that motif combination. }} Now we hear the “Loveless Motif” #37, followed by #12 (“The Rhinegold”), and Hagen’s #151.
Another new motif, #162ab, is introduced at this point, as Hagen sings: “(#162a) You carefree sons, carefree companions (#37; #162b), merrily sail on your way.” This mournful motif will feature prominently in Hagen’s complaint to his father Alberich in T.2.1 that it is thanks to Alberich’s loveless upbringing of Hagen that he cannot share others’ happiness, and it can be regarded therefore as a motif expressing the despair and loneliness of being the legatee of Alberich’s intent to venge himself on all those, dependent on consoling illusions, who deprived Alberich of his rightful power, the power which comes only to those willing to forsake belief in man’s transcendent value, and seek the authority over men and the wider world which can be granted only by objective knowledge of man and nature. The truth, however unconducive to human happiness, is what Hagen is bound by nature to stand for, while Siegfried and all those under his spell are, like Wagner himself, committed to happiness and consolation at all costs, even if it means being dishonorable toward the truth.
Here we have Feuerbach’s affirmation of the lonely Hagenian perspective on life, followed by Wagner’s reaction against it:
[Footnote:] “ … I would rather be a devil in alliance with truth, than an angel in alliance with falsehood.” [117F-EOC: p. 188]
“Physics etc. bring truths to light against which there is nothing to say, but which also say nothing to us.” [901W-{78-82?} Notes of uncertain date, presumably from 1878-1882: PW Vol. VIII, p. 392]
Hagen ends his meditation with the following ominous threat: “(#162 End) Though you think him lowly, (#20a Minor), you’ll serve him yet, (#12) the Nibelung’s son.” This conjuncture of #20a in the Minor with #12 seems closely akin to the compound motif, #20b/#12, heard in V.2.2 during Wotan’s confession to Bruennhilde that Erda had informed him that once Alberich brings his own child to birth, “… the end of the gods won’t be long delayed,” and heard also moments later when Wotan in self-disgust leaves Hagen heir to his entire legacy and consigns all his own ideals and hopes to destruction: “So take my blessing, Nibelung Son,” except that in these latter instances from V.2.2 Dunning has identified a special harmonic variant of #20b, not #20a. {{ This needs to be checked against the score. }} The point of Hagen’s remark, that while Siegfried abducts his very own bride he also brings Alberich’s Ring to Hagen, is that, by virtue of giving his own muse of inspiration away to his audience Gunther, instead of giving Gunther a redemptive work of art, Siegfried reveals to his audience, and to himself, the knowledge which Bruennhilde had held for Siegfried, and from whose wounds her magic had protected him. This knowledge is Wotan’s Hoard of knowledge, which Wotan found so intolerable that he confessed it to Bruennhilde to repress it into his unconscious mind. This was the hoard of knowledge which she imparted subliminally to Siegfried, and which is now embodied by Alberich’s Ring. By giving his muse away Siegfried is also giving Wotan’s unspoken secret - now embodied by Alberich’s Ring - away to his audience. Yet it was always the underlying purpose of Siegfried’s art to protect both Siegfried and his audience from suffering the effects of Alberich’s curse of consciousness, the unhealing wound.
