Act in: Story
\ Mountain Top
Seene i
The Valkyries tee on their way from the battlefield to Walhall. Riding through the air, they meet (in a summit, fallen heroes slung over their saddles. Hriinnhilde is the last to arrive, carrying Sicglinde and the splinters of Sicgmund's sword. She begs her sisters for help, since Wotan is pursuing her, about to exact punishment for her disobedience. She pleads in \ain. None of the Valkyries is prepared to incur Wotan's displeasure. Sicglinde has no will Lo survive without Rie.gniund until Brunnhilde informs her that she is to give birth to Siegfried, Siegmund's son. Briinnhildc hands the splintered sword to the ecstatic Sicglinde and directs her to a fares! shelter, where she will be safe from Wotan's wrath and where Siegfried shall be born.
Scene 2
The enraged Wotan arrives. Brunnhilde. who at first hides behind her sisters, steps forward lo face her father. Wotan pronounces her punishment: she is to lose her status as a Valkyrie and is to become a mortal woman instead:
Here on mis rock ludged shall you be; defenceless, in sleep locked by my spell. One man shall conquer the maid, when he wakes her and makes her his own.
The other Valkyries plead with Wotan, but are unable to move him. The god commands them to abandon their disobedient sister.
Seene 3
Wotan and Brunnhilde are alone. Brunnhilde tries lo convince her father thai in aiding Siegmund she had been acting in Wotan's own interest. The god does not agree. Yielding to Fric-ka's irrefutable arguments, he had commanded Siegmund's death, and Briinnhilde had flouted his injunction. Wotan the law-giver is obliged to abide by the law. In sorrow he sentences llrunnhilde. The former Valkyrie begs her father to modify the
punishment by protecting her chaste slumber with an impenetrable wall of lire. Wotan consents. He lakes her godhead away with a kiss, then gently lowers her in a rock beneath a pine tree, lie covers her with her shield and summons Loge to ring the rook with a circle of flames. He grips his spear and proclaims:
No man who fears my sacred spear-point, shall fare through this fiery sea!
Sadly the god strides away. His one remaining hope is Tor a free hero who may eventually shoulder his, Wotan's, burden and make amends for his vt rongdohigs.
Wotan pills HninnhiUlc- Lo slt?e|>: [justt'Lird \>y .in unknown artist
12B   Richard Wagner Dis Walküre
Act 111: Story 129