The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-07

| Morrs's poem mud here a common climax.
Such are the outlines OF this famous legend,
rejecting In dim, uncertain fashion the reli
| gion, ethics, arts, and history of the primitive
| Teutonc stock. IL seems to not little
markable that of the three attempts to present
this story In epic OF dramatic form, the oldest
should have dvergcd most widely from the
| frame and spirit OF the early myth. The medim-
val version. whose origin Is placed not later
| than the first half of the twelfth century, but
which received a remodelng Of rythm and the
addition OF rhyme In tho time OF the Hohen-
| staufeus, is loaded with anachronisms, the incl
dents, sentiments and persons Of the tale being
portrayed from the standp point OF a Christian and
a feudal knight. The result Is that the Lay OF the
| Nibelungen, In spite Of the beauty OF detached
| passages and the singular vehemence of the mar
rative In the latter portion IL utterly wanting In
| conRruity, correlation, and univocal tone and
| portrays world that never was, or could be, on
| sea or land In word. could neither have been
understood In Iceland before the introduction of
| Christianity, nor at the Court OF Barbarrossa by
| those unacauainted with the Morse sagas. For
example, the relations OF "Brunhilde" and "Sieg-
friea,' as exhibited In the LAY" would DO quite
unintelligible without some knowledge Of the
prose Edda. and the fatcfui significance Of the
treasure, the coveted hoard of the Nibelungen"
Is nowhere plainly indicated. In general, the
characters of the story which In the genuine
myth are massive, raw, half -demoniac figures are
softened and embellished almost beyond recog-
milton. The reader Of the Nibeungen Lled Is
! continually reminded that the twelfth century
which In the North Of France and England was
undoubtedly "A bleak, dark epoch, had its Gases
OF civilization, and that Southern Germany, par
tlculary the banks of the upper Danube, shared
In no small degree the refinement OF Provence
N.l.. Ia
which the Minnesinger addressed was very far
removed In feeling from that which called forth
the " N0sunga saga" 1t was perhaps equally dis
tant from that nice perception Of artistic aims
and methods which belongs to the most enlight-
ened eras. IL was reserved for poets of our own
day to divcst their versions OF anything like
patent anachronisn or incongruity, and to re-
produce with creditablo fidelity In ns native
hues and distinctive atmosphere the great story
Of the North.
with the L. -!:s OF Wagner, as a composer OF
| operas. we have at present, OF course no con-
Germ; but it seems To us that the purely literary
worth Of the dramatic poems which he has
! grouped together under the general title OF the
=" Ring Of the Nibclungen." has not In this coun-
try anl England. at least, been rightfuy ap-
preclated. His tetralogy Is la sense recast-
ing of the Nibclungen Lied. Aside from tho
distinction Of artistic form, the latter poem dlf-
fers in respect Of theme spending Its best force
on the events which, In tho old myth, followed
| tho murder OF Sgurd, In other W ,rds on tho
| Fall OF the Nibungs, whereas Wagner confines
himself To the earlier incidents. and ends with
the sef-slaying Of Brynhlld. Neither IL com
parson between the versions possible as regards
| scrupulous adherence to the texture. feeling,
and purpose Of the original. 1t Is trus that in
| the second Of his dramas, Die WaiAarc." Wag-
ner departs somewhat from the letter OF the
| legend, making "Siegfried" the son OF "Sicg
| mund' and "Sleglinde," whereas, In the Saga,
| Sigurd is the son OF IIjordls. while Snfjotli,
| who has a story of his own, Is the son OF Sig
| mund and Signy Yet, here he follows the Lay OF
| the Nibelungen, and II was, perhaps. inseparable
| from the aim OF dramatist to compress
| the whole life OF sigmund which claims much
| space In the saga within the scope OF n single
tragedy. II Is certain that the characters OF the
| Ill fated NOl-unga pair are projected with won
| dcrful disiinctness, yet closely within the out
lines Of the old myth. and that the scenes be-
the most winning and effective In the wRoiee
| work BE that as It may. IN the figures Of Sigurd
ana iirynhild and the record OF their fortunes AS
| shown to us in the last two dramas, Siegfried
| and Gotterdammerung," we catch the very
| spirit Of the Edda, while notwithstanding the
| limitations entaed by a dramatic form,
ance seems to be omitted from the canvas
In respect, moreover, OF essential beauty, apart
| from their veracity and dexterty in interpreta-
| tlon, these dramas sngularly anluent and
| we should Ind 1t hard, for Instance To parallel
| Ia the work OF any recent poet the exquisite
| tenderness and profound passion which CLEAN
and throb through the dialogue allotted to
"Siegfried" and IIr1nhde at the close Of
the third play. or the remorseful agony which
shivers through the death song OF "Branhilde" In
the last scene Of the concluding drama There
| Ia another point worth notice. and that Il the
moral atmosphere which bathes these poems.
and which to those unfamiliar with old Morse
| literature may well appear unfathomable, hut il
| Will be convenient to glance nj this In connec-
| ton with Monlss treatment OF the same theme.
1t was inevitable that the Pre- Raphaelitic
| school would turn at last from Greek myths to
| the Morse sagas. and IL VIII probably be con
| coded that Morris had given fullest proof OF the
sustained power requisite for handling such
large materials. Whether however, the onarac-
| teristlc standpoint and manner OF the school
| was calculated to insure a faithful transcript OF
| the lcelandc epic might have been held open to
| question. For what is the burden OF their song 2
| Ihat the absence OF pleasure and Of poetry In
| the routine Of our daily work, the spreading OF
the hldeous town, the prosaic outside furniture
| of modern life are become by-word and re-
| proach. Yet II something more slightly Is no
| longer to be found In the actual world with
| out, we have still tho certainty Of creating
some shadow ~ 1t with the aid OF Imagination
| The world must have had childhood once and
the endcayor OF the Pre- Raphaclltes IL To bring
| back again the golden age-the days OF the in
| fancy OF the race They seem To realize most
distinctly the ideal Of childhood In its two main
features. vivid enjoyment Of the pleasures Of
sense, and freedom from moral responsibility A
state Of enjoyment where the outward delights
OF mere sensation are felt with keenness which
II unknown to us now, but yet-and hero rises
the doubt as TO the entire fitness Of such writer's
| To- treat such themes as the Edda-with a certain
esoteric refinement Of artistic feeling, Is the
| picture they are constantly drawing Of
the past. Whether Morris describes the
course Of the ship Argo, or follows Norwegian
mariners into the unknown West. or recites the
tales which charmed the dwellors In an Earth
| ly Paradise" wherever the scenes Of his ideal
life are cast they all belong to the worlds child.
| hood, but childhood which cannot wholly free
| Itself from the memories OF age, to Il dreamland
which j. haunted with a consciousness that 1t ia
Afkx fha tom ~ f,.If, 4 I A.