The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-03-10
"HEINRICH's VENGEANCE"
A Legend Of the Black Forest.
By HELEN HARCouRr.

= thtCC WOaQS
The Black Forest! 1t was in il
gloomy fastnesses that the imagination
, of the old German writers and bard
loved most to roam, and not the Ger
man scribes only.
All of our readers are acquainted
with some one of the many wild lie
gends, whose scene is laid in this SAM
mysterious forest.
Yet few, we venture to say, possess
more than a vague idea of what TIN
Black Forest is, or how its sombr,
name-in itself suggestive of darl
deeds--came TO be bestowed upon it
A few brief words concerning these
points, may not be amiss.
This celebrated Forest, then, is il
fact mountain chain, in Baden and
Wurtemberg, running from north tt
south, parallel with the course of the
Rhine, beyond its great bend at Basel
and frequently rearing its dark sum
mits within a few miles of that beau
tiful river.
No less than five large rivers take
their rise in the Black Forest; and
one of its peaks, the Feldberg, is tht
loftiest in Western Germany, tower.
ing aloft near the source of the Wies.
ser, and close by the celebrated HOLE
HelD Pass, narrow valley, shut in
by the mountains.
The rugged sides of the latter are
clothed in dark-tinted foliage, i'm.
mense numbers of fir trees jutting out
from amidst the rocks, hence the name
bestowed upon them in common with
the adjacent country of-Schwarzwald
BLACK Forest.
Not so very far back in the history
OF Germany, nearly all this wild, pic.
turesque region was "uninhabited
save by headless horsemen, hob-gob'
line, and legions of spirits, both good
aud bad, but, at the present day, the
Forest has lost much of its ancient
prestige, and the region is thickly
populated by spirits clothed in human
flesh and blood.
The renowned baths of Baden-Bader
and Wildbad, are embraced within its
limits, and it was during a visit to the
latter place, that the following legend
came to my knowledge.
In close proximity to the Holle Pass
stood, i'm olden times, castle belong.
ing to the noble family of the Baron
J Won Robec.
AT the period of my visit, the ex.
tensive ruins yet bore testimony to
the grandeur and splendor, for which,
in its prime, the noble pile had been
celebrated throughout the adjacent
territory.
Vending my way amidst the fallen
stones, it became evident that more
active agent than Time, had been al
work so effectually, to reduce the
once stately pile to its present condi-
ton.
The ruins exhibited unmistakble
traces of fire, at least, so it appeared
to me, on careful examination, and
on inquiring. | found that my surmise
was correct.
The castle, although for many years
uninhabited, had stood in state of
comparative preservation, until some
fifty years prior to my visit, when,
one stormy uight, the venerable build
! ing was destroyed by fire, kindled
| by some unknown hand.
"But you say the castle was still fit
for dwelling when the fire took
place, and yet had been untenanted
for years before, how was that 2" was
my query.
at is a long story" said my friend,
''and it is not every one among us ma
tives who would repeat it, for il is one
| of horror, and the old superstitions of
the Forest have not all died out yet
among the lower classes. None of
them, even now, like to 90 near those
| old ruins after sundown."
In response to my eager inquiries,
my friend then related the following
wild legend:
Several centuries ago, the valley
now known as the Holle Pass, togeth-
er with many miles of the surrounding
country, was the property of the noble
family of Won Robec.
Father and son succeeded each
0 o,her in regular unbroken succession,
each new baron adding to the family
territory, either by purchase, or, the
mode of acquisition in those lawless
days, more frequently by plumber
wrested from their weaker neighbors.
Seldom was the stately castle ell
livencd by the presence Of its lords,
save when they occasionally incurred
the displeasure of their sovereign, and
were banished for time from his gay
courts.
So the years passed on; the Won
Robecs becoming more and more
wealthy and powerful, while the peas
ants under their iron rule groaned
more and more beneath the eXactious
imposed upon them.
1t was in vain that the oppressed
people applied to their sovereign for
redress and protection; even he could
not afford to offend the powerful fam
i,y of Won Robec, and the appeal
served only to rouse still further the
ireful rigor of their stern taskmasters.
Such was the condition of affairs
when the ninth baron, Heinrich Won
Robec, succeeded to his fathers wide
estates.
The latter had been as wild spend
thrift, as INSCRIPTIONS plunderer as
any of his noble line, and Heinrich
followed closely in his fathers foot
steps while his younger brother was,
if possible, still more profligate than
either.
Hermann, proud and naughty, chafed
at his position, subject as he was, to
his more fortunate elder brothers rule
and dependent on his bounty for the
means of maintaining tine state due to
his rank, as cadet of one of the mos,
noble houses in all germany.
Heinrich, so far from soothing this
chatting spirit, took especial delight il
fostering it still further, by making
Hermann feel his dependence on eve
~ possible occasion, not only in the
solitude of their hereditary home, bu
amidst the crowded saloons of Vienn:
, and Paris.
In that lawlcsS age, when life wal
held in such light esteem, it is no
surprising that such conduct bore il
own fruit.
The forests of the Holle Pass wer,
famous hunting grounds, and it wa
} the custom of the Barons Won Robe
: to call together grand hunt, from
time to time, gathering around then
their friends and neighbOrs for reg
ular day of Sport.
On the occasion of ono of his fiyin;
visits to his paternal domain, Barol
Heinrich summoned all the chiefs fo
miles around, to accompany him ant
his brother. on one of theS, great hunt;