Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Knight Frankenstein and the Lindworm at the Fountain

Grimm’s Saga No. 219: Knight Frankenstein and the Lindworm at the Fountain






(Image after Edward Burne Jones: St. George kills the dragon).

In ancient times three brothers lived in the old castle of Frankenstein one-and-a-half hours distant from Darmstadt. Today you can still see their gravestones in the Oberbirbach Church. One of the brothers was named Hans, and his carved image standing on a dragon is still displayed in the churchyard. The village had a fountain, out of which both townsfolk and castle dwellers drew their water. But a horrible dragon nested near the fountain and the people could not fetch water if they did not first feed the dragon a sheep or cow. As long as the dragon was eating they could approach the water. Finally the Knight decided to put an end to this mischief. He waged battle with the worm until at last he was able to cut off its head. He wanted to bore through the rump of the dragon with his spear, which still lay wriggling. The pointed tail of the beast now encircled the knight’s right leg and pierced his knee socket, the only spot not covered by his armor. The entire worm was poisonous and Hans von Frankenstein gave up his life.


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Monday, September 11, 2017

Grimm's Saga No. 222: The Maiden with Keys



For Holy Cross Day, September 14th: The Chatelaine of Oselberg


In ancient times a castle stood on the Oselberg Mountain between Dinkelsbuehl and Hahnkamm. Here a widow lived with her father as chatelaine, keeping the keys to all the rooms of the castle in her possession. In the end she fell to her death when the castle walls collapsed. Screams can  often be heard at that place but it is only her spirit that floats round the fallen stone. She often appears on the evening of the four Ember days*; then she is in the form of a maiden, carrying a ring of keys at her side. Old farmers say the land was once owned by her father and the maiden was a pagan daughter of old. She became enchanted and was transformed into a terrible snake; others say they have seen her as viper but with the head and shape of a woman down to her waist. She always carries a ring of keys round her neck.

* Ember days: Four days immediately after 1) the first Sunday in Lent 2) Pentecost 3) Holy Cross Day (Sept. 14) or 4) St. Lucy’s Day (Dec. 13). Traditionally this is a fast day. These days designate each of four periods or seasons of the year, which were times of fasting (but became times of ordination in the Anglican Church).





Saturday, September 2, 2017

Friday, September 1, 2017

Fairy Tale of the Month: The Possessed Princess

An ancient Egyptian fairy tale describing the tribulations of a possessed princess and her wondrous cure by the miraculous works of the deity, Chunsu.





To read more about the fairy tale and ideas of demons and the divine, click on the following link:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2009/01/human-versus-demon-versus-devine.html


FairyTaleChannel.com