Hagen

This is my version of Hagen (full name Hagen von Tronje, pronounced “Haggen fon Tronyeh”, or Hagena in Old English, also called Högni in Old Norse), an important character in Germanic heroic legends. He appears in the medieval epic called the Nibelungenlied, tinged with Christianity but massively influenced by older Norse myths, and also in the Thidreksaga, a Norwegian saga of chivalry written in the same century as the Nibelungenlied, that is, in the 13th. But he is above all the main antagonist of the “Twilight of the Gods”, the fourth and final opera of Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung”. In all versions of his story – with the exception of the one told in the Norse Völsunga saga – his main “feat of arms” is to have killed the hero Siegfried. But I will tell the Germanic versions in reverse.

In Wagner's tetralogy, Hagen is the illegitimate son of Grimhilde, queen of the Gibichungen (in other words the Burgundians, a people of Germans who settled along the Rhine from the 4th century), and Alberich, former king of the Nibelungen/dwarves, first owner of the treasure of the Nibelungen and the famous Ring, both forged from the Gold stolen from the Rhinemaidens. The latter, after having been dispossessed of his treasure by Wotan/Odin in "The Rhinegold", had cast a curse on the Ring : all those who do not possess it will die of desire, and whoever possesses it will attract the murderer to him ; at least until the object returns to the hands of its creator. Its riches were long guarded by Fafner, the last of the giants, who became a dragon after killing his brother Fasolt out of greed. During this period when he was unable to recover his treasure, the deceitful Alberich undertook to seduce Grimhilde (probably by promising her that they could rule the world once he regained possession of the Ring...) and to mate with her, thinking that a loyal son would be an asset to take his revenge. Thus was born Hagen, half-human, half-Nibelung. Despite his nature of hybrid bastard, he was not rejected by Grimhilde's legitimate children, Prince Gunther and Princess Gutrune. But despite this acceptance, Hagen grew up to become a gloomy and taciturn being, who, under the influence of his biological father, ended up harboring a real hatred for Wotan and his heirs, including the hero Siegfried. When Gunther took his father Gibich's place on the throne of the Gibichungen, he made Hagen his chief minister. The latter, manipulated by Alberich, will in turn manipulate his half-brother and half-sister...
Thus, at the beginning of "Twilight of the Gods", Hagen advises Gunther to take a wife, and to find a husband for his sister Gutrune, to perpetuate the dynasty and increase its glory. He suggests that the king choose for himself Brünnhilde, the fallen Valkyrie (whom Gunther still believes to be in a supernatural sleep, on her rock surrounded by flames), and for her sister, Siegfried, the demigod who slew the dragon and seized his treasure. However, the king and Gutrune are unaware that those they covet already love each other. But how can these two parties of divine ancestry be conquered? Hagen tells Gutrune that he knows a potion that, once drunk by Siegfried, will make him forget all other women, and will make him fall in love with her at first sight. He then proposes to Gunther to grant Siegfried his sister's hand only after bringing him Brünnhilde. Later, the hero shows up at the Gibichungen’s hall, and is warmly welcomed by the king. Hagen's plan goes as expected : the demigod drinks the potion, falls in love with Gutrune, and Gunther imposes his conditions on him to allow them to marry. Siegfried accepts, even making a blood pact with the king. With the Tarnhelm, a magic helmet that is part of the Nibelung’s treasure, the hero will take on Gunther's appearance to seize the former Valkyrie and bring her back to him, without having any intercourse with her. The two blood brothers then leave the castle, leaving the sinister Hagen to stand guard. The interest in bringing Brünnhilde is indeed twofold, because before going to the banks of the Rhine, Siegfried had left her the Ring as a token of love. The dwarf Alberich takes advantage of the night to check his son's loyalty, making him swear to do everything to recover the Ring, in addition to continuing the plan that will lead to Siegfried's destruction.
The hero successfully fulfills his mission while respecting the pact, and returns to the Gibichungen estate, Brünnhilde and Gunther far behind him, so that the plot is not discovered. Hagen then gathers all of his king's vassals, to invite them to the upcoming festivities, even if it is mainly to have a large number of witnesses for the imminent scandal. Indeed, Brünnhilde is shocked to see a Siegfried who has forgotten her and is preparing to marry Gutrune. ...And I have no room anymore to finish the story...