# The Ring of the Niblungs (Rackham)/The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie

illustrated by Arthur Rackham
THE RING OF THE NIBLUNG
The Rhinegold: Prelude The Valkyrie: First Day of the Trilogy Siegfried: Second Day of the Trilogy The Twilight of the Gods: Third Day of the Trilogy
Books Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Uniform with this volume, Price 15s net
THE RING OF THE NIBLUNG
II. Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods
ARTHUR RACKHAM’S BOOK OF PICTURES.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. by William Shakespeare.
RIP VAN WINKLE By Washington Irving
    Complete Edition
THE INGOLDSBY LEGENDS OF MIRTH
    AND MARVELS. by Thomas Ingoldsby, Esq.
Also
UNDINE. By De la Motte Fouqué. Adapted from
    the German by W. L. Courtney. Cr. 4to. 7s. 6d. net.
and
Large Crown 8vs. Price 6s net each
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
    by Lewis Carroll. With a Proem by Austin Dobson
ÆSOP’S FABLES. A New Translation by
    V. S. Vernon Jones, with an Introduction by G. K. Chesterton. 6s. net.
MOTHER GOOSE. The Old Nursery Rhymes.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL. By Charles Dickens
THE ALLIES’ FAIRY BOOK.
RIP VAN WINKLE. By Washington Irving.
    Cheaper Edition, with 24 selected plates. Cr. 4to. 6s. net.
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN, 21 BEDFORD STREET, W.C.
THE RING OF THE NIBLUNG A TRILOGY WITH A PRE- LUDE BY RICHARD WAGNER TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY MARGARET ARMOUR I
BY · RICHARD·WAGNER WITH · ILLUSTRATIONS BY · ARTHUR · RACKHAM
TRANSLATED·BY·MARGARET·ARMOUR
LONDON WILLIAM·HEINEMANN NEW·YORKDOUBLEDAY·PAGE·&·Co
First Printed 1911. New Impressions 1914, 1918.
All rights reserved,
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| | To face page |
| “Raging, Wotan Rides to the rock! •••• Like a storm-wind he comes!” Frontispiece | |
| The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens | 4 |
| The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich | 10 |
| “Mock away! Mock! The Niblung makes for your toy!” | 14 |
| “Seize the despoiler! Rescue the gold! Help us! Help us! Woe! Woe!” | 16 |
| Freia, the fair one | 22 |
| “The Rhine's pure-gleaming children Told me of their sorrow” | 28 |
| Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner | 32 |
| The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia | 34 |
| Mime, howling. “Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh!” | 38 |
| Mime writhes under the lashes he receives | 40 |
| Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure | 44 |
| “Ohé! Ohé! Horrible dragon, O swallow me not! Spare the life of poor Loge!” | 50 ​ |
| “Hey! Come hither, And stop me this cranny!” | 64 |
| “Erda bids thee beware” | 66 |
| Fafner kills Fasolt | 68 |
| “To my hammer's swing Hitherward sweep Vapours and fogs! Hovering mists! Donner, your lord, summons his hosts!” | 70 |
| “The Rhine's fair children, Bewailing their lost gold, weep” | 72 |
| “This healing and honeyed Draught of mead Deign to accept from me.” “Set it first to thy lips” | 80 |
| Hunding discovers the likeness between Siegmund and Sieglinde | 82 |
| Sieglinde prepares Hunding’s draught for the night | 88 |
| “Siegmund the Walsung Thou dost see! As bride-gift He brings thee this sword” | 100 |
| Brünnhilde | 102 |
| Fricka approaches in anger | 104 |
| Brünnhilde slowly and silently leads her horse down the path to the cave | 110 |
| “Father! Father! Tell me what ails thee? With dismay thou art filling thy child!” | 112 ​ |
| Brünnhilde stands for a long time dazed and alarmed | 118 |
| Brünnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave | 122 |
| “I flee for the first time And am pursued: Warfather follows close •••• He nears, he nears, in fury! Save this woman! Sisters, your help!” | 138 |
| “There as a dread Dragon he sojourns, And in a cave Keeps watch over Alberich’s ring” | 142 |
| The ride of the Valkyries | 148 |
| “Appear, flickering fire, Encircle the rock with thy flame! Loge! Loge! Appear!” | 156 |
| As he moves slowly away, Wotan turns and looks sorrowfully back at Brünnhilde | 158 |
| The sleep of Brünnhilde | 160 |
The Rhinegold
The Valkyrie