Saturday, February 9, 2008

"Die Nibelungen - Der Fluch des Drachen"

It's a fine movie to my opinion. The story line was based on the Germanic myth "Das Nibelungenlied" and the Nordic "Volsunga Saga" which also inspired the four-opera cycle by Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien's epic "The Lord of the Rings".

Reading the story and history behind the movie brought even more fun to me. For example, the word "Nibelung" is the German title was borrowed by it's English title, which is called "Ring of the Nibelungs". However, that might confuse the English speakers. Actually the Nibelung of the title is the dwarf Alberich, and the Ring in question is the one he fashions from the Rhinegold. The title therefore means "Alberich's Ring". About the word Nibelung (Nibelunge, Niflunger) is derived from the German/old Norse word "Nebel" (mist), and means darkness. In some case, people think Nibelung also refers to the Son of Mist (Nebel).

Die Nibelungen