Who Was Who in The Ring

by
Peter Bassett

· Ever since the first performance of Das Rheingold in Munich in 1869, the characters of The Ring have become such familiar figures in the Wagnerian canon that it is surprising to find that Wagner originally had other names in mind for his gods and goddesses, Nibelungs, Rhinedaughters, heroes, giants and the rest.

· Some of the early names did not last long. The giants Windfahrer and Reiffrost, for instance, quickly became Fasolt and Fafner. However, the chief god was called Wodan, rather than Wotan, throughout the entire musical composition of Das Rheingold.

· The three Rhine-daughters were at first called 'Mermaids with swans' wings' (Meerfrauen mit Schwanenflügeln), for they were originally created for the riverbank scene with Siegfried. Siegfried's reference to them as 'waterfowl' in Götterdämmerung is a relic of this. In mythology, Swan-maidens were idealized Valkyries, who often fell in love with mortal heroes and could be trapped on earth if caught without their plumage. The ripples from this legend reached Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (1877), with its hapless Prince Siegfried and beguiling Swan-maidens.

· Another early label for the Rhine-daughters was 'Prophetic sisters', which explains their function in Götterdämmerung (so different from that in Rheingold) of foretelling Siegfried's death and informing Brünnhilde of the true nature of events. Initially, Wagner did not give them individual names at all and they were simply numbered: First, Second and Third, like the Norns. His earliest names for them were Bronnlinde, Flosshilde and Wellgunde, then Woghilde, Wellgunde and Flosslinde, until he settled on the familiar Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde (Woge 'billow', Welle 'wave', Flosse 'fin').

· The three Norns were originally called 'Women of fate' (Schicksalsfrauen). Mime, at first, was called Reigin. For a long time, Erda was known only as the Wala. She is, in one sense, Wagner's own creation, since there is no such earth-goddess in the northern myths. Despite her name (the Old High German word for 'earth') Erda's origins are in Greek mythology.

· Some changes during drafting and composition were, like Wodan/Wotan, matters of spelling. Loke became Loge, Sigemund and Sigelind became Siegmund and Sieglinde, Brünhild, Brünnhild or Brünhilde became Brünnhilde, Gudrun or Gudrune became Gutrune, Frigga or Frikka became Fricka, Freija became Freia, Fro became Froh, and Donnar became Donner.

...and What Was What

· Some of Wagner's original names for places and objects also come as a surprise. The Cave of Envy (Neidhöhle) in which the dragon Fafner dwells, began as the Heath of Envy (Gnitaheide or Neidheide). The Gibichung Hall was Gibich's fortress (Gibichenburg), and the Tarnhelm was a Tarncap (Tarnkappe). The famous sword Nothung was originally called Balmung an old German word meaning 'destruction' and found in the Nibelungenlied. 'Balmung! Balmung! Neidliches Schwert!' Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?