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Title Page
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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

Donations Welcome

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.

Siegfried

 

[[#101]] Second Motif of Mime’s Scheming

Representing Mime’s intent to bring up Siegfried, without teaching Siegfried fear, so that Siegfried can kill Fafner and win for Mime Alberich’s Ring and Tarnhelm. Mime represents all that Wotan loathes in his own nature, the hoard of abhorrent self-knowledge which Wotan repressed into his unconscious mind by confessing it to Bruennhilde.

(#101 is based on #36 with #19’s harmony, while #36 in turn is based on #27. #101, #36, and #27 are in the family of motifs which includes #44 and #116)”

Prelude: ([[ #101 ]], #46, #41, #5a over #41, #46 over #5/#41, #46b, #46/#41, 5b/#41, #45/#41, #19 and #19 Varis; #57; #41 over #5b, #41/#5a: “The curtain rises. A cave in the forest. Inside it is a natural forge, with a large set of bellows. At the anvil in front of it sits Mime, busily hammering at a sword.)

 

Mime: (pausing) Punishing torment! Toil without purpose! (#41>>) The finest sword that I ever forged would have held quite firm in Giants’ hands: (#41>>) but the rascally lad for whom I wrought it bends and snaps it in two as though I’d made some childish trinket!

 

(Mime ill-humouredly throws the sword down on the anvil, sets his arms akimbo and stares are the ground in thought. [[ #101 ]]; #57 Fragment; #41) One sword there is (#57 Fragment) which he’d never shatter: Nothung’s fragments he’d not defy, (#41; [[ #102? ]]) could I but weld the mighty shards which no art [“Kunst”] of mine can piece together. (#57; #41; #92?) If only I could forge it for that hothead, I’d find a due reward for all my shame! ([[ #101 ]]; #48: He sinks further back, lowering his head in thought.) Fafner the grim-hearted dragon, dwells in the gloomy wood; (#48) with the weight of his fearsome bulk he watches over the Nibelung Hoard there. (#48; [[ #101 ]]; #57 frag) To Siegfried’s childlike strength Fafner would no doubt fall. [[ #101? ]]; #19) The Nibelung’s Ring (#19) he’d win for me. One sword alone befits the deed (#57) and only Nothung serves my grudge [“Neid”], if Siegfried wields it with fell intent: (#20b/#33b Fragment) [[ #102 ]] yet I cannot forge it, Nothung the sword!”