Adaptation
Poster for Production of Götterdämmerung
(c) Hungarian National Opera. Photo TBirkett
The Limits of Adaptation
We might go as far as to suggest that Wagner's 'Ring Cycle' Opera is a performance of Old Norse poetry, or at least a performative adaptation of the mythical and heroic material. At any rate, there is no adaptation that has had a more profound influence on the popular understanding of Old Norse myth than Wagner's cycle, including the final opera 'Götterdämmerung' ('Twilight of the Gods') pictured here. is a (mis)translation of Old Norse Ragnarök. The video below is of Gwyneth Jones performing Brunnhilde's 'Immolation Scene' in a production of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' filmed for television in Bayreuth in 1979.
Using Lyrics from Old Norse Poetry
In addition to performing adaptations of Old Norse poetry, the Norwegian musician Einar Selvik also draws on the poetry in the production of original scores, including for the History Channel series Vikings. The clip below is taken from Series 3, Episode 10, and features a performance of 'Ragnar's Funeral Song' composed by Einar Selvik and based on the eddic poem Hávamál. The second is a performance of the 'Vikings Suite' composed by Trevor Morris and Einar Selvik, at the International TV Series Gala at 8th Krakow Film Music Festival. The lyrics are taken from the Eddic poem Völuspá and the skaldic poem Darraðarljóð from Njáls saga. Adaptations such as this for TV and film expose large audiences to Old Norse poetry, and are one of the most interesting features of the Vikings series.