The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-09-18
Swan Leganls.

Swan Lega11s.
In nolthern legends swans play . most
lSmAhtic part. Two separate currents
may be distinguished in the swan myths
Of Teutonic and scandinavian countries.
To one current belong the various
stories of swan maidens; TO- the other
those concerning the knight Of the
swan. Here, agsin, both traditions OF
beast worship and images Of nature
poetry may play . part; though 1t ID not
clear that the swan matdeuS OF the north
had any other origin than the obvious
one which would lie in . process Of
imaginative reasoning like this: Swans
ne beings al soltness, grace and purity
% are some rare maidenS; therefore,
some rare maidensare In reality swans.
At any rate, there Was no question that
such supernatural beings existed. They
were both fairer and wiser than mortal
women. They could change from one
shape to the other at will. To assume
the human shape they do6ed their
robes Of down or "swanshirts, !" but re-
tanned invariably q gold or silver chain
about their necks. She whose swan
shirt was carried of by . mortal could
no longer, while be kept it safe. become
. bird again or resume her freedom.
On tie other hand, she from whose neck
inner human shape the chain was taken
Immediately became swan again, and
could not recover her humanity until
she got back her chain. Sometimes .
hunter approaching q forest pool would
descry . damsel Of more than mortal
beauty bathing In its waters, would no
tice the chain about her neck and the
robe Of down hanging from a tree,
would seize the robe and bear the dam.
eel home. to live with him in happiness
until one day he should forget the key
which kept her magic garment from
her, and return to find her flown for.
ever. Or swan brides would consort Of
their own accord with warriors who
had surprised them at dawn - they cat
spinning In human shape beside the
margin Of q mountain taIn; until after
seven years their hearts would change,
and they would AZ away, leaving their
husbands to sally after them over the
SHOWS In vain. Another lcelandic story
tells how Helgi and Olaf fought on the
ice of q frozen lake, and how Kara, the
mistress Of Helgi, lowered over the
heads Of the combatants In the likeness
Of . great swan, and by her magic
blunted the weapons Of them that fought
against Helgi, until by mischance he
struck of q leg of the swan with bis
sword, and Immediately the fortunes of
the battle changed.
The other great swan myth OF the
North is that Of the injured damsel, to
whose aid In her extremity there comes
sailing q knight In a boat drawn by m
swan. and Who, after the
knight has rescued and made her his
bride, destroys her happiness by insist
ing that he shall tell who he Is and
whence he comes. We are all familiar
with this tale as it Is told by Wolfram
yon Eschenback. and has In our own
day heen recast BY Wagner, concerning
Elsa Of Brabant, and L0henRrin, the son
Of Percival. The same story is COM
bined with the myth of the swan
maidens In the well.known romance.
# Helias and Clarissa Of Boullion.
This Helias IL IN enchanted
might, whose mother Beatrice has
oorne him to Oriant, king Of Lillefort,
llong with six other swan children.
Among these Helias alone escapes the
Vtles By which their wicked grand.
mother Iatabrun divests the other SIX
# their chains and their humanity to.
Iether. At last he 10 able to redeem all
ais brothers except one: and that one,
n the guise Of swan drawing q shall.
0p, by.and.bye guides him along the
Rhine 70 the court of Ohio, where he
champions the Duchess Clarissa, wins
aer hand, and repeats with her tae story |
# LohengTin and Elsa. These are but
me or two out Of the many stories Of |
wan maidens, knights of the swan, and
wan children. which filled the imaei.
latton Of Northern Europe In the early |
middle age. Others add to the element !
Il magic and romance an element Of |
nonkish legend; like that Irish story of |
be children of Liz, who were trans.
ormed By their stepmother into swans,
nd in that form compelled to abide !
lntil the spell was broken at the sound |
{ the first bell ringing in those countries |
Dr Christian mass.