Die Walküre

Die Walküre

To read a synopsis of Die Walküre click here.

Act I

Act I primarily comes from two sources - The Saga of the Volsungs and the Elder Edda. The Saga provides the basic story line and genealogy and the Elder Edda provides background information about the hatred between Hunding and the Volsungs in "The Second Lay of Helgi Hunding's Bane." The majority of the story for the act comes from chapters 3 through 6 in the Saga. The action in the Saga was only used as a very rough template for the act. Wagner changed the timeline of events, the genealogy, and also the stories themselves.

Siegmund is based on Sigmund from the Saga of the Volsungs. In the Saga, Sigmund is Odin's great grandson, but in Die Walküre Siegmund is Wotan's son.

Sieglinde is based on Signy and Hjordis in the Saga of the Volsungs. In the Saga, Signy exchanges shapes with a sorceress and then seduces her brother Sigmund, but in Die Walküre Siegmund and Sieglinde fall in love at the sight of each other. Hjordis (Sieglinde) is responsible for giving birth to Sigurd (Siegfried).

Hunding's character comes from the Elder Edda and Wagner made him Sieglinde's husband; while in the Saga, Signy is married to Siggeir.

Act II

In the first half of the act, Wagner uses information gained from the Elder Edda to create the characters.

Wotan assumes a few of the shapes he plays in the Eddas. Initially, he is portrayed as the wife of Fricka (Frigg in the sources) and is, at times, subjugated to her will. Later in the act, he is transformed into the battle god (when he kills Siegmund).

Fricka (Frigg in the sources) in this act is based on "The Lay of Grimnir" from the Elder Edda. In this lay, Frigg is seen as favoring the prince who was wronged and asks that action be taken against the king who has wronged her favorite. Odin and Frigg place a bet about the actions of the wrong-doer, then Odin goes to test him, then he ends up finding out that the king has been wronging his guests, and Odin has to kill the person that he had bet on (similar to Wotan having to kill Siegmund in Die Walküre).

In the Scandinavian sources, there are two types of valkyries. The first is the inhuman and cold valkyrie of the early Elder Edda; while the other type (also part of the Elder Edda as well as the Saga) is the much warmer warrior princess. In the Saga Brynhild is the daughter of a king. Brünnhilde, in the opera, is a combination of the two. Initially she is portrayed as the first type of valkyrie, but after Wotan kisses her godhead away she becomes human.

The second half, scenes IV and V, are composed of two seemingly insignificant parts of the Saga of the Volsungs. The battle scene from the Saga and the pregnant wife that gives birth posthumously. In the battle scene from the Saga (chapter 11), Odin (Wotan) dressed as a wanderer kills Sigmund (Siegmund). Odin kills Sigmund by holding his spear before him and Sigmund's sword is broken in two. The second important story is from chapter 12 of the Saga. In this chapter Hjordis (Sigmund's wife) is told she is pregnant with his child and that the sword will be reforged and he will accomplish many heroic deeds.

Act III

This Act is based on chapter 12 from the Saga and two stories from the Elder Edda: "The Lay of Sigrdrifa" and "Brynhild's Journey to Hel."

The flight of Sieglinde and Brünnhilde is based on chapter 12 from the Saga. In the Saga, Sigmund is killed and his wife, Hjordis, comes to his aid. There she finds him dying and he tells her that she is pregnant and to give the pieces of his sword to their child. Once he dies Hjordis leaves the field by changing clothes with her servant but, while trying to escape to the woods she is captured by a king and taken to his lands. Wagner changed the story and instead he has Brünnhilde take Sieglinde from the battlefield and together they flee from Wotan. Sieglinde, with Brünnhilde's assistance escapes from Wotan, but Brünnhilde gets caught.

Wotan's punishment of Brünnhilde is based on the two stories from the Elder Edda. The premise for the punishment comes from "Brynhild's Journey to Hel." In that story, Brynhild felt Odin's wrath for letting one warrior win over another. Odin put her in a magic sleep and surrounded by flames. The magic sleep that Odin put on Brynhild can only be awaken by someone who does not know fear.

The other story dealing with the punishment of Brünnhilde is "The Lay of Sigrdrifa." The lay also deals with a valkyrie in a deep magical sleep that is awakened by a hero. In this lay, Sigrdrifa (Brynhild) asks to only be awaken by a person who does not know fear.