Richard Wagner: “Der Ring des Nibelungen”

Water maidens, gnomes, giants, snakes, a dragon, gods, humans, a gold ring, a helmet with magical transformative powers, a sword with superhuman power, a castle in the sky – all are part of Wagner’s fifteen hour, four opera (Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, Gotterdammerung), opus magnum. What, if anything, does all of this mean?