Der Ring des Nibelungen Der Ring des Nibelungen ("The Ring of
the Nibelung") is a cycle of four epic operas or 'dramas' by the
German composer Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on
characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied. The four
dramas are often referred to as the Ring Cycle, "Wagner's Ring",
or simply The Ring. The Lord of the Rings and the Ring Cycle
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings appears to borrow some
elements from Der Ring des Nibelungen; Tolkien even started
working a translation of Die Walküre (the second of the four
operas that comprise the Ring Cycle), together with C.S. Lewis.
However, Tolkien himself denied that he had been inspired by
Wagner's work, saying that "Both rings were round, and there the
resemblance ceases." Some similarities arise because Tolkien and
Wagner both drew upon the same source material for inspiration,
including the Völsungasaga and the Poetic Edda. However, several
researchers posit that both authors draw upon many of the same
sources but T