roof, but he warns him that he shall only await the
morrow to fight him.

Sieglinda, having fallen in love with her guest mixes a powder with her
husband's potion, which sends him into profound sleep. Then she
returns to Siegmund, to whom she shows the hilt of the sword, thrust
deep into the mighty ash-tree's stem, which fills the middle space of
the hut. It has been put there by an unknown one-eyed wanderer,
(Wotan, who once sacrificed one of his eyes to Erda, wishing to gain
more knowledge for the sake of mankind). No hero has succeeded {346}
until now in loosening the wondrous steel. Siegmund reveals to
Sieglinda, that he is a son of the "Waelsung" and they recognize that
they are twin brother and sister. Then Sieglinda knows that the sword
is destined for Siegmund by his father, and Siegmund, with one mighty
effort draws it out of the ash-tree. Sieglinda elopes with him and the
early morning finds them in a rocky pass, evading Hunding's wrath.

In the second scene we see Wotan, giving directions to the Walkyrie
Bruennhilde, who is to shield Siegmund in his battle with Hunding.
Bruennhilde is Wotan's and Erda's child and her father's favorite. But
Fricka comes up, remonstrating violently against this breach of all
moral and matrimonial laws; she is the protector of marriages and most
jealous of her somewhat fickle husband, and she forces Wotan to
withdraw his protection from Siegmund and to remove the power of
Siegmund's sword.

Wotan recalls Bruennhilde, changing his orders with heavy heart and
sending her forth to tell Siegmund his doom. She obeys, but Siegmund
scorns all her fine promises of Walhalla. Though he is to find his
father there, and everything besides that he could wish, he prefers
foregoing all this happiness, when he hears that Sieglinda, who has
been rendered inanimate by grief and terror, cannot follow him, but
must go down to "Hel" after her death, where the shadows lead a sad and
gloomy existence.--He wins Bruennhilde by his {347} love and noble
courage, and she for the first time resolves to disobey Wotan's orders
given so unwillingly, and to help Siegmund against his foe.

Now ensues the combat with Hunding, Bruennhilde standing on Siegmund's
side. But Wotan interferes, breaking Siegmund's sword; he falls, and
Wotan kills Hunding too by one wrathful glance.

Then he turns his anger against the Walkyrie, who dared to disobey his
commands and Bruennhilde flies before him, taking Sie