his spear (he’d already done so, figuratively, by being born outside the scope of Wotan’s law, and breaking Wotan’s contract with the Giants by killing Fafner and taking the property Wotan paid him to ransom Freia) and passing through Loge’s fire to Bruennhilde.
At this point #136 is introduced, and soon it takes on the character of a rolling figure representing Loge’s fire rolling down the slopes to frighten Siegfried away or consume him. It is only a descriptive motif and does not seem to carry any new conceptual weight, especially in view of the fact that, I believe, it is not heard again after this. It is somewhat reminiscent of the powerfully rhythmic orchestral passage which expressed Siegfried’s desperate efforts to escape being captured and killed by Hunding’s clan in V.1.1, based on Motif #60, which was a variant of the embryonic version of the Spear Motif #21. That prior episode, which musically illustrated Hunding’s threat to punish Siegmund for breaking the gods’ (Wotan’s) laws, parallels Wotan’s current threat to punish Siegfried for seeking to wake and win Bruennhilde, which Wotan describes as a mortal threat to his power.
[S.3.2: D]
Accompanied by #136, #98, #34, and #35, Wotan now tests Siegfried to see if he can frighten him away from the sleeping Bruennhilde by threatening him with Loge’s fire:
Wotan: (#136:; #34:) A sea of fire floods round the woman, a white-hot blaze licks round the rock: he who longs for the bride will find the fire raging towards him (:#34). (He points his spear at the rocky heights: #77 over #35 accompaniment:) Look up to the heights! (#77:) Do you see the light? – (#35:) The glow is growing, (#98:) the heat increasing; (#35:) scorching clouds (#98:) and flickering flame (#97:) roll down the hillside, burning and crackling. (#35:) A sea of light encircles your head (:#77; :#35): (From the top of the rock a flickering glow becomes visible, growing in brightness.) (#97 vari:) Soon kindling flames will seize and consume you: - get back, you foolhardy child (:#97 vari)!
Siegfried: (#92) Get back, you braggart, yourself! (#15) (#15/#129b:) There where the flames are burning, (#92?:; #98?:) to Bruennhilde I must go!
(He advances; the Wanderer bars his way. #15/#129b)
Wanderer: (#92) If you’re not afraid of the fire, (#21; #81?) my spear will bar your way for you! (#136/#34:) My hand still holds the haft of power; the sword you wield was shivered ere now by
