The Tarnhelm is a magic helmet in

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's ''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...

'' (written 1848–1874; first perf. 1876). It was crafted by Mime at the demand of his brother Alberich. It is used as a

cloak of invisibility A cloak of invisibility is an item that prevents the wearer from being seen. In folklore, mythology and fairy tales, a cloak of invisibility appears either as a magical item used by duplicitous characters or an item worn by a hero to fulfill a q ...

by Alberich in ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86A, is the first of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nib ...

''. It also allows one to change one's form: *Alberich changes to a dragon and then a toad in ''Das Rheingold'', Scene 3. * Fafner changes to a dragon after the end of ''Das Rheingold'' and appears thus in

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

Act II. (It is never made clear whether Fafner actually used the Tarnhelm to transform, or simply transformed as many giants and gods did in the myths. There is also no Tarnhelm present in the original Andvari myth from Reginsmál in the

Poetic Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...

from which Wagner drew inspiration for this scene.) *

changes to

Gunther Gundaharius or Gundahar (died 437), better known by his legendary names Gunther () or Gunnar (), was a historical King of the Burgundians in the early 5th century. Gundahar is attested as ruling his people shortly after they crossed the Rhine ...

's form in ''

Götterdämmerung ' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86D, is the last of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). I ...

'' Act I, Scene 3. Finally, it allows one to travel long distances instantly, as Siegfried does in ''Götterdämmerung'', Act II. The stage directions in ''Das Rheingold'' and ''Siegfried'' describe it as a golden chain-mail helmet which covers the wearer's face.

In politics

''Nacht und Nebel'' ("Night and Fog") was a directive of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

on 7 December 1941 that was originally intended to remove all political activists and resistance "helpers"; "anyone endangering German security" throughout

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

's occupied territories. The name was a direct reference to a magic spell involving the "''Tarnhelm''" ("stealth helmet") from Wagner's '' Rheingold''.

In popular culture

*In ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

'',

Éowyn Éowyn ( or , Appendix E, "Note") is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a shieldmaiden. With the hobbit Merry Brandybuck, she rides into battle an ...

adopts the name "Dernhelm" when she masquerades as a man before slaying the Witch-King of Angmar; "Dernhelm" is the Old English equivalent of "Tarnhelm".Peter Gilliver, '' The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary,'' p. 103.

References

{{Der Ring des Nibelungen Helmets Mythological clothing Magic items Der Ring des Nibelungen

In politics

In popular culture

See also

References