Edward A. Bortnichak and Paula M. Bortnichak, The New Wagnerian Menagerie: Bayreuth as Social Evolution and Bioethics Laboratory

Both mythic and real animals were incorporated by Wagner into nearly all his stage works – doves, swans, ravens, rams, flying horses, dragons, forest birds, etc. – serving to enrich his storytelling and create his artistic dreamscapes. These figures from the animal world, either actual or legendary, were meaningful to the audiences of his day and helped establish the required ‘mood’. They also complemented the stage picture: for example, the forest in Siegfried is a place of fear and danger when inhabited by Fafner, but a haven of refuge and enlightenment when presided over by the Forest Bird.