The Nibelungenlied is a medieval German epic poem, written in Middle High German in the early thirteenth century. Its authorship is unknown. The poem is a mixture of Norse and Teutonic Mythology concerning the early history of the kingdom of Burgundy. There are several versions of basically the same story, details are shaded but the end results are the same. Wagner used material from The Nibelungenlied (Song of the Nibelung), and the Vollsunga Saga (Saga of the Volsungs) for the majority of his master work.

The Ring of the Nibelung, a cycle of four operas-- Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung--was conceived in 1848 and completed about twenty-

Without a doubt, Richard Wagner transformed the existing myth into something distinctly his own. With his execution, The Nibelungenlied became a vehicle for the fervor of nationalism thriving during that period. Here was a story glorifying German honor and pride, again, at a time in history when nationalism was at its peak. Essentially, Wagner became the voice of a very proud German people. As history and myth alike have proven, pride can be, and usually is a destructive force when taken to extremes. The eighty or so years of German history following this period may be the best example of this the world has ever seen. Before discussing the myth and the operas, let us examine the reasons behind this unprecedented work. Why did Wagner feel the need to elaborate on the Saga? What did he hope to achieve? Where did it all begin. . . . ?

New York: Pantheon Books Inc., 1956

Despite attempts in some quarters to deny it, there is no doubt that Wagner intended his mighty tetralogy as a critique of existing society, pointing the way to a reconstructed world in which humankind would reorder its affairs differently, more equitable, guided by the spirit of love rather than that of mammon. Nowhere is this intention more explicit than in Das Rheingold. The work opens with a depiction of the innocent world of nature; the flowing waters of the Rhine, at the bottom of which sleeps the gold in its natural, untarnished state. With the entry of the dwarf Alberich arrives the spirit of commerce: in no time he has traded in any finer instincts he might have had, including the capacity for tender love, in order to acquire the ring, which in turn enables him to accumulate limitless wealth and power. Enslaving a whole race of people in the process, he forces others to generate more wealth for him, until eventually he is toppled by a hostile takeover. But for !

of the Ring plot, originally entitled Die Nibelungensaga, on October 4th, 1848. This means that during the few weeks following his visit to Vienna, in August and September, 1848, he formed a complete mental picture of the towering edifice whose capstone, the last note on the Ring score, would not be laid until 1874. The plot was already what the Ring became, " a socio-critical picture of the age with a mythological structure" (Hans Mayer), and no one who has read Die Wibelungen would dispute that assertion. So his course was set, Wagner's life long dream of a purely German mythical Saga set to music was realized. In the history of music, there was, nor will there ever be, a composer better suited for the task. Now let us investigate the myth itself, and some interesting similarities between it and other classical, western mythologies.

omes Hagen's father and gives the inspiration for the murder of Siegfried. In the poem, there is no mention of Alberich being related to Hagen in any way. One must keep in mind that the poem is exclusively a history of the Nibelung as a race of people, the opera reduces this to a matter of secondary importance as its main theme is the story of the Ring, the myth continues long after the area where the opera ends. In the saga, there is no established relationship between Siegfried and Brunhilde. The only purpose for Siegfried to pursue Brunhilde is to win the hand of Gutrune from her brother Gunther, King of the Gibichungs. This whole scenario does take place in the opera, but in an entirely different way, with entirely different consequences. In the opera, this happens as a direct result of Hagen's treachery. Siegfried has already suffered the trial of fire for the hand of Brunhilde, in fact, this is the basis for the climax of Siegfried, the third opera in the cycle. !

e relation of cause and effect; and by eliminating what was irrelevant to his purpose, and emphasizing the important facts of the narrative, to give to the mass of incident life and action, leading to overpowering climaxes." What the author is saying is ba

Some common words found in the essay are:
Das Rheingold, Twilight Gods, Oliver Ditson, Rhine Nymphs, Queens Gutrune, Die Wibelungen, Essentially Wagner, Dragon Fafnir, , Frock Goddess, das rheingold, richard wagner, ring des, die walkure, der ring des, entire ring, opera wagner, der ring, und isolde, wagner wrote, tristan und, tristan und isolde, england edward arnold, edward arnold publishers, london england edward,
Approximate Word count = 3355
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)