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Table of Contents

Title Page
Dedication Page
General Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations for key references
Guide to abbreviations used in text
Allen Dunning's numbered Guide to the Ring's Musical Motifs
Detailed Table of Contents

The Ring

Introduction


References
Appendix I
Appendix I I

Key Colour Coding

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I would be grateful for donations of any size, small or large, to help defray the cost (1) of maintaining this website, (2) and to finance my past and present research which produced my book posted here, Volume One of "The Wound That Will Never Heal," and my forthcoming revision of Volume One (to be submitted for publication), and completion of Volume Two on Wagner's six other canonic operas and music-dramas. I sacrificed at least seven years of paid employment and incurred debts to complete this project, and am currently unemployed, so I thank you in advance for any financial help you can provide. Your friend, Paul Heise.

[[#70]] “Infinite Sorrow of the Waelsungs”

The reason why Siegmund can’t call himself happy, but must call himself Woeful: Siegmund’s suffers anguish in striving always to do right according to his own lights, his own conscience, which places him perpetually at odds with the thoughtless adherence to tradition and rules of established society

(#70 based on an embryo drawn from Siegmund’s prior vocal line: (to Hunding and Sieglinde) “[[ #70 Embryo ]] A Woelfing [i.e., son of Wotan disguised as Wolfe, and also disguised as Waelse] tells you this, whom as Woelfing many know well.”; #70’s motival links, if any, not yet ascertained)

[See #69 for #70’s dramatic context]

[[#71]] “The Tragic Waelsung Race”

Siegmund’s anguish in striving always to do right according to his own lights, his own conscience, which places him perpetually at odds with the thoughtless adherence to tradition and rules of established society

(#71 based on the last three notes of #53, and therefore based ultimately on #1 and #2; related to #57b through #1; the family of heroic motifs based on the last 3 notes of #53 also includes #77, #88, #92, #95, and possibly #152)

[See #69 for #71’s dramatic context]

[[#72]] Siegmund Destined to Win Wotan's Sword Nothung

Siegmund is destined to fall heir to Wotan’s futile quest to redeem the gods of Valhalla by restoring lost innocence, and therefore foredoomed to die for love.

(#72 is a compound motif comprised of #57b and #20a; see #20 and #57 for extensive series of motif links)

[Siegmund, left alone after Hunding and Sieglinde retreated to their bedroom, has only one hope, that his lost father [Wotan disguised as both Wolf and Waelse] had once promised him a sword. As Sieglinde was leaving Siegmund and preparing Hunding’s night drink, which she has laced with a drug so he’ll sleep and Siegmund can escape, she indicated with her eyes a spot in Hunding’s House-Ash-Tree. In the