In Richard Wagner’s opera Die Walküre, Siegmund’s shattered sword is named Nothung.
Wotan previously placed the sword in a tree called the ash-tree, declaring that only the destined hero could draw it. Siegmund removes it during the opera’s first act, fulfilling the test and gaining the weapon needed for his escape.
Nothung is Wagner’s version of the famous sword associated with the Völsung legend. In medieval German and Scandinavian traditions, related versions of the weapon are called names such as Gram or Balmung, which can cause confusion when comparing Wagner with earlier sources.
The sword is later reforged for Siegfried, Wotan’s grandson in Wagner’s Ring cycle. Its name is therefore an important link between Die Walküre and the later opera Siegfried.