<P> Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung ) , WWV 86 , is a cycle of four German - language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied . The composer termed the cycle a `` Bühnenfestspiel '' ( stage festival play ) , structured in three days preceded by a Vorabend ( `` preliminary evening '' ) . It is often referred to as the Ring Cycle , Wagner 's Ring , or simply The Ring . </P>
the ring of the nibelung is based on
characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied