Tyrolese Architecture , II 
hears triads ot modern heroes of history, 
famed giants and favorite dwarfs. But these 
are of minor importance compared with 
the celebrated Tristan Cycle. In a series 
of thirteen pictures the story of Tristan 
and Isolde is told as the artist gathered it 
from the poem of Gottfried of Strasburg. 
The mystical and poetic beauty of these 
scenes, pictured bv Tyrolese art of the 
early XV Century, is indeed remarkable; 
and Wagner, it is said, was so impressed by 
them that they inspired some of his composi¬ 
tions. In a hall adjoining that of Tristan is 
the Garel Cycle, forming a deep frieze im¬ 
mediately below the heavy brown timbers of 
the ceiling. About the middle of the XIII 
Century the poet Pleir of Salzburg sang of 
Garel, a hero of Arthur’s Round Table. 
The strange adventures of the gallant knight 
are faithfully related in eighteen scenes. Un- 
fortunately several of the pictures are so 
marred by time as to be scarcely distinguish¬ 
able. On the south side of the hall in the 
midst of the Germanic spirit of the wall 
decorations is an Italian Gothic mantel with 
polvchrome twisted columns. 
Upon a visit to Runkelstein in 1500 the 
Emperor Maximilian directed the decaying 
frescoes to be renovated by the painter 
Frederick Lebenbacher of Brixen. The 
buildings were ordered to be strengthened 
for defense. As events proved, this labor 
was to be thrown away, for twenty years 
later the whole southeastern part of the castle 
was demolished by an explosion of gun¬ 
powder kept in one of the lower rooms. 
For ten years Runkelstein remained in a for¬ 
lorn condition of partial ruin, its moat filled 
with debris. Again rebuilt, and this time 
by Sigmund of Brandis, the ownership passed 
during a period of over three hundred years 
from clergy to monarchs and again to clergy. 
24 
