The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-04-06
For the Telegraph.
LORE-LEI,

It is not strange that the German songs and
ballads form one of the most interesting fea-
lures ofits literature. There is enough that
is purely historic in this country, it is true'
but the poets and writer's have added the le.
gends and traditions of past centuries. These
treasures are vast and afford material that is
rich and varied fer the writer of fiction. Long
before the art of printing was discovered,
when the few who were learned lived in cells
and devoted their time to religious services,
the people told to their children the gathered
stories that they had heard from their faith
ers, and thus they are transmitted from faith
81 to son until within the last few hundred
years, when they have been preserved by that
art which is ''preservative Of all arts"
The troubadours in their day and genera
tion were instrumental in preserving much
that would otherwise have been lost TO the
world Even with the age of this country,
say at least two thousand years, we never
could expect in our own country to find such
exhaustless storehouses of stories and tradi-
lions as are found here. With US there is
nothing but stern, dry historical facts, from
the discovery of America to the present time.
Comparatively that period is short one
Beyond that is savage darkness.
None of the Indian races had any literature.
All our poets, and will not except the fer
tile brain of Longfellow, nor Campbell among
the English poets, have failed whenever they
have attempted to draw upon Indian tradi-
tions for subjects of their works.
But of all countries in the world, not ex-
cepting Persia and Arabia, Germany is rich in
that Ihalfhistoric and half-traditional lore
that affords rich subjects for the poet and
painter. There is hardly turn in the Rhine
valley or on the Danube, but the traveller sees
perched upon some high hill or mountain the
ruins of an old castle. Here were the royal
residences not only of kings, princes and re-
nowned generals, but robber knights who in
years long since past, issued forth from these
strongholds with their retainers and commit
ted laWless acts of plumber upon all who fell
in their way. There is none of these old ru-
ms but what have strange and marvellous
far back into the past.
Spending few weeks on the Rhine last
summer, was much interested in volume
containing collection of many of these old
legends. One of them particularly interested
me-the story of the beautiful Iore-Lei. This
is the substance of it: Not far below Bingen
is dangerous whirlpool where the naviga-
tors OF small vessels, on that famous river,
have to be extremely cautious in passing. In
= little cottage above it, for here the noun
tain is very steep to the very waters edge,
among the flowers and vines, lived this maid
en-. Not only the beauty of her face, but the
sweetness Of her voice charmed the passing
sailors. While gazing at her and entranced
by her song, they neglected their vessels and
were lost, 43 tHes
A number of poets have commemorated
this legend. but think that of Henes the
best. It is as follows--the reader remember
ing to pronounce the first part of the name
with two syllables, and regarding thee in the
last syllable as silent a I a M
r TT