Loreley
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The Loreley (also written as Lorelei) is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 meters above the water line. It marks the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat accidents there.
Loreley is also the name of one of the beautiful Rhine Maidens who lured navigators of this river to their dooms with their alluring singing, much as the ancient Greek Sirens did.
In 1395 the Loreley showed up as vineyard of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen.
The name comes from the old German words "lureln" (Rhine dialect for "murmuring") and "ley" (rock). The translation of the name would therefore be: "murmur rock" or "murmuring rock". The heavy currents, and a small waterfall in the area (still visible in the early 19th century) created a murmuring sound, and this combined with the special echo the rock produces which acted as a sort of amplifier, then gave name to the rock itself.[1] The murmuring is hard to hear today due to the urbanization of the area. Other theories attribute the name to the many accidents, by combining the word "luren" (lurk) with the same "ley" ending, with the translation "lurking rock".
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[edit] In folklore and poetry
The rock is associated with several legendary tales originating in German folklore. It appears in many forms. The legend was first created by the German author Clemens Brentano in his novel "Godwi oder Das steinerne Bild der Mutter" (1801); Brentano was inspired by Ovid, especially by the Echo-Narcissus myth.
One of the legends is that Loreley, a beautiful young maiden, committed suicide because of an unfaithful lover. She jumped from the steep rock into the Rhine River, thus killing herself. She then became a siren, luring shipmen to their fates with her hypnotizing voice. The echoing heard today is said to be Loreley.
[edit] The Lorelei by Heinrich Heine, translated by Clint Andrews
I don't know what it may signify
That I am so sad;
There's a tale from ancient times
That I can't get out of my mind.
The air is cool in the twilight is falling,
And the Rhine is flowing quietly by;
The top of the mountain is glittering
In the evening sun.
The loveliest maiden is sitting,
up there wondrous to tell.
Her golden jewelry sparkles,
as she combs her golden hair.
She combs it with a golden comb
and sings a song as she does;
A song with a peculiar,
powerful melody.
It seizes upon the boatman in his small boat
With unrestrained woe;
He does not look below the rocky shoals;
He only looks up at the heights.
If I'm not mistaken the waters,
Finally swallowed up fisher and boat.
And with her singing
the Lorelei did this.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Loreley - Ein Beitrag zur Namendeutung. Accessed June 16, 2006.
[edit] External links
- The Loreley, a vineyard of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen and their first Riesling of the World
- Text of the Poem by Clemens Brentano
- Lorelei Info Information all around the Lorelei
- Lorelei Song mp3
