Eight Vassals: What would you have us do then (:#168ab vari/#172)? (#135? [or some other musical figure from Wotan’s questioning of Siegfried in S.3.2?])
Hagen: (#160?:) Bring down a boar for Froh; a sturdy goat (#172:) slay for Donner (:#160?; :#172): (#168ab vari:) for Fricka, though, you must slaughter sheep, so that she gives a goodly marriage (:#168ab vari)!
Vassals: (with ever increasing hilarity: #172:) When we’ve slaughtered the beasts, what then should we do (:#172)?
Hagen: Take up the drinking-horn (#168 canon vari >> :) blissfully filled by your sweethearts with mead and with wine (:#168 canon vari).
The Vassals: (#172:) With horn in hand, how should we then behave (:#172)?
Hagen: (#168b?:) Quaff all you can till drunkenness tames you (:#168b?) – (#168:) and all to honour the gods, (#168 vari:) that they give a goodly marriage (:#168 vari)!
The Vassals: (breaking into ringing laughter. #168b vari:) Fair fortune and good now smile on the Rhine, since Hagen the grim can make so merry (:#168b vari)! (#?: [perhaps a musical reference to Mime’s remark to Siegfried in S.1.1, which was there associated with his #41 duple “shambling motif”: “(#41 duple:; #voc?:) ‘No doubt you’d like some food; I’ll fetch the roast from the spit’ (:#41 duple; :#voc?),” which may be an embryo for the family of Gibichung motifs which include #151, #155, #156, and #171? perhaps this music is heard again at the end of T.2.4 when the vassals, women, Siegfried and Gutrune leave Bruennhilde, Gunther, and Hagen alone, when it is slowed down and combined with #156?]) The hawthorn bush no longer pricks. (#171 >> :) He’s been installed as bridal herald (:#? [Mime reference from S.1.1?]; :#171).
(Having remained entirely serious, Hagen now descends from his position at the back of the stage and joins the vassals: #171)
