Nibelung Alberich forswears love, seizes the Rhinegold forging a ring of power. Losing it to the god Wotan he curses it. Wotan is forced to yield it to the giant Fafner, who murders his brother for it. Wotan’s attempts to regain the ring using mortal offspring are thwarted by wife Fricka and Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde. Siegfried, Wotan’s mortal grandson, wins the ring by killing Fafner but destroys Wotan’s spear and power in the process. Partnered with Brünnhilde, Siegfried unwittingly betrays her and is murdered by Alberich’s son Hagen. Brünnhilde suicides, returning the ring to the Rhine and ending Wotan’s reign.