The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-06
Searching for the Footprints OF Wagner's
Heroes and Heroines
RHINE GOLD AND SIEGFRIED.
The Story Of the Lied Of the
Nibelungen.
THE ILIAD OF FATHERLAND l..



Inc foundation stone OF the Festa Theatre. Great
changes have taken place since then The new theatre
is finished. Externally IL is supremacy ugly II Is
possible TO conceive, though inside IT Is most charm
ugly constructed The people of the place appear to
have thrown of their former sleepy characteristics
for there is hurry and hustle about them, both
natives and guests. and an active lie IN tho
streets, which would lead suppose that
Baireuth has entered upon the promised prosperous
future and is about 10 renewed, in another FORM
tho of icslal life that nude tho little capital
charming residence in the days OF the margraves
In few days the King OF Bavaria expected to ar
rive, in order TO witness the full dress rehearsas Of
1.-THE RING SIBRLUNG"
Two weeks later the great festival will nave com
menced IN good earnest and by the last OF the
will have been recorded IN musical history either
q hideous nightmare or as wondrous legendary
dream in music
JOURNEY BAIREurH
Bairouth is unfortunately situated regards direct
railroad though In wagncrs eyes this
would be decided advantage since it presupposcs
minimum OF intercourse with the grea, outer world
and ''soil pure Tor the reception OF art,n tho
great composer once expressed II. The best and
easiest way to reach the home Of the music Of the
future is 10 direct to Lcipsic whence a branch
route brings the tourist to his destination l came
here by OF the Rhine having had sort of morbid
desire 10 visit Worms before witnessing the Wagner
performances, there to frcsheu up my legendary mem
ory by viewing the ground where tho ''N!belungen
Led'' has its historical ground For do not the guide
books tell US ali about how on the open space In
front OF the southern portal of the Cathedral
at Worms Brunnhilda and Kriemhilda the two female
Characters of the Nibclungen Liedn did quarrel and
abuse each other is related the fourteenth adven
tpre OF the old German poem And then again they
soil is thought to be sacred to the memory of Sieg-
hied. And was 1t not in the Rhine, somewhere about
worms perhaps where the treasures OF the Nibelun-
lnto the food and has been carefully guarded by
the mermaids old Father Rhine himself With The
intent OF looking up the legendary footprints OF these
old German dcmi- gods goddesses and heroes, there
fore, fingered for a day on the Rhine.
Do shrink | have intention OF describing
The voyage the Rhine and all its charms of scenery
though OF It's legenGs | may speak word or two be
rGuse my present journey TO Bareuth will embrace u
study OF much that is legendary and mythical
There hardly rock ruined castle that we pass
but has its legend, its story OF love, revenge
though about tour nhs of them the trash
and have connection with myth lore-or anything
else, Tor that matter But "a, the Lorele with
legend that has attraction for US, for the rner-
maids who used TO beauie the simple youth TO the bot
tom of the river either the originals
relatives OF the three Rhine Daughters who,
in tho first part Of the Nlbe!ung tetralogy guard
tho Rhine gold from which is fashioned the 'rns that
brings eventually death and destruction to all
who possess 1.-THE same Rhine gold which Wagner
welded into the fluid gold OF his and is bring
the composer everlasting fame was aware until
! read Simrock's Mythology" that the Hhine
tanned any gold at ALL Yet read in Bruck mann's
'Masnala Del in subtcrranes" Q727) :-"Brssova
(Breissau) is stretch of land on the Rhine, bounded by
suab,a and the schwsrzwad. Brcisach is therein the
capital, ami near by much gold from the Rhine Is
washed, which is there called
RnRSIsH GoLD'r
And according TO Daubree's Bulletin de la Socies
Geologque de France" QS46l, page ass that
time s5 600 francs worth OF gold Is annually washed
from the Rhine between Basic and Mannheim"
Between lstein and Mannheim remarks Pro-
lessor simrocK 'ihe OF the gold pro-
aucing ground of the Rhine is 81 600 kometers which
would represent grand total OF loo $50 500 francs II
calculate the gold that has been taken out OF the
river from the fifth century to the present time get
al amount that is not at ali unworthy of mythica
glorncaiion. SO says Professor simrock, who died
only few days ago at Bonn-the man whose transla
ton the Nbelungen Lied' first appeared 1927 and
lie has done more than any other German scholar to
make his counrymen acquainted with the treasures of
their medieval poetry.
SmrLUyG TREASURES
An old German poet named Mariner, who lived about
the middle OF the thirteenth century says that the
Nibeung Hort, or treasure lies beneath the Lorclei
rock, while others assert that Kremhida's grand
bridal treasure cast into the Rhine be-
tween Gernsheim ami Oppenheim. II such q
treasure did exist, then the latter point being nearer
10 Worms would most likely be the place; while the
Lorcei would be the more romantic spot where to
commit such a foolish act to throw away those
wagon loads OF jewels, pearls and precious stones,
enough gladden. the hearts OF all the beautiful girls
filed with gems, and matter how many
we're taken away the heap did appear to
diminish. What fool Hagan Then the mer.
maids, Rhine daughters took charge OF the glitter
Ing gems, and they have them stll presume in their
tuoierranean palaces, whittier they are
sionally supposed TO draw unlucky love smitten
wight or two. wonder however, that the Germans,
with all their eagerness to cxcavaic Troy have not
paid attention TO the places and incidents me
toned in their Had, In the "Nbelungcn Lied,n
and made some efforts, at least, TO
DISCOVER Losr TREASURES
which may or may not be Legendary. For that the
kings eAlsteu - no uoeot anu
Siegfried and kremhds AMI Brunnhida, heroes
aud heroine of this name or similar names.
may have lived, aud the poets have only Intended To
glorify them by giving them the attributes OF ancient
divInities The "Nibelungen Lied'' itself is most
curious tumble OF history and legend In itself
On ercsting monotonous story and the poet
poets who composed 10, or the editor who complied
added to the various adventures had scarcely an
idea of the great NEUROLOGICAL or symeohcai ideas
which the original writer's had yainy endeavorcd TO
rrasp aud them beautiy their story and glorify
ihelr heroes. The Christian coilaiors, IN the en-
deayor to effscc all traces OF pagan mythology from
their versions destroyed at tue same TINE the grand
uaiting idea OF the poem as It may have originally
existed. IL Wagner has done nothing eise
he has at least recomposed the "Nibelunsen
Lied and gwen II lis proper character ana
significance. As Hueier justly says Tho
stones lay there lin the Iiedl like costly jewels
waiting Tor the artncers hand TO JOIN them together
10 a dadem OF matcblcss beauty. THIS task OF CON-
bining the diecfa pepJra OF deep, though disturbed
tradition, aud vi dramatically enforcing their half tor
lot L gcinlal fnl mann ANacn