Art & Prose (4/7). The Ride of the Valkyries
"The Ring of the Nibelung" in the paintings of Marina Podgaevskaya
Marina Podgaevskaya. The Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walküre)
The amorous god Wotan was married to the goddess Fricka, the protector of marriage. He gave up one of his eyes to win her as his wife. Fricka was outraged by her husband’s illegitimate children—especially the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde. And after the two committed incest (not to mention that Sieglinde was already married), Fricka insisted that Siegmund must die. She sent the Valkyrie Brünnhilde (remember, the twins’ half-sister) to deliver this fate to Siegmund. That’s why the characters appear so tense in the previous painting.
As you already know, Brünnhilde fell in love with Siegmund. She wanted to defy Wotan’s will and save her brother, but their father intervened and makes him die. For the sake of her feelings, the Valkyrie decided to save at least Sieglinde, who was pregnant by her brother and beloved. Brünnhilde lifted her onto a horse and raced through the clouds toward Valhalla, seeking to hide her half-sister from the wrath of their father and Fricka.
Thus begins The Ride of the Valkyries—the most popular “hit” of Wagner’s legacy. On the way, Brünnhilde is joined by eight other Valkyries—also Wotan’s illegitimate daughters (Wagner doesn’t mention who their mother is; in Marina’s painting, they appear as ravens). Their furious father is in pursuit.
More scences are coming soon:
09.05.2025 – Wotan’s Farewell to Brünnhilde (Die Walküre)
16.05.2025 – Siegfried and Brünnhilde (Siegfried)
23.05.2025 – Twilight of the Gods (Götterdämmerung)
You can find the links to earlier scences in this publication:
Art & Prose, Season II Announcement
See you!
Viacheslav