How Did Siegfried Become an Invulnerable Warrior?

TL;DR

Siegfried becomes invulnerable by killing a dragon and bathing in its blood, but a leaf leaves one spot on his back exposed. Burgundy accepts the reckless warrior as an ally after its neighbors turn against it, while Marshal Hogan discovers that the royal family concealed the truth about his childhood and the dragon that actually rescued him.

Transcript

In Europe during the Middle Ages, the Huns are advancing into the West, causing war and destruction everywhere. The Kingdom of Burgundy is fighting to survive, and now the king has to go out with his men to protect the borders. The area is covered in fog, so the army move carefully. They arrive at a village and find it burned down with every person... Read More

Key Insights

• Burgundy is pushed toward desperate alliances after its king is killed and the Saxons and Danes turn against the kingdom. Gunar considers sacrificing his sister's freedom through a political marriage before relying on Siegfried and his unruly warriors instead.
• Hogan is a loyal marshal whose identity rests on a fabricated childhood story. He believes a dragon killed his parents, but Alber later reveals that Gunar's father conquered Hogan's homeland, killed his family, and used the dragon as a convenient cover for the crime.
• Siegfried is invulnerable because he killed a dragon and bathed in its blood. A falling leaf covered one place on his back during the bath, preventing the blood from touching that patch and leaving it as his only physical weakness.
• Alber is a mysterious being who knows the origins of Hogan's scars and follows Siegfried after Siegfried killed his master. He also makes a sword from dragon bones, treats Hogan's battle wounds, and exposes the royal family's deception about Hogan's past.
• Creamhild is prepared to marry Lombardy's king for Burgundy's survival, even though the arrangement causes her pain. Hogan convinces Gunar to cancel the marriage but refuses to admit his feelings, while Creamhild later becomes increasingly interested in Siegfried.
• Siegfried wins Burgundy's admiration through bold but reckless violence. He kills the Saxon king alone, provokes the disorganized enemy into battle, fights without armor, and kills the Dane king before he can finish the severely wounded Hogan.
• Hogan is a disciplined commander who values strategy, responsibility, and the lives of his soldiers. During battle, he rescues a young fighter by giving away his own helmet, watches an archer die, loses his left eye, and remains suspicious of Siegfried's influence.
• Siegfried rejects conventional ideas about rulership, mourning, and political power. He celebrates fallen warriors instead of honoring them with silence, says empires always collapse, and claims he never wanted his father's throne, a perspective that impresses Creamhild despite his destructive behavior.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Siegfried become invulnerable?

Siegfried became invulnerable after fighting and killing a dragon alone. He then bathed in the dragon's blood, which protected the skin it touched. However, a leaf fell onto his back during the bath and blocked the blood from reaching one small area. That uncovered place remained vulnerable and became his only known physical weakness.

Q: What is Siegfried's only weakness?

Siegfried's only weakness is a spot on his back that the dragon's blood did not touch. While he was bathing in the blood to become invulnerable, a leaf landed on that area and shielded it. The rest of his body received the blood's protection, but the skin beneath the leaf remained exposed to injury.

Q: Why does Burgundy accept Siegfried as an ally?

Burgundy accepts Siegfried because the kingdom faces an escalating military crisis. The Saxons and Danes have turned against Gunar, the lands outside the capital are expected to burn, and Burgundy urgently needs support. Although Hogan distrusts Siegfried, Gunar accepts his offer to kill for the king and formally makes him an ally.

Q: What really happened to Hogan's parents?

Hogan's parents were killed when Gunar's father attacked and conquered Hogan's original kingdom. Hogan was trapped in a fire during the assault, but the dragon did not attack him. It rescued him by lifting him away in its claws. The former king later blamed the dragon, concealing his own responsibility for Hogan's family and scars.

Q: Why does Gunar cancel Creamhild's arranged marriage?

Gunar cancels Creamhild's marriage after Hogan argues that the alliance is unnecessary and that Burgundy's own army remains strong enough to defend the kingdom. Gunar trusts Hogan's judgment and releases his sister from the obligation. Creamhild is delighted, although Hogan refuses to acknowledge that his personal feelings may have influenced his advice.

Q: How does Siegfried help Burgundy defeat its enemies?

Siegfried rides into the enemy camp alone during the night and returns carrying the Saxon king's head. He argues that the leaderless Saxons will now fight chaotically, prompting Burgundy's army to attack. During the battle, he fights without armor, kills enemies relentlessly, and saves the wounded Hogan by killing the approaching Dane king.

Q: How does Hogan lose his left eye?

Hogan loses his left eye during the forest battle against Burgundy's enemies. After trying to protect his soldiers, he sees his best archer surrounded and stabbed to death. The distraction gives another opponent an opportunity to strike Hogan in the face. Hogan kills that attacker but collapses from his injuries and later requires Alber's treatment.

Q: Why does Creamhild become interested in Siegfried?

Creamhild initially considers Siegfried disrespectful and condemns his behavior, but her view changes after he saves Hogan and speaks honestly about war and power. She is impressed when he says empires inevitably collapse and explains that he never wanted his father's throne. Their growing connection continues as they ride together and discuss Alber, the dragon, and Siegfried's past.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Burgundy's king is killed while investigating a destroyed village, leaving Prince Gunar to inherit a kingdom surrounded by enemies. Gunar initially plans to secure an alliance by marrying Princess Creamhild to Lombardy's king, but Hogan persuades him to cancel the arrangement despite the worsening military danger facing Burgundy.

• Siegfried, a volatile foreign prince, arrives with armed companions and challenges Gunar before remaining as a guest. Alber reveals that Siegfried killed a dragon and became invulnerable by bathing in its blood, except for one unprotected spot on his back where a leaf prevented the blood from touching him.

• After the Saxons and Danes turn against Burgundy, Siegfried becomes Gunar's ally and kills both enemy kings. Hogan loses an eye during the battle and later learns that Burgundy's former king conquered his homeland, killed his parents, and falsely blamed the dragon that had actually rescued him from the fire.