sight of the fact that Wotan, Light-Alberich, is himself a covert Nibelung (or was only covert until he confessed to having a loathsome nature to Bruennhilde), by virtue of the transformation of Alberich’s Ring (#19) into Valhalla (#20a). If we wish to pursue the notion that Wagner has inscribed anti-Semitism in the Ring, this brings to mind a rather remarkable statement Adolf Hitler made in one of his speeches (whose provenance I can’t recall): he was addressing the German people, and he told them that they needed to purge the Judaism in themselves. In other words, what Wagner calls Judaism, the egoistic impulse he tended to project mostly on to the Jews, is something which all men possess, and which, according to Wagner, the higher, idealistic conscience, wishes to purge from its own nature. It is this “going-under” of the Judaism in ourselves, so to speak, which Wotan accomplished by submerging his consciousness of his true, loathsome nature, and corrupt history (both now embodied by Mime), into his unconscious mind, Bruennhilde, through his confession to her. Wotan’s two-fold nature as both a realist and idealist has now been embodied in two distinct characters, Mime shamelessly exemplifying Wotan’s utilitarian, pedestrian, mundane, egoistic impulse, and Siegfried inheriting Wotan’s idealistic impulse. These two impulses being inimical to each other, Siegfried and Mime naturally despise each other.
[S.1.1: D]
Mime now chastises Siegfried for his ingratitude almost as if Mime was his mother, reminding Siegfried of how much Siegfried owes to Mime, who brought him up. But Siegfried retorts that though Mime taught him much, he’d just as soon remain ignorant of anything Mime can teach:
Mime: (#104: – [sounding like laughing]) Now you’re raving again like a madman: your ingratitude’s gross indeed (:#104). If I don’t do everything right for the wicked boy straightaway, [[ #41 duple vari >>: ]] he all too soon forgets whatever good I’ve done him (:#41 duple vari)! (#104>>:; #?: – [possibly music associated with nature &/or motherhood later?]) will you never recall what I said about being grateful? You should willingly obey him who’s always proved kind towards you (:#Nature music?).
(#104?:; #41 duple vari >>>>:) Siegfried turns away ill-humouredly, with his face to the wall, so that his back is turned to Mime.)
Mime: But again you refuse to listen! (He stands there, perplexed; then he goes to the kitchen by the hearth.) (#41 duple >>>; #?voc: – [possible influence on certain Gibichung motifs from Twilight of the Gods such as #151, #155, #156, & #171?]) No doubt you’d like some food. I’ll fetch the roast from the spit: or would you like to try the broth? I boiled it thoroughly for you (:#41 duple; :#voc?)
