Mats Norrman wrote, quoting Wotan's final statement upon completing the
protective ring of fire around the sleeping Bruenhilde:

>"Wer meines Speeres/ Spitze fuerchtet/
>durchschreite das Feuer nie!").  Isn't that wonderful?

("Who fears the tip of my spear shall never cross over this fire")

That, rather than obliviousness to the flames themselves is the test
Bruenhilde's suitor must pass, which, when the Wanderer (Wotan) seeks to
bar his way, Siegfried does, shattering the spear w/ his newly (re)forged
sword, which had previously been shattered by the same spear.

Walter Meyer