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(narrator) It may be the most
sought-after cult object in history:
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the Holy Grail.
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Christians, crusaders, and Nazis
have all tried to find it.
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The Grail promises power,
influence, and eternal life.
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I believe the Holy Grail could exist.
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Which cup is the real Grail?
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Will the lead take us to King Arthur?
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Or is the crucial clue
hidden in da Vinci's masterpiece?
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Researchers are trying
to solve this millennia-old myth.
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The great myths of mankind.
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Mysteries passed on
over thousands of years.
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Inexplicable events,
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places shrouded in legend,
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and superhuman heroes:
even scientists are fascinated.
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Is there any truth
to these ancient legends?
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Researchers across the globe
work hard to solve
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the greatest mysteries of our time.
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(mysterious melody)
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To Spaniards, this is
the Santo Cáliz, the Holy Grail.
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Valencia Cathedral has been
its home for centuries.
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Believers think this vessel
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is the cup Jesus Christ handed
his disciples at the Last Supper.
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But is this truly the real Holy Grail?
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Art historian Ana Mafé García
is trying to find out.
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(García in Spanish)
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(dubbed in English) I am convinced
it's the chalice of Jesus, the Holy Grail.
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She's new to the quest for the Grail,
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adopting new approaches,
like using images of the Grail.
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They inspired me to look for
the Holy Grail in art history.
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In her search, she pores over
paintings featuring the Grail.
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Paintings of the Last Supper, the origin
of all stories linked to the Holy Grail.
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The Bible describes
the eve of the crucifixion,
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when Jesus asked his disciples
to drink from a cup of wine,
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saying this was his blood
that would be shed for everyone.
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A key moment for Christianity.
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Jesus promises
to remain present in bread and wine.
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The supper stands for community.
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Those who drink from the cup
are part of this community,
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and can hope for life after death.
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The Holy Grail is like a condensed conduit
for the power of creation,
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which can be used to heal,
to restore sanity.
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It comes in the form of a cornucopia,
which delivers the sustenance of life,
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in the womb from which life comes.
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You name it, the Grail, in its essence,
represents the source of creation itself.
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The chalice disappeared
over the centuries.
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In medieval times,
the Crusaders revive the legend.
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They want to conquer the Holy Land
and bring relicts to Europe.
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The myth of the Holy Grail
is born in this era.
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(battle cries)
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Christian orders of knights travel
to Constantinople and Jerusalem
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to free the Holy City from Islamic rule.
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On their way,
they pillage cities and temples.
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At the time, relicts, purportedly sacred
objects, were highly sought-after items,
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like wood splinters or nails said to come
from Jesus' cross, or the bones of saints.
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One object is particularly coveted:
the Grail, the Lord's chalice.
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I certainly believe
the Holy Grail could exist.
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So much associated with Christ
was preserved at the time.
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The idea that the cup
from the Last Supper
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is still there is perfectly believable.
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But the real question is whether it still
actually exists in a private collection,
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perhaps even in a museum,
and no one knows what it is.
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Vessels that prompt speculation
surface time and time again.
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Which goblet is the real Grail?
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Bowls made of wood, or of precious stone?
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Celtic cups which allegedly can feed
thousands of men, or raise the dead.
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Elaborately decorated vessels,
laden with ritual significance.
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What's fascinating
about all of the different cups
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that claim to be the Holy Grail
is they're all very different
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and they're made of different materials.
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It makes you wonder what properties
you need to have to be the Holy Grail.
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Today, we know that the object
known as Nanteos Cup from England
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is actually a fruit bowl
which dates back no more than 600 years.
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The Sacro Catino, made from emerald,
is a medieval Islamic bowl.
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Valencia.
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Perhaps this is
where the real Grail can be found.
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This Spanish seaport was an important
trading hub in the Middle Ages.
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Could the Holy Grail have ended up here?
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July 2006, Pope Benedict XVI
presents the mysterious cup
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to more than
one million worshippers in Valencia.
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It is a special moment for Christians
from all four corners of the world.
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But to this very day,
there is no scientific evidence
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that the Valencian chalice
is the real Holy Grail.
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(church bells toll)
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This is where the Santo Cáliz has been
preserved for the past 600 years,
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the Valencia Cathedral.
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Closely guarded in a side chapel,
behind glass and secured with alarms.
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Ana Mafé García
and German historian Michael Hesemann
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have the chance
to look at the cup up close.
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Up until now, both have only
studied the Grail in theory.
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They know how charged the debate is
regarding the authenticity of the vessel.
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Finding and proving
the Holy Grail is real is important,
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because it's evidence.
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If we find the Holy Grail,
it tells us that Jesus was real,
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that the stories about him were real.
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And that the religions that rely
on these stories are not just symbolic,
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but can be taken literally.
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The Valencian cup can only be observed
under strict security measures.
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García and Hesemann are looking for clues
that have been overlooked.
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The cup is definitely old enough.
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It was probably made about 2,000 years ago
by Middle Eastern craftspeople.
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The researchers gather insights and facts
to solve the mystery of the Holy Grail.
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(soundtrack drowns out speech)
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(camera shutter clicks)
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The Santo Cáliz from Valencia.
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Could it really be
the cup from the Last Supper?
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Ana Mafé García needs more evidence.
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She meets Daniel Benito, an art historian.
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He takes her to the Colegio del Patriarca,
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a seminary founded hundreds of years ago.
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García is looking for representations
of the Holy Grail in art.
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She wants to trace it back
to the artists who saw it.
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What did they know about it?
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The refectory is decorated with
a 1599 depiction of the Last Supper.
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It shows a chalice, bearing a striking
resemblance to the Santo Cáliz.
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(in Spanish)
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(dubbed in English) Here we see
a conventional depiction of the refectory.
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It's the Last Supper of Jesus
and his disciples before the Passion.
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It is usually portrayed from a theological
perspective, focusing on the Eucharist.
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This is an archaeological,
and not theological, reconstruction
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of how this supper
might really have happened.
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Most interesting is that
the Valencian chalice
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has a central position in this image.
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No matter which painting García examines,
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if there is a cup on the table,
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artists seem to agree
as to what the real cup looked like.
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500 years ago, there was
broad consensus in Christianity
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on the Grail's appearance.
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From the 16th century onwards
in the world of art history,
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one single relict
is depicted in paintings.
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It is the Holy Chalice
of Valencia Cathedral.
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But how did the Grail travel
from Jerusalem to Spain,
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across the entire Roman Empire?
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García's hypothesis is the cup came to
Rome at some point during the 1st century.
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There, an early and persecuted
Christian community hides it,
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maybe in the catacombs
beneath the metropolis.
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We can still see images of Christian
ceremonies on the walls to this day.
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And indeed,
the catacombs of Rome show a cup
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that at least bears some resemblance
to the Valencian chalice.
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When research of the Holy Grail began,
it was fascinating to learn
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there was a primitive representation
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of the upper part of the Holy Chalice
in the catacombs of Rome.
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García corroborates her theory
that the Grail must have been in Rome
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with another piece of evidence.
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The first popes used this cup
to celebrate Holy Mass in the underground.
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It's the era of
the persecution of Christians.
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An old Latin texts bears witness
to how Christians used the cup
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for Holy Communion.
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In this text, the early Christians
refer to the cup literally.
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During the ceremony, they say that
Jesus used "hunc praeclarum calicem,"
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this precious chalice.
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They mean the Santo Cáliz.
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Could the upper part
of the chalice be the original,
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with the lower part added at a later date?
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And if this is true, how did
the cup travel from Rome to Spain?
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For 20 years, Michael Hesemann
has been looking for evidence.
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He believes he is close to a breakthrough.
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His key to the Grail:
a medieval verse romance about Perceval.
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Written in the 12th and 13th century
by Chrétien de Troyes in France
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and Wolfram von Eschenbach in Germany.
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Hesemann is certain these ancient texts
will provide crucial clues
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in the search of the real Grail.
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(in German)
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(dubbed in English)
Parzival is a treasure map.
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Follow it
and you will find the Grail.
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Perceval's story is unique in Europe.
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To fulfil his dream of becoming a knight,
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the young hero
has to pass countless tests.
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One of them is to find the Grail.
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Perceval arrives
at the Castle of the Grail,
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a mysterious place inhabited
by the terminally ill Fisher King,
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who can only be kept alive by the Grail.
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The King invites Perceval to his castle.
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(low chatter)
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(clink of cutlery)
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The young hero
witnesses miraculous events.
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Food and drinks galore
said to be provided by the Grail.
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Eventually, he sees the chalice
being carried through the room.
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The text describes it
as a shining star from the heavens.
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Is this merely medieval fiction?
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Hesemann is convinced
there's more to this story.
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Reading Parzival, you will find
the place where the Grail was hidden
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in the 11th or 12th century.
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Hesemann has found
a suspicious location in the text.
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Young Perceval receives
a description of the castle
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where he will meet
both the King and the Grail.
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It's called Montsalvatge.
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Michael Hesemann seeks to find
this legendary castle in Spain.
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His quest for the Grail
takes him to the Spanish Pyrenees,
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where the castle Montsalvatge
could be located.
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Hesemann wants to retrace
the path the Grail has taken.
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He thinks that after Jesus died,
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the Grail was taken
from Jerusalem to Rome,
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and later St. Lawrence,
a 3rd century deacon, brought it to Spain.
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Hesemann drives to an old country house
where the family of St. Lawrence lived.
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St. Lawrence tried to save
the church possessions from Rome
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during the persecution of the Christians.
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When the Roman Emperor
persecuted the Christians
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and seized all treasures
of the Church,
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Lawrence managed to entrust
the Grail to a Spanish legionnaire,
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who brought it safely to this place,
Lawrence's parents' manor.
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The Grail remains hidden
in the Pyrenees for centuries.
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Nobody knows its exact location.
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Hesemann believes the guardians
of the Grail used landmarks for guidance.
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Behind the clouds is the Pico de Gratal,
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the mountain of the Grail,
1,563 meters high.
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This was their marker.
Behind it, the land of the Grail began.
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This is where we begin our search.
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Hesemann believes Montsalvatge Castle
from the Parzival poem
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lies behind those mountains.
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The serpentines
take him deep into the Pyrenees.
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Hesemann thinks the Parzival epos
is like a treasure map
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that just needs
to be interpreted properly.
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Perceval's first stop in the romance:
a river, where he meets the Fisher King.
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Hesemann thinks he has located
the exact place of the encounter.
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We can see the Rio Aragon here.
Perceval rode along its shores.
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In the background,
there is the Mont Salvatoris,
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the Pico de Sant Salvador.
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In the local Occitan language
spoken in Aragon at the time,
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it was called Montsalvatge.
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And later, this became the name
of the Castle of the Grail in Parzival.
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The Castle of the Grail.
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Does it really exist
outside the realm of imagination?
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(Hesemann) This is the path
Perceval took on his horse.
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You can't use today's roads,
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but have to investigate
historical roads and trails.
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Perceval and the Castle of the Grail
in north-eastern Spain?
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The text comes with directions:
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"At the foot
of that mountain, turn right."
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At the end of the path lies
an ancient building, hidden below a ledge.
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The monastery of San Juan de la Peña.
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It was built in the 10th century,
long before Parzival was written.
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Today, the monastery is
a Spanish national monument.
233
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,520
Hesemann finds depictions
of the Last Supper everywhere,
234
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,240
which isn't
necessarily unusual for a monastery.
235
00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,720
But is this really the place
the Grail was hidden?
236
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,720
Hesemann is not the first
to follow the clues in Parzival
237
00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,000
and to end up in the Pyrenees.
238
00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:14,040
Around 1930, German author Otto Rahn
takes the ancient text literally.
239
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,480
His search takes him to the other side
of the mountain range, to France.
240
00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:24,040
Rahn believes the Château de Montségur
is the Castle of the Grail.
241
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,240
Later he looks for the Grail
on behalf of the Nazis.
242
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,960
All sorts of people throughout history
have hunted for the Grail,
243
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,240
because it's such
a mysterious object.
244
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,720
If you were the people to actually find it
after centuries of being lost,
245
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,000
then you prove you've got the power,
246
00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:48,240
you've got the legitimacy,
that you were destined to own it.
247
00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,720
That's why Hitler and Himmler
searched for the Grail
248
00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,280
during World War II.
249
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,720
It would prove they had a right
to do what they were doing.
250
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,000
Hitler remains skeptical,
but Himmler, head of the SS,
251
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,240
is obsessed with occult Germanic rites.
252
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:11,480
The mass murderer firmly believes
he who has the Grail will be invincible.
253
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,240
(Linn) Heinrich Himmler
sincerely believed in the occult.
254
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,000
He didn't just
want to find occult objects,
255
00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,000
he wanted to make
a mythic reality.
256
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,720
He wanted there
to be Nazi knights
257
00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,040
of a kind of
new Arthurian order.
258
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:35,240
Himmler wants the Grail to be
at the center of a new Germanic cult.
259
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,480
He invests means and men
in the search for the Grail.
260
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:39,520
But to no avail.
261
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,480
Otto Rahn commits suicide.
262
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,480
The SS largely disregards
the monastery San Juan de la Peña.
263
00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,040
The Nazis don't want to share
the Grail with the Church.
264
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,240
Are they missing out
on the most promising lead?
265
00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:11,240
If the Grail used to be here,
there could still be traces of it today.
266
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,520
Hesemann wants
a closer look at the basement.
267
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,240
A local guide takes him
through the monastic maze.
268
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,520
The heroic epic provides
an exact account of the rooms
269
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,720
where Perceval sees the Grail.
270
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:49,000
"In the middle, he saw four pillars,
and in between a giant fire was ablaze."
271
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,960
And here, he met the King of the Grail,
272
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,480
and spoke with him. And then he saw
273
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,720
how a procession entered through the door
274
00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:05,720
on the other side of the hall,
275
00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:09,000
carried the grail,
carried it through the hall,
276
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:13,480
and disappeared through another door
on the other side of the room.
277
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:23,000
Perceval witnesses an Easter procession,
a mysterious ritual to him.
278
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,040
Hesemann is certain
this is the right place.
279
00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,480
We can see
one, two, three, four large pillars here,
280
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,720
and one, two, three spaces in between
281
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:41,480
where the braziers were placed,
because it was cold down here in April.
282
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:48,000
The Parzival text also describes
how the Grail is retrieved from a chamber.
283
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,480
Hesemann believes he sees evidence
pointing to this romance verse, too.
284
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,480
He finds a small side room.
285
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:04,480
This niche, this chapel, is where the
Grail was stored for over 300 years.
286
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,720
The text contains
another important detail.
287
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,720
It references a baptism.
288
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,520
What looks like water
turned into stone today
289
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,720
are actually calcium deposits
of an old spring.
290
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,720
This place was really used for baptisms.
291
00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,240
In the epic, the Grail
is carried up a flight of stairs.
292
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:43,240
(Hesemann) From there, the stairs lead up
to the church of San Juan de la Peña.
293
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,960
Hesemann climbs
to the church of the monastery.
294
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,720
If there is truth to the Perceval story,
295
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,520
this is where the monks must have
worshipped the Holy Grail.
296
00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,000
It looks like the description
of the Castle of the Grail in the poem
297
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,720
matches San Juan de la Peña.
298
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:14,040
All the places, all the rooms
are here, exactly as the text says.
299
00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,240
There is some evidence
that Hesemann is right
300
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,480
and there was a cup that was
worshipped here in the Middle Ages.
301
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,240
Is it the one that's in Valencia today?
302
00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,480
Could it be the real Grail?
303
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,480
It will probably be impossible
to prove once and for all
304
00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,760
that Jesus used this exact chalice.
305
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:49,240
But the Valencian chalice doesn't look
like the Grail described in Parzival.
306
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,520
It is described
as a shining stone from the heavens.
307
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,000
How does this relate to the Santo Cáliz?
308
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,960
At the Department of Art History
of the University of Valencia,
309
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,000
María Gómez, expert for ancient artwork,
is preparing an experiment.
310
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,480
Ana Mafé García wants to know
if anything about the Santo Cáliz
311
00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,000
could in fact point
to a shining star from the heavens.
312
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,480
(low chatter in Spanish)
313
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:33,720
(García) All literary descriptions
of the Holy Chalice or Holy Grail
314
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,720
agree on the upper bowl,
the chalice, which is in Valencia.
315
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,480
I hope exposing
the agate to light will show us
316
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,760
whether it shines the way
it's been described in the medieval texts.
317
00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:00,240
At certain light temperatures, gemstones
begin to glow in different colors.
318
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,040
(Gómez in Spanish)
319
00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,720
(dubbed in English) The colors
vary depending on the light.
320
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:12,240
Light has a color, Kelvin,
degrees Kelvin.
321
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,280
Let me give you an example.
322
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,040
A painting made outside,
323
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,960
like the picture Sorolla
painted on the beach,
324
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,520
was painted in daylight.
325
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:26,480
If we expose this painting to warm light,
that is 3,200 degrees Kelvin,
326
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,720
it loses its blue color.
327
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:33,480
The color spectrum of
the color blue varies and changes.
328
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,480
(García) Look, here,
the stone has a red shade.
329
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,720
We'll increase the temperature.
330
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,720
We're increasing,
331
00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,520
and it seems like it's losing its color,
332
00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,000
like it's getting more yellow, opaque.
333
00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,480
(Gómez) Browner, even browner.
334
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,000
(García) Even browner.
335
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:06,040
Is there a stone that shines like the gem
mentioned in the medieval texts?
336
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,240
The stone on the light table is an agate.
337
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,040
It glows red like fire.
338
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:16,960
The women are certain.
339
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,280
(García) We've found
the Holy Chalice in this stone.
340
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,240
That's it, look. I can see it.
341
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,480
(García) That's incredible.
342
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,280
-Eureka!
-Yes.
343
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,480
The Santo Cáliz.
344
00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,520
A chalice made of agate.
345
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,480
In Parzival, the grail is a stone
346
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,480
brought down from the heavens
by neutral angels.
347
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,000
The only stone to come from the heavens
348
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,480
is a meteorite.
349
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,720
If it is a meteorite, then it would be
the common denominator
350
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,240
between Excalibur and the Grail,
351
00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,720
the two most important objects
in the Arthurian tradition.
352
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,480
And both are divine right to rule.
353
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:08,720
And that relates to the meteor,
which comes as a light from the heavens
354
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,000
anointing the finder.
355
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,480
Spain isn't the only place
where legends about the Grail flourish.
356
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,480
Glastonbury, in the southwest of England.
357
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,760
With numerous myths
attached to this region,
358
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,720
many believe the Grail
was hidden here in the 1st century.
359
00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:38,280
After Jesus died at the cross,
the other legend of the Grail suggests
360
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:43,720
Joseph of Arimathea collected his blood
in a cup and brought it to England.
361
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,960
He's said to have eventually hidden
this Grail in Glastonbury.
362
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:58,000
It is the same place where one of
the most influential monasteries
363
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,480
of the Middle Ages emerges:
Glastonbury Abbey.
364
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,000
The magical ruins still attract
tourists and esoterics alike.
365
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,720
A magnet for myths.
366
00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,000
Legendary King Arthur
is said to be buried here.
367
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,480
Archaeologist Roberta Gilchrist
tries to find out how much truth
368
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,240
there is to the myths
linked to Glastonbury.
369
00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,720
(Gilchrist) Glastonbury Abbey
is a famous medieval monastery.
370
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,000
It's associated with two key legends:
371
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,000
one of them is King Arthur,
372
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,000
the other, Joseph of Arimathea.
373
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,000
Both provide a kind
of origin story for the abbey.
374
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,240
And this isn't a new story.
375
00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,480
These things have been connected
with Glastonbury for about 800 years.
376
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,720
It‘s a huge part of the abbey‘s heritage.
377
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:52,720
A painting in the chapel of the abbey
commemorates Joseph of Arimathea.
378
00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:56,000
It shows how he travelled
to England with the Grail.
379
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,720
After arriving in Glastonbury, he sticks
his walking staff into the ground
380
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,000
and it turns into a magnificent hawthorn.
381
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,040
To this day,
it is a landmark of Glastonbury
382
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,280
and blooms twice a year,
once at Christmas.
383
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,520
A divine symbol of the birth of Christ?
384
00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:25,000
There are several of these trees
around Glastonbury.
385
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,480
Joseph is said to have buried
the Grail somewhere here.
386
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,040
But it has never been found.
387
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:41,000
The second big story of Glastonbury Abbey
revolves around legendary King Arthur.
388
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,480
The myth says he's buried
on an island named Avalon.
389
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,240
Some believe Avalon and Glastonbury
are the same place.
390
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,960
The legends of King Arthur
and his Round Table
391
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,480
are inextricably linked to the Holy Grail.
392
00:30:56,520 --> 00:31:01,000
Finding it is the primary duty
of the noble order of knights.
393
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,000
The myth of Arthur being
linked with the Holy Grail
394
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,240
is an important part
of the Arthur story,
395
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,240
because it makes him
more powerful.
396
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,040
It gives him the divine
anointment he needs
397
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,000
to make him into a true legend
which can withstand the years.
398
00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:24,000
In Glastonbury,
ancient legends take shape.
399
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:35,000
In the 12th century, there are a lot
of stories circulating about King Arthur.
400
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:40,240
And the monks of Glastonbury
connected the Arthur story with Avalon.
401
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:43,520
In their chronicles, the monks documented
402
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,480
how they find
a tomb during renovation works.
403
00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,480
Inside, they find two skeletons:
404
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,520
a very tall man
with strong bones and a woman,
405
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,240
King Arthur and his wife Guinevere.
406
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,480
With this, they find
a small cross with the name Arthur,
407
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,240
and make their abbey
a place of pilgrimage.
408
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:15,720
(Gilchrist) We suspect it was a forgery,
409
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:20,240
something they copied from
material culture about a century earlier.
410
00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,720
But that gave them a kind of relic,
411
00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:28,480
if you like, of Arthur that people
could come and look at on the site.
412
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:33,000
Roberta Gilchrist knows
that after a fire in the Abbey,
413
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,000
the monks were
in desperate need for money.
414
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,520
Since then, the story of Arthur's grave
has turned Glastonbury
415
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,520
into a tourist magnet,
which it remains to this very day.
416
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,240
It would appear once a myth
is attached to an area,
417
00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,760
other myths start
to be attached to it, too.
418
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,760
This is partly due
to a coincidence of events.
419
00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,240
At Glastonbury, ley lines meet,
there's the ancient church on the hilltop,
420
00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,480
and there's the burial
of the Holy Grail and King Arthur.
421
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,280
Because of this, these places
become a place of pilgrimage.
422
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:13,480
Glastonbury is an Eldorado for all those
on the search for life's deeper meaning.
423
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,720
Goddess movement priestesses
follow ancient traditions,
424
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,720
which believe
in the maternal essence of life and Earth.
425
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,960
(soundtrack drowns out speech)
426
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,280
(woman) People come
in search of the Holy Grail,
427
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:31,760
but in the Goddess tradition,
the Holy Grail is far more intimate.
428
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,720
It is really the sacred part
in yourself. It's the creation.
429
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:40,960
So, it's really finding that sacred part
in ourselves that we all search for.
430
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,000
The Holy Grail.
431
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,240
Some believe it's an inner state of mind,
432
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,480
but most think it's a real cup.
433
00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:51,720
A cup that has forged legends.
434
00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,480
But if King Arthur's tomb
is just fictional,
435
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:04,480
is it possible the king and his quest
for the Grail were never real either?
436
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,760
Is the English lead
misleading us after all?
437
00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:14,399
Many find this hard to believe.
438
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:19,520
The search continues, like in Tintagel
on the western Atlantic coast
439
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,480
where Arthur was purportedly conceived.
440
00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:39,160
Archaeologist Win Scutt
wants to go over to the peninsula.
441
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,160
The bridge stays closed
if the winds are too strong.
442
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,120
What does the wind gauge say?
443
00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,480
It's between two and three
at the moment, so, fine to go over.
444
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:07,080
According to the legend, this is
where King Arthur's castle is located.
445
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:13,480
It could be true since the oldest remnants
date back to the early Middle Ages.
446
00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:18,160
(Scutt) We're crossing
to the main part of the castle,
447
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,440
where Richard of Cornwall
would have had his feasts.
448
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,560
This was his great feasting hall.
449
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:32,000
The problem is that the cliff was falling
down already in the 13th and 14th century,
450
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:37,360
so soon after he built this great hall
it started to fall down the cliff.
451
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:42,000
So, the outer building in front of us here
is the first one he built.
452
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:46,480
Part of it fell down the cliff,
and then he built a smaller building,
453
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,000
and that started to fall down the cliff.
454
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,880
And then he built a smaller building
and that survived.
455
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,640
The hall falls into the sea repeatedly.
456
00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,480
Every time, it has to be rebuilt.
457
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,600
So, the medieval people
see ruins constantly
458
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,520
and believe they're looking
at the ruins of Arthur's castle.
459
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:18,000
But on the island there really are clues
pointing to the ancient royal site.
460
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:27,360
(Scutt) Once you leave Richard's castle
and go out onto the island,
461
00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,000
you'll find lots of buildings
that have been excavated in the 1930s.
462
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,000
But that's just some of them.
463
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:37,600
We now know there's roughly
100 buildings across the island.
464
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,920
It's, in fact, bigger than
London was at the time.
465
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,080
We don't have a site as big as this
466
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,000
for the post Roman period.
467
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,000
Three of those houses
were excavated in 2017
468
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,880
and we found
large amounts of pottery there.
469
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,640
And a lot of this pottery
is from the Mediterranean.
470
00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:59,960
From Greece, from Tunisia, North Africa,
471
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,120
and also glassware from Spain and France.
472
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,360
It indicates that
this site was very prestigious.
473
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,840
It was a very high-status site
and really important.
474
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,480
We think it's probably a royal site.
475
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:22,440
Tintagel was once ruled
by a powerful man, possibly a king.
476
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,000
Perhaps it was Arthur, after all?
477
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,640
(Scutt) The first reference of Tintagel
in the legend of King Arthur
478
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:36,000
is when Geoffrey of Monmouth
in the 12th century
479
00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,120
said that Arthur had been conceived here.
480
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,360
This may be entire fiction
made up in the later medieval period
481
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,000
in the 12th century or round about then,
482
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,080
because they knew
this was an important ancient site.
483
00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:53,000
They must have been able to see
the ruins right across the island.
484
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:58,560
But maybe there was real folklore that
associated King Arthur with this sight.
485
00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:02,880
So, it is possible
if King Arthur was a real person,
486
00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,480
and lived in the post Roman period,
487
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:10,440
it's quite possible, since this is
such an important, perhaps royal site,
488
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,000
that King Arthur
was very closely associated with this.
489
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,120
So the legend might well be true.
490
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,840
King Arthur might
have been a Roman commander,
491
00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,400
or the chief of a Celtic-Germanic tribe.
492
00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:28,480
But there is no hard evidence confirming
his existence or that of the Grail.
493
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,000
Have people been looking
for the wrong thing?
494
00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:42,480
What if the Grail is not a chalice,
but something completely different?
495
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:50,400
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper
is said to contain explosive information.
496
00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,880
(mysterious melody)
497
00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,600
Visitors marvel at the mural in the church
Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
498
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:05,920
It depicts Jesus and his disciples
on the eve of the crucifixion.
499
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,600
Da Vinci lived in Milan
at the end of the 15th century.
500
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:21,880
A universal genius who allegedly put
encrypted messages in his art.
501
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:29,480
Da Vinci is known for hiding
messages in his works.
502
00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,920
He was much more than an artist:
503
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,440
He was a visionary, an inventor,
and an intellectual.
504
00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:38,960
But in doing this, da Vinci
is operating a lot like myths.
505
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,840
Myths are not meant to be read literally.
They are symbolic.
506
00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:45,560
As we have to decipher
the meaning behind a myth,
507
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:49,600
we also have to decipher the message
da Vinci puts in his paintings.
508
00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:54,000
What secret does da Vinci's
Last Supper hold?
509
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:58,000
While it shows bread and wine,
there is no chalice.
510
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,840
The Grail should be
in front of Jesus, but it isn't.
511
00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:07,160
Instead, Jesus and his disciples
all have their own glasses.
512
00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,480
Author Dan Brown puts forward
a spectacular theory
513
00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:13,120
in his book The Da Vinci Code.
514
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:24,880
He states that the painting depicts
the Holy Grail, but it isn't a cup.
515
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,480
He points
to the strikingly female features
516
00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,080
and the posture
of the disciple next to Jesus.
517
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:34,000
Could this be someone else
other than John the Apostle?
518
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,040
And there's more:
519
00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,480
Jesus and the person next to him form a V,
520
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:42,080
the symbol of femininity and fertility.
521
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:47,000
Dan Brown concludes
the disciple is in fact a woman:
522
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,560
Mary Magdalene.
523
00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:52,520
She's said to be close to Jesus.
They even have children.
524
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:54,440
Is she the Grail?
525
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,000
A scandalous thought for the Church.
526
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,400
If Mary Magdalene is
the mother of Jesus' child,
527
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:06,880
the Catholic Church shouldn't just be
afraid of the authority that lineage
528
00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:09,160
might have in competition with their own.
529
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:15,000
The bigger threat is that it introduces
a different path to the heart,
530
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,000
to the divine
than is offered by the Catholics.
531
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,000
It's a path of romantic love.
532
00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:24,480
Dan Brown's theories
are based on pure fiction,
533
00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:26,920
but he's sold millions of copies.
534
00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:31,920
Mary Magdalene's role, however,
is also contested by scientists.
535
00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:38,000
Is it possible to solve
the mystery of the Holy Grail?
536
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:44,480
Many Valencians believe there's no need to
since the Santo Cáliz is the Grail.
537
00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:49,480
Historian Michael Hesemann's
findings also support this.
538
00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:54,400
He believes he has proven the chalice
was kept in San Juan de la Peña.
539
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,640
But Hesemann
can't provide more than clues.
540
00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:13,640
The historian returns to Valencia
to meet Gabriel Songel.
541
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:20,360
The design professor has found something
that could corroborate the Grail legend.
542
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:25,480
An 11th century list
of all the properties of the monastery.
543
00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:27,480
(soundtrack drowns out speech)
544
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,480
Everybody has already read about it.
545
00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:40,160
What I want to see is what people
haven't seen: the design that is inside.
546
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,000
People have known
about the list for a long time.
547
00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:48,400
At first glance, it doesn't
make mention of the Santo Cáliz.
548
00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,560
But Songel has a theory:
549
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:54,480
A secret encryption code
could reveal hidden information.
550
00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,400
The bene valete was
one of the signals of the popes.
551
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,080
It's a very interesting graphic design
based on the big N.
552
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:07,480
Bene valete, "fare well,"
is a seal of medieval popes.
553
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:10,560
A capital N forms the basis.
554
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,480
The other letters
are ornately arranged in the N.
555
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,480
How can this key help us find the Grail?
556
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,120
Songel places it on the text.
557
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:26,000
This is a very important background to
understand how they built this acrostic.
558
00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:28,000
You see the big N.
559
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:32,480
Especially the letters
L, I, S are separated.
560
00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:38,560
And what we see here is the C
from the letter C on the glossarium.
561
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,480
"Calis."
562
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:46,000
We build this vertical line
towards "Jerusalem"
563
00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,960
and then we find lapis excilis.
564
00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:54,080
These are the exact words
Wolfram von Eschenbach
565
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,520
uses to describe
the Holy Grail in Parzival.
566
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:01,000
So altogether we're talking about:
567
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:04,600
calis lapis excilis domini.
568
00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:10,480
That means
a cáliz of precious stone from the Lord.
569
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:17,000
The medieval poet describes a stone
from the heavens, bright like fire.
570
00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:28,480
It's a sensational find
dating back to the 11th century.
571
00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:32,560
This is not only the earliest document
stating how the Chalice of the Lord
572
00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:35,920
was taken from Jerusalem
to San Juan de la Peña,
573
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,000
It also features the term “lapis excilis,”
574
00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,920
which Wolfram von Eschenbach
used in Parzival,
575
00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,960
originally a chalice
made of precious stone.
576
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,080
But Wolfram continued his poem,
577
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:51,480
saying that this could also mean
a stone from the stars, from the heavens.
578
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:53,400
This is his interpretation.
579
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:58,000
But this document is 150 years older
than the Parzival romance,
580
00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:00,400
and it contains this term.
581
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:07,480
The raw material used and its age
could indicate that the upper part
582
00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:11,000
of the Santo Cáliz
actually comes from Jerusalem.
583
00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:15,000
But is it really the cup Jesus held?
584
00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:18,000
A chalice made of precious stone?
585
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:27,600
Very few people know as much
about the Santo Cáliz as Antonio Piró.
586
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,440
Decades ago, the goldsmith
measured the chalice with his own hands.
587
00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:40,920
Since then, he and his sons have been
making handmade replicas of the relict.
588
00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:45,000
Now, Ana Mafé García wants
him to make an exact copy.
589
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:58,840
(in Spanish)
590
00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:03,000
(dubbed in English)
This is emotional for me.
591
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,000
As a choir boy, I spent
a lot of time in the cathedral
592
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:11,160
and we would also sing in the chapel.
593
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:14,440
That's how it was brought to my attention.
594
00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:18,160
My dad got married
in this cathedral, and so did I,
595
00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:22,920
which is why I have always felt
a special affection for the chalice.
596
00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:35,640
Hola, Antonio.
597
00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,040
(narrator) The art historian
knows what she wants.
598
00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:42,960
To her, only the upper part
of the Grail is relevant.
599
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,600
(Piró speaks Spanish)
600
00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:50,000
So this upper part would be
the sacred part of the relict.
601
00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,440
This here, this is the Holy Chalice.
602
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:54,560
Right.
603
00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:56,480
Without this part.
604
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:59,040
I have already inserted this to adjust it.
605
00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:00,480
Fascinating.
606
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:04,480
The chalice the Lord blessed
at the Last Supper is this here.
607
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:12,160
Making the replicas just like the exact
model of the original poses a challenge.
608
00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:17,000
There are two main problems:
the material and the measurements.
609
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:28,000
These are the first sketches
from the time when we first started.
610
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:29,120
Wow.
611
00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:34,000
Piró wasn't allowed to touch
the Santo Cáliz when he measured it.
612
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,000
He uses simple tools.
613
00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:47,000
That's the stencil that allows you
to see the shape of the bowl perfectly.
614
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:49,480
(García) Very interesting.
615
00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:53,480
Of course. It's the best way
to see if the size is right.
616
00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:59,960
For Ana, it's the volume of the chalice
that counts most,
617
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:02,120
because it sheds light on its origins.
618
00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:04,920
The material is also key.
619
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:09,880
To comply with Jewish purity laws,
the cup has to be made of stone.
620
00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:13,400
Wood is too porous,
making it hard to clean
621
00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:16,840
and therefore unsuitable
as a ritual vessel.
622
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,560
The properties of
the Holy Grail are interesting,
623
00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:22,920
especially because
if it was a chalice or a cup
624
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,000
that was used at the Last Supper,
625
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,360
then it would have to be kosher.
626
00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:29,000
Jesus Christ is Jewish.
627
00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,080
He and his Apostles
follow Jewish laws and rituals.
628
00:48:40,640 --> 00:48:44,000
When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem,
he is sentenced to death
629
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:46,840
and invites his disciples
for one last meal:
630
00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:48,520
the Last Supper.
631
00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:57,080
The vessels used
for this event are ritual objects
632
00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:59,560
and have to meet certain criteria.
633
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,480
Ana Mafé García checks
the volume of the chalice.
634
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:10,040
Its capacity can tell her
whether it was used as a ritual cup.
635
00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:19,040
The chalice of the Holy Grail
represents a Jewish supper.
636
00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:22,080
A Passover meal.
637
00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:26,120
2,000 years ago, Jews had a family
chalice that had to be filled
638
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:28,520
with a minimum amount of wine
639
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:32,000
to allow them
to celebrate the rite of Passover,
640
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,480
just like they do to this very day.
641
00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:38,560
This cup holds four fingers,
642
00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:40,640
which is half a span.
643
00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:43,600
And these are Jewish units. 2.5 revi'it.
644
00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:46,480
That's about this much.
645
00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:53,000
The minimum they have to drink
is one revi'it, 86 milliliters.
646
00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:55,480
Another revi'it is for the family.
647
00:49:56,480 --> 00:50:01,120
According to García's calculations,
the chalice can hold 2.5 revi'it.
648
00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:07,000
So it's possible that the Santo Cáliz
was really used as a ritual cup.
649
00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:13,120
Another part of the puzzle.
650
00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:16,040
A valuable ritual cup
dating back to Antiquity.
651
00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:19,640
Whether Jesus held it remains unknown.
652
00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:27,000
The longing for the Grail has left
its mark on Christian Europe.
653
00:50:27,040 --> 00:50:30,600
It's reflected in myths
and legends, in poems and songs.
654
00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:35,000
Is there at least some truth
to all this fiction?
655
00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:43,000
In Valencia, people commemorate
656
00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:46,080
the festival
of the Santo Cáliz every year.
657
00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:50,480
To many Christians,
this stone bowl is nothing less
658
00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:52,600
than the cup of the Last Supper.
659
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:58,000
Michael Hesemann and Ana Mafé García
are convinced of this, too.
660
00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:02,960
The Santo Cáliz is the real chalice
used during the Last Supper.
661
00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:15,840
(Hesemann) The Holy Grail
is here in Valencia.
662
00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:24,160
(García) The Holy Chalice's
message has to be understood by everyone
663
00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:26,000
with their hearts.
664
00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:31,440
The yearning for salvation
and an ancient myth.
665
00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:35,920
From a scientific point of view,
there's still no evidence.
666
00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:39,440
The search for the Grail
will most likely continue.
667
00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:53,520
(narrator) It's the greatest German
legend: the saga of the Nibelungs.
668
00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:57,520
Heroes, dragons, and a lot of gold.
669
00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:02,360
I think the treasure's still there.
670
00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:07,040
Researchers and adventurers
search for the legendary treasure.
671
00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:09,280
The Nibelung treasure could exist.
672
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:12,880
(metal detector beeps)
673
00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:15,920
A huge amount of gold and silver.
Unfathomable.
674
00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:19,680
How much truth to the myth is there?
675
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:22,960
What is with Siegfried's wonder sword?
676
00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:27,040
You can tell where it got hit.
677
00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:31,360
Scientists unearth
the origins of the saga.
678
00:52:31,360 --> 00:52:34,040
The traces lead them to Scandinavia.
679
00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:42,080
Sigurd's horse Grani with the legendary,
cursed treasure on its back.
680
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:47,800
The search for the Nibelung treasure.
681
00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:53,960
The great myths of mankind.
682
00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:57,600
Mysteries passed on
over thousands of years.
683
00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:02,320
Inexplicable events,
684
00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:06,440
places shrouded in legend,
and superhuman heroes:
685
00:53:06,520 --> 00:53:08,880
even scientists are fascinated.
686
00:53:12,080 --> 00:53:14,320
Is there any truth
to these ancient legends?
687
00:53:15,080 --> 00:53:18,320
Researchers across
the globe are working hard to solve
688
00:53:18,440 --> 00:53:20,720
the greatest mysteries of our time.
689
00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:24,240
(mysterious melody)
690
00:53:35,520 --> 00:53:37,160
The Rhine.
691
00:53:37,720 --> 00:53:39,960
Stream of sagas and myths.
692
00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:43,120
And center stage
for the tale of the Nibelungs.
693
00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:48,280
Allegedly, their legendary treasure
was sunk near the German city of Worms.
694
00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:50,720
Could it still be there today?
695
00:53:55,720 --> 00:53:59,440
Hans Jörg Jacobi is a Nibelung hobbyist.
696
00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:01,040
A former city architect,
697
00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:04,880
he has been looking for
the Rhine gold since childhood.
698
00:54:05,880 --> 00:54:06,880
(in German)
699
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:11,160
(dubbed in English) You have to believe
what's in the Nibelungenlied
700
00:54:11,320 --> 00:54:12,880
might be correct.
701
00:54:15,600 --> 00:54:20,160
He believes in the Nibelungenlied,
the song of the Nibelungs.
702
00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:24,720
He used to scour the Rhine with his dad.
Today, he's following a lead.
703
00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:32,160
We asked ourselves,
"How would we pull it off?"
704
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:37,160
And surprisingly, there is one approach
that seems pretty logical.
705
00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:39,880
In my opinion, the treasure's still there.
706
00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:47,160
The legend says the shores
of the Rhine were once home
707
00:54:47,160 --> 00:54:50,040
to the mysterious Burgundian kingdom.
708
00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:55,880
One day, an unknown warrior
arrives at the royal court of Worms.
709
00:54:57,160 --> 00:54:59,440
It is Siegfried of Xanten,
710
00:54:59,440 --> 00:55:00,880
a legendary warrior.
711
00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:06,880
He is said to have seized the treasure
of King Nibelung in the high north.
712
00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:13,320
40 cartloads of gold and silver,
and a cloak of invisibility to top it off.
713
00:55:17,720 --> 00:55:21,040
Siegfried kills a dragon
with his wonder sword.
714
00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:26,600
He bathes in the dragon's blood
and becomes invulnerable.
715
00:55:26,720 --> 00:55:32,440
But a fallen leaf from a lime tree leaves
an unprotected spot between his shoulders.
716
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:38,600
The victorious hero pledges
allegiance to King Gunther.
717
00:55:38,720 --> 00:55:42,160
As a reward
he can marry Gunther's sister, Kriemhild.
718
00:55:44,720 --> 00:55:49,600
They are the protagonists in this epic
poem of love, betrayal, and murder.
719
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:54,640
Siegfried and his wife Kriemhild,
her brother, King Gunther,
720
00:55:54,640 --> 00:55:57,840
and Hagen von Tronje, the King's adviser.
721
00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:03,640
He sees Siegfried as a threat and puts
King Gunther at odds with the hero.
722
00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:09,080
In the name of the King,
he sets a trap for Siegfried and kills him
723
00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:13,960
by thrusting a spear into
the only unprotected part of his skin.
724
00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:21,640
Hagen gets the gold and throws it
into the Rhine to hide it from Kriemhild.
725
00:56:25,640 --> 00:56:28,280
The river has kept the secret ever since.
726
00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:33,200
The Nibelung treasure is one of many tales
of the Rhine, shrouded in legend.
727
00:56:39,400 --> 00:56:43,640
The Hagen monument in Worms
is a reminder of the Nibelungs.
728
00:56:43,760 --> 00:56:47,960
But if the treasure didn't exist
and there was no hope to find it,
729
00:56:48,080 --> 00:56:51,840
this tale would
have likely been forgotten long ago.
730
00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:56,400
Humans are fascinated by treasure
partly because of the monetary value,
731
00:56:56,520 --> 00:56:59,080
but treasures in myth
tend to be more than that.
732
00:56:59,200 --> 00:57:01,840
They have a magical value to them.
733
00:57:01,960 --> 00:57:05,400
They have a personality.
They're a character in the story.
734
00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:09,400
Take in the Nibelungen
Siegfried's invisibility cloak:
735
00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:12,400
we like the idea of there being something
736
00:57:12,520 --> 00:57:16,960
that connects us to a realm
beyond our own, so it's a magical power.
737
00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:22,640
The forests along the Rhine are enchanted
by the Nibelungs' magic to this day.
738
00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:26,080
Benjamin Czerny
is a passionate treasure hunter.
739
00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:30,760
Using a metal detector,
he searches for the riches of the past.
740
00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:31,960
(in German)
741
00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:37,200
(dubbed in English) I think there are
tons of precious metals buried in Germany,
742
00:57:37,200 --> 00:57:39,520
just waiting to be found.
743
00:57:42,760 --> 00:57:46,960
It is illegal to unearth treasures
in Germany without a permit.
744
00:57:47,080 --> 00:57:53,200
If he finds something of value, Czerny
needs to report it to the authorities.
745
00:57:53,280 --> 00:57:55,760
But that doesn't stop him.
746
00:57:55,840 --> 00:57:57,760
(metal detector beeps)
747
00:57:59,080 --> 00:58:03,200
It takes you back to childhood.
You never know what you'll find.
748
00:58:03,200 --> 00:58:06,200
You could dig up
something special any day.
749
00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:10,080
Czerny has made a great find once before.
750
00:58:10,200 --> 00:58:12,200
But he dreams even bigger.
751
00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:16,640
(Czerny) The Nibelungs treasure
is one of the biggest myths
752
00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:21,280
a treasure hunter can discover:
a mound of gold and silver, cartloads.
753
00:58:21,400 --> 00:58:24,840
You couldn't even fathom
that in your wildest dreams.
754
00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:28,520
He, too, thinks the treasure
is near the Rhine.
755
00:58:28,640 --> 00:58:33,080
Early settlers lived along its shores,
and left behind their chattels.
756
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:37,640
This is the Old Rhine,
running through Speyer and Römerberg
757
00:58:37,760 --> 00:58:39,640
to Germersheim and Neupotz.
758
00:58:39,760 --> 00:58:43,400
This forest area is interesting
with a creek running through it.
759
00:58:43,520 --> 00:58:46,640
I think we might be able
to find a few things there.
760
00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:53,200
But without a specific lead, it's like
looking for a needle in a haystack.
761
00:58:59,200 --> 00:59:00,840
St. Gall, Switzerland.
762
00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:03,080
There's an important clue here.
763
00:59:06,640 --> 00:59:09,760
The Benedictine monastery
is home to one of
764
00:59:09,760 --> 00:59:12,280
the oldest Nibelungenlied manuscripts.
765
00:59:13,280 --> 00:59:16,760
It dates back
to the second half of the 13th century.
766
00:59:24,640 --> 00:59:29,640
Medievalist Joachim Heinzle
knows the Nibelung saga better than most.
767
00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:39,080
He believes the text is based
on events that took place
768
00:59:39,200 --> 00:59:42,640
many centuries
before the manuscript was written.
769
00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:50,400
(in German)
770
00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:53,960
(dubbed in English) Heroic legends
were considered historical,
771
00:59:54,080 --> 00:59:56,080
a form of passing on history.
772
00:59:57,760 --> 01:00:02,400
To preserve the ancient knowledge,
the Nibelungenlied was recited in rhymes.
773
01:00:04,200 --> 01:00:07,480
In Germany, its first lines are legendary:
774
01:00:07,520 --> 01:00:12,000
"Uns ist in alten mæren wunders vil geseit
775
01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:17,120
von helden lobebæren, von grôzer arebeit."
776
01:00:18,400 --> 01:00:19,520
(in German)
777
01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:22,640
(dubbed in English)
Narrating is key for humans.
778
01:00:22,640 --> 01:00:26,400
It is a social act
that demonstrates our shared identity.
779
01:00:26,520 --> 01:00:29,520
We tell stories
not only for entertainment,
780
01:00:29,640 --> 01:00:32,640
but also
to share our values and our history,
781
01:00:32,760 --> 01:00:35,880
creating a cultural memory in doing so.
782
01:00:38,520 --> 01:00:41,760
There's truth to heroic legends.
783
01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:46,400
Heinrich Schliemann, a 19th century
archaeologist is also convinced.
784
01:00:48,040 --> 01:00:52,160
He analyses locations
provided by Greek poet Homer...
785
01:00:53,280 --> 01:00:55,520
and looks for the ancient city of Troy.
786
01:00:58,160 --> 01:01:02,760
Following the leads, he actually
manages to find the city ruins.
787
01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:05,640
The discovery of a century.
788
01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:15,280
Does the Nibelungenlied
also contain tangible clues
789
01:01:15,400 --> 01:01:18,040
leading to the treasure of the Nibelungs?
790
01:01:24,400 --> 01:01:28,880
After Siegfried's death,
his widow Kriemhild seeks revenge.
791
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:34,160
She turns away from the Burgundians
and marries Etzel, king of the Huns.
792
01:01:39,280 --> 01:01:42,880
Kriemhild moves
to Etzel's empire by the Danube,
793
01:01:43,040 --> 01:01:47,160
where she plans her vendetta
against Siegfried's murderers.
794
01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:54,040
Upon her invitation, Burgundian king
Gunther and his entourage
795
01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:56,520
travel to the court of the Hun king.
796
01:01:56,520 --> 01:01:59,880
They all die in an unparalleled bloodbath.
797
01:02:00,040 --> 01:02:03,160
The Burgundians have been eradicated.
798
01:02:04,880 --> 01:02:08,640
Pure legend, or historically accurate?
799
01:02:09,640 --> 01:02:13,640
Truth is, in the Middle Ages,
the Nibelungenlied was also popular
800
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:15,520
beyond German borders.
801
01:02:15,640 --> 01:02:20,760
In Scandinavia, where Siegfried allegedly
obtained the Nibelung treasure,
802
01:02:20,760 --> 01:02:24,040
the saga of the dragon slayer
has also lived on.
803
01:02:29,640 --> 01:02:35,280
Sigmund Oehrl pours over the story of
the Nibelungs on Swedish island Gotland.
804
01:02:35,400 --> 01:02:40,040
The archaeologist knows the Swedish
sources like the back of his hand.
805
01:02:45,040 --> 01:02:48,280
It turns out there are
astonishing parallels
806
01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:51,760
between the Norse tradition
and the Nibelungenlied.
807
01:02:55,280 --> 01:02:57,280
(in German)
808
01:02:57,400 --> 01:03:02,280
(dubbed in English) The main characters
are the same in both traditions.
809
01:03:04,160 --> 01:03:07,640
The German name Siegfried
is Sigurd in the north.
810
01:03:07,640 --> 01:03:12,760
We also have King Gunther, whose name
in Old Norse tradition is Gunnar,
811
01:03:12,880 --> 01:03:16,520
and Hagen von Tronje,
who appears as Högni.
812
01:03:18,640 --> 01:03:23,880
An 11th century depiction portrays
the details of the Norse saga of Sigurd.
813
01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:31,160
This is clearly Sigurd the dragon slayer.
814
01:03:31,280 --> 01:03:35,520
Old Icelandic sources claim
he did not fight against the dragon,
815
01:03:35,520 --> 01:03:41,280
but dug a pit and waited inside
until the worm heaved its body across it
816
01:03:41,400 --> 01:03:45,280
and that's when he jerked up his sword
and stabbed the dragon.
817
01:03:48,040 --> 01:03:49,520
11th century.
818
01:03:49,640 --> 01:03:52,400
Is this the earliest record of the myth?
819
01:03:53,520 --> 01:03:58,040
There are even older traces in Visby,
on the island of Gotland.
820
01:03:58,160 --> 01:04:03,280
During the Viking years, Gotland was a hub
for trading goods, news, and legends.
821
01:04:04,520 --> 01:04:09,520
At the Museum Fornsalen,
Sigmund Oehrl studies ancient sources.
822
01:04:09,640 --> 01:04:12,280
The famous picture stones of Gotland,
823
01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:15,880
some of them dating back
more than 1500 years.
824
01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:19,040
They tell of Viking gods and heroes.
825
01:04:19,160 --> 01:04:21,640
Could they also hold clues
to the Nibelungs?
826
01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:29,400
Using photo technology,
Sigmund Oehrl examines a stone
827
01:04:29,400 --> 01:04:32,280
dating back to the 5th or 6th century.
828
01:04:37,520 --> 01:04:42,880
Here, we can actually see a depiction
of a worm-like, a dragon-like monster,
829
01:04:43,040 --> 01:04:45,400
and a human figure in front of it.
830
01:04:48,640 --> 01:04:50,880
Is it Sigurd, the dragon slayer?
831
01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:58,760
The experts create
a computer model of the stone...
832
01:04:59,640 --> 01:05:02,280
bringing invisible parts to light.
833
01:05:03,280 --> 01:05:08,040
The artist may very well have depicted
a dragon slayer 1500 years ago.
834
01:05:10,160 --> 01:05:12,520
But he carries an axe.
835
01:05:17,040 --> 01:05:19,760
This doesn't match the legend of Sigurd.
836
01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:22,280
In the Old Norse tradition,
837
01:05:22,400 --> 01:05:26,760
Sigurd does not fight the dragon with
a hammer or axe,he stabs it from below.
838
01:05:28,280 --> 01:05:32,280
It turns out the old stone
does not show Sigurd, or Siegfried.
839
01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:37,640
The search continues in Bunge, Gotland,
840
01:05:37,760 --> 01:05:41,760
where other picture stones
from the 9th century are kept,
841
01:05:41,760 --> 01:05:44,400
some of them in good condition.
842
01:05:46,040 --> 01:05:49,760
The researcher actually finds
what he's been looking for:
843
01:05:49,880 --> 01:05:53,400
a picture that could tie
into the saga of Sigurd.
844
01:05:58,880 --> 01:06:04,040
Sigurd's horse Grani with the legendary,
cursed treasure on its back.
845
01:06:06,160 --> 01:06:11,040
This is the image that became
a metaphor in the language of the Vikings.
846
01:06:12,040 --> 01:06:15,040
They called gold
“Grani's burden,”
847
01:06:15,040 --> 01:06:18,040
and this is exactly
what we see here.
848
01:06:23,280 --> 01:06:25,400
Another detail fits the Norse legend:
849
01:06:26,280 --> 01:06:30,880
Sigurd's death, indicated by the figure
underneath the horse.
850
01:06:31,040 --> 01:06:33,880
A crucial sign for Sigmund Oehrl.
851
01:06:39,160 --> 01:06:43,160
If this was really
the depiction of the fallen hero Sigurd,
852
01:06:43,160 --> 01:06:48,280
it would mean that we had the earliest
record of the Sigurd and Nibelung saga
853
01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:52,040
right here
on the Baltic island of Gotland.
854
01:06:55,880 --> 01:07:01,280
The oldest likely source of the Nibelung
saga roughly dates back to the year 800,
855
01:07:01,400 --> 01:07:05,160
400 years
before the story was written in Germany.
856
01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:10,040
A valuable clue
in the search for the true story.
857
01:07:13,400 --> 01:07:15,040
It is during this era
858
01:07:15,040 --> 01:07:19,520
that the serious repercussions
of the migration period are seen.
859
01:07:19,520 --> 01:07:23,520
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire
in the 5th century,
860
01:07:23,520 --> 01:07:28,760
the continent is shaped for generations
by the migration of entire tribes.
861
01:07:32,280 --> 01:07:36,160
During this period of transition,
it is also the golden age
862
01:07:36,280 --> 01:07:39,880
for the historical inspiration
for the Nibelung saga,
863
01:07:40,040 --> 01:07:42,520
the Burgundian Empire on the Rhine.
864
01:07:42,520 --> 01:07:47,040
The first records of the Germanic
Burgundians are from the 1st century,
865
01:07:47,160 --> 01:07:51,040
when they were settling in a region
now belonging to Poland.
866
01:07:52,880 --> 01:07:58,280
The Burgundians set up on the Rhine
at the start of the migration.
867
01:07:58,400 --> 01:08:03,880
And the heart of their Empire is exactly
where the Nibelungen saga is set: Worms.
868
01:08:06,160 --> 01:08:10,520
And just as in the saga,
the real Burgundians are doomed.
869
01:08:11,400 --> 01:08:15,280
In around 435,
they are defeated by Roman troops.
870
01:08:16,040 --> 01:08:18,640
They were forced to flee and resettle.
871
01:08:18,760 --> 01:08:22,160
The name Burgundy now lives on in France.
872
01:08:22,160 --> 01:08:24,640
(battle cries)
873
01:08:27,160 --> 01:08:28,880
(horse neighs)
874
01:08:29,040 --> 01:08:33,160
King Gunther's character
is based on an historical figure,
875
01:08:33,279 --> 01:08:36,039
the real Burgundian king Gundahar.
876
01:08:39,960 --> 01:08:43,520
There are more parallels
between reality and legend.
877
01:08:43,680 --> 01:08:48,920
According to Roman sources, the Empire
got military support from the Huns.
878
01:08:49,040 --> 01:08:51,760
(battle cries)
879
01:08:53,520 --> 01:08:56,000
Etzel, has a real counterpart, too.
880
01:08:56,040 --> 01:08:57,280
Attila...
881
01:08:58,040 --> 01:09:00,000
legendary leader of the Huns.
882
01:09:04,040 --> 01:09:08,040
Like Etzel, Attila is said to have been
married to a Germanic woman.
883
01:09:09,040 --> 01:09:13,279
She could be the historical
inspiration for Kriemhild.
884
01:09:13,279 --> 01:09:17,759
Her name, Ildico would be Hildchen,
little Hild in German.
885
01:09:21,520 --> 01:09:24,280
The Nibelungenlied
mixes reality with fiction.
886
01:09:24,319 --> 01:09:27,039
The Burgundians were real people.
887
01:09:27,040 --> 01:09:30,760
This is a story about the fall
of those groups of people.
888
01:09:30,760 --> 01:09:35,279
We also have the Hun, who are
mythologized as being incredibly scary.
889
01:09:35,279 --> 01:09:38,759
The fact that it has
this central core of reality
890
01:09:38,760 --> 01:09:42,279
means we can actually
believe all aspects of the myth,
891
01:09:42,279 --> 01:09:44,279
which makes it more powerful.
892
01:09:45,319 --> 01:09:48,279
With so many characters
having traceable roots,
893
01:09:48,279 --> 01:09:50,759
it makes it even easier to conclude
894
01:09:50,760 --> 01:09:54,520
that the legendary treasure
must truly exist.
895
01:09:54,520 --> 01:09:57,280
The Nibelung treasure
can exist.
896
01:09:57,280 --> 01:09:59,800
Between the third
and the sixth centuries,
897
01:10:00,040 --> 01:10:02,280
people buried things
constantly.
898
01:10:02,320 --> 01:10:07,520
Particularly precious metals, gold,
silver, jewelry, dishes, weapons.
899
01:10:07,560 --> 01:10:10,520
They've been found repeatedly
over the years.
900
01:10:10,520 --> 01:10:13,520
Hoards of the most majestic treasure.
901
01:10:13,520 --> 01:10:17,760
The idea that the Nibelung treasure
is still out there is very real.
902
01:10:23,760 --> 01:10:29,320
For treasure hunter Hans Jörg Jacobi,
the traceable roots serve as confirmation.
903
01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:35,520
During the migration period, it was
common for each group to carry treasure.
904
01:10:35,760 --> 01:10:38,040
They had to pay their people.
905
01:10:38,040 --> 01:10:40,800
That's why every tribe had treasure.
906
01:10:44,040 --> 01:10:49,520
In the Rhine, countless divers have
searched for the treasure to no avail.
907
01:10:49,760 --> 01:10:53,040
Hans Jörg Jacobi
is convinced of one thing:
908
01:10:53,040 --> 01:10:56,000
they were looking in the wrong place.
909
01:10:57,800 --> 01:11:02,520
The Nibelungenlied gives
the exact location of the sunken treasure.
910
01:11:04,280 --> 01:11:08,040
One line in the Nibelungenlied
has caught his attention:
911
01:11:10,760 --> 01:11:13,520
"Hagen sunk the treasure near Loche."
912
01:11:15,280 --> 01:11:17,760
Is this the location of the treasure?
913
01:11:21,520 --> 01:11:24,000
Jacobi studies old maps of the region
914
01:11:24,040 --> 01:11:27,320
and finds a place
that has long since disappeared.
915
01:11:27,520 --> 01:11:29,560
Lochheim. Loche.
916
01:11:30,760 --> 01:11:34,760
Not only the name stands up,
the location seems perfect, too.
917
01:11:38,320 --> 01:11:42,320
A bit further down the Rhine
there is a large bend in the river,
918
01:11:42,520 --> 01:11:48,000
where the water is very deep, down about
16 or 18 meters at average water level.
919
01:11:48,040 --> 01:11:51,040
Today, it is called "The Dark Place".
920
01:11:53,520 --> 01:11:56,080
The bend is still obvious to this day.
921
01:11:56,280 --> 01:11:59,760
But Jacobi has a theory
about why divers couldn't find anything.
922
01:12:02,320 --> 01:12:05,520
The river course
has changed over the centuries.
923
01:12:05,560 --> 01:12:09,520
Bends have been straightened,
tributaries have dried up.
924
01:12:13,280 --> 01:12:16,040
The riverbed has moved many times.
925
01:12:16,280 --> 01:12:20,040
What used to be the bottom
of the Rhine is dry land today.
926
01:12:25,040 --> 01:12:28,760
Might this also affect
the spot that Hagen once chose?
927
01:12:30,040 --> 01:12:33,280
Benjamin Czerny also searches on land.
928
01:12:33,280 --> 01:12:38,040
The forest he's scouring lies right next
to a small tributary of the Rhine.
929
01:12:38,280 --> 01:12:40,800
Unlike in fields and populated areas,
930
01:12:41,040 --> 01:12:44,560
many things remain buried
in the ground, untouched.
931
01:12:48,760 --> 01:12:51,040
(metal detector beeps)
932
01:12:55,760 --> 01:12:58,000
(detector continues beeping)
933
01:13:02,760 --> 01:13:05,000
I'm getting a good signal here.
934
01:13:05,040 --> 01:13:08,280
-(detector beeps)
-I'm definitely going to dig here.
935
01:13:14,760 --> 01:13:17,800
I've already found something. There it is.
936
01:13:19,040 --> 01:13:20,760
There. Look.
937
01:13:21,760 --> 01:13:23,760
Man, that's crazy.
938
01:13:26,800 --> 01:13:29,040
Look. That's incredible.
939
01:13:30,000 --> 01:13:32,080
An old brooch made of silver.
940
01:13:34,520 --> 01:13:35,800
That's really cool.
941
01:13:36,520 --> 01:13:40,800
It's definitely an art nouveau brooch,
dating back to around 1910.
942
01:13:41,040 --> 01:13:44,280
They used to make a lot
of things with these flowers.
943
01:13:44,520 --> 01:13:47,280
That‘s beautiful. A great find, for sure.
944
01:13:50,040 --> 01:13:51,800
Not from the time of the Nibelungs,
945
01:13:52,040 --> 01:13:54,760
but the first sign
he's on the right track.
946
01:13:58,520 --> 01:14:02,760
The ground is deeper here,
which stretches out along this line,
947
01:14:02,760 --> 01:14:04,520
from here to there.
948
01:14:04,520 --> 01:14:07,760
I suppose this used to be
a path a long time ago.
949
01:14:07,760 --> 01:14:10,560
There could be more. Let's keep looking.
950
01:14:12,320 --> 01:14:15,040
He follows the former road attentively.
951
01:14:15,040 --> 01:14:18,280
And it's not long before
he gets the next signal.
952
01:14:19,040 --> 01:14:20,280
(detector beeps)
953
01:14:27,760 --> 01:14:30,280
Wow, I think that's a coin.
954
01:14:31,040 --> 01:14:34,760
It's tarnished and green,
but you can see red at the edges,
955
01:14:35,000 --> 01:14:37,040
so it's probably copper.
956
01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:41,040
It seems pretty old, too.
957
01:14:43,040 --> 01:14:47,280
They had copper coins 2,000 years ago:
copper, bronze, and so on.
958
01:14:47,280 --> 01:14:49,520
They had that very early on.
959
01:14:51,280 --> 01:14:55,040
Czerny can only determine
the exact age of the coin
960
01:14:55,040 --> 01:14:59,760
and whether it will lead him
to the Nibelung treasure once he's home.
961
01:15:04,760 --> 01:15:09,520
While Hans Jörg Jacobi believes
he has already found the right place.
962
01:15:12,760 --> 01:15:15,760
We suppose the Rhine
used to run closer to here
963
01:15:15,760 --> 01:15:18,040
and moved slowly over time,
964
01:15:18,040 --> 01:15:21,520
maybe even
by as much as its own width.
965
01:15:21,560 --> 01:15:27,760
That's when we said, "We actually have
to go down there and see what we find."
966
01:15:29,520 --> 01:15:31,760
Jacobi followed his hunch.
967
01:15:31,760 --> 01:15:36,040
In the 1970s, with some heavy machinery,
he drills a shaft.
968
01:15:36,800 --> 01:15:39,760
But the treasure hunt proves complicated.
969
01:15:41,760 --> 01:15:46,040
At ten meters down,
the drill hits hard rock.
970
01:15:46,040 --> 01:15:49,040
Jacobi orders to stabilize
the shaft with pipes.
971
01:15:50,080 --> 01:15:52,280
But the structure isn't safe.
972
01:15:57,040 --> 01:15:59,280
We sent a diver in,
973
01:15:59,520 --> 01:16:02,520
who immediately knocked against the wall,
974
01:16:02,560 --> 01:16:05,520
and we pulled him up again
with great effort.
975
01:16:07,080 --> 01:16:11,520
The endeavor is too dangerous,
and Jacobi aborts the mission.
976
01:16:11,520 --> 01:16:13,760
The failure still boosts his hopes.
977
01:16:15,800 --> 01:16:18,520
He believes the impermeable layer of rock
978
01:16:18,760 --> 01:16:21,760
could be a cover
Hagen placed over the treasure.
979
01:16:23,280 --> 01:16:28,520
He suspects there is a cavity beneath it,
filled with the gold of the Nibelungs.
980
01:16:33,560 --> 01:16:37,520
It's possible there are amphoras,
standing side by side.
981
01:16:37,520 --> 01:16:40,800
Maybe there is some sort
of stone cover on top of them.
982
01:16:42,040 --> 01:16:45,520
Jacobi can't secure any funding
for other excavations.
983
01:16:45,560 --> 01:16:49,520
To this day, he hasn't been
able to prove his theory.
984
01:16:49,560 --> 01:16:53,040
I think one day, it will be found,
but it won't be so easy.
985
01:16:54,760 --> 01:16:58,520
Or was the gold of the Nibelungs
already found long ago?
986
01:17:06,080 --> 01:17:09,760
One of the most precious finds
from the Rhine lies here,
987
01:17:09,760 --> 01:17:12,040
on Museum Island in Berlin.
988
01:17:14,760 --> 01:17:18,080
The museum is filled
with showpieces of centuries past.
989
01:17:18,280 --> 01:17:24,040
And Heino Neumayer, museum curator,
has a real sensation in store:
990
01:17:25,040 --> 01:17:27,040
the hoard of Neupotz.
991
01:17:30,280 --> 01:17:35,280
In 1967, the first of these pieces
appear in a gravel pit in the Rhine.
992
01:17:36,040 --> 01:17:38,520
A dredger brings them up.
993
01:17:38,560 --> 01:17:41,280
Historians feel incredibly lucky.
994
01:17:42,000 --> 01:17:44,760
Because they were encased
in riverbed sand,
995
01:17:44,760 --> 01:17:48,520
large parts have been
well preserved over the centuries.
996
01:17:49,280 --> 01:17:52,760
(dubbed in English)
It was lucky the workers realized
997
01:17:52,760 --> 01:17:54,520
the importance of their find.
998
01:17:56,000 --> 01:17:59,560
Divers closely examine
the ground of the gravel quarry.
999
01:17:59,760 --> 01:18:02,760
They want to make sure
they don't miss a single piece.
1000
01:18:05,280 --> 01:18:09,760
The treasures unearthed
by the dredgers exceed all expectations.
1001
01:18:10,520 --> 01:18:14,760
Mirrors, weapons, and vessels
brimming with ornaments.
1002
01:18:14,800 --> 01:18:18,040
Silver, bronze, copper, iron.
1003
01:18:18,040 --> 01:18:22,040
The value of the raw materials alone
is quite impressive.
1004
01:18:24,800 --> 01:18:27,760
What we have here
is extraordinary, unique.
1005
01:18:27,800 --> 01:18:32,080
It's the biggest hoard from Roman times
ever found north of the Alps.
1006
01:18:35,080 --> 01:18:38,760
Together, the objects weigh
over 1500 pounds.
1007
01:18:39,000 --> 01:18:40,760
A real treasure.
1008
01:18:40,800 --> 01:18:43,040
Just like in the Nibelungenlied.
1009
01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:49,280
The divers also retrieve
military equipment and tools,
1010
01:18:49,520 --> 01:18:52,040
and the hinges of rotting cartwheels.
1011
01:18:52,080 --> 01:18:58,040
Another consistency, because the treasure
of the Nibelungs is loaded on carts, too.
1012
01:19:03,280 --> 01:19:08,520
The Nibelungenlied also states bullock
carts moved this treasure out of Worms.
1013
01:19:08,520 --> 01:19:10,760
There are a few things that add up.
1014
01:19:13,040 --> 01:19:15,520
Many details seem fitting.
1015
01:19:15,520 --> 01:19:19,040
But there are
also some confusing discoveries.
1016
01:19:20,040 --> 01:19:24,280
We also discovered skulls,
skeleton parts in the Rhine...
1017
01:19:25,320 --> 01:19:30,040
although we can never determine for sure
if they belong to the treasure.
1018
01:19:30,040 --> 01:19:32,520
They could point to a battle.
1019
01:19:33,560 --> 01:19:38,040
In Roman times, the Rhine was
a demarcation line subject to fighting.
1020
01:19:39,520 --> 01:19:43,520
The Romans used battle ships
to protect their Empire
1021
01:19:43,520 --> 01:19:45,280
against Germanic attacks.
1022
01:19:48,280 --> 01:19:50,040
With limited success.
1023
01:19:50,040 --> 01:19:54,560
Germanic pillagers incessantly attack
wealthy Roman settlements.
1024
01:19:54,760 --> 01:19:56,320
(battle cries)
1025
01:19:58,040 --> 01:20:00,760
And return east with lots of loot.
1026
01:20:03,760 --> 01:20:05,040
(in German)
1027
01:20:05,280 --> 01:20:10,320
(dubbed in English) Maybe the Roman fleet
intercepted the Teutons on their return.
1028
01:20:10,520 --> 01:20:14,280
We know the Romans trapped
returning Teutons in Raetia,
1029
01:20:14,280 --> 01:20:16,760
but also in Colonia, and defeated them.
1030
01:20:18,320 --> 01:20:22,760
But the Teutons can't outrun
the fast boats of the Romans.
1031
01:20:22,760 --> 01:20:28,080
The treasure of Neupotz might have sunk
in the Rhine during one of their battles.
1032
01:20:29,560 --> 01:20:34,280
The Roman coins that were found along
with the treasure seem to confirm this.
1033
01:20:36,040 --> 01:20:40,320
It is striking that there are
no coins minted after 260 CE.
1034
01:20:41,560 --> 01:20:44,520
We have to assume
they all went into the Rhine
1035
01:20:44,520 --> 01:20:47,520
before or around the year 260.
1036
01:20:51,040 --> 01:20:55,800
This is right when the Teutons launch
what was then their most major attack.
1037
01:20:56,040 --> 01:21:00,800
Around the year 259,
they cross large parts of the Limes
1038
01:21:01,040 --> 01:21:03,760
and advance deeply into Roman territory.
1039
01:21:06,040 --> 01:21:08,520
Sources document these pillages.
1040
01:21:08,760 --> 01:21:11,280
In combination with the series of coins,
1041
01:21:11,320 --> 01:21:15,520
this leads us
to a very concrete event in 259/260.
1042
01:21:16,320 --> 01:21:21,280
It is clear: The hoard of Neupotz
can't be the treasure of the Nibelungs.
1043
01:21:23,800 --> 01:21:27,280
The Nibelungenlied
is set around the year 500,
1044
01:21:27,320 --> 01:21:30,080
while this event
took place 250 years earlier.
1045
01:21:40,760 --> 01:21:44,280
Is the Nibelung treasure
still waiting to be found?
1046
01:21:44,520 --> 01:21:46,320
Or is it merely a myth?
1047
01:21:50,280 --> 01:21:54,560
The treasure hunt begins
when old manuscripts were rediscovered.
1048
01:21:54,760 --> 01:21:59,000
The Nibelungenlied got hardly
any attention for centuries,
1049
01:21:59,040 --> 01:22:02,040
but was found
again at just the right moment.
1050
01:22:05,080 --> 01:22:10,520
The Nibelungenlied had
fallen into oblivion until 1755.
1051
01:22:11,520 --> 01:22:13,760
That's when it was rediscovered.
1052
01:22:13,760 --> 01:22:17,760
That's when the modern history
of the Nibelungenlied begins.
1053
01:22:20,760 --> 01:22:26,040
Late in the 18th century, medieval legends
suddenly become hugely popular.
1054
01:22:28,520 --> 01:22:32,280
In the same period,
Germany is nothing more than a patchwork
1055
01:22:32,280 --> 01:22:34,760
of kingdoms and principalities.
1056
01:22:34,760 --> 01:22:39,520
The feeling of a national identity
or a common culture is still weak,
1057
01:22:39,760 --> 01:22:42,040
and is shaken by an invasion.
1058
01:22:44,000 --> 01:22:48,040
Napoleon successfully wages war
against Germany's monarchs.
1059
01:22:49,560 --> 01:22:52,280
In 1806, he invades Berlin.
1060
01:22:52,280 --> 01:22:56,080
Many German cities
fall under French military rule.
1061
01:23:05,760 --> 01:23:09,520
The Nibelung saga became
very important in the 1800s,
1062
01:23:09,520 --> 01:23:12,760
because Napoleon was
rampaging through Europe.
1063
01:23:12,800 --> 01:23:15,280
He was conquering everywhere he went.
1064
01:23:15,520 --> 01:23:20,280
When you have conquerors doing that,
what happens is there's a real desire
1065
01:23:20,320 --> 01:23:23,520
for people to find
their own national identity,
1066
01:23:23,520 --> 01:23:26,560
especially stories
which are all about honor,
1067
01:23:26,760 --> 01:23:29,280
all about strength and resistance.
1068
01:23:29,320 --> 01:23:31,760
That's why the Nibelung was so important.
1069
01:23:31,800 --> 01:23:35,040
Copies of it were given
to troops on the battlefront
1070
01:23:35,040 --> 01:23:37,520
to inspire them against their new foe.
1071
01:23:39,760 --> 01:23:42,760
Composer Richard Wagner
takes up the story.
1072
01:23:43,280 --> 01:23:49,000
The opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen
becomes a worldwide success.
1073
01:23:49,040 --> 01:23:53,520
(Richard Wagner's
"The Ride of the Valkyries" plays)
1074
01:23:58,040 --> 01:24:02,280
In 1924, cinema legend Fritz Lang
creates the first motion picture
1075
01:24:02,520 --> 01:24:04,560
of the legendary characters.
1076
01:24:04,760 --> 01:24:09,560
In his five-hour-long silent film,
he writes cinematographic history,
1077
01:24:09,760 --> 01:24:14,040
with the Nibelungs rising
to the status of national heroes.
1078
01:24:20,040 --> 01:24:23,280
The Nazis use the tale
for their own purposes.
1079
01:24:23,280 --> 01:24:28,040
It doesn't matter to them that the story
depicts the downfall of a tribe.
1080
01:24:28,040 --> 01:24:33,080
Siegfried's valor and the Burgundian
loyalty until death are idolized.
1081
01:24:33,280 --> 01:24:38,520
Nazi propaganda is home to anything that
can be presented as "typically German."
1082
01:24:39,520 --> 01:24:43,560
For the Nazis, the Nibelungenlied
represented real treasure:
1083
01:24:43,760 --> 01:24:47,280
something to exploit
for their own propaganda.
1084
01:24:47,280 --> 01:24:52,280
It features concepts like honor,
vengeance, battles, blind loyalty.
1085
01:24:52,280 --> 01:24:57,760
These are themes the Nazis often used for
their own purposes and their warmongering.
1086
01:24:57,760 --> 01:25:01,280
Siegfried becomes
the quintessential German hero.
1087
01:25:01,280 --> 01:25:05,280
His victory over the dragon
fans the flames of the fantasy.
1088
01:25:05,280 --> 01:25:08,800
A mysterious sword is said
to have led him to triumph.
1089
01:25:15,280 --> 01:25:18,760
But is there truth
to this part of the Nibelungenlied?
1090
01:25:19,520 --> 01:25:23,520
Bladesmith Stefan Roth wants
to get to the bottom of this myth.
1091
01:25:23,560 --> 01:25:28,760
He has mastered the forging technology
that was used more than 1,000 years ago.
1092
01:25:33,040 --> 01:25:34,280
(Roth in German)
1093
01:25:34,320 --> 01:25:38,520
(dubbed in English) In the Middle Ages,
bladesmiths were specialists,
1094
01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:41,520
who made every high-tech
product of their time,
1095
01:25:41,760 --> 01:25:44,400
equal to the weapons
that are perhaps manufactured
1096
01:25:44,520 --> 01:25:47,520
in hidden laboratories
or at Area 51 today.
1097
01:25:47,520 --> 01:25:51,040
Back in the early Middle Ages,
these smiths did this work.
1098
01:25:54,040 --> 01:25:57,520
Back in the 5th century,
swords were high-tech weapons,
1099
01:25:57,560 --> 01:26:00,520
luxury goods, and status symbols alike.
1100
01:26:00,560 --> 01:26:03,520
They are featured in countless legends.
1101
01:26:07,480 --> 01:26:12,880
Like in the Norse Thidrekssaga, which has
striking parallels to the Nibelungenlied.
1102
01:26:17,040 --> 01:26:21,560
Wieland forges a powerful sword
by rasping an old sword to powder,
1103
01:26:21,640 --> 01:26:25,000
which he mixes
with the feed for his geese.
1104
01:26:25,040 --> 01:26:28,520
The blacksmith then takes
the digested steel
1105
01:26:28,520 --> 01:26:33,040
and using a hammer and an anvil,
he creates a wonder sword.
1106
01:26:34,520 --> 01:26:38,040
Does the legend contain
a secret medieval formula?
1107
01:26:39,880 --> 01:26:43,520
The transmutation of metallurgical recipes
into mythic stories
1108
01:26:43,520 --> 01:26:45,680
was common for alchemists of the time.
1109
01:26:45,920 --> 01:26:48,480
You might have seen this as more normal
1110
01:26:48,520 --> 01:26:50,680
than the writing down of a recipe.
1111
01:26:53,560 --> 01:26:56,520
Stefan Roth wants to fact check this.
1112
01:26:56,520 --> 01:27:00,680
He and his son Darius make a sword
following the ancient instructions
1113
01:27:00,920 --> 01:27:03,160
as closely as possible.
1114
01:27:03,400 --> 01:27:06,880
We simply mixed the iron ore
with dried bird feces.
1115
01:27:08,680 --> 01:27:13,400
Bird feces contain a lot of nitrogen,
which could make the steal harder.
1116
01:27:14,520 --> 01:27:16,640
Does the technique really work?
1117
01:27:21,040 --> 01:27:25,640
Using a bloomery, the men set out
to produce the medieval wonder steel,
1118
01:27:25,880 --> 01:27:29,440
so they can get started
with the actual forging process.
1119
01:27:35,040 --> 01:27:39,120
They start by tackling the ball
of steel with nothing but a hammer.
1120
01:27:41,040 --> 01:27:45,640
(Roth) We don't just forge the steel
to shape it. It's a purification process.
1121
01:27:45,880 --> 01:27:49,520
We want to get rid of the slag,
charcoal rests, and the ashes.
1122
01:27:51,040 --> 01:27:55,400
After many hours of work,
they end up with a rectangular block.
1123
01:27:58,080 --> 01:28:02,040
They go on and fold
this basic shape several times,
1124
01:28:02,120 --> 01:28:07,120
working it again and again with the hammer
until they create a long blade.
1125
01:28:08,560 --> 01:28:12,520
Stefan Roth forges a second sword
to compare with the Wieland sword.
1126
01:28:13,400 --> 01:28:16,640
This weapon does not contain bird feces.
1127
01:28:16,880 --> 01:28:19,040
Which sword will be better?
1128
01:28:24,080 --> 01:28:27,520
They will test both blades
in an old factory building.
1129
01:28:28,960 --> 01:28:30,640
-Hi, Stefan.
-Hi.
1130
01:28:30,880 --> 01:28:33,600
(Roth) Here they are,
our beautiful swords.
1131
01:28:34,480 --> 01:28:39,520
Sixt Wetzler from the German Blade Museum
wants to put the Wieland to the test.
1132
01:28:42,040 --> 01:28:43,120
(in German)
1133
01:28:43,200 --> 01:28:46,040
(dubbed in English)
A fascinating experiment:
1134
01:28:46,040 --> 01:28:51,040
trying to find out if mixing bird feces
into the steel changes its properties.
1135
01:28:51,080 --> 01:28:54,440
I'm really excited to see what we'll find.
1136
01:28:55,040 --> 01:29:00,000
Wetzler is not only an archaeologist
and expert for ancient blade weapons,
1137
01:29:00,040 --> 01:29:02,520
he is also an excellent swordsman.
1138
01:29:02,520 --> 01:29:06,400
In our experiment,
he will wield the conventional sword,
1139
01:29:06,480 --> 01:29:09,120
the blade without any bird feces.
1140
01:29:09,200 --> 01:29:14,160
Roth brandishes the sword he forged
according to Wieland's technique.
1141
01:29:14,400 --> 01:29:17,000
He, too, is an experienced swordsman.
1142
01:29:21,960 --> 01:29:24,600
What's behind the legend
of the wonder weapon?
1143
01:29:24,680 --> 01:29:27,680
The two experts put
the swords to the test.
1144
01:29:30,520 --> 01:29:32,480
Challenge number one:
1145
01:29:32,520 --> 01:29:34,960
sever a rope with a two-inch diameter.
1146
01:29:36,200 --> 01:29:40,040
A test that only a particularly
sharp blade can withstand.
1147
01:29:42,080 --> 01:29:45,680
The sword has to rip
into the rope, making a clean cut.
1148
01:29:45,920 --> 01:29:49,400
If it is too blunt,
it will merely displace the rope.
1149
01:29:51,000 --> 01:29:54,040
Sixt goes first
with the conventional sword.
1150
01:29:59,040 --> 01:30:01,520
The test goes off without a hitch.
1151
01:30:05,520 --> 01:30:07,560
Next up, the legendary sword.
1152
01:30:08,960 --> 01:30:10,520
(he grunts)
1153
01:30:10,520 --> 01:30:14,040
The rope stands no chance
against Stefan Roth.
1154
01:30:14,040 --> 01:30:17,040
Interim conclusion after the first round:
1155
01:30:17,040 --> 01:30:19,120
I'd say it's a tie.
1156
01:30:20,480 --> 01:30:22,200
It's time to up the game.
1157
01:30:22,440 --> 01:30:25,520
Sixt will now
have to cut through a steel pipe.
1158
01:30:35,120 --> 01:30:39,120
The medieval blade only makes
a dent in the modern steel.
1159
01:30:41,520 --> 01:30:44,520
Will the alleged
wonder sword be more powerful?
1160
01:30:49,520 --> 01:30:51,520
Not at first glance.
1161
01:30:51,520 --> 01:30:54,400
But the blacksmith detects a visible cut.
1162
01:30:57,120 --> 01:31:00,200
The Wieland sword performed better.
A clear-cut case.
1163
01:31:05,520 --> 01:31:08,520
The final hurdle is a real stress test:
1164
01:31:08,560 --> 01:31:12,000
175 pounds of massive ice.
1165
01:31:13,440 --> 01:31:15,120
I'm excited.
1166
01:31:15,200 --> 01:31:19,680
I don't know what'll happen,
how the ice will react, so, we'll see.
1167
01:31:21,520 --> 01:31:24,520
Not only is ice extremely hard,
1168
01:31:24,520 --> 01:31:27,040
it also poses a risk to the blade,
1169
01:31:27,120 --> 01:31:30,680
which can become brittle
and break due to the cold.
1170
01:31:32,080 --> 01:31:34,520
(he grunts)
1171
01:31:42,480 --> 01:31:46,040
The regular sword withstands
the test, but not unscathed.
1172
01:31:48,040 --> 01:31:50,160
You can see where it got hit.
1173
01:31:50,400 --> 01:31:52,480
It's pretty bent right there.
1174
01:31:55,480 --> 01:32:01,120
The ice block shows that a sword doesn't
just have to be sharp, but stable as well.
1175
01:32:01,200 --> 01:32:05,640
Will the nitrogen from the bird feces
prove effective once again?
1176
01:32:12,200 --> 01:32:15,520
Stefan Roth shows no mercy on the ice.
1177
01:32:16,520 --> 01:32:18,560
It takes fewer blows to destroy it.
1178
01:32:22,000 --> 01:32:23,960
The crucial question is:
1179
01:32:24,040 --> 01:32:28,400
How did his sword
withstand exposure to the cold?
1180
01:32:28,480 --> 01:32:30,400
The edges are perfectly fine.
1181
01:32:30,480 --> 01:32:34,160
I'm surprised myself
how much such a sword can withstand.
1182
01:32:34,400 --> 01:32:36,920
It's a really brutal test.
1183
01:32:37,000 --> 01:32:38,640
And the winner is...
1184
01:32:40,520 --> 01:32:43,640
Congratulations. Stefan won two rounds.
1185
01:32:44,920 --> 01:32:48,480
The Wieland sword scored slightly better.
1186
01:32:48,520 --> 01:32:51,400
As wondrous
as the mythical formula sounds,
1187
01:32:51,480 --> 01:32:54,480
it seems to have been based
on actual knowledge.
1188
01:32:55,040 --> 01:33:00,480
Maybe people found out by accident,
and the stories lived on in the legend.
1189
01:33:00,520 --> 01:33:05,520
Our test has shown legendary swords
are more than just a fantasy.
1190
01:33:07,040 --> 01:33:09,000
Swords are powerful in myth.
1191
01:33:09,040 --> 01:33:13,400
They tend to be associated with power
and with a particular hero.
1192
01:33:13,480 --> 01:33:16,520
Take for example
Excalibur and King Arthur.
1193
01:33:16,520 --> 01:33:19,200
These swords were often highly decorated
1194
01:33:19,440 --> 01:33:22,040
People wouldn't have seen
anything like this.
1195
01:33:22,040 --> 01:33:25,560
It made them feel like this was
an important, magical symbol.
1196
01:33:28,120 --> 01:33:31,520
Siegfried achieves
his greatest feat with a sword.
1197
01:33:35,520 --> 01:33:39,600
He defeats the dragon,
an opponent far superior.
1198
01:33:48,000 --> 01:33:52,520
In the Middle Ages, dragons are
more than just mythical creatures.
1199
01:33:52,600 --> 01:33:55,960
People actually believe that they exist.
1200
01:33:56,040 --> 01:33:59,040
They represent the ultimate evil.
1201
01:33:59,040 --> 01:34:00,920
(dragon screeches)
1202
01:34:01,480 --> 01:34:05,080
Churchgoers believe
they have been sent by the devil.
1203
01:34:05,160 --> 01:34:10,640
Stories of dragon slayers like St. George
depict the victory of good over evil.
1204
01:34:24,520 --> 01:34:29,040
The myth is fueled by bones
that are inexplicable to our ancestors.
1205
01:34:32,160 --> 01:34:37,520
Not until the modern period do researchers
start to investigate these bones.
1206
01:34:37,520 --> 01:34:40,520
At first, they believe
they are elephant femurs
1207
01:34:40,560 --> 01:34:43,520
or the teeth of prehistoric giants.
1208
01:34:45,880 --> 01:34:50,520
In 1824, British geologist
William Buckland is the first to attribute
1209
01:34:50,520 --> 01:34:54,520
a jawbone
to an entirely new animal species.
1210
01:34:56,040 --> 01:35:01,600
He says his find is part of a gigantic
reptile that he calls "megalosaurus."
1211
01:35:01,680 --> 01:35:04,040
Dinosaur research is born.
1212
01:35:06,640 --> 01:35:09,520
Can you imagine finding dinosaur bones?
1213
01:35:09,560 --> 01:35:12,160
It happened the world over
in ancient times.
1214
01:35:12,400 --> 01:35:15,520
They didn't know
about dinosaurs or evolution.
1215
01:35:15,560 --> 01:35:18,040
It was easy for them
to project dragons on them.
1216
01:35:19,400 --> 01:35:20,920
The dragon.
1217
01:35:21,000 --> 01:35:22,520
The sword.
1218
01:35:22,520 --> 01:35:24,040
Siegfried's feat.
1219
01:35:24,080 --> 01:35:29,040
If we can find explanations for some
of the most fantastic details of the myth,
1220
01:35:29,120 --> 01:35:31,600
the gold has to exist for certain.
1221
01:35:35,120 --> 01:35:39,680
He also firmly believes the
Nibelung treasure is somewhere out there:
1222
01:35:40,200 --> 01:35:42,440
Helmut Siegert from Heidelberg.
1223
01:35:43,680 --> 01:35:48,160
The former engineer is a real expert
when it comes to finding treasure.
1224
01:35:51,040 --> 01:35:52,040
(in German)
1225
01:35:52,120 --> 01:35:56,080
(dubbed in English) I've known
the Nibelungen saga since I was a child.
1226
01:35:56,160 --> 01:35:58,480
It's always fascinated me.
1227
01:36:00,200 --> 01:36:03,680
Siegert has developed
his own method to hunt for treasure.
1228
01:36:04,880 --> 01:36:09,440
He has detected hundreds of water sources
with a home-made dowsing rod.
1229
01:36:09,520 --> 01:36:13,400
Now he believes he has located
the Nibelung treasure, too.
1230
01:36:14,520 --> 01:36:19,440
He is using a thin wire rod meant
to pick up electromagnetic vibrations.
1231
01:36:20,520 --> 01:36:27,400
I sat down and I said, "OK, Worms.
Where can I find anything?"
1232
01:36:29,520 --> 01:36:33,040
And the rod was here,
and nothing happened.
1233
01:36:34,480 --> 01:36:36,640
That's when I said "OK."
1234
01:36:36,880 --> 01:36:39,440
Taking the adjacent map,
1235
01:36:39,520 --> 01:36:43,480
and you can already see what is happening:
1236
01:36:43,520 --> 01:36:45,480
the rod is moving to the left.
1237
01:36:46,400 --> 01:36:49,520
So I drew this line here
and turned the map.
1238
01:36:51,040 --> 01:36:55,120
And then the rod slowly moves
further over here.
1239
01:36:57,520 --> 01:37:01,040
There is even a sign
on the map marking the location
1240
01:37:01,040 --> 01:37:03,160
very close to the Rhine.
1241
01:37:03,400 --> 01:37:06,600
Will it lead Siegert
to the treasure of the Nibelungs?
1242
01:37:09,160 --> 01:37:12,160
His discovery exceeds all of his hopes.
1243
01:37:22,880 --> 01:37:26,040
I'm standing in front
of ruins of an old fortress.
1244
01:37:26,040 --> 01:37:29,520
This used to be
a Roman burgus with a harbor
1245
01:37:29,600 --> 01:37:34,040
where they loaded stones from
the Odenwald mountain range onto ships.
1246
01:37:36,960 --> 01:37:40,040
An ideal hiding spot
for the Nibelung treasure.
1247
01:37:42,040 --> 01:37:45,480
Taking a small tributary,
a ship can soon cover the distance
1248
01:37:45,520 --> 01:37:49,920
between the Rhine and the castle,
even if it's heavily loaded.
1249
01:37:50,640 --> 01:37:53,640
The fortress lies protected
deep in the woods.
1250
01:37:57,160 --> 01:38:01,560
According to Siegert's theory,
Hagen loaded the treasure onto two boats,
1251
01:38:01,640 --> 01:38:05,040
which then travelled
to the former Roman harbor basin,
1252
01:38:05,040 --> 01:38:08,080
where they were sunk
along with the treasure.
1253
01:38:09,160 --> 01:38:13,040
To retrieve it, he would have
only needed to drain the basin.
1254
01:38:17,040 --> 01:38:22,040
To check his theory, Siegert is using
a ground-penetrating radar,
1255
01:38:22,080 --> 01:38:24,480
which detects metal in the ground.
1256
01:38:27,480 --> 01:38:32,200
The device picks up vibrations exactly
where he suspects the treasure to be.
1257
01:38:32,440 --> 01:38:36,000
Something seems to be buried
four meters beneath the surface.
1258
01:38:36,040 --> 01:38:40,520
Siegert is sure
it's one of two gold-laden boats.
1259
01:38:40,560 --> 01:38:44,520
For him, this is proof that Hagen
sunk the Nibelung treasure
1260
01:38:44,560 --> 01:38:46,520
in this very location.
1261
01:38:46,560 --> 01:38:49,040
It was the most logical thing to do.
1262
01:38:49,080 --> 01:38:52,960
You could conduct
a clandestine operation at night here:
1263
01:38:53,040 --> 01:38:55,520
bring two ships here and sink them.
1264
01:38:55,520 --> 01:38:57,600
You could block the branch of the Rhine.
1265
01:38:57,680 --> 01:39:02,040
You still could access the treasure,
also mentioned in the Nibelungenlied
1266
01:39:02,040 --> 01:39:04,520
since they wanted to retrieve it.
1267
01:39:07,440 --> 01:39:11,560
Everything fits perfectly.
This is where the Nibelung treasure is.
1268
01:39:12,640 --> 01:39:15,440
But Siegert can't confirm his theory.
1269
01:39:15,520 --> 01:39:18,560
The site is listed as a cultural heritage.
1270
01:39:18,640 --> 01:39:21,200
Excavations are prohibited.
1271
01:39:23,680 --> 01:39:28,480
At least he has had a notary attest
to a finder's fee, just in case.
1272
01:39:34,520 --> 01:39:38,400
In 2014, another find
near the Rhine makes headlines.
1273
01:39:38,480 --> 01:39:42,440
In a forest area in Rülzheim,
located in the same region,
1274
01:39:42,520 --> 01:39:47,440
a detectorist finds gold and silver
jewelry worth more than a million euros.
1275
01:39:48,000 --> 01:39:50,040
Is this the Nibelung treasure?
1276
01:39:51,040 --> 01:39:54,600
In the Rülzheim forest,
Czerny takes us to the place
1277
01:39:54,680 --> 01:39:58,520
where he made
the find of his life back in 2014.
1278
01:40:06,000 --> 01:40:08,040
And this is where we found it.
1279
01:40:08,040 --> 01:40:10,520
You can still see a little depression.
1280
01:40:11,400 --> 01:40:16,040
Czerny has nearly made his way
back home when his detector goes off.
1281
01:40:16,080 --> 01:40:19,960
He and his companions
immediately take out their spades.
1282
01:40:21,680 --> 01:40:26,000
We started digging. First, we found
some rods, 50 centimeters deep.
1283
01:40:26,040 --> 01:40:29,520
Silver rods that looked like
they were from a garden fence.
1284
01:40:30,160 --> 01:40:33,680
They unearth more and more pieces,
one by one.
1285
01:40:33,920 --> 01:40:39,680
We felt a certain adrenaline rush
as we found all the individual parts
1286
01:40:39,920 --> 01:40:43,040
and saw how they shimmered,
all silver and golden.
1287
01:40:43,080 --> 01:40:46,160
It's the best outcome
for any treasure hunter.
1288
01:40:49,520 --> 01:40:56,040
He films the entire hoard at his home
and proudly presents his discovery online.
1289
01:40:58,040 --> 01:41:00,080
(Czerny) The most beautiful piece.
1290
01:41:00,160 --> 01:41:04,120
Unfortunately, the gems are missing,
they probably fell out.
1291
01:41:06,160 --> 01:41:11,520
The video attracts the attention of the
authorities, who then seize the treasure.
1292
01:41:14,920 --> 01:41:20,440
The Barbarian treasure of Rülzheim ends
up in the State Museum of Koblenz.
1293
01:41:20,520 --> 01:41:25,120
What Czerny thought to be a garden fence
is a rare Roman folding chair.
1294
01:41:27,200 --> 01:41:29,520
But the real sensation is the bowl.
1295
01:41:30,640 --> 01:41:34,480
These bowls are typical
of treasures linked to the Huns.
1296
01:41:36,520 --> 01:41:40,480
It's the archaeological proof
that the Huns were near the Rhine
1297
01:41:40,520 --> 01:41:43,040
at the same time as the Burgundians.
1298
01:41:44,680 --> 01:41:49,520
Is the Barbarian treasure of Rülzheim
the legendary Nibelung treasure?
1299
01:41:49,600 --> 01:41:53,200
Scientists still haven't
been able to answer this.
1300
01:41:53,440 --> 01:41:55,040
The problem:
1301
01:41:55,040 --> 01:41:57,520
A layman has excavated the pieces.
1302
01:41:57,600 --> 01:42:02,040
A lot of important information
was lost in the process.
1303
01:42:02,040 --> 01:42:03,440
(in German)
1304
01:42:03,520 --> 01:42:07,640
(dubbed in English) To archaeologists,
a site like this is like a crime scene.
1305
01:42:07,880 --> 01:42:11,400
You can find countless pieces
of information there:
1306
01:42:11,480 --> 01:42:14,040
the way the objects lie next to each other
1307
01:42:14,080 --> 01:42:16,040
or scientific samples you can take.
1308
01:42:16,120 --> 01:42:21,160
This changes once someone goes
digging about with a spade or a hoe.
1309
01:42:21,400 --> 01:42:25,000
It's as bad as being a detective
arriving at a crime scene
1310
01:42:25,040 --> 01:42:28,040
and the cleaner has already tidied up.
1311
01:42:30,520 --> 01:42:34,040
While the pieces are clearly
from the Burgundian era,
1312
01:42:34,120 --> 01:42:38,120
it remains uncertain
whether they're part of their treasures.
1313
01:42:40,640 --> 01:42:44,520
It's possible this treasure is one
of many that went into the ground
1314
01:42:44,600 --> 01:42:50,200
during the migration period, and one that
laid the groundwork for future legends.
1315
01:42:51,520 --> 01:42:55,000
Maybe the Nibelung treasure
is already in a museum,
1316
01:42:55,040 --> 01:42:57,520
without being labelled as such.
1317
01:43:00,520 --> 01:43:04,040
Or the hoard is still in the ground
somewhere in Germany,
1318
01:43:04,080 --> 01:43:08,080
just waiting to be found by detectorists
like Benjamin Czerny.
1319
01:43:10,520 --> 01:43:15,440
You only come across a treasure as huge
as the Nibelung treasure by chance.
1320
01:43:15,520 --> 01:43:18,680
It takes a lot of luck,
like winning the lottery.
1321
01:43:20,040 --> 01:43:24,440
And so he hopes that one day
he will make another sensational find.
1322
01:43:31,040 --> 01:43:36,560
Treasure hunter Hans Jörg Jacobi has found
bliss in the actual song of the Nibelungs.
1323
01:43:36,640 --> 01:43:39,960
He has even composed his own melody.
1324
01:43:41,040 --> 01:43:44,480
(sings Niebelungenlied
in Middle High German)
1325
01:44:17,520 --> 01:44:21,120
The Rhine seems to be
the only one that knows for sure
1326
01:44:21,200 --> 01:44:24,520
whether the Nibelung treasure
has ever existed.
1327
01:44:24,560 --> 01:44:26,440
The only certainty we have
1328
01:44:26,520 --> 01:44:30,520
is that the old myth
is much more than mere fantasy.
1329
01:44:30,560 --> 01:44:33,520
It is the dramatic echo of history.
1330
01:44:35,560 --> 01:44:39,320
(narrator) The Huns.
A symbol of fear and terror.
1331
01:44:39,400 --> 01:44:41,000
And their king, Attila.
1332
01:44:42,000 --> 01:44:45,800
Many legends and sagas
feature the funeral of Attila.
1333
01:44:46,320 --> 01:44:49,840
To this day,
his death is shrouded in mystery.
1334
01:44:50,000 --> 01:44:52,000
They tried to hide the tomb.
1335
01:44:52,000 --> 01:44:53,320
(sound of moving slab)
1336
01:44:53,320 --> 01:44:57,680
Hungarian scientists
are searching for the legendary tomb.
1337
01:44:57,880 --> 01:44:59,680
They make fascinating discoveries,
1338
01:44:59,680 --> 01:45:02,000
and are getting closer
and closer to the Huns.
1339
01:45:03,240 --> 01:45:07,000
(dramatic orchestral music)
1340
01:45:08,320 --> 01:45:11,040
I'm standing on the wall
of Attila's castle.
1341
01:45:11,760 --> 01:45:15,000
Will they uncover
the secret of the Hun king?
1342
01:45:15,040 --> 01:45:16,720
Unbelievable.
1343
01:45:16,960 --> 01:45:19,000
Where's Attila's tomb?
1344
01:45:20,320 --> 01:45:22,760
(dramatic orchestral music)
1345
01:45:23,000 --> 01:45:25,000
The great myths of mankind.
1346
01:45:25,680 --> 01:45:28,720
Mysteries passed on
over thousands of years.
1347
01:45:31,080 --> 01:45:34,360
Inexplicable events,
places shrouded in legend,
1348
01:45:34,960 --> 01:45:36,960
and superhuman heroes.
1349
01:45:37,080 --> 01:45:39,360
Even scientists are fascinated.
1350
01:45:41,440 --> 01:45:44,360
Is there any truth
to these ancient legends?
1351
01:45:44,440 --> 01:45:46,080
Researchers across the globe
1352
01:45:46,160 --> 01:45:49,520
are working hard to solve
the greatest mysteries of our time.
1353
01:45:49,600 --> 01:45:53,080
(dramatic music)
1354
01:45:54,440 --> 01:45:58,360
(mysterious melody)
1355
01:46:05,520 --> 01:46:09,360
(suspenseful music)
1356
01:46:09,360 --> 01:46:11,360
The Hungarian steppe.
1357
01:46:11,360 --> 01:46:13,520
Home of the Huns in the fifth century.
1358
01:46:14,440 --> 01:46:16,960
From here, they set out
to plunder and conquer.
1359
01:46:18,080 --> 01:46:19,960
Ghost riders attacking out of nowhere.
1360
01:46:20,720 --> 01:46:22,880
Forcing entire tribes to flee.
1361
01:46:22,960 --> 01:46:24,720
(horse neighing)
1362
01:46:29,960 --> 01:46:32,520
Their greatest leader: Attila,
1363
01:46:32,640 --> 01:46:34,360
The King of the Huns.
1364
01:46:35,760 --> 01:46:37,960
Who is this legendary ruler,
1365
01:46:38,040 --> 01:46:40,800
responsible for instilling
fear across Europe?
1366
01:46:43,520 --> 01:46:48,080
Ádám Baumgartner is fascinated
by the myths surrounding the Huns.
1367
01:46:48,680 --> 01:46:50,520
He heads a group south of Budapest
1368
01:46:50,680 --> 01:46:53,240
that examines ancient combat techniques.
1369
01:46:53,960 --> 01:46:56,240
Equipped with horses, armour and weapons,
1370
01:46:56,240 --> 01:46:58,800
they dive deep
into the history of the Huns.
1371
01:47:00,800 --> 01:47:02,960
(voices and hammering)
1372
01:47:04,360 --> 01:47:07,360
(Baumgartner) The most fascinating
thing about the Huns is that
1373
01:47:07,520 --> 01:47:08,800
they came from nowhere.
1374
01:47:08,960 --> 01:47:12,520
They fought with both Roman empires,
defeating one of them.
1375
01:47:12,680 --> 01:47:16,360
We also wanted to recreate
this beautiful period of history,
1376
01:47:16,520 --> 01:47:18,800
to recreate the Hunnic lifestyle.
1377
01:47:18,800 --> 01:47:21,080
(folk music)
1378
01:47:21,080 --> 01:47:24,520
To the group, there's more to it
than just the folklore.
1379
01:47:24,680 --> 01:47:27,360
Armour, clothes, weapons
and combat techniques.
1380
01:47:28,080 --> 01:47:31,360
They want everything to be
as true to detail as possible.
1381
01:47:32,080 --> 01:47:35,680
Attila has become a cult legend
to many Hungarians.
1382
01:47:35,680 --> 01:47:39,680
(folk music becomes more percussive)
1383
01:47:40,800 --> 01:47:46,360
(suspenseful music)
1384
01:47:46,520 --> 01:47:50,240
Nobody knows exactly
what the Hun king looked like.
1385
01:47:50,240 --> 01:47:53,800
His people didn't leave behind
written documents.
1386
01:47:53,960 --> 01:47:56,360
Only his enemies write about him,
1387
01:47:56,520 --> 01:47:59,800
and so Attila is remembered mainly
as one thing:
1388
01:48:00,800 --> 01:48:02,800
the scourge of God.
1389
01:48:02,960 --> 01:48:04,960
The incarnation of the Devil,
1390
01:48:05,080 --> 01:48:07,960
spreading doom and disaster
across the world.
1391
01:48:07,960 --> 01:48:11,960
(suspenseful music)
1392
01:48:12,080 --> 01:48:14,240
Psychological warfare works on the basis
1393
01:48:14,240 --> 01:48:16,800
that we are hugely intelligent,
cognitive beings
1394
01:48:16,960 --> 01:48:18,680
with very strong imaginations.
1395
01:48:18,800 --> 01:48:22,360
Which means that imagination
and our emotions can be manipulated.
1396
01:48:22,520 --> 01:48:27,240
It works because it takes some of our
attention away from the battlefield.
1397
01:48:27,360 --> 01:48:29,800
It was in the Huns' favour to be feared,
1398
01:48:29,800 --> 01:48:32,800
because it meant some of the battle
had already been won,
1399
01:48:32,960 --> 01:48:35,680
even before the actual battle commenced.
1400
01:48:35,800 --> 01:48:36,800
(percussive sounds)
1401
01:48:37,680 --> 01:48:40,920
(horn rings out)
1402
01:48:41,040 --> 01:48:43,720
In the West, in the 4th century CE,
1403
01:48:43,840 --> 01:48:46,720
the Huns appear on the world stage
for the first time.
1404
01:48:46,840 --> 01:48:49,040
As part of bloody campaigns,
1405
01:48:49,160 --> 01:48:52,720
martial horsemen advance
deep into the heart of Europe.
1406
01:48:52,840 --> 01:48:55,040
Their greatest enemies are the Romans,
1407
01:48:55,160 --> 01:48:57,160
still ruling over half the continent.
1408
01:48:57,840 --> 01:49:00,280
But the empire struggles to fend off
1409
01:49:00,280 --> 01:49:02,840
the quick advances of these new opponents.
1410
01:49:02,840 --> 01:49:06,920
The Huns overrun and raid
vast stretches of land.
1411
01:49:07,040 --> 01:49:11,400
(dramatic music)
1412
01:49:11,480 --> 01:49:16,280
In the 4th century, the Roman Empire
is divided into two separate empires.
1413
01:49:16,400 --> 01:49:19,480
One in the West, and one in the East.
1414
01:49:19,600 --> 01:49:22,920
After subjecting a large number
of Goths to their rule,
1415
01:49:22,920 --> 01:49:26,040
the Huns move on to Roman legions.
1416
01:49:26,040 --> 01:49:31,400
(suspenseful percussive music)
1417
01:49:31,400 --> 01:49:34,480
We don't know exactly why
the Huns started to move.
1418
01:49:34,600 --> 01:49:36,400
Perhaps it was climate change,
1419
01:49:36,480 --> 01:49:39,160
perhaps they were searching
for new fertile land
1420
01:49:39,280 --> 01:49:41,160
for their growing numbers of horsemen.
1421
01:49:41,280 --> 01:49:43,480
We are certain that
when they started to move,
1422
01:49:43,600 --> 01:49:46,600
they pushed in front of them
tens of thousands of people,
1423
01:49:46,720 --> 01:49:48,920
and they fought those tribes as well,
1424
01:49:49,040 --> 01:49:52,480
pushing them up against the walls
of the Roman Empire.
1425
01:49:53,840 --> 01:49:57,280
Scientists still debate
the origins of the Huns to this day.
1426
01:49:57,840 --> 01:49:59,840
The only thing they agree on
1427
01:49:59,840 --> 01:50:02,720
is that they came
from the huge Asian steppes.
1428
01:50:02,720 --> 01:50:05,840
Nomads living off husbandry and hunting.
1429
01:50:05,920 --> 01:50:09,920
Their departure to the West
is closely tied to one name.
1430
01:50:10,480 --> 01:50:11,600
Attila.
1431
01:50:11,720 --> 01:50:14,400
Born around 400 CE.
1432
01:50:14,480 --> 01:50:19,280
In the 5th century, he and his allies
took regions by storm.
1433
01:50:19,400 --> 01:50:22,280
To this very day, Hungarians celebrate him
1434
01:50:22,400 --> 01:50:24,400
as their national hero.
1435
01:50:26,040 --> 01:50:28,480
Myths tend to get exaggerated over time,
1436
01:50:28,600 --> 01:50:32,600
as they come from an oral tradition,
so that each retelling is different.
1437
01:50:32,720 --> 01:50:36,600
Further, many of them were performed,
so to hold the audience's attention,
1438
01:50:36,720 --> 01:50:39,480
it's important to make them
as entertaining as possible.
1439
01:50:39,600 --> 01:50:41,480
The heroic become more heroic,
1440
01:50:41,600 --> 01:50:43,400
the magic becomes more magical,
1441
01:50:43,480 --> 01:50:45,720
and the power becomes more powerful.
1442
01:50:47,160 --> 01:50:49,840
His death is shrouded in legends,
1443
01:50:49,920 --> 01:50:53,280
helping to solidify his mythical image.
1444
01:50:53,400 --> 01:50:57,480
To this day, nobody knows
how and where he was buried.
1445
01:50:57,600 --> 01:51:01,840
His dead body is said to be protected
by three layers of iron,
1446
01:51:01,920 --> 01:51:03,920
silver and gold.
1447
01:51:06,480 --> 01:51:09,400
Allegedly, Attila's followers
cut off their hair
1448
01:51:09,400 --> 01:51:11,840
and wounded their faces to mourn his death
1449
01:51:11,920 --> 01:51:13,480
with blood in place of tears.
1450
01:51:14,840 --> 01:51:18,400
Legend has it that the men
who dug the pit were then killed
1451
01:51:18,480 --> 01:51:22,720
to ensure the tomb
would forever remain undiscovered.
1452
01:51:26,040 --> 01:51:29,600
The practical answer for why
the undertaking slaves were killed
1453
01:51:29,720 --> 01:51:32,920
is that they didn't want anybody
to find the treasure or tomb.
1454
01:51:33,040 --> 01:51:35,400
But the more religious reason might be
1455
01:51:35,480 --> 01:51:37,720
that he wanted to take
these people with him.
1456
01:51:37,840 --> 01:51:40,280
This was a common motif.
This happened worldwide,
1457
01:51:40,400 --> 01:51:43,600
where fallen kings would want
to leave with their servants.
1458
01:51:43,720 --> 01:51:49,040
(quiet, suspenseful music)
1459
01:51:49,160 --> 01:51:52,600
Most experts believe
Attila was buried in Hungary,
1460
01:51:52,720 --> 01:51:55,920
in an undisclosed location
near the Danube.
1461
01:52:06,720 --> 01:52:09,840
The search for the legendary location
inspires researchers
1462
01:52:09,920 --> 01:52:11,920
and hobby treasure hunters alike.
1463
01:52:11,920 --> 01:52:13,600
Time and time again,
1464
01:52:13,720 --> 01:52:15,720
someone claims to have found him.
1465
01:52:15,840 --> 01:52:18,160
But they are never right.
1466
01:52:29,400 --> 01:52:31,280
Musician Levente Szörényi
1467
01:52:31,280 --> 01:52:34,840
has been looking for traces of Attila
and the Huns for quite some time.
1468
01:52:35,480 --> 01:52:37,840
He's on his way to an excavation site
1469
01:52:37,840 --> 01:52:39,400
in the Pilis mountains.
1470
01:52:39,920 --> 01:52:41,920
(Levente laughs and grunts)
1471
01:52:42,040 --> 01:52:43,840
We are going to hell!
1472
01:52:44,720 --> 01:52:45,920
(Levente laughs)
1473
01:52:45,920 --> 01:52:50,280
His search for the Hun treasures
is financed with private means.
1474
01:52:50,400 --> 01:52:53,280
He has had a decade-long fascination
with Attila
1475
01:52:53,400 --> 01:52:56,400
and a brilliant career as a rock star.
1476
01:52:56,520 --> 01:52:58,880
In Hungary, since the 1960s,
1477
01:52:58,920 --> 01:53:02,920
Levente Szörényi has been as famous
as John Lennon.
1478
01:53:03,000 --> 01:53:08,160
(60s Hungarian rock 'n' roll music)
1479
01:53:12,680 --> 01:53:13,680
(Levente laughs)
1480
01:53:13,800 --> 01:53:16,400
(suspenseful music)
1481
01:53:16,520 --> 01:53:18,680
Today, he's visiting the place
1482
01:53:18,680 --> 01:53:21,680
where he believes
he'll find traces of the Huns.
1483
01:53:21,800 --> 01:53:23,800
The Moonshine quarry.
1484
01:53:23,920 --> 01:53:27,280
Here, Levente Szörényi
and his excavation team
1485
01:53:27,400 --> 01:53:30,400
have unearthed several treasures
from the Hun era.
1486
01:53:31,280 --> 01:53:32,680
Any new discovery
1487
01:53:32,680 --> 01:53:35,280
could bring him one step closer to Attila.
1488
01:53:36,520 --> 01:53:38,040
Levente Szörényi
1489
01:53:38,160 --> 01:53:41,400
thinks the Huns used the area
as a burial site.
1490
01:53:42,520 --> 01:53:44,280
And he's hoping to find clues
1491
01:53:44,400 --> 01:53:47,160
leading to the legendary Hun king.
1492
01:53:47,280 --> 01:53:50,680
(suspenseful electronic sounds)
1493
01:53:51,280 --> 01:53:52,920
(Levente speaks Hungarian)
1494
01:53:53,040 --> 01:53:55,400
(dubbed in English)
This used to be a Roman quarry.
1495
01:53:55,400 --> 01:53:57,920
When the Huns arrived,
they changed everything.
1496
01:53:58,040 --> 01:53:59,800
But nobody knows why.
1497
01:54:00,920 --> 01:54:04,040
Recently, the team has found some bones
1498
01:54:04,160 --> 01:54:06,680
dating back 1500 years.
1499
01:54:06,680 --> 01:54:10,800
A first clue as to how the Huns
might have used this former quarry.
1500
01:54:10,920 --> 01:54:13,160
(suspenseful cello music)
1501
01:54:16,680 --> 01:54:18,920
Researchers have found a complete skeleton
1502
01:54:18,920 --> 01:54:20,400
beneath this rock.
1503
01:54:20,520 --> 01:54:22,400
It belonged to a cow.
1504
01:54:23,680 --> 01:54:26,280
They discovered more bones deeper down.
1505
01:54:26,280 --> 01:54:27,680
A human skeleton.
1506
01:54:28,520 --> 01:54:32,040
This is a typical Pagan burial ritual.
1507
01:54:37,800 --> 01:54:41,160
The place seems to be
a sacred site to the Huns.
1508
01:54:41,160 --> 01:54:43,400
Could Attila's tomb be close?
1509
01:54:43,520 --> 01:54:45,400
Levente Szörényi and his team
1510
01:54:45,400 --> 01:54:47,920
will continue their search
in a few months.
1511
01:54:48,040 --> 01:54:50,160
If Attila's tomb was to be found,
1512
01:54:50,160 --> 01:54:53,400
it will probably be here
in the Hungarian plain.
1513
01:54:53,520 --> 01:54:55,400
But without any written clues,
1514
01:54:55,520 --> 01:54:59,040
it's nearly impossible to pinpoint
exactly where it could be.
1515
01:54:59,920 --> 01:55:03,400
Studying the Huns is very difficult,
because they were nomadic.
1516
01:55:03,520 --> 01:55:05,400
The only way you can find out about them
1517
01:55:05,520 --> 01:55:09,160
is to see what other peoples wrote
about them when they had contact.
1518
01:55:09,280 --> 01:55:13,520
Other peoples like the Romans, who
described the Huns in some detail.
1519
01:55:15,280 --> 01:55:18,040
Eastern Roman historian Priscus of Panium
1520
01:55:18,160 --> 01:55:20,160
describes a visit with Attila.
1521
01:55:24,040 --> 01:55:27,920
Based on that, we know what Attila
and the court looked like,
1522
01:55:28,040 --> 01:55:31,040
and how the traditions of the Huns looked.
1523
01:55:31,160 --> 01:55:35,040
So Priscus said that Attila
is a very noble man.
1524
01:55:35,040 --> 01:55:39,040
And he's very simple,
compared to the other Hunnic lords.
1525
01:55:39,520 --> 01:55:43,040
Priscus presents Attila in a soft light.
1526
01:55:43,160 --> 01:55:46,520
"He showed himself temperate.
His cup was made of wood,
1527
01:55:46,680 --> 01:55:50,920
while to the guests were given
goblets of gold and silver."
1528
01:55:50,920 --> 01:55:54,040
But Attila has more than one face.
1529
01:55:54,160 --> 01:55:57,280
He kills his brother Bleda
to come into power.
1530
01:55:57,800 --> 01:56:02,040
Both rule as kings,
but Attila is only second in line.
1531
01:56:02,400 --> 01:56:04,520
He wants to be the sole ruler,
1532
01:56:04,680 --> 01:56:08,160
and bring his brother's devotees
into his own army.
1533
01:56:08,160 --> 01:56:10,520
It remains unclear whether the fratricide
1534
01:56:10,680 --> 01:56:12,520
really took place as recorded,
1535
01:56:12,680 --> 01:56:16,680
or if Attila's enemies were merely
attempting to slander him.
1536
01:56:20,920 --> 01:56:23,040
(sound of metal)
1537
01:56:23,040 --> 01:56:27,920
But we know Attila wins the loyalty
of the most important tribal chiefs.
1538
01:56:27,920 --> 01:56:31,040
Germanic tribes also fight alongside him.
1539
01:56:31,160 --> 01:56:35,800
Contemporaries estimate his army
consists of half a million warriors,
1540
01:56:35,800 --> 01:56:38,400
which is probably exaggerated.
1541
01:56:38,520 --> 01:56:41,800
Jointly, they wage war against the Romans.
1542
01:56:42,800 --> 01:56:46,680
Attila starts by fighting
the Eastern Roman empire.
1543
01:56:46,800 --> 01:56:49,520
Emperor Theodosius pays dearly for peace,
1544
01:56:49,680 --> 01:56:51,920
and agrees to tribute payments.
1545
01:56:52,680 --> 01:56:56,040
Attila goes on to turn
against the Western Roman empire.
1546
01:56:56,040 --> 01:57:00,800
The empire of the Hun king stretches
from the Caspian Sea to the Alps.
1547
01:57:01,280 --> 01:57:02,400
(in German)
1548
01:57:02,520 --> 01:57:05,680
(dubbed in English) Despite what some
historians claim,
1549
01:57:05,800 --> 01:57:08,040
Attila wasn't just
some ruthless Barbarian.
1550
01:57:08,160 --> 01:57:11,040
He must have also possessed
some fairly exceptional skills
1551
01:57:11,040 --> 01:57:14,280
to have been able to organise
a cavalry this large.
1552
01:57:14,400 --> 01:57:16,680
He must have spoken several languages,
1553
01:57:16,800 --> 01:57:19,680
since the Huns were people
of various ethnicities.
1554
01:57:20,280 --> 01:57:22,800
So he was knowledgeable, he was strategic,
1555
01:57:22,920 --> 01:57:26,400
and he knew how to negotiate
with other rulers.
1556
01:57:28,920 --> 01:57:33,040
Remains of the Huns
are scattered all over Hungary.
1557
01:57:33,160 --> 01:57:34,920
Archaeologist Gábor Wilhelm
1558
01:57:35,040 --> 01:57:38,520
specialises in excavating antique tools.
1559
01:57:38,680 --> 01:57:42,520
To him, each grave
is just a piece of the puzzle.
1560
01:57:43,680 --> 01:57:46,520
Archaeological finds are crucial sources
1561
01:57:46,520 --> 01:57:49,680
when it comes to reconstructing
the history of the Huns,
1562
01:57:49,680 --> 01:57:52,160
their spread and their wars.
1563
01:57:53,400 --> 01:57:55,040
Starting in Central Asia,
1564
01:57:55,160 --> 01:57:56,800
a map shows how the Huns
1565
01:57:56,920 --> 01:58:00,520
ravaged almost all of Europe and Asia.
1566
01:58:00,520 --> 01:58:03,800
Some finds even point to Attila himself.
1567
01:58:09,280 --> 01:58:13,800
One particularly spectacular object
is here in the Kecskemet Museum.
1568
01:58:13,800 --> 01:58:16,920
It is the skull of a warrior
whose ostentatious tomb
1569
01:58:17,040 --> 01:58:19,520
was only discovered quite recently.
1570
01:58:22,800 --> 01:58:27,160
This warrior lived in the first half
of the 5th century, just like Attila,
1571
01:58:27,160 --> 01:58:29,920
and he was buried in a Hun ritual.
1572
01:58:30,520 --> 01:58:32,520
(dramatic strings)
1573
01:58:33,800 --> 01:58:36,520
(in Hungarian)
1574
01:58:36,680 --> 01:58:39,280
(dubbed in English)
This tomb is an important find,
1575
01:58:39,280 --> 01:58:42,920
because there are still many
unanswered questions about the Huns.
1576
01:58:43,920 --> 01:58:45,520
Thanks to written tradition,
1577
01:58:45,680 --> 01:58:48,280
we know a few things about Attila,
1578
01:58:48,280 --> 01:58:50,800
but finds from this era are rare.
1579
01:58:53,800 --> 01:58:55,520
Even the smallest artefacts
1580
01:58:55,680 --> 01:58:57,800
help us to complete this mosaic,
1581
01:58:57,800 --> 01:58:59,280
this puzzle.
1582
01:59:00,160 --> 01:59:01,920
(Bernadett speaks Hungarian)
1583
01:59:02,040 --> 01:59:05,680
(dubbed in English) We got the skull
back from the anthropologist.
1584
01:59:06,800 --> 01:59:10,280
He pointed out that
the nasal bridge is very large.
1585
01:59:10,400 --> 01:59:12,160
This is a crucial detail.
1586
01:59:12,680 --> 01:59:14,680
It's a typical Mongolian feature.
1587
01:59:15,520 --> 01:59:17,280
Right after the excavation,
1588
01:59:17,280 --> 01:59:20,920
he also said there are traces
of the upper bandage up here.
1589
01:59:21,520 --> 01:59:25,160
We were also able to see this
in the first pictures.
1590
01:59:30,400 --> 01:59:33,520
A very particular custom of ancient tribes
1591
01:59:33,680 --> 01:59:36,160
is artificial cranial deformations.
1592
01:59:40,400 --> 01:59:41,920
To elongate the skull,
1593
01:59:42,040 --> 01:59:45,160
the Huns wrapped their babies' heads
in bandages
1594
01:59:45,160 --> 01:59:47,400
while their bones are still malleable.
1595
01:59:49,280 --> 01:59:52,040
These deformations
were likely most practised
1596
01:59:52,160 --> 01:59:54,040
amongst aristocratic families
1597
01:59:54,160 --> 01:59:57,160
to demonstrate their superior status.
1598
02:00:02,800 --> 02:00:04,280
(Gábor) Brilliant.
1599
02:00:04,800 --> 02:00:08,160
(Bernadett) One of the most
deformed skulls he's ever seen.
1600
02:00:09,280 --> 02:00:10,920
(Gábor) He must've been handsome.
1601
02:00:15,920 --> 02:00:18,800
But who is this mysterious Hun warrior?
1602
02:00:20,520 --> 02:00:24,680
The tomb is unusually exquisite.
Could this be Attila himself?
1603
02:00:25,680 --> 02:00:28,680
Bountiful burial objects
could mean Attila is close.
1604
02:00:29,280 --> 02:00:31,400
Golden jewellery, belt buckles.
1605
02:00:31,520 --> 02:00:33,040
an iron sword:
1606
02:00:33,160 --> 02:00:37,400
no doubt this has to be
the grave of a powerful man.
1607
02:00:37,520 --> 02:00:39,680
But one detail doesn't add up.
1608
02:00:40,400 --> 02:00:42,280
This warrior died young.
1609
02:00:42,400 --> 02:00:45,800
Attila, however, probably lived
till he was about 50.
1610
02:00:45,920 --> 02:00:50,160
Nevertheless, the archaeologists
link the find directly to Attila.
1611
02:00:51,680 --> 02:00:54,040
This young man was part of the Hun elite.
1612
02:00:54,160 --> 02:00:56,400
So it's very likely that he knew Attila.
1613
02:00:57,920 --> 02:01:01,800
It is quite possible that the young
warrior fought alongside Attila.
1614
02:01:03,920 --> 02:01:06,160
As the supreme ruler of the Huns,
1615
02:01:06,160 --> 02:01:09,040
Attila always leads
his people into battle.
1616
02:01:13,800 --> 02:01:17,800
It's not only the Huns' legendary
morale that gets the Roman rulers
1617
02:01:17,920 --> 02:01:19,280
into dire straits.
1618
02:01:20,040 --> 02:01:22,920
Ádám Baumgartner's men
train with weapons of antiquity.
1619
02:01:23,400 --> 02:01:26,520
Swords, spears, arrows and bows.
1620
02:01:26,680 --> 02:01:29,680
They're première class,
fighting on horseback
1621
02:01:29,840 --> 02:01:31,400
like in Attila's time.
1622
02:01:31,400 --> 02:01:33,840
(Ádám) The Huns train their whole life.
1623
02:01:33,840 --> 02:01:35,840
They train with different weapons.
1624
02:01:35,840 --> 02:01:39,160
They train to use the spears
and use the bows.
1625
02:01:39,920 --> 02:01:41,680
(percussive music)
1626
02:01:41,720 --> 02:01:43,920
The bow is the basic weapon,
1627
02:01:43,920 --> 02:01:47,160
and it's used to break up
the formations of the enemies,
1628
02:01:47,400 --> 02:01:49,400
and also strike them from far away.
1629
02:01:50,200 --> 02:01:52,160
(percussive music)
1630
02:01:52,160 --> 02:01:56,680
(dramatic orchestral music)
1631
02:01:59,160 --> 02:02:01,680
(dubbed in English) The Huns are coming!
1632
02:02:02,920 --> 02:02:05,400
The Huns are specialised in taking
1633
02:02:05,440 --> 02:02:07,400
their opponents by surprise.
1634
02:02:08,640 --> 02:02:12,400
Baumgartner's group is rehearsing
an attack on a Roman camp.
1635
02:02:13,440 --> 02:02:17,920
The secret of Hunnic warfare is
that they fight from a running horse,
1636
02:02:17,920 --> 02:02:20,160
and they use a very powerful bow.
1637
02:02:20,400 --> 02:02:24,680
(dramatic orchestral music
swells up and goes silent)
1638
02:02:24,680 --> 02:02:27,200
The Huns retreat after every attack,
1639
02:02:28,920 --> 02:02:31,640
only to strike again unexpectedly
1640
02:02:31,680 --> 02:02:33,640
at a later date.
1641
02:02:33,680 --> 02:02:35,680
Everybody fears what
they don't understand.
1642
02:02:35,920 --> 02:02:38,920
Especially when it can sneak up fast
and kill you at a distance.
1643
02:02:38,920 --> 02:02:41,920
The Huns were very foreign
and somewhat unknown.
1644
02:02:41,920 --> 02:02:45,400
And not only that. They had practices
of ripping their faces open
1645
02:02:45,400 --> 02:02:48,160
when somebody died in battle,
as though they felt no pain.
1646
02:02:48,400 --> 02:02:50,920
When they rushed into war,
they showed no fear.
1647
02:02:52,400 --> 02:02:56,680
When you're thinking about
having to face that kind of a force,
1648
02:02:56,720 --> 02:02:59,960
it might be really scary to think you
might not have inside of you
1649
02:03:00,160 --> 02:03:02,200
what you need to match it.
1650
02:03:02,400 --> 02:03:04,920
(suspenseful music)
1651
02:03:05,920 --> 02:03:08,920
The Huns use a new technique to wage war.
1652
02:03:09,400 --> 02:03:12,400
Their secret weapon is the Hun bow,
1653
02:03:12,400 --> 02:03:14,920
which at the time
was unheard of in Europe.
1654
02:03:17,400 --> 02:03:20,400
The ancient high-tech bow
is made from various materials:
1655
02:03:20,640 --> 02:03:23,160
wood, horn, sinew and bone.
1656
02:03:23,160 --> 02:03:26,680
Glued together in multiple layers.
1657
02:03:30,960 --> 02:03:32,400
(in Hungarian)
1658
02:03:32,400 --> 02:03:35,160
(dubbed in English) The inside
of the bow is animal horn.
1659
02:03:35,160 --> 02:03:38,920
The centre has a wooden core. On the
outside there are animal sinews.
1660
02:03:39,160 --> 02:03:40,920
Here we see that the horn and the grip
1661
02:03:40,920 --> 02:03:43,160
have been reinforced with bone plates.
1662
02:03:45,720 --> 02:03:48,400
All these features reinforce the bow
1663
02:03:48,400 --> 02:03:50,680
while making it highly flexible.
1664
02:03:51,160 --> 02:03:53,400
The bow is drawn further back,
1665
02:03:53,440 --> 02:03:57,400
and its various components
are able to store more energy.
1666
02:03:58,400 --> 02:04:02,400
The composite bow used by the Huns
also has a special shape.
1667
02:04:03,680 --> 02:04:06,160
The Huns used asymmetrical composite bows
1668
02:04:06,400 --> 02:04:08,400
equipped with rigid horns.
1669
02:04:08,400 --> 02:04:11,680
We can see that the lower limb is
a bit shorter than the upper limb,
1670
02:04:11,720 --> 02:04:14,160
making it much easier
to move on horseback.
1671
02:04:14,920 --> 02:04:16,960
(suspenseful electronic music)
1672
02:04:17,920 --> 02:04:21,440
This type of
composite bow helps Attila win.
1673
02:04:22,160 --> 02:04:25,920
The deadly arrows are accelerated
by the horses' speed,
1674
02:04:25,920 --> 02:04:28,920
which further increases
the force of their impact.
1675
02:04:29,400 --> 02:04:32,920
The nimble composite bows
allow the Huns to shoot backwards,
1676
02:04:32,920 --> 02:04:35,960
even when galloping
in the opposite direction,
1677
02:04:36,160 --> 02:04:38,160
meaning they can weaken their enemy
1678
02:04:38,200 --> 02:04:40,200
even in retreat mode.
1679
02:04:41,920 --> 02:04:43,680
(suspenseful music)
1680
02:04:43,720 --> 02:04:47,680
We want to put the impact
of these ancient arrows to the test.
1681
02:04:47,680 --> 02:04:50,400
Our target: two pumpkins.
1682
02:04:52,440 --> 02:04:54,400
Our weapons: a longbow.
1683
02:04:54,400 --> 02:04:57,400
The typical long-range weapon
used in Roman times
1684
02:04:57,640 --> 02:04:59,400
and into the Middle Ages.
1685
02:05:01,920 --> 02:05:04,680
Next to it: the composite bow of the Huns.
1686
02:05:08,680 --> 02:05:11,160
Bows can only be drawn
right before they're shot,
1687
02:05:11,400 --> 02:05:14,920
otherwise, the force exerted
at rest would be too great.
1688
02:05:17,160 --> 02:05:19,680
Which type of weapon is more destructive?
1689
02:05:24,920 --> 02:05:27,160
The bows are shot from the same distance,
1690
02:05:27,200 --> 02:05:29,680
using the same type of arrow.
1691
02:05:29,680 --> 02:05:31,920
The longbow's up first.
1692
02:05:46,160 --> 02:05:47,920
(Ádám:) The longbow went through.
1693
02:05:50,400 --> 02:05:52,400
Next up, the composite bow.
1694
02:05:53,160 --> 02:05:55,680
It stores almost twice as much energy
when drawn.
1695
02:06:06,920 --> 02:06:08,720
Whoa! You smashed it.
1696
02:06:09,400 --> 02:06:10,920
(Ádám chuckles)
1697
02:06:13,680 --> 02:06:16,400
The result is clear:
the arrow from the Hun bow
1698
02:06:16,400 --> 02:06:19,400
penetrates the pumpkin almost completely.
1699
02:06:19,920 --> 02:06:21,720
The composite bow is the winner.
1700
02:06:26,720 --> 02:06:29,200
The composite bow makes the Huns
1701
02:06:29,400 --> 02:06:31,400
the superpower of late antiquity.
1702
02:06:31,440 --> 02:06:33,400
And their merciless warfare
1703
02:06:33,400 --> 02:06:35,920
becomes part of collective memory.
1704
02:06:37,920 --> 02:06:42,160
The rumours about the brutal horsemen
were quite demoralising.
1705
02:06:42,160 --> 02:06:45,160
Their goal is to force
the enemy to surrender
1706
02:06:45,160 --> 02:06:48,160
and have frightened soldiers
join their ranks.
1707
02:06:48,680 --> 02:06:50,920
A myth that survives the centuries.
1708
02:06:51,920 --> 02:06:54,160
The expression "The Huns are coming"
1709
02:06:54,200 --> 02:06:56,160
remains a symbol for calamity
1710
02:06:56,400 --> 02:06:58,400
up until the 20th century.
1711
02:07:03,440 --> 02:07:06,640
In 1900, German soldiers are deployed
1712
02:07:06,680 --> 02:07:08,640
to China to thwart a rebellion.
1713
02:07:09,160 --> 02:07:13,160
Emperor Wilhelm II
gives his infamous "Hun Speech",
1714
02:07:13,200 --> 02:07:16,960
asking his soldiers to show no mercy
to their opponents.
1715
02:07:17,160 --> 02:07:19,920
He wants the Chinese to fear the Germans
1716
02:07:19,920 --> 02:07:22,640
like the world once feared Attila the Hun.
1717
02:07:25,160 --> 02:07:26,680
Based on Wilhelm's address,
1718
02:07:26,920 --> 02:07:30,160
the Hun becomes the new epithet
for the Germans.
1719
02:07:30,200 --> 02:07:32,160
British and American newspapers
1720
02:07:32,160 --> 02:07:34,920
happily use this image during World War I.
1721
02:07:35,680 --> 02:07:39,680
In World War II, Nazi propaganda
tries to instrumentalise
1722
02:07:39,680 --> 02:07:42,400
the old fear of enemy attacks
from the East,
1723
02:07:42,400 --> 02:07:45,720
comparing the Soviet Army to the Huns.
1724
02:07:45,920 --> 02:07:47,920
In December 1941,
1725
02:07:47,960 --> 02:07:51,920
Hitler declares the Soviet Union
is trying to destroy Europe
1726
02:07:51,960 --> 02:07:53,920
as the Huns once did.
1727
02:07:53,960 --> 02:07:55,680
And therefore, to save Europe,
1728
02:07:55,920 --> 02:07:57,680
he must invade Russia.
1729
02:07:57,680 --> 02:07:59,160
(crowd cheers)
1730
02:07:59,200 --> 02:08:02,680
The Huns became a very valuable tool
for later propaganda purposes,
1731
02:08:02,680 --> 02:08:04,960
because if you needed to label a people
1732
02:08:05,160 --> 02:08:08,200
as unpredictable,
as violent, as ferocious,
1733
02:08:08,400 --> 02:08:10,680
then you simply called them "The Huns".
1734
02:08:10,680 --> 02:08:13,920
And to do so
brought with it this air of mystery,
1735
02:08:13,920 --> 02:08:16,400
of wildness and of violence.
1736
02:08:19,200 --> 02:08:20,680
The Huns.
1737
02:08:20,680 --> 02:08:23,200
Fearless and merciless warriors.
1738
02:08:23,400 --> 02:08:27,160
An image that lives on
for over 1500 years.
1739
02:08:27,160 --> 02:08:32,920
(suspenseful percussive music)
1740
02:08:33,160 --> 02:08:36,920
In another experiment, we are
trying to find out from which range
1741
02:08:36,920 --> 02:08:38,920
the weapons are effective.
1742
02:08:38,920 --> 02:08:42,920
In battles, penetrating power
isn't the only deciding factor.
1743
02:08:42,960 --> 02:08:45,400
Reach also plays a key role.
1744
02:08:47,640 --> 02:08:51,680
On a field near the riding arena,
the men mark out 200 metres
1745
02:08:51,920 --> 02:08:55,680
by placing a pumpkin on the ground
every 20 metres.
1746
02:08:55,720 --> 02:08:59,160
The Roman longbow
is once again going head to head
1747
02:08:59,200 --> 02:09:01,160
with the composite bow.
1748
02:09:03,400 --> 02:09:05,400
At 32 metres per second,
1749
02:09:05,440 --> 02:09:08,160
the Roman arrow covers 100 metres.
1750
02:09:12,160 --> 02:09:14,920
What force will the composite bow unleash?
1751
02:09:17,680 --> 02:09:21,680
The Hun arrow reaches
a speed of 42 metres per second,
1752
02:09:21,680 --> 02:09:25,160
and hits the ground at 170 metres.
1753
02:09:25,160 --> 02:09:27,160
A difference of 70 metres.
1754
02:09:27,400 --> 02:09:30,160
A clear advantage
in attacks on the Romans.
1755
02:09:34,160 --> 02:09:36,160
With their superior long-range weapon,
1756
02:09:36,680 --> 02:09:40,400
the Huns under Attila
weaken the Roman empires
1757
02:09:40,400 --> 02:09:42,400
in the East and the West.
1758
02:09:42,400 --> 02:09:44,400
They advance by the thousands,
1759
02:09:44,400 --> 02:09:46,720
and break their adversaries'
line of defence
1760
02:09:46,920 --> 02:09:48,400
with a deadly rain of arrows.
1761
02:09:48,400 --> 02:09:49,720
(shouts)
1762
02:09:51,400 --> 02:09:53,400
The Roman army is helpless.
1763
02:09:54,920 --> 02:09:58,400
The Hun arrows decide battle after battle.
1764
02:10:02,680 --> 02:10:06,920
The Huns are legendary because
of this novel military technique.
1765
02:10:06,960 --> 02:10:10,680
Soon, every child in Europe
knows Attila's name.
1766
02:10:10,920 --> 02:10:14,400
But his death still remains a mystery
to this day.
1767
02:10:14,400 --> 02:10:16,920
Nobody knows where he was buried.
1768
02:10:18,920 --> 02:10:21,960
Some believe Attila's tomb
has to be in the riverbed
1769
02:10:22,160 --> 02:10:23,680
of the Danube or the Tisa,
1770
02:10:23,680 --> 02:10:25,400
one of its tributaries.
1771
02:10:25,440 --> 02:10:28,160
The exact location: unknown.
1772
02:10:31,400 --> 02:10:35,680
Descriptions only tell us how
the burial reportedly took place.
1773
02:10:37,160 --> 02:10:41,400
The details bare great resemblance to
the funeral of Visigoth King Alaric
1774
02:10:41,400 --> 02:10:44,680
who ruled only a few decades
before Attila.
1775
02:10:44,680 --> 02:10:48,680
Allegedly, he is buried in
a drained riverbed as well.
1776
02:10:50,400 --> 02:10:54,920
Attila's final resting place is also
meant to remain a secret forever.
1777
02:10:55,640 --> 02:10:57,920
He is said to have been buried per request
1778
02:10:57,920 --> 02:11:00,400
under a river, in a secret ceremony.
1779
02:11:02,400 --> 02:11:06,400
So, can we find Attila's tomb
in one of the Hungarian rivers?
1780
02:11:13,920 --> 02:11:16,920
Attila Tóth
is an underwater archaeologist.
1781
02:11:17,400 --> 02:11:21,160
The Hungarian rivers are like
a second home to him and his team.
1782
02:11:23,400 --> 02:11:26,920
If Attila's grave really were to be
found on the bottom of the Danube,
1783
02:11:26,920 --> 02:11:28,680
or one of its tributaries,
1784
02:11:28,680 --> 02:11:31,440
Attila Tóth would be the one to find it.
1785
02:11:36,640 --> 02:11:39,960
From his boat, the scientist
scours the riverbed
1786
02:11:40,160 --> 02:11:42,640
for hidden objects
using a side scan sonar.
1787
02:11:46,400 --> 02:11:48,680
There are big trees in the water.
1788
02:11:49,400 --> 02:11:51,160
It's a bit dangerous today...
1789
02:11:52,400 --> 02:11:54,400
not to hit a tree trunk.
1790
02:11:56,920 --> 02:11:59,160
Can he find Attila's tomb?
1791
02:12:00,160 --> 02:12:01,920
Actually we don't know
1792
02:12:02,160 --> 02:12:03,680
where Attila's tomb is.
1793
02:12:03,680 --> 02:12:06,920
It is possible that it's under the Danube,
1794
02:12:06,920 --> 02:12:09,680
because of course
he was a very important person.
1795
02:12:09,680 --> 02:12:15,680
The centre of his empire was
in present-day Hungary somewhere.
1796
02:12:15,680 --> 02:12:19,400
So probably they tried to hide the tomb.
1797
02:12:19,640 --> 02:12:21,400
So it could actually be true.
1798
02:12:24,920 --> 02:12:28,920
Riverbeds are wonderful locations
for preserving historic material.
1799
02:12:28,960 --> 02:12:32,200
There is no air, and that means
the material can be preserved
1800
02:12:32,400 --> 02:12:33,680
for centuries.
1801
02:12:33,720 --> 02:12:36,440
So there's every chance
that if we found the right place,
1802
02:12:36,680 --> 02:12:40,680
then Attila's burial chamber
would be preserved just perfectly.
1803
02:12:41,160 --> 02:12:47,160
(dramatic orchestral music)
1804
02:12:47,160 --> 02:12:50,400
But how could a king
be buried under a river?
1805
02:12:50,640 --> 02:12:54,680
The Danube or Tisa would have
had to be dammed or drained.
1806
02:12:54,920 --> 02:12:56,680
The Hun warriors on horseback
1807
02:12:56,920 --> 02:13:00,920
could only have achieved this
by using topographical features.
1808
02:13:01,960 --> 02:13:04,920
With islands to shorten the dam.
1809
02:13:04,920 --> 02:13:06,680
A natural barrier would mean
1810
02:13:06,680 --> 02:13:09,640
the water only needs to be dammed
on one side,
1811
02:13:09,680 --> 02:13:12,920
while the other side serves
as a natural drain
1812
02:13:13,680 --> 02:13:16,680
This way, Attila's men
might be able to dig a grave
1813
02:13:16,680 --> 02:13:19,400
that could be inundated at a later date.
1814
02:13:22,160 --> 02:13:26,160
We found Roman materials and
far older relics along the Danube.
1815
02:13:26,160 --> 02:13:28,960
I don't see why we wouldn't find
memories of the Huns,
1816
02:13:29,160 --> 02:13:30,920
if not Attila's grave itself.
1817
02:13:33,920 --> 02:13:36,680
Will the underwater archaeologist
track down
1818
02:13:36,680 --> 02:13:38,640
Attila's hidden tomb?
1819
02:13:38,680 --> 02:13:42,160
The Danube is full of cultural remains,
1820
02:13:42,160 --> 02:13:45,960
starting from prehistory
up to the modern period.
1821
02:13:46,160 --> 02:13:48,680
Because this was the highway of Europe.
1822
02:13:49,400 --> 02:13:51,400
(suspenseful music)
1823
02:13:51,400 --> 02:13:54,160
It's highly likely that
it was crossed by a Hun army
1824
02:13:54,400 --> 02:13:56,400
1500 years ago.
1825
02:13:57,920 --> 02:14:00,960
On the screen we can see
what is under the water.
1826
02:14:01,160 --> 02:14:04,680
It's like a map, a flat map of the Danube,
1827
02:14:04,920 --> 02:14:07,160
right and left of the boat,
1828
02:14:07,160 --> 02:14:12,160
and we see everything that emerges
from the riverbed just a bit.
1829
02:14:12,160 --> 02:14:15,400
(suspenseful electronic music)
1830
02:14:15,400 --> 02:14:18,400
Ultrasonic waves
and GPS data from the boat
1831
02:14:18,400 --> 02:14:22,400
provide researchers with images
of what lies beneath the riverbed.
1832
02:14:22,960 --> 02:14:24,920
Whatever is hidden down there,
1833
02:14:24,920 --> 02:14:28,920
a tomb, ruins, lost treasures,
will be visible on the screen.
1834
02:14:30,440 --> 02:14:32,920
Suddenly they discover something.
1835
02:14:33,680 --> 02:14:35,920
(suspenseful sounds)
1836
02:14:35,960 --> 02:14:38,680
We have a very big rock.
1837
02:14:38,680 --> 02:14:41,160
Maybe a piece of wall.
1838
02:14:43,400 --> 02:14:46,160
(Attila Tóth) We are just going over it.
1839
02:14:46,400 --> 02:14:50,400
Two walls forming rectangular structures.
1840
02:14:50,400 --> 02:14:53,920
Maybe, maybe... Oh, it's beautiful.
1841
02:14:53,920 --> 02:14:57,920
I think it was a Roman tower.
1842
02:14:57,960 --> 02:14:59,920
A big tower of fortification.
1843
02:15:03,920 --> 02:15:06,920
An old Roman fort
on the outer imperial frontier?
1844
02:15:09,440 --> 02:15:11,680
So this is the position
1845
02:15:11,680 --> 02:15:13,680
where we have to dive.
1846
02:15:13,920 --> 02:15:19,160
And I think it's a very good
location, because we have no current.
1847
02:15:19,160 --> 02:15:22,400
The depth is only 4.7 metres.
1848
02:15:22,400 --> 02:15:24,160
Here we saved the position.
1849
02:15:24,160 --> 02:15:28,160
So we dive here,
and look at what's under the water.
1850
02:15:28,200 --> 02:15:30,400
(suspenseful percussive music)
1851
02:15:30,640 --> 02:15:32,400
The site is promising.
1852
02:15:32,640 --> 02:15:35,920
This is exactly where the river
divided the Roman empire
1853
02:15:35,920 --> 02:15:37,920
from the great empire of the Huns,
1854
02:15:37,920 --> 02:15:39,640
2000 years ago.
1855
02:15:40,160 --> 02:15:41,960
The Danubian Limes.
1856
02:15:42,400 --> 02:15:45,640
The Romans built
a series of forts along the stream
1857
02:15:45,680 --> 02:15:49,400
because of the repeated clashes
between Huns and Romans.
1858
02:15:54,920 --> 02:15:58,680
Attila's looking to raid and force
them into making tribute payments.
1859
02:15:58,680 --> 02:16:01,720
A business model that submits opponents.
1860
02:16:01,920 --> 02:16:05,680
To the Romans, it's the beginning
of a long and trying war.
1861
02:16:07,160 --> 02:16:10,160
Neither protective walls
nor military equipment
1862
02:16:10,160 --> 02:16:12,200
can shelter them from the Hun attacks.
1863
02:16:13,400 --> 02:16:16,680
(suspenseful music)
1864
02:16:16,920 --> 02:16:20,400
The chain mail is a typical piece
of Roman armour.
1865
02:16:20,440 --> 02:16:24,680
Used for centuries, it protects them
against cut and thrust weapons.
1866
02:16:24,680 --> 02:16:27,680
But can it also deflect Hun arrows?
1867
02:16:29,160 --> 02:16:31,680
This group wants to put it to the test.
1868
02:16:32,400 --> 02:16:34,160
From a ten-metre distance,
1869
02:16:34,160 --> 02:16:36,680
the penetrating power of an arrow
is deadly.
1870
02:16:40,920 --> 02:16:44,160
The chain mail does not stop
the projectile.
1871
02:16:47,680 --> 02:16:50,680
The Huns use another kind of protection.
1872
02:16:50,920 --> 02:16:53,160
Lamellar, or scale armour,
1873
02:16:53,160 --> 02:16:55,200
which can even withstand arrows.
1874
02:16:57,160 --> 02:17:01,440
Hun leaders and tribal chiefs went
into battle wearing this armour.
1875
02:17:01,680 --> 02:17:03,680
And Attila most probably did too.
1876
02:17:11,400 --> 02:17:14,160
The armour is created
from thin plates of lamellar.
1877
02:17:14,200 --> 02:17:15,680
Made from iron.
1878
02:17:15,680 --> 02:17:18,160
It's very light, very moveable.
1879
02:17:18,920 --> 02:17:22,680
You could raise your hand,
you could use the bows.
1880
02:17:22,680 --> 02:17:24,680
This is a very protective layer.
1881
02:17:28,920 --> 02:17:31,640
A test will show if the lamellar armour
1882
02:17:31,680 --> 02:17:34,160
can really protect against projectiles.
1883
02:17:34,160 --> 02:17:37,440
Can the thin iron lamellae
deflect an arrow?
1884
02:17:49,920 --> 02:17:52,400
The arrow really bounces off.
1885
02:17:53,160 --> 02:17:56,920
The energy spreads across
the lamellae, weakening the impact.
1886
02:17:57,400 --> 02:18:01,160
It's clear. The Hun armour
provides better protection.
1887
02:18:01,200 --> 02:18:03,920
At least against incoming arrows.
1888
02:18:03,920 --> 02:18:05,680
It's also light and flexible.
1889
02:18:05,680 --> 02:18:08,160
Ideal for fighting high on horseback.
1890
02:18:10,160 --> 02:18:12,920
It went through the chains,
and the lamellar blocked it.
1891
02:18:17,160 --> 02:18:21,400
Their weapons, armour
and combat technique fuel the myth
1892
02:18:21,400 --> 02:18:23,400
of the invincible Hun.
1893
02:18:31,400 --> 02:18:34,040
The Hun combat technique is superior
1894
02:18:34,160 --> 02:18:36,960
thanks to their bowmen and horses.
1895
02:18:37,040 --> 02:18:40,720
Together, the rider and his horse
form a perfect fighting machine,
1896
02:18:40,959 --> 02:18:42,679
nimble and fast.
1897
02:18:42,760 --> 02:18:44,680
Contemporaries scoff at them,
1898
02:18:44,680 --> 02:18:47,800
claiming the Huns lived
their entire lives on horseback,
1899
02:18:48,040 --> 02:18:50,680
purportedly even sleeping in the saddle,
1900
02:18:50,680 --> 02:18:52,800
and negotiating on horseback.
1901
02:19:08,680 --> 02:19:11,160
The Huns train on horseback
from early childhood.
1902
02:19:12,680 --> 02:19:17,080
The speed of the horse also gives
them additional range and power.
1903
02:19:20,639 --> 02:19:25,159
Their horses allow the Huns
to cover up to 80 kilometres per day,
1904
02:19:25,160 --> 02:19:28,760
which makes them more than twice
as fast as the Roman legions.
1905
02:19:28,840 --> 02:19:32,680
The horseback attacks
are also psychologically powerful.
1906
02:19:33,680 --> 02:19:37,560
They used the blood of their enemies
to warm up the horses.
1907
02:19:37,639 --> 02:19:39,199
They put it to their noses,
1908
02:19:39,280 --> 02:19:42,280
so they are not afraid
of the smell of blood.
1909
02:19:46,680 --> 02:19:49,840
Ghost riders attacking
their adversaries out of the blue.
1910
02:19:50,080 --> 02:19:53,680
Lightly armed,
but incredibly fast and nimble.
1911
02:19:53,720 --> 02:19:56,680
They instil fear
into the hearts of Europeans.
1912
02:20:00,160 --> 02:20:04,120
And one man embodies
this terror like no other.
1913
02:20:04,160 --> 02:20:05,200
Attila.
1914
02:20:05,280 --> 02:20:08,160
Almost superhuman. Invincible.
1915
02:20:10,160 --> 02:20:13,160
At the peak of his power in 451,
1916
02:20:13,160 --> 02:20:16,160
Attila attacks Roman cities in Gaul,
1917
02:20:16,200 --> 02:20:19,840
culminating in the decisive
Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.
1918
02:20:20,080 --> 02:20:22,160
40,000 Roman warriors
1919
02:20:22,240 --> 02:20:24,720
against 45,000 Huns
1920
02:20:24,800 --> 02:20:26,680
and their devotees.
1921
02:20:27,680 --> 02:20:31,160
In ancient times,
it's the battle of the nations.
1922
02:20:32,040 --> 02:20:35,800
The Roman troops manage to push back
and surround Attila.
1923
02:20:36,040 --> 02:20:37,600
It's a stalemate.
1924
02:20:37,680 --> 02:20:39,200
For the very first time,
1925
02:20:39,280 --> 02:20:42,680
the dreaded Hun king
is forced to admit defeat.
1926
02:20:42,720 --> 02:20:48,720
(tense percussive music)
1927
02:20:48,800 --> 02:20:52,640
Attila loses his reputation
for being invincible.
1928
02:20:52,680 --> 02:20:55,680
The following year he invades Italy,
1929
02:20:55,720 --> 02:20:57,680
but can't conquer Rome.
1930
02:20:57,720 --> 02:21:02,160
(emotional orchestral music)
1931
02:21:07,160 --> 02:21:09,160
In 453,
1932
02:21:09,160 --> 02:21:13,080
Germanic princess Ildico
arrives at Attila's court.
1933
02:21:13,160 --> 02:21:16,680
He marries her
and the Huns celebrate all night.
1934
02:21:16,720 --> 02:21:20,680
But in the morning,
there is silence, the legend goes.
1935
02:21:27,160 --> 02:21:30,720
An attendant finds Attila dead
in his bed next to his wife.
1936
02:21:31,680 --> 02:21:34,280
He is said to have choked
on his own blood.
1937
02:21:34,520 --> 02:21:36,240
Maybe in a drunken stupor.
1938
02:21:37,120 --> 02:21:39,160
Or did Ildico kill him?
1939
02:21:39,680 --> 02:21:42,120
So was he poisoned?
1940
02:21:42,160 --> 02:21:44,160
Did he die in his sleep?
1941
02:21:44,160 --> 02:21:48,160
There would've been motivations
to tell a different story if he did.
1942
02:21:48,160 --> 02:21:53,080
One, warrior cultures
tend to prioritise warrior deaths.
1943
02:21:53,160 --> 02:21:55,760
So to die of a murder
would've been much better
1944
02:21:55,840 --> 02:21:58,040
than to die in your sleep.
1945
02:21:58,120 --> 02:21:59,160
At the same time,
1946
02:21:59,160 --> 02:22:02,200
people want to blame somebody
when something bad happens.
1947
02:22:02,280 --> 02:22:05,520
So you can imagine that when
you walk in and find your king dead
1948
02:22:05,600 --> 02:22:07,240
and a woman cowering there,
1949
02:22:07,320 --> 02:22:10,640
it would've been easy to blame her
whether she did it or not.
1950
02:22:12,160 --> 02:22:14,680
Attila's death is just as mysterious
1951
02:22:14,720 --> 02:22:17,240
as the circumstances of his funeral,
1952
02:22:17,320 --> 02:22:19,640
shrouded in ancient myths.
1953
02:22:20,680 --> 02:22:23,800
The version of the story
in which Attila is buried in a river
1954
02:22:24,040 --> 02:22:27,120
makes it into the Hungarian history books.
1955
02:22:27,160 --> 02:22:31,040
But the tomb still hasn't been found
to this very day.
1956
02:22:31,120 --> 02:22:34,160
Does it lie on the bottom
of the Danube or Tisa?
1957
02:22:34,160 --> 02:22:37,160
And why is the uncertainty so tormenting?
1958
02:22:42,680 --> 02:22:45,160
When there are knowledge gaps
that need filling,
1959
02:22:45,160 --> 02:22:47,320
when we aren't able
to find out what happened
1960
02:22:47,560 --> 02:22:50,160
to the mortal remains
of a famous person like Attila,
1961
02:22:50,160 --> 02:22:52,520
there's always room for speculation.
1962
02:22:52,600 --> 02:22:55,720
There's no tomb we can examine,
no skeletons we can look at,
1963
02:22:55,800 --> 02:22:58,600
so there's a lot of room for imagination.
1964
02:22:59,200 --> 02:23:01,160
(suspenseful percussive music)
1965
02:23:01,680 --> 02:23:04,160
Attila Tóth and his team
have found the remains
1966
02:23:04,160 --> 02:23:06,160
of a Roman fort in the Danube
1967
02:23:06,160 --> 02:23:08,520
using a sonar device.
1968
02:23:08,600 --> 02:23:11,640
They need special equipment for the dive.
1969
02:23:11,680 --> 02:23:14,640
(Attila Tóth) This metal detector
is very useful to us.
1970
02:23:14,680 --> 02:23:17,160
Because the visibility is very short.
1971
02:23:17,160 --> 02:23:20,200
I mean, 20 to 40 centimetres
in the Danube.
1972
02:23:20,280 --> 02:23:24,280
When we swing it,
we are just scanning the riverbed.
1973
02:23:24,520 --> 02:23:27,160
And it shows every small metal object,
1974
02:23:27,240 --> 02:23:30,680
so you can touch it and look to see
1975
02:23:30,680 --> 02:23:33,160
whether it's an archaeological find
or not.
1976
02:23:38,680 --> 02:23:43,120
Attila Tóth's team is one of the
most experienced in Hungary.
1977
02:23:43,160 --> 02:23:46,240
They have found many remains
from the Huns and Romans.
1978
02:23:46,320 --> 02:23:50,080
Discovering Attila's tomb
would fulfil their lifelong dream.
1979
02:24:02,800 --> 02:24:05,160
Of course everything could be possible,
1980
02:24:05,240 --> 02:24:08,280
so we are searching
the Danube and the Tisa
1981
02:24:08,520 --> 02:24:11,240
and all rivers here
in the Carpathian Basin
1982
02:24:11,320 --> 02:24:12,760
for cultural heritage.
1983
02:24:18,840 --> 02:24:22,800
The divers have reached the site
of the former Roman fortifications.
1984
02:24:23,040 --> 02:24:26,120
They go down to where
there was once dry land.
1985
02:24:26,720 --> 02:24:29,040
(sound of diver's oxygen tank)
1986
02:24:29,120 --> 02:24:32,160
(water bubbling)
1987
02:24:32,200 --> 02:24:34,680
Patience and the right tools
are the only way
1988
02:24:34,720 --> 02:24:36,520
to find something in the mud.
1989
02:24:43,160 --> 02:24:46,640
(water bubbling
and quiet, suspenseful music)
1990
02:24:46,680 --> 02:24:48,720
The diver passes the Roman walls
1991
02:24:48,800 --> 02:24:51,680
once providing protection
against the Huns,
1992
02:24:51,680 --> 02:24:54,680
diving through the murky water
of the Danube.
1993
02:24:55,800 --> 02:24:57,520
(beeping)
1994
02:24:57,600 --> 02:25:00,320
Suddenly the metal detector
starts going off.
1995
02:25:03,040 --> 02:25:05,680
There must be an iron object
hidden between the stones.
1996
02:25:05,760 --> 02:25:07,840
(suspenseful music)
1997
02:25:14,680 --> 02:25:16,720
Will the diver manage to retrieve it?
1998
02:25:16,800 --> 02:25:21,240
(dramatic orchestral music)
1999
02:25:21,320 --> 02:25:24,680
A piece of iron emerges from the Danube.
2000
02:25:26,680 --> 02:25:30,840
(suspenseful music)
2001
02:25:36,680 --> 02:25:39,120
Looks like a handmade...
2002
02:25:40,080 --> 02:25:42,520
ancient iron nail.
2003
02:25:46,080 --> 02:25:47,640
A Roman nail.
2004
02:25:47,680 --> 02:25:50,560
Not a rare sight for the archaeologists.
2005
02:25:50,640 --> 02:25:53,160
They don't discover any Hun remains
this time.
2006
02:26:01,320 --> 02:26:04,680
If in a day, I find an iron coffin
2007
02:26:04,680 --> 02:26:07,080
inside a silver and gold coffin,
2008
02:26:07,160 --> 02:26:10,600
of course, naturally, I will not
throw it back in the water.
2009
02:26:10,680 --> 02:26:13,160
We will excavate it and investigate it.
2010
02:26:13,200 --> 02:26:15,040
Everything could be possible.
2011
02:26:18,600 --> 02:26:22,160
Until then, the Danube
shall keep the secret for herself.
2012
02:26:23,120 --> 02:26:27,160
A great hero needs a death
shrouded by myths.
2013
02:26:28,800 --> 02:26:35,160
(suspenseful, atmospheric music)
2014
02:26:37,720 --> 02:26:41,520
To the Hungarians,
Attila is like a national myth.
2015
02:26:41,600 --> 02:26:45,160
He's become a central figure
in Hungarian historiography
2016
02:26:45,160 --> 02:26:47,160
because of his power and the way
2017
02:26:47,160 --> 02:26:49,840
he was able to intimidate his opponents.
2018
02:26:57,320 --> 02:27:01,200
Maybe those wanting to find
Attila's tomb have to look elsewhere.
2019
02:27:02,120 --> 02:27:04,320
Budapest. Once the heart of Europe.
2020
02:27:05,640 --> 02:27:09,080
The once royal city of Hungary
back in Medieval times
2021
02:27:09,160 --> 02:27:11,680
is now a major tourist attraction.
2022
02:27:18,640 --> 02:27:22,760
It is also where the life work
of an unknown author is stored.
2023
02:27:22,840 --> 02:27:26,240
The Hungarians refer to him as
"Anonymous".
2024
02:27:26,320 --> 02:27:30,160
His oeuvre is titled
the "Gesta Hungarorum".
2025
02:27:30,160 --> 02:27:32,240
"The Deeds of the Hungarians."
2026
02:27:36,760 --> 02:27:38,720
The 800-year-old manuscript
2027
02:27:38,800 --> 02:27:41,720
is kept in the National Library
in Buda castle.
2028
02:27:41,800 --> 02:27:45,680
Historian László Veszprémy
has studied it for years.
2029
02:27:48,680 --> 02:27:51,160
It is the first depiction
of Hungarian history
2030
02:27:51,200 --> 02:27:53,040
that goes back to Attila's time.
2031
02:27:53,760 --> 02:27:58,040
Narrations and legends that had
previously been passed on orally.
2032
02:27:58,680 --> 02:28:02,680
In Hungary, it's a valuable treasure
documenting their past.
2033
02:28:05,560 --> 02:28:08,280
And it turns out
the old text really contains
2034
02:28:08,520 --> 02:28:10,760
hidden clues about Attila's tomb.
2035
02:28:19,040 --> 02:28:20,160
(in Hungarian)
2036
02:28:20,160 --> 02:28:23,680
(dubbed in English) It's one of the
library's most valuable manuscripts
2037
02:28:23,720 --> 02:28:27,160
Written by Anonymous,
a nameless Hungarian chronicler,
2038
02:28:27,160 --> 02:28:29,760
and entitled
"The Deeds of the Hungarians".
2039
02:28:29,840 --> 02:28:32,160
It was written around the year 1200,
2040
02:28:32,160 --> 02:28:35,120
and has been preserved
in a 13th century manuscript.
2041
02:28:36,720 --> 02:28:42,160
The text tells of Arpad,
who ruled 450 years after Attila.
2042
02:28:42,160 --> 02:28:45,160
Is Arpad the key to Attila's tomb?
2043
02:28:45,240 --> 02:28:48,680
To Hungarians,
he's the second hero besides Attila.
2044
02:28:48,720 --> 02:28:50,720
He frees his people from foreign rule
2045
02:28:50,800 --> 02:28:53,560
and secures the region around the Danube.
2046
02:28:53,640 --> 02:28:55,680
Before he died in 907,
2047
02:28:55,680 --> 02:28:58,160
he made a special request.
2048
02:29:00,760 --> 02:29:02,640
When the great prince Arpad died,
2049
02:29:02,680 --> 02:29:05,680
which was in 907, according to chronicles,
2050
02:29:05,720 --> 02:29:09,760
it was documented that he wanted to
be buried in the city of King Attila.
2051
02:29:09,840 --> 02:29:12,680
"In civitatem Atillae regis."
2052
02:29:16,680 --> 02:29:19,840
But where is this
ancient royal city of Attila?
2053
02:29:20,680 --> 02:29:24,160
Some think it could be the old Buda,
west of Budapest.
2054
02:29:26,160 --> 02:29:29,680
On Medieval maps,
the place is called Sicambria,
2055
02:29:29,720 --> 02:29:31,680
capital of the Hungarians.
2056
02:29:32,520 --> 02:29:35,680
Was this the city of the kings
Arpad and Attila?
2057
02:29:36,680 --> 02:29:41,680
(dramatic orchestral music)
2058
02:29:41,720 --> 02:29:44,160
Sicambria is believed to be lost,
2059
02:29:44,200 --> 02:29:48,080
but its ruins might be found in
the woods of the Pilis mountains.
2060
02:29:52,040 --> 02:29:54,280
Just a few kilometres outside Budapest,
2061
02:29:54,520 --> 02:29:56,160
near the town of Budakalász,
2062
02:29:56,160 --> 02:29:58,160
everything comes together.
2063
02:29:58,840 --> 02:30:02,760
Ecologist Imre Lánszki
has studied the Medieval maps
2064
02:30:02,840 --> 02:30:07,640
and is convinced that the ancient
royal city is located in this forest.
2065
02:30:08,200 --> 02:30:09,680
(in Hungarian)
2066
02:30:09,680 --> 02:30:12,120
(dubbed in English)
I can't put it any other way.
2067
02:30:12,160 --> 02:30:14,520
This is the atrium of the castle.
2068
02:30:14,600 --> 02:30:17,160
And I'll show you where the walls stood.
2069
02:30:17,160 --> 02:30:19,240
There we can also see the moat.
2070
02:30:29,040 --> 02:30:31,720
Imre Lánszki is sure that he's standing
2071
02:30:31,800 --> 02:30:34,680
amidst the ruins of
the palace of Hun king Attila.
2072
02:30:34,680 --> 02:30:37,120
(Dr Lánszki) This rock and this rock.
2073
02:30:37,160 --> 02:30:43,760
I'm standing on the wall
of Attila's castle.
2074
02:30:49,680 --> 02:30:51,680
The wall was already here back then.
2075
02:30:56,040 --> 02:30:59,200
If Imre Lánszki's
assumption proves to be true,
2076
02:30:59,280 --> 02:31:04,280
Attila's tomb might also be somewhere
among these trees and rocks.
2077
02:31:06,080 --> 02:31:07,680
This was Sicambria.
2078
02:31:07,760 --> 02:31:10,160
Later it was called Attila's Castle.
2079
02:31:11,240 --> 02:31:13,120
"Etzelburg" in German.
2080
02:31:14,280 --> 02:31:18,840
(dramatic orchestral music)
2081
02:31:20,800 --> 02:31:24,160
Attila's life is a source
of myths and legends.
2082
02:31:24,160 --> 02:31:28,680
The once powerful Hun king
also inspired European poets.
2083
02:31:28,680 --> 02:31:30,320
Under the name of King Etzel,
2084
02:31:30,560 --> 02:31:35,280
he was also featured in a Medieval
German saga, "Nibelungenlied".
2085
02:31:44,160 --> 02:31:46,760
Joachim Heinzle takes a closer look
at this myth
2086
02:31:46,840 --> 02:31:48,760
in the monastery library of St Gallen.
2087
02:31:49,760 --> 02:31:52,160
He is a Nibelung expert.
2088
02:31:52,160 --> 02:31:56,160
He thinks the investigation needs
to be conducted using the old text.
2089
02:31:58,560 --> 02:32:03,800
(dramatic music)
2090
02:32:09,280 --> 02:32:10,720
(in German)
2091
02:32:10,800 --> 02:32:14,680
(dubbed in English) In Germanic
poetry, Etzel is the name used
2092
02:32:14,760 --> 02:32:16,680
to refer to Attila the Hun.
2093
02:32:16,680 --> 02:32:18,680
You can tell by the name.
2094
02:32:18,720 --> 02:32:21,680
Language historians
were able to trace the name Etzel
2095
02:32:21,760 --> 02:32:23,680
directly back to Attila.
2096
02:32:28,680 --> 02:32:30,200
In the Nibelungenlied,
2097
02:32:30,280 --> 02:32:34,160
Etzel marries Burgundian
princess Kriemhild.
2098
02:32:34,160 --> 02:32:36,720
Etzel is not portrayed as a brutal ruler,
2099
02:32:36,800 --> 02:32:39,680
but as an old and mild-mannered king.
2100
02:32:39,760 --> 02:32:42,160
His royal city is called Etzelburg,
2101
02:32:42,160 --> 02:32:44,160
and lies where old Buda used to be.
2102
02:32:51,680 --> 02:32:53,680
This old Buda, Óbuda,
2103
02:32:53,720 --> 02:32:56,200
was called Etzelburg in the Middle Ages.
2104
02:32:56,280 --> 02:32:59,200
We know this
as there are records confirming it.
2105
02:32:59,280 --> 02:33:01,080
And in the Nibelungenlied,
2106
02:33:01,160 --> 02:33:04,840
the Etzelburg is also referred to
as Etzel's residence.
2107
02:33:06,280 --> 02:33:09,680
(suspenseful music)
2108
02:33:11,800 --> 02:33:14,120
Imre Lánszki believes Attila's grave
2109
02:33:14,160 --> 02:33:17,240
lies in an old quarry
directly behind the ruins
2110
02:33:17,320 --> 02:33:19,600
of the reputed royal city.
2111
02:33:19,680 --> 02:33:21,840
An excerpt from the Gesta Hungarorum
2112
02:33:22,080 --> 02:33:24,160
serves as his guiding light.
2113
02:33:27,680 --> 02:33:30,840
(dubbed in English) This book
describes that Arpad
2114
02:33:31,080 --> 02:33:34,640
was buried over the source of a
small creek running through the rock.
2115
02:33:35,160 --> 02:33:37,680
This is why we've come here.
2116
02:33:37,720 --> 02:33:40,760
I followed the directions
in the Gesta Hungarorum.
2117
02:33:43,680 --> 02:33:49,560
(suspenseful orchestral music)
2118
02:33:51,160 --> 02:33:54,040
And it is also written
that he was buried in a mine.
2119
02:33:55,200 --> 02:33:59,200
If it hasn't been pillaged,
Arpad and Attila have to be there.
2120
02:34:04,600 --> 02:34:06,680
The ecologist has observed
2121
02:34:06,760 --> 02:34:09,160
irregularities in the treetops.
2122
02:34:09,160 --> 02:34:12,520
Some of the trees
have grown in a peculiar way,
2123
02:34:12,600 --> 02:34:15,520
which could point to a cavity
in the ground.
2124
02:34:17,680 --> 02:34:19,280
After eight or ten metres,
2125
02:34:19,520 --> 02:34:22,840
the tree, or its main branch,
begins tilting to the side,
2126
02:34:23,080 --> 02:34:25,200
and cannot continue growing straight.
2127
02:34:25,280 --> 02:34:26,520
So it grows sideways.
2128
02:34:27,120 --> 02:34:29,160
You can see that perfectly over there.
2129
02:34:29,160 --> 02:34:31,680
And over there on the black locust,
2130
02:34:31,680 --> 02:34:34,680
we can also see the deformation
along the whole tree.
2131
02:34:35,600 --> 02:34:38,160
There has got to be a large cavity
underneath us.
2132
02:34:38,160 --> 02:34:40,160
Between here and there.
2133
02:34:45,160 --> 02:34:48,720
Infra-red imaging also points to a cavity.
2134
02:34:48,800 --> 02:34:52,520
The cross section of the area
reveals a source of heat.
2135
02:34:52,600 --> 02:34:54,720
This means there's an air pocket.
2136
02:34:58,640 --> 02:35:02,720
Lánszki has the ground drilled
and uses an endoscopic camera.
2137
02:35:03,240 --> 02:35:07,120
He wants to see if specialists
can confirm his suspicion.
2138
02:35:07,600 --> 02:35:10,680
Are there man-made cavities
beneath the rocks?
2139
02:35:17,800 --> 02:35:19,280
(voices)
2140
02:35:23,680 --> 02:35:25,560
At about twelve metres down,
2141
02:35:25,640 --> 02:35:28,200
there's got to be a crack
and the edge of a cavity.
2142
02:35:31,840 --> 02:35:35,680
The camera probe slowly
makes its way through the ground.
2143
02:35:40,760 --> 02:35:43,120
(Lánszki) How many metres down are we?
2144
02:35:44,520 --> 02:35:46,600
(man, dubbed in English) Ten metres.
2145
02:35:47,520 --> 02:35:50,080
(speaks Hungarian)
2146
02:35:53,640 --> 02:35:56,320
(Lánszki) There you go. Here we are.
2147
02:35:58,160 --> 02:35:59,800
Slowly, slowly...
2148
02:36:05,160 --> 02:36:07,120
This is too straight.
2149
02:36:07,160 --> 02:36:09,120
This stone has been worked.
2150
02:36:09,680 --> 02:36:11,720
(Lánszki) This is a fragmented stone.
2151
02:36:12,680 --> 02:36:15,680
It's pretty smooth over here too.
2152
02:36:16,680 --> 02:36:18,680
Go back a bit.
2153
02:36:18,680 --> 02:36:20,560
And the rock is not the same.
2154
02:36:26,160 --> 02:36:29,160
This shows that we're looking
in the right place.
2155
02:36:31,160 --> 02:36:34,080
Imre Lánszki has found the cavity.
2156
02:36:36,560 --> 02:36:38,080
(Lánszki sighs)
2157
02:36:38,160 --> 02:36:40,040
It's fantastic.
2158
02:36:42,680 --> 02:36:44,240
(in English) Unbelievable.
2159
02:36:45,200 --> 02:36:46,800
Very, very good.
2160
02:36:48,680 --> 02:36:51,640
Is this the defining piece of the puzzle
2161
02:36:51,680 --> 02:36:54,040
in the search for Attila's tomb?
2162
02:36:54,120 --> 02:36:56,160
Imre Lánszki has to be patient,
2163
02:36:56,160 --> 02:36:59,280
and raise money to excavate this site.
2164
02:36:59,520 --> 02:37:02,720
(dramatic orchestral music)
2165
02:37:02,800 --> 02:37:05,160
If we were lucky enough to find the place
2166
02:37:05,200 --> 02:37:07,040
where Attila the Hun was buried,
2167
02:37:07,120 --> 02:37:11,560
then, and only then, I think, could we
say that he'd no longer be a myth.
2168
02:37:11,640 --> 02:37:13,040
(dramatic music)
2169
02:37:13,120 --> 02:37:16,840
Attila the Hun:
feared and admired to this day.
2170
02:37:17,080 --> 02:37:19,600
It only seems to be a matter of time
2171
02:37:19,680 --> 02:37:22,160
until the mystery surrounding his tomb
2172
02:37:22,200 --> 02:37:24,040
will be revealed.
177677
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