples of disaster through the kingdom...

Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy is an adventure movie featuring Uwe Beyer and directed by Harald Reinl.

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