Mime

Summary

Dominique Pagani discusses Mime, the Nibelung smith in Wagner's Ring, mainly in connection with Siegfried. He presents him as Alberich's brother, whipped for trying to keep the helmet he had forged1. He notes that Mime's account of the helmet makes the helmet's harmonies heard2. Having escaped from Nibelheim, Mime has set up "on his own account": he has become a "freelance" and raises Siegfried in the forest, passing himself off as his father3. His aim is to recover the ring: Siegfried is to kill the dragon, and Mime then plans to poison him and take the treasure45. He stresses Mime's impotence, since Mime is unable to reforge the sword6. He also points out that Mime reveals his true intentions in spite of himself, which leads Siegfried to strike him down7. In 2024, in a session on eternal return and the camps, he remarks that Mime's lament recalls traditional Jewish chants8.

1. 1#9.12 How can sciences of history be real?14 Jan 2021 · 1:01:51
2. 2#9.12 How can sciences of history be real?14 Jan 2021 · 1:24:21
3. 3#9.13 How can sciences of history be real?29 Jan 2021 · 1:14:03
4. 4Hesitation fascinated by hearing and by sight: Siegfried and Perceval12 Dec 2022 · 1:40:33
5. 5The eternal return… of the death camps?13 Oct 2024 · 1:04:12
6. 6#9.15 How can sciences of history be real?18 Feb 2021 · 59:40
7. 7Hesitation fascinated by hearing and by sight: Siegfried and Perceval12 Dec 2022 · 2:01:05
8. 8The eternal return… of the death camps?13 Oct 2024 · 1:08:28

Summary produced automatically from 11 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.