Count Telramund explains that the Duke of Brabant had recently died. As he lay dying, he had asked Telramund to look after his daughter Elsa and his son Gottfried. One day the two children had gone into the forest and Elsa had returned alone. The Duke tried to find out what had happened to Gottfried. The Duke’s wife Ortrud persuades the Duke to accuse Elsa of murdering her brother. The duke then makes himself the king of Brabant.
Elsa knows that she is innocent and asks God to be her judge. She needs a knight to fight for her. Telramund agrees to fight him.
The second time that the Herald calls the unknown knight, a miracle happens. A boat, pulled by a swan, appears. A knight in shining armour stands in the boat. He gets out of the boat, tells the swan that it can go, and then he greets the king. He asks Elsa if he can be her knight. Elsa kneels in front of him and asks for his help. He says that he will serve her, but he asks one thing: that she should never ask him what his name is or where he comes from. Elsa agrees. Everyone, except for Ortrud, prays and the fight starts. The unknown knight wins, but then he spares Telramund’s life. The unknown knight now takes Elsa’s hand and asks her to marry him.
The action takes place in the courtyard outside the cathedral. It is night. Telramund and Ortrud have been told to go away. Ortrud is a heathen witch, the daughter of Radbod, the Duke of Frisia. She tries to make Telramund brave again. She is going to persuade Elsa to ask the unknown knight what is name is.
When Elsa comes onto the balcony in the morning she sees Ortrud and feels sorry for her. An announcement is made that the king has decided to give the unnamed knight the title of Duke of Brabant. He says he does not want the title, and prefers to be known just as "Guardian of Brabant."
The King, the Knight, Elsa and her attendants are about to go into the church. Ortrud, beautifully dressed, appears and says that the knight is a magician. Telramund appears and says that the result of the fight he had did not count, because the knight has not told his name. The knight still refuses to tell his name.
The bedroom of the young couple. Elsa and her new husband enter to the well-known music called the Bridal Chorus. The couple say they love one another. However, Elsa still remembers how Ortrud was pressing her to ask the Knight his name. She asks him who he is. Telramund and four of his friends rush into the room to attack the knight, but Telramund is killed instead. The Knight is very sad and tells Elsa they will now go to the King and he will tell him who he is.
The scene changes to the banks of the river, as in Act I. The army is ready for war. Telramund’s dead body is carried in. The Knight explains why he killed Telramund. He tells the story of the Holy Grail and says that he is Lohengrin, Knight of the Holy Grail and son of King Parsifal. He says that he now has to return to his home. He had only stayed so long so that he could prove that Elsa was innocent.
Sadly he says goodbye to his young wife. The swan comes again. Lohengrin prays that Elsa may get her lost brother back. The swan dives into the river and appears again in the form of Gottfried, Elsa’s brother. He had been turned into a swan by the evil magic of Ortrud.
A dove comes down from heaven, and takes the place of the swan at the head of the boat. It takes Lohengrin to the castle of the Holy Grail. Elsa is so upset that she dies.
"Wagner Nights" by Ernest Newman (1949)
Lohengrin
Lohengrin is a character in some German stories of Arthurian literature. He is the son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail who is sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a girl who is falsely accused of murder. He must never tell anyone his name. His story is a version of the Knight of the Swan legend. It is particularly famous now as an opera, "Lohengrin" by Richard Wagner (1849).
Erik the Red
Erik the Red (950–c. 1003) (Old Norse: Eiríkr rauði; ; ; ; ; ) founded the first Nordic settlement in Greenland. He was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson (Thorvald Asvaldsson). He therefore also appears, patronymically, as Erik Thorvaldsson (or as Eiríkr Þorvaldsson). His nickname, "the Red", most likely refers to his hair color.
Erik the Red was born in Stavanger, Norway. His father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, murdered a man, so the family was exiled to Iceland. Erik also got into some trouble in Iceland, and was exiled in 982. Erik had heard of the travels of Gunnbjörn Ulfsson, who discovered some islands west of Iceland. Erik decided to explore these islands, and found land at a place he named Midjökull. But the weather there was very harsh, so Erik left and continued south, reaching land again at an island he named Erik’s Island. Erik spent his winter, as well as the following one, at Erik’s Island. Erik was no longer exiled from Iceland, so he returned the summer of 985. But when the fights with his neighbors began again, Erik decided to start advertising his new found land. He called his land Greenland, to make it sound nicer than it actually was.
He left Iceland in 986 with 25 ships, but only 14 survived the journey, with about 400-500 people and animals. The ships settled at Brattahlid. There were two established settlements; the Eastern Settlement on the coast on the southwest, and the Western Settlement 300 miles above that Settlement. He lived in the colony in Eriksfjord, and was the chief leader of both settlements. The people that lived in the settlements farmed land, raised animals like cows, pigs, and lamb, and hunted many animals. Erik’s wife Thjodhild became a believer in Christ, and she built the initial church in Greenland. However, Eric didn’t convert to Christianity.
Later, he wanted to go on an expedition west of Greenland, in search of land. He did not go because he fell off his horse, and saw this as a symbol of bad luck. In around 1000, Leif Erikson, his son conducted what was most likely the first trip made to the North American mainland.
Beuchat
Beuchat International, known as Beuchat, is a company that builds and sells underwater equipment. It was established in 1934 in Marseille, France.
The company was founded in 1934 by Mr. Georges Beuchat.
Georges Beuchat
Georges Beuchat (1910 – 1992) was a French inventor, diver, businessman. He was the emblematic pioneer of underwater activities and founder of Beuchat.
2004 Madrid train bombings
The 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings (also known as 3/11 and in Spanish as 11-M) consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías (commuter train) system of Madrid. It happened on the morning of 11 March 2004, three days before Spain's general elections). The attack killed 191 people and wounded 1,800. The official investigation by the Spanish Judiciary determined the attacks were directed by a Muslim al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell, although no direct al-Qaeda participation (only "inspiration") has been established.
These bombings were Spain's worst terrorist attack.
Communes of the Aude department
There are 438 communes in the Aude "département" in France.
Aigues-Vives, Aude
Aigues-Vives, Aude is a commune of 504 people. It is in the region Languedoc-Roussillon in the Aude department in the south of France.
Airoux
Airoux is a commune of 126 people (2007). It is in the region Languedoc-Roussillon in the Aude department in the south of France.
Ajac
Ajac is a commune of 196 people (1999). It is in the region Languedoc-Roussillon in the Aude department in the south of France.
Alairac
Alairac is a commune of 1,034 people (1999). It is in the region Languedoc-Roussillon in the Aude department in the south of France.
Alaigne
Alaigne is a commune of 300 people (1999). It is in the region Languedoc-Roussillon in the Aude department in the south of France.
Albas, Aude