HERO TALES AND LEGENDS OF THE RHINE
By Lewis Spence (1874-1955)
Originally published: Hero tales & legends of theRhine.
London; New York:
George C. Harrap, 1915.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I—TOPOGRAPHICALAND HISTORICAL
CHAPTER II—THE RHINE INFOLKLORE AND LITERATURE
CHAPTER III—CLEVES TOTHE LÖWENBURG
CHAPTER IV—DRACHENFELSTO RHEINSTEIN
CHAPTER V—FALKENBURG TOAUERBACH
CHAPTER VI—WORMS ANDTHE NIBELUNGENLIED
CHAPTER VII—HEIDELBERGTO SÄCKINGEN
INTRODUCTION
An abundance of literature exists on the subject of the Rhineand its legends, but with few exceptions the works on it whichare accessible to English-speaking peoples are antiquated inspirit and verbiage, and their authors have been content toaccept the first version of such legends and traditions as cametheir way without submitting them to any critical examination. Itis claimed for this book that much of its matter was collected onthe spot, or that at least most of the tales here presented wereperused in other works at the scene of the occurrences related.This volume is thus something more than a mere compilation, andwhen it is further stated that only the most characteristic andoriginal versions and variants of the many tales here given havegained admittance to the collection, its value will becomeapparent.
It is, of course, no easy task to infuse a spirit oforiginality into matter which has already achieved such a measureof celebrity as have these wild and wondrous tales of Rhineland.But it is hoped that the treatment to which these stories havebeen subjected is not without a novelty of its own. Onecircumstance may be alluded to as characteristic of the manner oftheir treatment in this work. In most English books on Rhinelegend the tales themselves are presented in a form so brief,succinct, and uninspiring as to rob them entirely of thatmysterious glamour lacking which they become mere material bywhich to add to and illustrate the guide-book. The absence of theromantic spirit in most English and American compilations dealingwith the Rhine legends is noteworthy, and in writing this bookthe author’s intention has been to supply this strikingdefect by retaining as much of the atmosphere of mystery so dearto the German heart as will convey to the English-speaking readera true conception of the spirit of German legend.
But it is not contended that because greater space and freedomof narrative scope than is usual has been taken by the author thevolume would not prove itself an acceptable companion upon avoyage on Rhine waters undertaken in holiday times of peace.Indeed, every attempt has been made so to arrange the legendsthat they will illustrate a Rhine journey from sea tosource—the manner in which the majority of visitors toGermany will make the voyage—and to this end the tales havebeen marshalled in such form t