freedom – Hagen delivers freedom’s greeting, i.e., Alberich’s curse on his ring, to men and gods]) and hand round the wineskins (:#176? [possible Loge/Alberich reference from R.4?])!
(#103: [developed] Wineskins and drinking horns are produced. All settle down. #126a inversion [repeated, and strongly marked!!!]; #176? [or some other musical figure with two notes plus a grace-note twist, perhaps #81’s or #164’s twist?])
Hagen: (#152: [in a festive mood, perhaps with some #19 harmony?]) He who scared away our game, you’ll now hear wondrous things of all that Siegfried hunted down (:#152 “Festive” vari?]).
Siegfried: (#152 vari >>:) I’m ill-provided for my meal: some of your spoils I must beg for myself (:#152 vari).
Hagen: (#174a:) You’re empty-handed (#174a)?
Siegfried (#103 vari:) I set out in search of wood-game (#174a/#103>>:) but only waterfowl showed itself: had I been better equipped, (#174b/#103 frag:; #175 [&/or #33b or #3?]) I might have caught for you three wild waterbirds (:#174b/#103 frag; :#175 [&/or #33b or #3?]), (#175:; #174c:; #164?:; #170a?:) who sang to me there on the Rhine (#170a/#164:) that I would be slain today (:#173; :#174c; :#170a/#164).
(Gunther starts up and looks darkly at Hagen. Siegfried settles down between Gunther and Hagen. #164?)
Hagen: (Giving instructions to one of the vassals to fill a drinking-horn for Siegfried, which he then offers to the latter: #170a:; #152 vari >>:; #21 voc?:) It would be an ill-fated hunt if the luckless hunter himself were brought down by a lurking head of game (:#170a; :#152 vari; :#21 voc?)!
As so often in Wagner’s Ring libretto, which consistently conveys a fairy-tale-like naivete, we find in Hagen’s seemingly innocent remark that the hunting party has now found where Siegfried fled, a double meaning. Siegfried is the last in the long line of culture heroes of both religious faith and artistic creativity who have temporarily redeemed man’s religious longing for transcendent value
