Notung, the Sword of Siegmund, and Notung, the Reforged Sword
THE HISTORY OF THE SWORD[]
Notung is the magic sword of Siegmund and his son Siegfried. Notung was the sword promised by Wälse (god Wotan, who was the father of Siegmund). During Hunding and Sieglinde's wedding feast, her father Chief God Wotan places a sword on a tree for his son Siegmund. It can only be drawn by him. When Siegmund arrives at Hunding's house, he is unarmed, he talks to Hunding's wife, then Hunding returns, and Siegmund (who is first called Woeful and after Wölfing) tells the host his life story. Hunding returns from the battlefield where Siegmund killed the people of the Neidings, the Hunding clan. He realized that his guest was the enemy and said: "Today I stand you, but tomorrow we will meet in a fight with strong weapons! Watch out!" Siegmund has no weapon, his spear and shield are broken, but he remembers that his own father promised him a sword. A mighty weapon; he will find it in his biggest need. The sword shows him Sieglinde. After their dialogue where she recognizes him as her brother, Hunding's wife asks is he actually called Woeful, she wants an answears; is he really wants to call himself Son of wolf? He answears that she can names however she wants. When Wölfing talks about his father, Wälse, and she calls him "Siegmund", because that was his name by Wälsung. This name is very symbolic, in Wagner's work it has the etymology of "victorious or protector of victory". After it Siegmund draws sword and calls it "Notung", the name can be explained like this: "Not" is German "need" or "misery", so "Notung" is the Sword of Need, but not need of Siegmund, but need of love. The etymology of this name is essential to understand the rest of the drama's action. Siegmund is very happy; he has the sword, he has the wife, which loves him, but above the sky Wotan, who has been preparing to battle has been forced to agree to Siegmund's death by the goddess of marriage Frick, for his adultery and incest with Sieglinde. Lord of Ravens sends Brünhilde to Earth. He visits Siegmund and the sleeping Sieglinde. Brünhilde talks with Siegmund about his fate; he will die and go to Valhalla to drink and trainning fight with fallen heroes, but when Siegmund hears that after his death in battle, he will not meet Sieglinde, he refuses. He does not believe Valkyrie that he will die. He says: "Do you see this sword? The man who gave it to me gave me victory! With this blade I will destroy your threats!", daughter of Wotan answers: "The man who gave you this sword now gave you death!" decides to kill Sieglinde and himself: "Two lives laugh to you [sword]! Take them Notung, envious blade! Take them with one shot!", Brünhilde see a brave man, who has been forced to leave behind everything he loves, a warrior, who has been fighting all his life, but who has to die; valkyrie decides to help him, it is irresponsible, but she is ruled by her feelings. Siegmund goes into battle when he hears Hunding's horn: "The man who calls me: prepare for what you deserve! Notung will pay you your due!", On the battlefield, the Valkyrie protects Siegmund, but in the middle of the fight comes Wotan and his Spear breaks Notung to pieces. His daughter, Brünhilde, takes the sword pieces and gives them to Sieglinde. She later gives birth to Siegmund's son, Siegfried, and entrusts fragments of him and Notung to a dwarf Mime. However, Mime is unable to remake the sword; what he wants most; if he succeeds in remaking this weapon for Siegfried, Wälsung can become the slayer of gigant Fafner, who guard the Mighty Treasure of the Nibelungen in a dragon form. The dwarf makes swords for Siegfried, but everytime young boy breaks blades, even they were good for the giants. Siegfried wants the sword and Mime after talking about their relationship tell him the Wälsungs' story, about his parents and about Notung. Siegfried tells Mime to create a new sword from pieces of Notung; otherwise he will go into the forest and never come back. Then, when Siegfried goes for a walk, the dwarf meets Wotan, who claims that only one who knows no fear can forge a sword and that person will kill Mime. Siegfried returns in anger; why Mime does not work? After all, Nibelung says he can't do it: "A broken sword, so powerful magic, the skills of the dwarves can't do anything with it!" Siegfried himself decides to reforge Notung. He doesn't listen to Mime telling him how to do it; finds a new way, he say: "when master can't, why I should listen him?". The sword has been reforged and Siegfried cut the anvil with it. After hero uses a weapon to kill Fafner, then he kills Mime who wanted to kill him for Treasure of Nibelungs. Siegfried meets his grandfather Wotan and breaks the spear with Notung when Wotan try stop him in his plan to wake Brünhilde. Wälsung destroys the Spear with Notung, symbol of Wotan's power, what signaling the beginning of the end of the Gods.
Nothung's fate at the end of the cycle is not told.
Notung as symbol and his role in drama[]
Warriors using this sword have a very intimate relationship to it. To this weapon swears Siegmund in Hunding's house: "Siegmund is my name, an this is who I am! Let this sword be a witness of my oath!". Siegmund give word Sieglinda, that: "[...] there will guard you Notung, the Sword!". How we can see Siegmund everytime, when he say something about his obligations with Sieglinda he turn it to Notung. He treats sword not like just a weapon, but like living beying, when in his grief he wants to kill Sieglinda, he say: "Two lifes are laughing to you [sword]! Take them Notung, the envious blade! Take them by one shot!", this is another time, when he treats Notung, like a friend, like a friend, whose destiny was help him, but in this situation, he is unable to do anything. On similar way Siegfried treats Notung, after regorged it; with Notung he kill Fafner, he say: "Let this sword led me!" and destroyes Wotan's Weapon. With Sword Siegfried cut Brünhilde's armour. Notung is the sword on which Siegfried swears in "Die Götterdämmerung", that he didn't touch Brünhilde. This sword guard his honour, when Siegfried take Notung for witness we can hear leitmotiv "Honour". Taking oaths by sword is continuation past relationship between sword and Siegmund.