The Legend of LoreleyLong ago, on one of the banks of Rhine, there lived an old fisherman. He had a
The Legend of LoreleyLong ago, on one of the banks of Rhine, there lived an old fisherman. He had a daughter, a beauty with golden hair, whose name was Laura. The girl loved to walk along the banks of the river, singing her tender song, where there was a place for both girlish dreams and the expectation of future love.One day a knight saw Laura, who lived not far from the fisherman’s house. As soon as he saw a beauty, a beautiful singer captivated his heart. The knight could not live without his beloved, and therefore he took her to his luxurious castle. Alas, the happiness of the lovers did not last long.The knight’s mother was offended by her son because he preferred a rootless girl to his noble bride. A woman could not be kind to a commoner to whom her son had given his heart.Many reproaches from the mother fell on the knight’s head. He could not resist his mother’s will. Having told Laura that he was going to hunt, her lover went on a crusade. His mother did not tolerate Laura in her castle and immediately sent the girl home.Laura returned to her home in disgrace, her father met her without joy. A lot of insults had to listen to the girl from the neighbors. If earlier they were glad to see her in any house, now she has become a stranger even in her own village.So the unfortunate wandered through the forests and the banks of the Rhine, singing sad songs. But one day, the god of the river suddenly rose from the bottom. He disliked people for their disrespectful attitude towards him, and in Laura he saw a “sister in misfortune.”It seems to me that it was sympathy that prompted the river god to present a gift to the girl. “From now on,” he said, “all your songs will be endowed with magical powers.But just remember: at the moment when pity awakens in your heart, if at least one tear is shed from your eyes, you will perish.At the same moment, a huge wave lifted Laura to the very top of the cliff. The girl sank to the ground, took the silver comb presented by the river god and began to comb her long golden hair.Laura did not stop, and the travelers, hearing her singing, hurried to the rock, where they found death in a whirlpool. There was no salvation for them, sympathy for those from whom they had once endured so much torment and disaster did not wake up in Laura’s heart. The girl’s heart became like a stone rock, which became known as Loreley, or the place of Loreley.But what about a knight? After a long hike, he returned to the castle. Silence and desolation met him at home. His mother died in anguish and loneliness, and he himself could not find a place for himself without his beloved Laura.Even on the way to the castle, he heard many stories about the witch who settled on the rock, about her destructive power and the curse that overtakes everyone who hears her voice.Then the knight decided to go to this place. He was sailing on his boat and suddenly he hears - it’s not the sorceress who sings, but his Laura! He called his beloved, and the ship of the knight was already spinning in the whirlpool of the river.Hearing his call, Laura suddenly shuddered. Only now did she see what was going on around her. At the foot of her cliff, her beloved was drowning. The unfortunate girl could not hold back her tears, raised her hands to the sky in a plea to save the knight.Alas, at that moment, when the first tear fell from her face, the girl herself fell down.The knight and the beautiful Laura died together, and legends still surround the mysterious place - the rock of Loreley. -- source link
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