Magic rings have been the subject of folklore and fairy tales for as long as people have adorned their fingers with glittering bands. But a ring endowed also with ultimate power is a theme that has captivated audiences for generations.

University of La Verne Professor David Werner will examine the relationship between good and evil and power in his upcoming lecture “My Precious Illusion: Rings of Power in Wagner and Tolkien.” He will examine the mythological relationship between power and love and the ring that allows only one or the other in Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

This will be the third of five presentations in the “Ring Festival La Verne” series, part of Ring Festival L.A., the regional multimedia celebration referred to as the most interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, collaborative artistic and cultural event to in Southern California since the L.A. Olympic Arts Festival.

Scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 29, Werner’s talk will take place in the Campus Center. All lectures in the “Ring Festival La Verne” series are open to the general public and admission is free. Directions to the university and a map of the main campus are available online at www.laverne.edu/about/maps-directions/.

Whether Tolkien’s trilogy was influenced by Wagner’s operas is an oft-debated subject. Tolkien himself responded to such inquiries by simply stating “Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases.”

But Werner, who also serves as chair of La Verne’s English Department, seeks in his lecture to examine more than just an academic quibble over matching jewelry.

“The idea of ruling the world is an ancient one in world mythology. Both Wagner and Tolkien make important use of the idea of a ring of power which can ‘rule the world.’ However, there are obvious inconsistencies inherent in the idea of ‘ruling the world,’” Werner said. “Surely, upon reflection, the ‘world’ referred to cannot actually mean the entire planet, because who truly wants to run trash collection in Slovakia?

“The idea of absolute power is continually intoxicating. The idea of the ring drifts through mythology through the ages, taking on different forms in the folk systems of different people, lending its aura to everything from Plato to modern conspiracy theory. But ‘The Ring’ is more complex than that, and the lust for power is the most basic of human desires.”

The “Ring Festival La Verne” Series, coordinated by Werner, is included in the “Talks & Symposia” portion of Ring Festival L.A. While the focus of the festival runs from April-June 2010 when L.A. Opera presents the four Wagner Operas, many events such as the La Verne series are underway and combine to create a regional celebration of the arts.

“La Verne, through its participation in Ring Festival L.A., joins dozens of educational and cultural institutions in promoting the place and importance of Art and the Humanities in the intellectual and emotional life of Southern California,” said Werner. “Los Angeles Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle of operas is an important cultural milestone for Southern California, and the University of La Verne is proud to be a part of this historic event.

Complete information on the entire Ring Festival L.A. is available at www.ringfestivalla.com.

“RING FESTIVAL LA VERNE” LECTURE SERIES

Part of Ring Festival L.A.

“Wagner, Schoenberg, and American Culture” (completed)

When – Monday, Feb. 1        Time – Noon       Site – Presidents Dining Room

Presenter – Kenneth Marcus, associate professor of History

“German Nationalism and the Rise of The Ring” (completed)

When – Thursday, Feb. 18    Time – 7 p.m.      Site – Campus Center

Presenter – Alfred Clark, associate vice president for Academic Affairs & professor of Humanities

● “My Precious Illusion: Rings of Power in Wagner and Tolkien”

When – Monday, March 29   Time – 7 p.m.      Site – Campus Center

Presenter – David Werner, associate professor of English

● “Beyond the Mystic Chasm: Wagner Conjures for the Theatre”

When – Thursday, April 8     Time – 4 p.m.      Site – Dailey Theatre

Presenter – Sean Dillon, assistant professor of Theatre Arts

● “Drama in Wagner’s Ring: Music Propels the Action”

When – Wednesday, April 21   Time – 7 p.m.   Site – Campus Center

Presenter – Kathleen Lamkin, professor of Music

Related Posts from the Archives:

1. Ring Tones
2. Lecture Series to Feature Professor Alfred Clark’s “German Nationalism and the Rise of The Ring” on Feb. 18
3. ‘Ring Festival LA’ Celebrates Wagner Art, Philosophy at La Verne
4. "Wagner, Schoenberg and American Culture" Lecture by Kenneth Marcus First in La Verne's "Ring" Series
5. Professor David Werner publishes chapter on prison education