In Wagner’s Ring cycle, who is Siegfried’s mother?

In Wagner’s Ring cycle, Siegfried’s mother is Sieglinde.

Sieglinde is the daughter of the Wälsung king Wäls and the twin sister of Siegmund. She is forced into marriage with Hunding, but she and Siegmund recognize their shared identity and fall in love in Die Walküre.

Their union produces Siegfried. After Siegmund’s death, Brünnhilde helps the pregnant Sieglinde escape and gives her the fragments of Siegmund’s sword. Sieglinde takes refuge with Mime’s forge, where she gives birth to Siegfried before dying.

Wagner’s Sieglinde corresponds broadly to Hjordis and other maternal figures in the Völsung tradition, but the relationships are not identical. In particular, Wagner makes Sieglinde the twin of Siegmund, a major feature of his operatic retelling.