March 1, 1868.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



107 



She charmed the prince with her beauty and grace, but did 

 not win his love. He married another, and her little heart 

 was broken. She became a Light-elf, or spray of the ocean, 

 and immortal. 



The German tradition of the Lorelei is quaintly beautiful. 

 In days of yore, a charming maiden lived on the rocks 

 known by this name. She sat on them every evening and 

 combed her golden locks, or played strains on the lute, 

 accompanying the sweet tones of her voice. Many were 

 lured to their destruction by approacliing too near. The 

 son of the Pfalzgraf longed to see her, and as he ajiproached 

 the rocks she appeared, dressed in white and veiled. The 

 youth leapt into the waters so as to reach her, and was 

 drowned. His father sent soldiers to take her prisoner, 

 but, on their approach, she threw herself into the Rhine, 

 singing — 



Hasten hither, lovely waves. 



Take me quick]}- to your caves ! 



The waters rose, and two waves bore her away whilst she 

 still sang, and the LTndine was never seen again. 



It is related that at Bacharach there dwelt a beautiful 

 maiden who was much sought after and admired. She 

 would not accept any of the numerous suitors who loved her, 

 because she loved and waited for a brave kniglit who had 

 gone to Palestine. She caused .so much love and jealousy 

 that complaints were made to the Archbishop of Cologne. 

 He told her he would take her to a place where she could 

 await her lover, or, in case of his death, take the veil. 



She was escorted by three knights, and when she came 

 to the Lorelei she ascended the rocks to take a last look at 

 the Rhine. In the distance she saw a boat bearing her 

 lover, and, overcome with joy, she fell on her kneas and 

 extended her hands towards him. He saw her, and, whilst 

 gazing at her, his boat was caught in the whirlpool and 

 suddenly disappeared. As all gazed in horror at the spot, a 

 pale figure with fair hair appeared on the surface of the 

 water. Then the maiden, with a cry of despair, leaped 

 from the rock into the water where her lover had sunk, 

 never to rise again. They were afterwards found locked in 

 each other's embrace. This event conliimed the belief in 

 the existence of the Nymph of the Lorelei. 



A similar legend is told about a gloomy lake called the 

 Wildsee, not many miles from Baden-Baden. Here dwell 

 water-sprites, who spend their days on its banks, weaving 

 garlands, playing on their lutes, and singing — enchanting 

 unwary travellers. A young shepherd-boy once heard a 

 beautiful strain of music, and, approaching the lake, saw 

 the fair singer. He gazed spell-bound, as she played on her 

 harp. As soon as she heard his step, she gave him one 

 glance, and then sprang into the lake. That glance drove 

 him wild, and he wandered from place to place, but after a 

 time disappeared, and was never heard of again. 



The waters of the Mummelsee, a large lake not many 

 miles distant from the Wildsee, are generally calm ; but at 

 times, when the day is most peaceful, the lake is covered 

 with billowy waves. Here, according to ancient tradition, 

 dwell l)eautiful L'ndines, who are formed as if of snowy 

 lilies, with the exquisite blush of a delicate rose. Every 

 month they rise to the top of the lake, and revel in the 

 moonlight, sitting on the rocks, and combing their flowing 

 locks. As the first streak of dawn appears they have to 

 return to their home, otherwise an ugly old water-dwarf 

 orders them home, and they dare not disobey him. 



A French legend tells the story of a cloud-maiden, a kind 

 of mermaid, called Melusina. Raymond, Count de la Forot, 

 of Poitou, having unfortunately killed his patron during a 

 hunting excursion, fled into the deepest recesses of the forast. 

 After wandering for many hours, he came to a pleasant 

 glade, illumined by the moon. In the midst bubbled up 



a limpid fountain and flowed away over a pebbly floor with 



a soothing murmur. Xear the fount;iin-head sat three 



maidens in glimmering white dresses, with long waving 



111- 

 golden hair and faces of inexpressible beauty.* One 



advanced towards Raymond, who was so charmed with her 

 beauty that he became betrothed to her before daybreak. 

 She became his wife with the restriction that she might pass 

 Saturday's by herself. This was agreed to, and for a time 

 all went well. One day, however, the Count, unable any 

 longer to restrain his curiosity, broke his promise, and made 

 the discovery that his wife, during the time thus given to 

 her, was transformed into a mermaid. He said nothing 

 about the matter until one day when, being angry with his 

 wife, he reproached her for being " a vile serpent, con- 

 taminator of his honourable race." Casting on him a pitiful 

 look, she disappeared for ever from his sight through the 

 castle wmdow. It it said, however, that whenever one of 

 the Lords of Lusignan is about to die she hovers about the 

 castle, moaning like a banshee.f 



The story of LTndine is somewhat similar to the above ; 

 but she marries the knight Huldebrand in the hope of 

 obtaining a mortal soul. A Flemish legend tells of three 

 Nixies who came from the waves of the Meuse and danced 

 with the villagers at their vintage-feast. They .sang and 

 danced most gi-acefully ; and one of them, whilst dancing, took 

 off her gloves and handed them to a peasant. When the 

 clock struck twelve, the Nixies hastened away, but the 

 unlucky one who had taken off her gloves could not find 

 them again. She hastened away without them, but next 

 morning the waters of the Meuse were blood-red, and these 

 water-sprites were never seen again. 



Among the peasantry of South Russia exists a belief in 

 water-nymphs resembling the Nereids of Modern Greece 

 and the female Nixies of Europe. In the Skazhas mention 

 is often made of beauteous maidens who live beneath the 

 waves, but can transform themselves at will into birds, and 

 fly wherever they please. They often appear as ducks, 

 geese, and other birds of the same species. They are the 

 daughters of ]\Iorskoi Tsar, or Water King, who lives 

 in a beautiful cave under the waters. At times he comes 

 forth to seize a human being, generally a boy, who eventu- 

 ally marries one of his daughters. They escape to the 

 upper world, but with much difficulty. J 



A story is related about a prince, who, on account of a 

 promise made bv his father, was obliged to surrender him- 

 self to the Water Giant. He fell in love with a beautiful 

 maiden, who lived in the king's palace, and whom the king 

 had .stolen. She transformed herself into a ring, which the 

 prince carried about with him until he escaped from the 

 Water King, and then the fair maiden became his bride. § 



Water-nymphs are also referred to in the mythology of 

 the Western hemisphere. jNIany stories are related about 

 them among the Red Indians. The Ottawas tell of a woman 

 called ]Monedo Kway, who bad a beautiful daughter. She 

 was so handsome that her mother feared she would be 

 stolen, so she put her in a box on the lake, and tied it by a 

 string to a stake on the shore. Every morning the mother 

 fed her daughter, and combed her long shining hair. Not- 

 withstanding the mother's great care, her daughter was 

 stolen by a superannuated old spirit called Iskhwon 

 Daimeka, who married her. After three years a storm 

 arose, and the waters destroyed the old spirit's cabin and 

 himself, and bore the foam-woman home to her mother. 

 But, alas ! her beauty had now left her, and the mother had 

 no longer any reason to fear that she would be stolen. || 



* Baring-Gould, " Curious Myths," p. 343. 



t Fiske, " Myths and Myth-Makers," p. 97. 



t Ralston. "Russian Folk Tales," p. 130. § Ibid. p. 143. 



II Schoolcraft, " Hiawatha Legends," p. 213. 



