Siegfried

Act I

Mime is working on another sword, when Siegfried returns home with a bear to frighten Mime into working faster. When the bear is gone, Mime presents Siegfried with the new sword, which Siegfried immediately smashes to bits on the anvil. Mime quarrels with Siegfried and complains about Siegfried’s ingratitude. Siegfried says that he returns only for knowledge and not his love for Mime. He inquires about his origins. He has never met another living person except for Mime, but by looking at the animals and his own reflection in the brook he has concluded that Mime is not his father and mother in one, as Mime claims.

Siegfried forces Mime to tell him the story of his origins and when Siegfried demands proof of the tale, Mime presents him with the broken Nothung. Siegfried is overtaken by joy, demands that Mime forge the pieces together immediately and rushes into the woods to later on return for the sword.

Once again alone Mime is alone with his troubles, and cannot re-forge the sword. However as Mime cannot work things out for himself, Wotan/Wanderer enters his cave and forces him into a competition of questions, whereby he puts his own head at stake. Mime uses his three questions to inquire about things he already knows:

Q: Who lives in the underworld?

A: The Nibelungen, who where once ruled by Alberich, who enslaved them.

Q: Who lives on the earth?

A: The Giants, who were once lead by Fasolt and Fafner.

Q: Who lives in the skies?

A: The gods who are ruled by Wotan.

Mime has failed to ask the question that is important to him and the Wanderer has forced Mime to stake his own head on his ability to answer three questions. Mime can do nothing but accept, and the Wanderer puts forward three questions: What family of humans is it that Wotan loves, but had to desert? Mime answers correctly, the Wälsungen. With what sword will the Wälsung child, Siegfried, be able to kill Fafner? Mime again answers correctly, Nothung. Who can re-forge Nothung? Mime cannot answer and the Wanderer tells him: Only a man who does not know fear can re-forge Nothung. The Wanderer has won Mime’s head, but he leaves it to the man who does not know fear.

Mime is left in despair and has a nightmare-like experience of flickering light, when Siegfried returns home. He complains that Mime has not forged Nothung. Mime inquires whether Siegfried knows of fear. Siegfried does not and Mime expresses desire to teach him. Siegfried wants Mime to start working on Nothung but Mime remembers that only a fearless person can forge the sword. Then Siegfried begins to forge Nothung, while Mime works out a plan to poison Siegfried after he has killed Fafner. Siegfried has reforged the sword and Mime has made the poisonous drink with which he plans to win the ring from Siegfried. Siegfried tests his new sword by cutting Mime’s anvil in two.

Act II

Alberich is sitting outside Neidhöhle, waiting for the moment when someone will kill the dragon, and plotting to win the Ring. The Wanderer approaches and Alberich recognizes his old enemy Wotan. Yet Wotan claims that he has no desires for the Ring anymore and he advises Alberich to look out for Mime instead. He says he will bring a hero, who will kill the dragon. The hero knows nothing of the ring, but Mime does.

Wotan suggests that Alberich warn the dragon of the coming danger. Perhaps the dragon will give him the ring in order to save its life. Wotan wakes Fafner and the two old enemies try to persuade him to give away the ring. Fafner is indifferent, and sees the approaching hero as a meal, not a threat. Wotan leaves, confident that everything is going just right. Alberich hides in the woods to await Mime and Siegfried.

As the two enter, Mime tells Siegfried that this is the place where he is about to learn fear. Mime goes off to wait and Siegfried enjoys the quiet woods. He wonders about his origins again. He notices a woodbird singing and tries to communicate with it by playing a flute he makes from a reed. But he fails and instead plays a tune on his horn.

This tune wakes up Fafner and Siegfried demands that he teach him fear. The dragon is surprised by the brashness of Siegfried. They engage in a battle and Siegfried kills the dragon. Before he dies, Fafner asks for Siegfried’s name. Siegfried tells him and Fafner dies repeating it.

When Fafner is dead, Siegfried pulls his sword from the dragon’s heart. But the dragon’s blood burns on his skin and as he tastes it, he suddenly understands the woodbird’s singing. The bird tells him to get the ring and the Tarnhelm in the dragon’s lair. Alberich and Mime enter and fight over who is going to win the ring. They leave again as Siegfried comes out, carrying both ring and helmet.

The woodbird now warns Siegfried that Mime wants the ring and plans his death. But thanks to the dragon’s blood he can understand what Mime thinks. Mime comes over and asks Siegfried if he wants some of his special drink. Siegfried hears his thoughts out loud instead of what Mime wants him to hear. Siegfried finds out that Mime is really planning to poison him and cut his head off with Nothung, in order to get the ring.

Siegfried kills Mime instead and leaves him in the cave with Fafner. But now Siegfried feels lonely. He asks the bird how to get a companion and the bird advises him to go to the mountain where Brünnhilde lies sleeping. Siegfried urges the bird to show him the way and they rush off towards the mountain.

Act III

The Wanderer enters and tries to arouse Erda. She wakes up and Wotan demands that she tell him how to stop things. Erda urges him to talk to Brünnhilde instead, but when she learns that Brünnhilde has been punished and is now sleeping, waiting for a man to wake her, she angrily refuses to help Wotan.

Wotan insists, but Erda tells him that he is not what he appears to be. He tells her that she is not what she appears to be either. Now her wisdom is not worth much anymore, as his plan is going to succeed. Siegfried is to wake up Brünnhilde and they will redeem the gods. Erda requests that Wotan let her go back to sleep and he release her from his magic spell.

Wotan sees Siegfried nearing. The woodbird disappears and Siegfried is left at the foot of the mountain. The Wanderer asks Siegfried where he is going and he tells him the story of Mime, Fafner, the woodbird’s advice and how he is going to find Brünnhilde. As the Wanderer continues to ask questions, Siegfried gets fed up and demands that he let him pass. The Wanderer demands respect, but Siegfried refuses and threatens to move him by force.

The Wanderer takes his spear and reveals that this is the spear that once shattered Nothung. Siegfried thus learns that the wanderer played a roll in his father’s death and splinters Wotan’s spear, thus ending his powers. Siegfried continues towards the mountain and enters the magic fire that guards Brünnhilde.

Siegfried arrives on the mountaintop and finds Brünnhilde. First he thinks her to be a man, but when he removes her armor, he learns she is a woman. And for the first time he senses fear. He wakes Brünnhilde with a kiss and she greets the sun, the light, and the day. She learns it is Siegfried who has awoken her, and tells him how she has loved him even before he was born. However, she cannot give herself up to him and she tries to persuade him that they must love each other from a distance. She states that if they engage in human love, they will destroy each other’s sense of being. Brünnhilde is afraid of the transformation from goddess to human woman. Siegfried tells her of his undying love for her. Brünnhilde eventually warms up and declares her love for Siegfried. They fall into each other’s arms in a loving embrace.