Der Ring des Nibelungen
Die Walküre Characters |
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Winter gives way to Spring. |
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Wälse
Wotan as forefather of the Wälsungs. The Ring can only be recovered and returned to the Rhinedaughters, by a free hero acting on his own account. To fulfill this purpose, Wotan procreates the Wälsungs with a human woman.
Siegmund
Siegmund descends from the Wälsungs, Wälse (Wotan) is his father. In his youth he experiences a terrible tragedy. After he returns with his father from hunting, a hostile tribe has burned down the house. His mother is murdered and his twin sister, Sieglinde, has been abducted. Not much later his father Wälse, also disappears and thus he faces a hostile world, alone. |
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During his wanderings he gets involved in a bloody conflict, whereat he loses his weapons. On the run for the hostile crowd he eventually, in a raging storm, finds refuge in the house of a certain Hunding. Only the wife (Sieglinde) is at home, she nurses his wounds and gives him water to drink.
They recognise themselves in each other, sounds and images from a far past come back into remembrance. Siegmund draws Nothung, the magical sword, from the trunk of the ash tree, whereupon Siegmund and Sieglinde make love. Hereafter they escape into the night. The next day Hunding catches up with them and a fight to the death ensues. Siegmund dies upon intervention of Wotan. Brünnhilde, who fought on Siegmund's side, saves Sieglinde.
Sieglinde
Sieglinde, twin sister of Siegmund, has been abducted in her youth by the tribe of Hunding. She is forced to marrie Hunding. When Siegmund ends up in the house of Hunding, Sieglinde instantly falls in love and together with Siegmund escapes her loveless husband. When Siegmund is killed in the battle with Hunding, Sieglinde with Brünnhilde escapes for the irate Wotan. Sieglinde proves to be pregnant, and with the pieces of the sword Nothung she alone escapes to the forest in the east. Brünnhilde will withstand the raging Wotan. At the end of her flight, Sieglinde ends up in Mime's cave, where she dies giving birth to her son Siegfried.
Hunding
On one of their raids Hunding and his tribe, once burned down the house of the Wälsungs. They murdered the woman of the house and abducted the daughter. Father and son were not at home. Hunding makes Sieglinde Wälsung his wife, against her will. On a certain day, Hunding receives a call for aid from his tribe. They are hunting down a fugitive, who killed some of the tribe members. Without result, Hunding returns home to find the fugitive in his own house. The stranger calls himself Wehwalt and closely resembles his wife, Sieglinde. Bound by the rules of hospitality, he grants Wehwalt (Siegmund) food and lodging for the night. The next morning proves, Siegmund and Sieglinde have fled. With his tribe and his dogs, Hunding pursues the Wälsungs. When he has retrieved Siegmund, a fight ensues, in which Wotan and a Walküre interfere. The spear of Wotan shatters the sword of Siegmund and Hunding can kill the unprotected Siegmund with his spear. Upon a gesture of Wotan, Hunding also loses his life.
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Wotan
Wotan, chief of the Gods, was forced to relinquish the Ring to the giants. He learned from Erda, the Ring has to return to the Rhine in order to save the world from its curse. He himself is bound by his laws, a hero with his own free will has to retrieve the Ring from Fafner and give it back to the Rhine. His son Siegmund has to fulfill this task. Fricka claims Siegmund is not free at all, but walks the path Wotan sets for him. Defeated, Wotan has to consent and orders Brünnhilde, Siegmund's fall. Brünnhilde disobeys his command, for she knows Wotan loves his son. Wotan intervenes in the battle between Siegmund and Hunding, on Hunding's behalf. |
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Realm of the Gods. |
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Siegmund dies, and Wotan punishes Brünnhilde for her disobedience with mortality. He puts her in a deep sleep, only to be awakened by a hero, who does not abide by his laws.
Fricka
Fricka, guardian of wedlock, demands Siegmund's death for committing adultery. With Wotan her husband, she has no children. She is disillusioned and angry with Wotan for all the children he has with other women.
Brünnhilde
Brünnhilde is the child of Wotan and Erda. She was begotten when Wotan descended to Erda, in a search for knowledge and wisdom. She is Wotan's wish, and with 8 sisters brings fallen heroes to Walhall. Wotan needs a large army of brave warriors. In the war, that will mark the end of times (Ragnarok), this army must be victorious over the forces of evil.
Brünnhilde, favourite daughter of Wotan, comes into conflict with Wotan. He orders her to assist Hunding in the coming fight against Siegmund, but Brünnhilde chooses the side of Siegmund. As a sentence, Wotan takes away her immortality and puts her into a deep sleep, surrounded by a sea of fire. Wotan has promised Brünnhilde, only the world's greatest hero can pass through the fire, to awake her. Both know this hero will be Siegfried. Years later Siegfried awakes her with a kiss and a passionate love flares up. In time, Siegfried leaves her for the world, and betrays her love. Together with Hagen, Brünnhilde plots his death. When Siegfried has been murdered, she takes the Ring from his hand and with Grane, her horse, jumps into the fire of Siegfried's funeral pyre. With this act, she releases the world of the curse of the Ring and returns the gold to the river Rhine.
The Valkyries
The Valkyries are sisters of Brünnhilde, wether they are daughters of Wotan and/or Erda remains unclear. Their most important task is to carry out Wotan's wishes. They must assemble an army, large enough to win the battle at the end of time; Ragnarok. Furthermore they provide Wotan and his heroes, in Wallhall, with food and drink. There are 9 Valkyries, beside Brünnhilde and Waltraute they are Gerhilde, Ortlinde, Schwertleite, Helmwige, Siegrune, Grimgerde and Rossweisse.
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