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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.

acknowledge this debt would be tantamount to denying thereality of the gods, and of redemption. Thus, Fafner’s threat to deprive the gods of their immortality by taking Freia from them, is as much a mortal threat to religious faith, as is the gods’ debt to the Giants for building Valhalla.

(#30b basis of #97; #30b possibly related to #33b)

[[#31]] Freia's optimistic, grateful brother “Froh”

The two sources of inspiration for religious faith, for belief in the gods, are fear (Donner’s thunder) and gratitude (Freia’s brother Froh)

(#31 based on #29)

[[#32ab]] “Donner,” Fearful God of Thunder – Enforcer of the Gods’ Rule (Faith)

The two sources of inspiration for religious faith, for belief in the gods, are fear (Donner’s thunder) and gratitude (Freia’s brother Froh)

(#32b based on #21's Embryo; #32b related to #60 and #62; #32b in same family as #28, #81ab, part of #83, #96ab, #137, #164, and possibly #115; inversion of #32b related to #47 and #82)

[[#33ab]] “Loge” (man’s gift of artistic self-deception)

Loge, representing the artistic cunning in man’s (Wotan’s) imagination, the source of man’s gift for self-deception in religious belief, collaborated with the Giants (man’s egoistic impulses) to create the supernatural realm of the gods, Valhalla. The gods must disavow their debt to Loge because religious belief must never acknowledge that it is based on self-deception

(#33a’s motival links, if any, have not been ascertained, but musically it forms a perfect pair with #33b; #33b is possibly related to #30b and #97)