Page:Psychology of the Unconscious (1916).djvu/493

 "I leave to thee, loveliest Wälsung, Gladly my heritage now. To the ever-young In gladness yieldeth the god!"

These wise words contain, in fact, the saving thought. It is not the mother who has placed the poisonous worm in our path, but our libido itself wills to complete the course of the sun to mount from morn to noon, and, passing beyond noon, to hasten towards evening, not at war with itself, but willing the descent and the end.[134]

Nietzsche's Zarathustra teaches:

"I praise thee, my death, the free death, which comes to me because I want it.

"And when shall I want it?

"He who has a goal and an heir wants death at the proper time for his goal and his heir.

"And this is the great noonday, when man in the middle of his course stands between man and superman, and celebrates his path towards evening as his highest hope: because it is the path to a new morning.

"He who is setting will bless his own going down because it is a transition: and the sun of his knowledge will be at high noon."

Siegfried conquers the father Wotan and takes possession of Brunhilde. The first object that he sees is her horse; then he believes that he beholds a mail-clad man. He cuts to pieces the protecting coat of mail of the sleeper. (Overpowering.) When he sees it is a woman, terror seizes him:

"My heart doth falter and faint; On whom shall I call That he may help me?