Part Two: Die Walküre—The Human Heart of the Ring
You've made it through the "Preliminary Evening" and now you're ready for the first official "Day" of the Ring cycle. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is, in many ways, the most popular and accessible of the four operas. While Das Rheingold was a prologue about gods and the creation of a curse, Die Walküre is a deeply personal and emotional drama centred on human love, family dysfunction, and defiance.
It’s also where you’ll encounter the most famous piece of music from the entire cycle: the magnificent "Ride of the Valkyries." But that is just one moment in a three-and-a-half-hour tapestry of breathtaking music and gripping storytelling.
Picking Up the Story: The Völsung Twins
Years have passed since the events of Das Rheingold. Wotan, the chief god, now realizes the peril he is in. He is bound by his own treaties and cannot simply take the Ring back from Fafner, the giant-turned-dragon who guards it. In a desperate act, Wotan has fathered a race of mortal heroes, the Völsungs, hoping that one of them—unbound by divine law—will be able to reclaim the Ring for him.
Our story opens on a stormy night, not in the realm of the gods, but in a small, rustic hut. A wounded man, Siegmund, stumbles inside, seeking shelter. The hut belongs to a woman named Sieglinde and her brutish husband, Hunding.
Siegmund: A mortal hero, one of Wotan's twin children, separated from his sister in childhood. He is a man haunted by loss and on the run.
Sieglinde: Siegmund's twin sister. She is trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage to Hunding.
Hunding: A powerful and violent man, suspicious of the stranger who has entered his home.
As Siegmund and Sieglinde meet, an instant and undeniable connection sparks between them. Their music intertwines, revealing a profound and tragic love. They recognise in each other a sense of shared destiny and a deep longing for freedom. They don't yet know they are twins. Hunding returns, recognises Siegmund as an enemy he has been hunting, and grants him a night's hospitality, but promises a duel to the death in the morning.
After Hunding falls asleep, Sieglinde reveals a secret to Siegmund: a mysterious stranger (Wotan in disguise) once plunged a sword into the trunk of the great ash tree in their hut, declaring it could only be pulled out by the hero destined to wield it. Siegmund, realising his destiny, names the sword Nothung (meaning "Needful") and pulls it free. In this moment of shared triumph, the twins declare their love, and with the sword, Siegmund and Sieglinde escape into the night.
The Conflict of the Gods
Now we return to Valhalla and the gods. The gods' "family drama" intensifies dramatically. Wotan has chosen to champion Siegmund, his mortal son, hoping he will be the hero who regains the Ring. He even sends his favorite daughter, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde, to protect him in the coming duel with Hunding.
Wotan: Still the chief god, but now a figure of immense internal conflict. He is torn between his desires, his love for his children, and his fear of losing his authority, which is personified by his wife, Fricka.
Fricka: Wotan's wife and the goddess of marriage. She represents social order, contracts, and the sanctity of vows. When she learns of Siegmund and Sieglinde's incestuous relationship and their violation of Hunding's marriage, she is outraged.
Fricka confronts Wotan in one of the most powerful scenes of the opera. Her music is a fierce, righteous condemnation of Wotan's hypocrisy. She demands that Wotan's protection be withdrawn from Siegmund and that Siegmund must die to uphold the moral laws of the gods. Wotan, initially defiant, is forced to concede. He is trapped by his own laws and promises, and Fricka's logical arguments dismantle his schemes. He painfully agrees to allow Hunding to kill Siegmund.
Brünnhilde, listening from a distance, is horrified. Her music is full of compassion and heroic spirit. When she goes to Wotan, he explains the terrible dilemma, revealing the full tragedy of his ambition and the curse of the Ring. He orders her to ensure Siegmund's defeat.
Brünnhilde's Defiance and Wotan's Punishment
In the final scene of Act II, the duel takes place. Brünnhilde appears to Siegmund, telling him he must die but promises to bring him to Valhalla as a hero. Siegmund refuses to go, declaring he would rather be with Sieglinde in the afterlife. Moved by his love and defiance, Brünnhilde, against her father's direct orders, decides to protect him and ensure his victory.
As Siegmund is about to deliver the final blow to Hunding, Wotan himself appears in a flash of lightning. He shatters Siegmund's sword, Nothung, with his spear, leaving Siegmund defenceless. Hunding kills him, and Wotan, with a gesture of cold disdain, strikes Hunding down as well.
The final act begins with the exhilarating "Ride of the Valkyries." Brünnhilde has taken Sieglinde—now pregnant with Siegmund’s child—and fled to a mountaintop, seeking refuge with her sister Valkyries. The Valkyries are warrior-maidens who carry fallen heroes to Valhalla. Their music is full of raw energy and martial power.
Wotan, enraged by Brünnhilde's disobedience, pursues her. He arrives on the mountaintop to deliver a punishment for her betrayal. This is a moment of profound emotional conflict, as Wotan's music is a mix of fury and deep, tragic love for his favourite daughter. He declares that she is no longer a Valkyrie and that she will be cast out of the realm of the gods, put into a deep sleep, and become the wife of the first man who finds her.
Brünnhilde, defiant but desperate, pleads with her father. She reminds him of the pure and noble intentions that drove her to disobey him. She asks him to surround her with a ring of magic fire, so that only a true hero—one who knows no fear—can brave the flames and awaken her. Wotan, moved by her plea, agrees. With a final, sorrowful farewell (Wotan's Farewell), he kisses her on the forehead, putting her into a deep sleep.
He then summons Loge, the god of fire, who had disappeared at the end of Das Rheingold. A shimmering ring of fire encircles the rock where Brünnhilde lies sleeping. The opera ends with the music of the magic fire, promising that a hero will one day brave the flames. That hero, of course, is the subject of our next instalment.
Why Die Walküre is a Great Next Step
Intense Human Drama: It moves the story from the mythological to the personal, focusing on characters you can care about.
Iconic Music: Beyond the "Ride of the Valkyries," you'll hear the soaring love music of Siegmund and Sieglinde, the righteous fury of Fricka, and the heartbreaking farewell of Wotan.
The Introduction of Key Figures: We meet the hero Siegmund and, most importantly, Brünnhilde, who will become one of the central figures of the entire cycle. Her fate becomes a powerful motivator for the rest of the story.
The Seeds of the Future: We not only see the consequences of the Ring's curse but also the birth of the hero, Siegfried, who will be born to Sieglinde. The broken sword, Nothung, is also a key plot point for the next opera.
By understanding the human tragedy and divine conflict in Die Walküre, you are perfectly prepared for the youthful heroism and forging of destiny in the next chapter.
