"Alberich: (He draws the Ring from his finger, kisses it and holds it out threateningly [towards his Nibelung slaves]): [[ #45a ]] Tremble and quail, downtrodden herd: [[ #45b ]] be quick and obey the lord of the Ring!"
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[[#46]] Alberich's ever-growing “Nibelung Hoard” of treasure
Wagner’s metaphor for collective, historical man’s (Wotan’s, i.e., Light-Alberich’s) worldly experience and accumulation of a hoard of objective knowledge of man and nature over time.
(#46 based on #19b; related to other #19-based motifs such as #20a, #50, #51, #68, and #159)
“Alberich: Do you see the hoard that my army has heaped up for me there?
Loge: Such a splendid one I never yet saw! (…)
Alberich: [[ #46 ]] That's just for today a pitiful pile: daunting and great it shall grow hereafter.
Wotan: But what good is the hoard since Nibelheim’s joyless and naught can be bought here with wealth?
Alberich: To create yet more wealth and to hide away wealth Nibelheim’s night serves me well; [[ #46 ]] and yet with the hoard, heaped up in the cave, I shall then, I think, ... work wonders: (#17>) the whole of the world I'll win with it as my own. (#19)”
[Shortly afterward, #46 is heard again in a crucial passage]
“Alberich: (#46) Beware of my army of night, (#5) when the Nibelung’s hoard (#5) arises [[ (#@: A or C?) The Inevitability of Alberich’s Victory Motif Embryo?: #12; #20b ]] arises from silent depths to the light of day!
(#@: A or C?) The inevitability of Alberich’s victory over the gods, that Alberich’s hoard of knowledge will rise from the silent depths to the light of day and overthrow the illusions which sustain Valhalla (religion)
((#@: A or C?) is a compound motif comprised of #12 and #20b. See #12 and #20b for motival links.)
[See #46 for (#@: A or C?)’s dramatic context]
