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The Ring of the Nibelung
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[[#70]] “Infinite Sorrow of the Waelsungs”

The reason why Siegmund can’t call himself happy, but must call himself Woeful: Siegmund’s suffers anguish in striving always to do right according to his own lights, his own conscience, which places him perpetually at odds with the thoughtless adherence to tradition and rules of established society

(#70 based on an embryo drawn from Siegmund’s prior vocal line: (to Hunding and Sieglinde) “[[ #70 Embryo ]] A Woelfing [i.e., son of Wotan disguised as Wolfe, and also disguised as Waelse] tells you this, whom as Woelfing many know well.”; #70’s motival links, if any, not yet ascertained)

[See #69 for #70’s dramatic context]


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[[#71]] “The Tragic Waelsung Race”

Siegmund’s anguish in striving always to do right according to his own lights, his own conscience, which places him perpetually at odds with the thoughtless adherence to tradition and rules of established society

(#71 based on the last three notes of #53, and therefore based ultimately on #1 and #2; related to #57b through #1; the family of heroic motifs based on the last 3 notes of #53 also includes #77, #88, #92, #95, and possibly #152)

[See #69 for #71’s dramatic context]


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[[#72]] Siegmund Destined to Win Wotan's Sword Nothung

Siegmund is destined to fall heir to Wotan’s futile quest to redeem the gods of Valhalla by restoring lost innocence, and therefore foredoomed to die for love.

(#72 is a compound motif comprised of #57b and #20a; see #20 and #57 for extensive series of motif links)

[Siegmund, left alone after Hunding and Sieglinde retreated to their bedroom, has only one hope, that his lost father [Wotan disguised as both Wolf and Waelse] had once promised him a sword. As Sieglinde was leaving Siegmund and preparing Hunding’s night drink, which she has laced with a drug so he’ll sleep and Siegmund can escape, she indicated with her eyes a spot in Hunding’s House-Ash-Tree. In the

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