In Siegfried, the third part of The Ring of the Nibelung, the narrative definitively reconnects with the medieval heroic legend of the Nibelungenlied, Richard Wagner’s original point of departure. Siegfried has become a young man in search of his true identity, eager to set out and discover the world and, as befits a “hero,” slay a dragon, rescue a maiden, and win a precious treasure. In accordance with Wotan’s secret plan, Siegfried is the “free hero,” capable of reclaiming the ring of power on his behalf. The gods, by contrast, have had their day. Only Wotan himself still roams the world, incognito under the name of the “Wanderer.” While he no longer reveals himself as the most powerful of the powerful, he continues to behave like a “god” intent on manipulating and controlling everyone.

For the tetralogy of The Ring, Calixto Bieito and his team opted for a discontinuous mode of storytelling, in which past and future intertwine. The composer himself referred to this as the “visualization in the present” of “premonition” and “memory” that is, the anchoring of foreshadowing and retrospective moments within moments that are always present. Our journey to the heart of The Ring began in Das Rheingold with big data, set in the darkness of the “light” of total information and total surveillance of private life, and continued in the militarized cosmos of Die Walküre, where the digital world collapses at every level as a result of war—an apocalypse in which love nonetheless blossomed amid destruction.

“At the end of Die Walküre, the world is contaminated,” Bieito explains. “A toxic orange smoke spreads everywhere, the computer of Valhalla is blown apart, Wotan, the artist of destruction, disappears into chemical poison, and Brünnhilde is frozen in time. The poison has contaminated the forest. It has not destroyed it, but mutated it. Mutation is the direct consequence of the collapse of the system. Nature has lost its code. The forest in which Mime and Siegfried live has not been cleared, burned, or felled. It has been reprogrammed. The trees fall with their crowns downward, piercing space horizontally like lances; they emerge from the ground distorted and move as if they were the joints of a machine an organism whose most fundamental structure has been altered. This is the literal definition of a mutation. Gravity no longer works. Verticality no longer exists. Symmetry disappears. Ecological logic is broken. Nature no longer responds to itself.”

In this distorted world, Siegfried grows up in complete isolation. He knows only his adoptive father, Mime, and the strange mutant creatures that survived the apocalypse. But Mime has raised Siegfried solely so that the boy will kill Fafner, allowing Mime himself to seize the Nibelung treasure. Siegfried knows nothing of the world or the past. It is through observing nature that he has, on his own, come to understand what love and family are. He can no longer accept that Mime has until now hidden his true origin. In an adolescent questioning of himself and in rebellion against his adoptive father’s schemes, Siegfried is desperate to know: Who am I? Wagner here depicts a complex father-son relationship, characterized by mutual dependence, manipulation, love and hatred, rejection and need. “Siegfried is a kind of Kaspar Hauser,” says Calixto Bieito, “a hero, a complex being who behaves at times like an animal, at times like a human. He may even be a post-human existence, becoming truly human only at the end, through his encounter with Brünnhilde, through the discovery of love. Mime, by contrast, has survived the catastrophe like a rat and seeks only to use Siegfried for his own ends.”

From the perspective of the work’s creation, we have reached a turning point in The Ring tetralogy, because Richard Wagner interrupted the composition of his magnum opus in 1857, halfway through Siegfried, after completing the second act, and did not resume it until twelve years later. Between these two phases lie not only the poetic writing and the composition of major works that push the limits, such as Tristan and Isolde and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, but also decisive political and personal upheavals for the composer. The reasons why Wagner interrupted Siegfried without being certain he would ever resume it have been widely debated. Were they private reasons? His affair with Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of his important patron during his exile in Zurich, who had hosted and financially supported him for many years, and the scandal that ensued? Or philosophical influences? In 1856, reading the works of Arthur Schopenhauer plunged Wagner into a kind of existential crisis. Moreover, the chances of seeing his work performed were slim for a composer living in exile and sought by the police. In any case, Wagner did not return to The Ring until twelve years later, after finding a new benefactor: Ludwig II of Bavaria, who later even commissioned him to build his own Festival Hall in Bayreuth.

It should be noted that Wagner interrupted his composition precisely at the point in the story where the young Siegfried is on his way to finally dethrone Wotan, his corrupt grandfather, and thus bring an end once and for all to the old unjust system. Indeed, for the composer, Siegfried embodies “the spirit of man in the fullness of his supreme and immediate strength and his undeniable charm,” the long-awaited “free hero.” The fact that Siegfried discovers love and desire with Brünnhilde, and that this encounter briefly hints at the utopia of a better future, is something Wagner could compose only after completing Tristan. In his scene with Erda at the beginning of Act III, Wotan, the Wanderer, also alludes to this potential transformation for the better and, in doing so, already hints at the conclusion of Götterdämmerung:  

« Ce doux héros éveillera
l’enfant que tu m’as donnée, Brünnhilde :
en s’éveillant, ton enfant si sage
accomplira l’exploit qui sauvera le monde.
Dors tranquillement, ferme les yeux :
contemple ma fin en rêve !
Quoi qu’il advienne, le dieu s’efface avec joie
devant l’éternellement jeune ! »

The characters in the Ring Cycle are primarily inspired from Medieval transcriptions of Norse and Germanic mythology, and more particularly from the 13^th century German saga The Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs). As he developed the librettos of the four operas which make up The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner brought those legends and their variations closer to his other sources of inspiration—namely Greek tragedy and Shakespearian drama—and added his own interpretations.

Wagner retained seven gods from the pantheon of Norse mythology. These gods represent the highest order of beings in the universe. In Siegfried, where he appears as the Wanderer, Wotan describes his fellow deities as "light spirits who inhabit the cloudy heights ". Their mad quest for absolute power, represented by gold forged into a ring will lead them to their own destruction.

The god of the gods—Odin or Wotan, depending on Norse or Germanic mythology—is the god of the dead, victory and knowledge. Left blind in his left eye after he sacrificed it in exchange for knowledge, he can be identified by his spear and the presence of two crows at his side—Huginn and Muninn (who respectively embody “thought” and “memory”). These attributes are replicated in the character created by Wagner. Wotan appears as the archetypal man of power: insatiable, unscrupulous and hypocritical. He is the master of Valhalla, a castle fortress perched on top of the mountains; a dazzling manifestation of his power. His power over the world is based on laws and covenants which will progressively be undermined and erased. Throughout the libretto, his authoritarianism gives way to growing insecurity. The husband of Fricka, he is also the father of the Valkyries as well as of Siegmund and Sieglinde.

Loge, the demigod of fire, is an amalgam of two mythological figures: Logi and Loki. While both embody fire, the latter also personifies cunning and trickery. In the Ring cycle, Loge retains this duality: he appears as both the god of fire and Wotan’s masterly advisor ultimately enabling Wotan to take possession of the ring. He is also one of the rare characters who is truly free. He alone will be able to distance himself from the system that Wotan has created, and he alone will resist the lure of the ring. A calculating character, Loge takes pleasure in playing with the gods and he possesses a perceptiveness that his peers lack. Throughout the Ring cycle, he forsakes his human persona to appear in his elemental form: fire.

Fricka, the wife of Wotan and sister of Freia, Donner and Froh, is a divinity inspired by the goddess Frigg (or Frigga) from Norse mythology. In the Ring cycle she is the personification of lawfulness and fidelity. Tired of her husband’s infidelities, Fricka trys to make Wotan settle down and urges him to build Valhalla, a divine abode for them to live in. While Fricka is eager to defend the institution of marriage, she seeks above all to preserve the original values of divine society: respect for law and morality. In Die Walküre, she confronts Wotan with his own contradictions by reminding him that the guarantor of laws should not support Siegmund.  

Freyja is a key divinity of Norse and Germanic mythology. A creature of incredible beauty, she is the goddess of love and fertility. In the Ring cycle, Freia is the sister of Fricka. In Valhalla, the gods are blessed with eternal youth thanks to her cultivation of golden apples. Coveted by Fafner and Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Freia serves as a bargaining chip for Wotan who promises her to two giants in exchange for the construction of Valhalla. Without Freia, the gods find themselves deprived of their source of eternal youth and begin to waste away.

The personification of Strength and power, Thor (also known as Donner) is one of the most popular gods in Germanic mythology. His hallmark is his hammer which is the source of thunder and lightning. Present only in Das Rheingold, Donner nevertheless occupies a strategic place among the other characters. He embodies the figure of a military leader who thinks in warlike terms to counter the threat posed by Alberich. His hammer, evocative of violence, is a symbolic counterforce to the inherent lawfulness represented by Wotan's spear.  

Along with Odin and Thor, Freyr is one of the three major gods in Germanic mythology. The personification of fertility he is also the brother of Freyja. Known as Froh in the Ring cycle, he only appears in Das Rheingold. His perseverance in defending Freia and the words he has for her reflects the closeness of the two characters. 

Inspired by the goddesses Jördh and Gaia from Nordic and Greek mythology, Erda is the maternal god of the Earth. She is the personification of ancestral, intuitive and prophetic wisdom. A veritable Pythia, she can simultaneously see the past, the present and the future. As the mother of the Norns who spin the threads of fate, she holds universal knowledge. In Das Rheingold, she arouses doubt and anxiety in Wotan by warning him that his thirst for power risks provoking his own demise. By begetting Brünnhilde with the latter, she gives life to the woman who will save the universe. In Siegfried, Wotan, in the guise of the Wanderer, calls on Erda one last time in a scene that seals their antagonisms.    

The characters in the Ring Cycle are primarily inspired from Medieval transcriptions of Norse and Germanic mythology, and more particularly from the 13^th century German saga The Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs). As he developed the librettos of the four operas which make up The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner brought those legends and their variations closer to his other sources of inspiration—namely Greek tragedy and Shakespearian drama—and added his own interpretations.

In Norse mythology, the albes are a race apart from men, gods and giants. They are divided into two distinct species, the quasi-angelic albes of light, and the quasi-demonic black albes. In Germanic legend, the were called the Nibelungen, a name that means “those from the world below”. These denizens of the Nibelheim or underworld work as craftsmen or blacksmiths and possess great wealth. In the Ring cycle, the Nibelungen are portrayed as jealous, cunning, ambitious creatures, fundamentally hostile to the gods. 

In the Ring cycle, Alberich is the one through whom misfortune manifests itself. He is dubbed the “black albe”. He dreams of conquering the world, renouncing love and cursing the one who gains possession of the ring which he forged. Associated with the gold he stole in Das Rheingold, Alberich’s power is utterly lawless and built on theft. 

Mime is Alberich’s brother and Siegfried’s adoptive father. In the Ring cycle, he represents permanent failure. Aware of the powers of the sword Nothung, and recognising the fact that only he who forged it will be capable of seizing the ring and the Tarnhelm which are held by the giant Fafner, he seeks in vain to restore it to its original form. Siegfried manages to reforge his father’s sword and recover the treasure, but he knows he is threatened with death by Mime. However, the latter is ultimately killed by the hero. 

Hagen is one of the principal heroes of The Song of The Nibelungen. Motivated by moral values, this Medieval character becomes a manipulator and a cynic under Wagner. The son of Alberich and half-brother to Gunther and Gutrune, he represents in his father’s eyes the primary means of recovering the lost ring. His Machiavellian nature allows him to gain the upper hand over the other characters in Götterdämmerung. He manipulates Gunther and Gutrune and tricks Siegfried in order to kill him.

In Norse mythology, the giants are the ones who created the world and are frequently at war with the gods. To a large extent, they represent the forces of chaos. Using magic, cunning and physical force, they try to change the order of the universe. In medieval literature, they assumed the disposition of ugly and stupid characters often driven by bad intentions, as is the case in the Ring cycle.

Regarding the two giants in the cycle, Fasolt comes across as “the most docile”. In Das Rheingold, unlike his brother Fafner, Fasolt does not look upon Freia as a bargaining chip to seize control of Valhalla. He sincerely loves her. The motives of the two brothers are different: Fafner has political aims whereas Fasolt has a far more discreet temperament. Through their relationship, the conflict between love and power assumes all its significance.

Of the two giants, Fafner stands out as “the malicious one”. Ever hungry for wealth, he is the first to react when he learns of the theft of the gold and the power of the ring. In his attempts to obtain the latter, he does not hesitate to murder his brother. In Siegfried, with the help of the Tarnhelm, the magic helmet, he morphs into a dragon and spends his days sleeping on his gold. He will ultimately be slain in his cave by Siegfried.

The characters in the Ring Cycle are primarily inspired from Medieval transcriptions of Norse and Germanic mythology, and more particularly from the 13^th century German saga The Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs). As he developed the librettos of the four operas which make up The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner brought those legends and their variations closer to his other sources of inspiration—namely Greek tragedy and Shakespearian drama—and added his own interpretations.

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are virgin warriors charged with the mission of selecting the most courageous warriors fallen on the battlefield and leading them into Valhalla. In the Ring cycle, there are nine of them: Brünnhilde, Grimgerde, Gerhilde, Helmwige, Ortlinde, Rossweisse, Schwertleite, Siegrune, and Waltraute. Presented as the daughters of Wotan and of different conquests, they appear together for the first time in Act III of Die Walküre. Only two of them have major roles: Waltraute and Brünnhilde, both of whom were the love children of Wotan and Erda.

In Germanic literature, Brynhildr is portrayed as a Valkyrie who an adept of magic and the art of healing. In the Ring cycle, Brünnhilde appears as Wotan’s favourite even though she has rebelled against her father. Wagner made Brünnhilde the only character who connects the three days of the Ring. Her psychological and spiritual development progresses in three stages: her realisation of the greatness of love in Die Walküre, her emotional growth from experiencing love in Siegfried, and her rise to tragic greatness through renunciation in Götterdämmerung.

Waltraute is arguably the closest to Brünnhilde. She flouts Wotan’s interdictions to go and find her sister on her rock. In Götterdämmerung, concerned by Valhalla’s decline, she tries to convince Brünnhilde to part with the accursed ring and return it to the Rhinemaidens. In her mind, it is the only way to re-establish the course of things and save the gods.

Children of the "wolf" in Norse and Germanic mythology—one of Wotan’s reincarnations originally known as Wälse—they are the descendants of a mortal woman and Wotan. These creatures have an instinctive sense of freedom and for Wotan they represent a means to win back the ring. 

Siegmund is the earthly son of Wotan and the twin brother of Sieglinde. His incestuous relationship with Sieglinde gives rise to the line of the Wälsung. He is the father of Siegfried and he possesses the sword Nothung. He was sired by Wotan to fulfil the task of retrieving the ring. Courageous and of rare nobility, he has inherited the positive qualities of his father without any of his faults, and places love before self-interest. The intrinsic heroism of the character is revealed when he refuses to abandon Sieglinde and to enter Valhalla, preferring to die with her.

Sieglinde is Siegmund’s twin sister. Abandoned as a child, she was forced to marry Hunding. In Die Walküre, Sieglinde possesses the valour of the heroes of mythical times. Despite her distress following the death of Siegmund, she gives birth to Siegfried with the assistance of Brünnhilde. Through the Valkyrie, Sieglinde realises that the salvation of the world depends on her maternity.

The son of Siegmund and Sieglinde, and the grandson of Wotan, Siegfried is one of the most significant characters in the Ring cycle. The embodiment of the quintessential hero, he symbolises hope. Wotan counts on him to retrieve the ring. More unsophisticated than cerebral, he acts on instinct. He has no conception of fear which enables him to confront Fafner and pass through the circle of fire on the rock on which Brünnhilde is imprisoned. Siegfried is also the archetypal Wagnerian character in search of his roots.

The characters in the Ring Cycle are primarily inspired from Medieval transcriptions of Norse and Germanic mythology, and more particularly from the 13^th century German saga The Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs). As he developed the librettos of the four operas which make up The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner brought those legends and their variations closer to his other sources of inspiration—namely Greek tragedy and Shakespearian drama—and added his own interpretations.

The Gibichungen are a family of humans who reign over the Rhine under a monarchic system.

Gunther, the half-brother of Hagen, reigns over his people, the Gibichungen. However, all the major decisions are really determined by his half-brother. A man of weak character, he is depicted as a puppet manipulated by Hagen. Blinded by his faith in the latter, he has no qualms about following his advice. As such, he allows his wife Brünnhilde to be seduced by Siegfried and then takes credit for the exploit. Gunther is often regarded as one of Wagner’s weakest characters.

Gutrune is the victim of a deal struck between Hagen, Gunther and Siegfried. Offered to Siegfried by Hagen in Götterdämmerung in exchange for Gunther’s conquest of Brünnhilde, Gutrune falls in love with the hero. However, she will never be able to experience the joys of a genuine loving relationship. Manipulated by Hagen, she gives Siegfried the potion of forgetfulness and, distraught by her act, she flees. Like the other female characters in the Ring, she is intuitive and, in Act III of Götterdämmerung she senses that a dire event has come to pass.

Hunding is the only human in the Ring cycle who does not belong to the Gibichungen family. A brutal hunter, he is a symbol of machismo. Hunding is Sieglinde’s husband but Sieglinde hates him, so he repays her by enslaving her and abusing her. He looks on power in a boorish way: his land, his spoils and his wife. He is dependent on his clan and its customs and has no true personal values or sentiments. In Die Walküre, by receiving Siegmund into his home, he is merely conforming to the laws of hospitality and the code of honour.