Wotan’s favourite daughter; we know her mother is Erda. She rides a stallion (often grey (white), sometimes black), called Grane who carries her into her funeral pyre. In 1926 in Bayreuth Grane kicked and injured several cast members; in 1939 the horse died after the first act. No horses will be harmed in this production. Brünnhilde protects Siegmund, defying Wotan, and takes care of the pregnant Sieglinde. Siegfried gives her the Ring as a token of his undying love. She suffers heart-wrenchingly throughout the Ring Cycle but finds redemption at the end. Norse mythology doesn’t tell us who was the mother of Brünnhilde’s sisters; some say Wagner has Erda as mother to all; others that Wagner presents Fricka as mother to the others. Either way, they are a fearsome group of women. You will know the music! Their horses too have characters and bicker much as their riders, particularly the stallions who fight over the mares. The sisters, Gerhilde, Grimgerde, Helmwige, Ortlinde, Rossweise, Schwertleite, Siegrune and Waltraute live, ride, fight and stand together against all threats. This includes trying to protect Brünnhilde from their father Wotan’s anger.

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