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The compilation of symbols below relies predominantly on information contained within William O. Cord's several volume set of phenomenally researched and concisely written books entitled The Teutonic Mythology of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung.
Apple
In Wagner's adaptation of Teutonic myths, the apple remains a symbol
of youth, fertility and immortality. An "integral element" in Das
Rheingold, the apple becomes a dramatic tool to create suspense:
the gods begin to age after the keeper of the golden apples, the
Goddess of Youth and Love, Freia (in
whom Wagner blends Idun and the Vanir goddess Freyja) is kidnapped by
the giants Fafner and Fasolt "to whom she hadbeen promised by Wotan
as a reward for the brothers' labor on the castle Valhalla." The
price of Freia's return is the stolen Nibelung gold, including
Alberich's ring (Cord, I, 64).
Apple as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Blood
Although there is little gore in Wagner's operas, his use of blood
usually signifies faithfulness and noble action. Blood figures as an
important symbol in the first act of Gotterdammerung when
Siegfried and the Gibichung Gunther exchange a blood oath. To seal a
bond of brotherhood, Siegfried and Gunther each take an oath of
fidelity and drink blood from a horn. Despite the fact that this
specific pact is not valid since Siegfried has been bewitched by
Gunther, their blood oath is strongly representative of the Teutonic
tradition. In this way, Wagner seemed to portray blood as a symbol of
human vitality and of the fundamental quality of life itself (Cord,
III:1, 29-31).
Blood as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Bridge
Though never actually called "Bifrost," Wagner's "Rainbow Bridge" is
the same pathway in Teutonic mythology that connects Midgard to
Asgard. This bridge is an important dramatic element in the first
opera of the Ring. However, in adapting his Rainbow Bridge
from Bifrost, Wagner excluded any
reference to the mythical beliefs that were concerned with its
construction by gods and the materials used to construct it. Also, in
place of the Teutonic god Heimdall, Froh, the Ring's "god of
fields" becomes the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. Also, the
appearance of this bridge in the Ring is more theatrical than
symbolic. To the amazement of the other gods, Wotan creates the
Rainbow Bridge at the end of Das Rheingold to provide the gods
a direct way to return to Valhalla from Midgard. Since Wotan's
magical by-way serves to distract the gods from the lament of the
Rhinemaidens over the loss of their gold, this Rainbow Bridge becomes
an excellent example of how Wagner uses objects and symbols for
dramatic climax and intrigue (Cord, I, 28-29).
Bridge as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Cave
Caves in Wagner's operas are places of evil, treasure hoards and
deceit. Fafner's Cave, the cavernous dwelling of the dragon of that
name, is where Siegfried (in Siegfried) must go after he has
reforged his father's sword, Notung, in order to learn the meaning of
fear. According to one of the Valkyries, Fafner was formerly a giant
who slew his brother, Fasolt, took the Nibelung gold and fled to a
cave in the east. For this reason, Wagner called Fafner's lair the
"Cave of Envy." At the end of Act II of Siegfried, Siegfried
eventually kills Fafner and retrieves the Nibelung gold from the
dragon's cave (Blyth, 70-73; Cord, III:1, 128-9, 293-4).
Cave as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Dragon
"The matter of a wingless dragon," a Fafnir in Old Norse,
"that lies guard over a great treasure of gold" and its involvement
with the hero Siegfried is "one of the numerous fancies of
imaginative thought that was prominent among the early Germanic
peoples."(Cord, III:1, 85) But, "Wagner's rendition of this
celebrated mythical episode is unique to his drama."(Ibid, 86) The
significance of Fafner in the Ring pertains to "the underlying
purpose that the dragon fulfills in the composer's version of the
Siegfried legend. If the mythicalness of the Teutonic gods existed in
early culture, and if the substance of the Siegfried legend was vivid
and vital in early German society, the two had no fundamental
relationship...."(Ibid, 90) In Siegfried, Wagner brought
together historical legend and cultural myth "into a unified argument
that is completely awash with mythical ambience," for "it is by means
of the dragon that the youthful mortal hero Siegfried is lead into
the realm of the divine where he meets his grandfather, Wotan, and
then the supernatural Valkyrie Brunnhilde, now transformed into a
mortal maiden" (Ibid, 90). For the story of Siegfried and Fafner, see
above description under Cave.
Interested in hearing
dragons?
Click below to listen to two leitmotifs from Wagner's Ring.
Dragon as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Eagle
Wagner uses the symbol of the eagle to show power and a sense of
animal fierceness. There is only one reference to an eagle in the
Ring, and this occurs in the final scene of Act I of the
fourth and final drama, Gotterdammerung. When a frightened
Brunnhilde sees who she thinks is Gunther but is really a disguised
and drugged Siegfried, she screams that an eagle has flown to the
mountain top to tear her to bits. Brunnhilde's protestation reflects
Wagner's awareness of the import of the eagle in Teutonic beliefs as
a symbol of strength and independence. The eagle inspired fear and
was honored due to its great strength and the way it protected itself
(Cord, vol. III:1, 101-3).
Eagle as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Earth
The Earth does not figure into Teutonic mythology as a distinct
symbol, though the stories of its creation by the gods out of the
body of the frost giant Ymir suggest that the ancient Teutons did
worship it. However, in the Ring, Wagner makes full use of the
symbolic significance of the Earth in the character Erda (whose name
in modern German literally means "soil" or "earth") in order to
convey a sense of Germanic antiquity throughout the drama. Erda is
Wagner's all-wise being who is the prime mother of the universe. She
is mother of the three Norns and of the Valkries. Erda's power
extends beyond that of the all-father Wotan himself, for he turns to
her when he needs guidance. Erda appears twice in the Ring
operas. In Das Rheingold, Wotan, brooding over the ring,
consults Erda presumably for the first time; and this union results
in the birth of the Valkries. The second time Wotan calls Erda is in
the third opera, Siegfried. In this opera, Erda chides Wotan
for having enchanted Brunnhilde because of her disobedience to him in
defending a mortal, Siegmund, the father of Siegfried. To repair the
situation and chastise Wotan, Erda fates Brunnhilde to be awakened by
her future love, Siegfried (Cord, III:1, 110-113; Blyth, 27, 73).
Eyes
Reference to Odin's loss of an eye for knowledge occurs twice in the
Ring. In the Prelude to Gotterdammerung, the Norns
mention the sacrifice of Odin as they weave their cord or
Rope of destiny. Also, in Das Rheingold,
Wotan tries to convince his wife Fricka of how highly he values women
by reminding her that one of the prices he paid to win her was one of
his eyes. For Wagner, in addition to the sacred symbolism of the eyes
in connection to Wotan, eyes are important for dramatic purposes--to
reveal the inner states of his characters, whether they be good or
evil. For example in one of the opening scenes of the Ring, in Das
Rheingold, there is a comment upon the power of wickedness in the
eyes of the dwarf Alberich as he makes lustful glances at the
Rhinemaidens. But, "good could also come from a sympathetic glance,
even of a stranger," such as that exchanged between Siegmund and
Sieglinde in the first scene of Die Walkure. Later in this
opera Sieglinde speaks directly of the eyes as being potential
"harborers of tenderness." Similarly, Siegfried and Brunnhilde see
love in each other's eyes in the final scene of Siegfried
(Cord, III:1, 117-122).
Eyes as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Fire
Fire is one of the Greek concepts of the elements of creation which
Wagner borrowed. Several scenes in the Ring show fire as a
component of life. At the end of Die Walkure, Wotan calls a
great fire to surround the mountain-top on which he condemned
Brunnhilde to sleep. To music of the "magic fire" leit-motif, Loge,
the god of fire, appears as a small flame and slowly assumes shape
and height to block Brunnhilde from view. In this scene, Wagner
reveals the supernatural qualities of fire; but, more importantly, he
signals the role of fire as one of the most "integral and destructive
elements in Teutonic mythology." Probably the best example of the
"profoundness" of fire as a symbol is the very last scene of the
entire opera cycle: in Gotterdammerung, Brunnhilde tosses a torch on
Siegfried's funeral pyre--an act which foreshadows the ultimate
demise of the gods in the all-consuming flames of Ragnarok (Cord,
III:1, 106; Blyth, 114-5).
Ever wonder what fire could sound like in music?
Click below to hear its Wagnerian
leitmotif.
Fire as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Forest
Most of the Ring's thirty-six scenes are set in or near a
forest. This setting is a critical dramatic element in the operas,
establishing a necessary aura of primevil nature. Since Wagner was
aware of the significance of forests in Teutonic culture and the
myths, he chose the forest as the primary background for his operas
(Cord, III:1, 138-9).
Forest as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Fog
Fog is important dramatically and thematically to Wagner's operas.
Most likely taking the name for the opera cycle from that of the
Nibelunglied, Wagner nonetheless must have been aware of the
significance of the title. Wagner adapted the mythological race of
dwarfs into his Nibelungs, "children of the fog," who lived in
Nibelheim, a place of fog and caves. These black dwarves had an evil
nature that is linked to the night, to evil, and to the fog. Also,
wherever Wagner wanted the audience to be aware of the presence of
evil, especially scenes involving Alberich, Mime, and the rest of the
Nibelungs, the set often would be bathed in smoke to give the
appearance of fog (Cord, I, 23, III:2, 97).
Fog as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Giant
The giants in Wagner's operas are much like the Teutonic giants, and
some reference to them occurs in all three operas. However, in
creating Fafner and Fasolt, the two main giants in the Ring, Wagner
included neither the story of their origin nor did he cause his
giants to be associated with the violence of nature. It is only under
the influence of the ring's curse that Fafner becomes evil and kills
his brother. According to one source, in Wagnerian terms, when Fafner
dies, the race of giants and that of the Teutons symbolically die
(Cord, III:1, 149-153).
Giant as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Gold
The gold in the Ring is physically seen in the opening scene
of the first of the four music dramas. Illustrated succinctly by its
own leitmotif, gold, especially
in the form of the ring, becomes the protagonist
of the drama, driving the characters forward and establishing much of
the intrigue--for it is the hoard of gold and the powers the TREASURE
holds that account for each major action within the operas (Cord, I,
183).
Click below to hear Wagner's leitmotif for the Rhinemaidens'
gold.
Gold as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Hammer
Wagner included the hammer Mjollnir in his operas for two purposes:
one as a simple weapon of war belonging to the god Donner, and the
second as the object Donner uses to burst open the heavens to cause
thunder to clamor and lightning to spark across the sky. These two
uses appear in Das Rheingold. In the first instance, Donner
raises his hammer threateningly to try to stop the giants Fafner and
Fasolt from arguing so maybe Wotan can convince them to accept
something other than Freia as their prize for the construction of
Valhalla (Cord, I, 31-39).
Hammer as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Hat
A magical cap, called the "Tarnhelm," made from the
gold of the Rhinemaidens, appears in the
Ring as an object which gives its wearer the ability of
physical transformation(Cord, I, 41-2). "The cap is the symbol of
deception.... Mime, unknowingly, has made this powerful weapon for
his master Alberich, and it becomes a factor for evil. however,
Alberich is hoist with his own petard when the cunning Loge traps him
with the aid of the Tarnhelm. Fafner (the giant)...uses it to turn
himself into a dragon; Siegfried learns of its power only from Hagen
and through it deceives Brunnhilde" (Blyth, 16).
Hell
As an example to demonstrate Wagner's "thoroughness in the use of
myth," Cord cites the composer's frequent "references to Hella, first
as the name of the land to which the dead are consigned, and then as
the name of the guardian of that land" (I, 4).
Hell as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Horse
Although horses have no direct bearing on the story of the
Ring, they are integral to Wagner's drama. Wagner utilizes
horses much in the same way as they appear in the Teutonic myths.
However, apart from the Valkyries who each have their own horse,
Wotan is the only god who owns a steed, whose name Wagner kept as
Sleipnir. This situation grants Wotan more power and autonomy and
makes the rest of the gods extremely dependent upon him to move
through the worlds (Cord, III: 1, 244-5).
Horse as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Kiss
In Die Walkure, Wotan kisses Brunnhilde who has disobeyed him
and puts her into a deep sleep, taking away her supernatural
qualities she had as a Valkyrie. Parallel to this enchantment, in
Siegfried, Brunnhilde is awakened from her sleep by
Siegfried's kiss--one which, unlike the mark of Wotan, had no special
magic (Cord, III:1, 260-2).
Kiss as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Lightning
Within Wagner's four operas, lightning retains its supernatural
qualities but is used more for dramatic emphasis rather than its
symbolic value. For instance, at the end of Das Rheingold,
after payment to the gods is settled by the giants, the gods prepare
to enter Valhalla, only the citadel is covered by a mist. To bring
the scene out of darkness, Donner uses his hammer to open the sky
with thunder and lightning, making the brilliant palace of Valhalla
visible to all. When Wagner composed his opera cycle, the usage of
light effects to illustrate the mood of a scene or to highlight a
particular part of a set were of long-standing tradition, though
electricity had not quite come into the picture at the time of the
Ring's creation (Blyth, 28; Cord, I, 35-39).
Lightning as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Oak
According to Teutonic mythology, in the center of Valhalla grew an
oak tree, called Branstock, on which mistletoe grew (the same
mistletoe that caused Balder's death and led to Ragnarok). Adapting
freely from mythological sources for the Ring, Wagner
completely altered the oak Branstock. Wagner transferred the oak from
Valhalla to make it into Hunding's dwelling, which appears
prominently throughout the beginning of Die Walkure.
Additionally, Wagner chose not to give Branstock a name, changed the
tree's orientation from an oak to an ash, and removed this former
oak's common association with Thor (Donner in Wagner) to establish a
relationship between the tree and Wotan. Due to all of these changes,
Branstock loses its significance as an oak and becomes instead a
variation of the symbolic World Ash Tree, Yggdrasill (Blyth, 31-2;
Cord, I, 14-5).
Oak as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Rainbow
Occurs in the Ring in the form of the Rainbow Bridge. See
BRIDGE.
Ring
In the Ring of the Nibelung, the ring is the "symbol of
omnipotence, endowing its possessor with supernatural strength, with
superhuman power over his fellows. Alberich has had it created from
the GOLD, which he has gained through his
renunciation of love, and through its power he hopes to destroy all
that is good in the world. When it is wrenched from him by Wotan, he
curses it, so that it becomes the cause of eternal misery in the
world. Indeed, its very existence causes the end of existence. It
forms the object of plots and intrigues on earth. All wish to possess
it, but those who do fall victim to Alberich's curse, which passes
from it only when Brunnhilde, after the trial and anxieties it has
brought upon her, restores it to its native element" (Blyth, 15-16).
Futhermore, "Wagner's ring...was developed from the generic
totality of the rings that he had found in the myths, and as such it
was a reflection of mythical beliefs, a ring like others that were
part of Eddic literature. Like those rings of old, Wagner's ring was
TREASURE, forged as it was from the gold that rested in the Rhine"
(Cord, I, 108-112).
Click below to hear Wagner's
leitmotiv of the Ring
The Symbol of the Ring and the Story Behind It
Ring as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
River
Rivers are important in the Ring, especially the Rhine. At
times, the Rhine is only part of scenery descriptions; yet, often it
is almost a bystander to the action. This river serves several
purposes in Wagner: sometimes it is the peaceful home of the
Rhine-maidens and the powerful protector of their gold; other times a
wide expanse of WATER, a flowing river that takes the hero and his
horse in their boat to the kingdom of the Gibicungs. The Rhine is a
rushing, turbulent natural force which cleanses the world of the evil
curses of men and gods. This river is also the force that will
quench the fire of the worlds and become the source of life for a
new, innocent world after Ragnarok. This role is exemplified by the
river's presence in the final moments of the last opera,
Gotterdammerung, one of the most climactic scenes in Wagner
(Cord, III:2, 362-5).
Click below to hear Wagner's
leitmotiv of the river.
River as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Rope
In the Norn scene in the "Prelude" of Gotterdammerung, the
three Norns weave the Cord of Destiny which held the strands of life
and death of all living things. They tell of what was, is and will
be. The third Norn predicts the downfall of the gods, which is woven
into the Cord. She finally wishes to cast the Cord North, but it is
too short and will not stretch. The rope (Cord) breaks and ends the
eternal wisdom of the Teutonic fates and infers the gods' doom. These
three Norns were spinners who used a gold thread for each life; and
as each thread interwove with all the others, a pattern of society
emerged. The ends of the Cord were thrown into space, into the east,
the west and the north after which a specific fate was forever in the
sky. Wagner's cord of fate in the "Prelude" to Gotterdammerung
captures the symbolism of the myths. Rope allowed Wagner a way to
dramatize his version of the gods' doom as a sense of final judgment
and inescapable destruction (Cord, III:1, 62-7).
Serpent
In the third scene of Das Rheingold, the dwarf Alberich
demonstrates the magic of the Tarnhelm for Wotan and Loge by turning
himself into a serpent. To describe the creature Alberich becomes,
Wagner uses the German word "Schlange" as opposed to "Wurm." By doing
this, Wagner makes a definite distinction between the serpent of
Alberich in the Nibelheim scene and the beast--the "Wurm" or
dragon--Fafner transforms into in order to guard the gold (Cord,
III:2, 393-5).
Serpent as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Spear
"This is the symbol of Wotan's authority while that lasts. Through it
he has subjected others to his will, and by it he prevents strife
between gods and giants. It is his ego, and its power is eventually
broken by the superior power of the Sword, representing youthful
strength and love"(Blyth, 16).
Sword
A sword is one of several objects in the Ring that are
highlighted by Wagner for its symbolic significance in Teutonic
mythology and for its theatrical utility. It is "the symbol of
strength and the burning force of life" (Blyth, 16). In the tradition
of the naming of swords throughout various Teutonic myths and heroic
epics, Wagner calls the sword of his Ring Notung, which
means "child 'born' of need." Wagner's "Siegmund comes to possess it
through the love of Sieglinde, but Wotan, who has presented Siegmund
with this life force, nullifies its power when he is forced to
shatter it by Fricka's insistence on the upholding of marital law.
Its fragments are inherited by Siegmund's son, Siegfried, through
Mime, who is powerless to recreate this life force. Only Siegfried is
able to refashion the sword, and uses it as a weapon" to kill the
dragon Fafner. "It is now seemingly invested with superhuman power as
it strikes down evil, breaks the spear, and cuts through Brunnhilde's
armour, losing its power only when Siegfried betrays Brunnhilde"
(Blyth, 16; also from Cord, 96-98).
Click below to hear Wagner's
leitmotiv for the sword.
Sword as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Thunder
Like lightning, thunder was used for dramatic purposes in the
Ring. The musical effect of thunder could be achieved through
the hitting of a bass drum or similar instrument. The only instance
in which Wagner includes thunder in his operas occurs at the end of
Das Rheingold when Thor uses Mjollnir to clear the skies so
the gods clearly can see the way to Valhalla.
Thunder as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Tree
Much of the Ring drama takes place within nature. The stage
settings of four of the ten acts of the Ring have a forest as
part of the scene. One set of stage instructions even specifies that
the forest is a fir tree forest. Wagner refused to put the
Oak tree into the plot of his dramas, though this
tree was an especially sacred tree in early Teutonic mythology.
Instead, Wagner specifically used three types of trees in the
Ring: the fir, the linden and the ash.
The fir tree, Tannenwald, is used throughout the operas as a background setting, since it evoked the atmosphere of the Germanic forests. But, Wagner does not highlight the symbolic nature of the fir as he does the linden and the ash. The linden is the tree for lovers who wish to fall in love, and it may also cause a hero to fall into a deep enchanted sleep. In the second act of Siegfried, the hero lies under a linden tree, dreams of his father and mother, and wishes he could understand the song of the Forest Bird.
Unlike the linden's association with love and fertility, the ash tree was seen as the tree of war. The ash gave warriors silent warnings about war; warriors wished to die in battle under an ash for they might get selected by Odin to go to Valhalla; and the favored spears of the culture were fashioned from the ash tree. Yggdrasill was the eternally groaning World Ash Tree of Teutonic mythology. Though Wagner never refers to any of the ashes throughout his dramas as Yggdrasill, he nonetheless included three ash trees in the Ring. In the final scene of the first act of Siegfried, Siegfried begins to reforge the two pieces of Notung, his father's word. While Siegfried is working, he tells of the ash he felled from which he made the fuel for the fire. This detail is important because the fire allows Siegfried to remake the sword that will kill the dragon Fafner and will allow the hero to reclaim the gold and to shatter the supreme power of Wotan. The other two ash trees Wagner features in the Ring are the ash seen in the beginning of Die Walkure that is Hunding's dwelling, a tree that was formerly an oak, and the tree under which the Norns weave their Rope of destiny in the "Prelude" to Gotterdammerung (Blyth; Cord).
Tree as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Wanderer
In Siegfried, the young hero meets up with a mysterious
Wanderer, who is really his grandfather, the god Wotan, in disguise.
Throughout Teutonic mythology, the all-father Wotan (Wagner's version
of Odin) transforms himself so he can travel freely amongst the nine
worlds. Similarly, Wagner's Wotan is also famed for his various
disguises; but, Wotan must rely on his own powers and cleverness, not
objects like the Tarnhelm, the magic hat (cap), in
order to change his appearance (Cord, I, 121-2).
Click below to hear Wotan's
leitmotif for the Wanderer.
Water
"The third element of the Grecian concept of the fundamental
consituents of creation is water. This basic element...is generously
provided in Wagner's Ring, and not merely once. The first
offering is evident at the rise of the first curtain, in the initial
scene of Das Rheingold whose setting is the bottom of the
Rhine River. It this Rhine that steadily makes its own way through
the lengthy drma and is regularly sensed as being almost ever-present
by means of the numerous references to it by the players.... Of
course, the Rhine and its waters become a primary factor in the last
moments of the Ring, primary in the sense that it is the Rhine
that overflows its banks and floods the world, extinguishing the
conflagration that has brought defeat and destruction to the gods.
There can be no suggestion that the element of water is lacking in
the Ring" (Cord, 107).
At the end of Gotterdammerung, Wagner took advantage of the symbolic nature of water for dramatic effect in causing Hagen, Alberich's evil son, to die by drowning in the Rhine river. "Wagner seemed to feel that Hagen's death should become an action that was related to the drama, an action that would enhance the details of his argument. Thus it was that death by drowning was to be the cause of Hagen's death, but it was not a drowning at any place, in just any water. Rather, he would cause Hagen's death to be in the Rhine, the waters that are so significant throughout his drama and the waters that had served as the original home of the gold and to which it would be returned by Brunnhilde in her final moments" (Cord, III:1, 229).
Water as a symbol in Teutonic mythology
Wolf
"Wagner understood the matter of the wolf in the lives of the gods,
and especially that animal's association with Wotan (Odin). He sensed
that it would be thematically correct and dramatically appropriate to
bring that association into his Ring drama. And thus it is
that the theme of the wolf takes a silent but nevertheless rightful
role in Wagner's Nibelung tale.
"The topic of the wolf in Wagner's drama makes its first appearance in Die Walkure, as Siegmund relates the story of his sad life.... (He) tells how he and his father (Wotan) traveled about in the forests, much like the wolf, and that they were really the 'wolf pair.' Siegmund later says that he even called his father 'Wolfe' because he was really a wolf to cowardly foxes.... Wagner continues the theme of the wolf" in Siegfried when Siegfried, Siegmund's son, "desirous to know who his parents were...tells Mime that the wolf is one of the animals that has a mate and offspring and that they all live as family. The lonely youth later laments that the only thing his horn calls attract are the wolf and the bear. The final reference to the wolf comes in the last scene of the second act of Siegfried, when Mime makes reference to Siegfried as Wolfssohn, that is, 'Wolf's son'" (Cord, III:2, 527-30).
Wolf as a symbol in Teutonic mythology