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The Ring of the Nibelung
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[[#44]] First Motif of Mime's “Scheming”

Representing Mime’s hope to employ the Tarnhelm, Loge’s artistic cunning, to wrest the Ring from his brother Alberich, and free himself from Alberich’s power (a model for Wotan’s co-optation of Alberich’s Ring-power)

(#44 based on 27 and #36; basis of #101 and #116)

 

“Loge: I want to help you, Mime! (…)

 

Mime: [[ #44 ]]: Who'd ever help me. I'm bound to obey my own bloodbrother, (#19) who's bound me in fetters fast.

 

Loge: What gave him the power, Mime, to bind you?

 

Mime: [[ #44 ]]: With cunning artifice Alberich crafted a yellow ring of gold from the Rhine: at its powerful spell (#19) we tremble in awe for with it he bends us all to his will, the Nibelungs’ army of night. (#41; #105 Embryo) Carefree smiths, we used to fashion trinkets for our womenfolk, delightful gems and delicate Nibelung toys: we cheerfully laughed at our pains. (#5) Now the criminal makes us crawl into crevices, (#41) forever toiling for him alone. Through the gold of the Ring his greed can divine where more gleaming veins lie buried in shafts: there we must seek and search and dig, (#19) smelting the spoils and working the cast without rest or repose, to heap up the hoard for our lord. (#41)

 

Loge: You idler roused his wrath just now.

 

Mime: On me, the most wretched of all, he forced the worst of all tasks. (#42; #41) A metal helm he bade me weld; he told me exactly how to craft it. I cleverly noted what magic power lay in the work that I forged from the ore. (#19 Varis) So I wanted to keep the helm for myself, by means of its magic free me from Alberich’s sway - … perhaps outwit my tormenter and, placing him in my power, (#19 Vari) wrest the Ring away from his grasp, so that, just as I’m now a slave to that bully, (#19 Vari: Harshly) he’d serve me, a free man, in turn! (#5; #17; #19)”


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[[#45ab]] The Coercive “Power of the Ring”

Representing egoism (lust for power and/or fear of it) as man’s root motive

(#45ab based on #5ab, and #15 plus #13; basis of #161)

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