🧚 Legends and Tales., part 15

The peculiar, reverence-awaking appearance of the stranger produced quiet among the raging throng.1 One seated himself here, another there, another leaned on his spear, and all listened in silence and attention to what the strange figure might have to say to them.2

And as the tempest with hollow moans and wails sweeps over the tree-tops, so the aged stranger lifted up his voice, and preached to the assembly the Christian faith with ever-increasing enthusiasm.3

At first they heard quietly his earnest words; but as he began to condemn the gods so dear to them, and challenged them to break in pieces their idols, and turn to the worship of the only true God, their rage kindled.4

They sprang to their feet, forced him to silence, and after a short consultation voted unanimously that the blasphemer of their gods must die.5

In a few moments the trembling old man was seized by the giant forms, led down from the summit of the mountain to a place suitable for the execution.6

The hermit sent up a petition to the Almighty for strength and courage in the trying moment, released himself from their arms with a Samson strength, seized from one standing next him a wooden battle-axe, and thus addressed the bloodthirsty multitude:7

"So sure as I with this weak tool split this firm rock, so sure as this wood produces a temple for the worship of the one eternal God in this immovable mass of stone, so true is the word, the gospel, which I proclaim to you."8

When he had uttered these words, he struck with trembling arm the rough cliff, and lo! the firm rock yielded like soft clay to the weak blow of the wooden axe!9

And at this moment the sun shone forth from behind thick clouds, bathing rocks and wood with a warm, rosy light, and the birds in a thousand voices sang the praises of Creator and Father.10

And the hearts of the wild Sassen[3] were opened; with one mind they sank on their knees in reverence and adoration before the God of the white-headed old man who had received the power to work such a miracle.11

[3] _Sassen_--Old German for Saxon.12

They vowed to a man henceforth to forsake the worship of Krodo, to remain true to the new faith, followed the venerable hermit to the banks of the Oder, and were baptized into Christ's death and resurrection, and from every side the people flocked to hear the words of the apostle.13

Thus was formed in the rugged, steep cliff the primeval cave, the Steinkirche, the meeting-place of the first Christians of this neighbourhood.14

The Nymph Ruma and the Weingarten Höhle.15

In the middle of fruitful fields and green meadows not far from Scharzfels rises the ball-shaped alabaster Romerstein, on whose summit ragged cliffs rise in the air resembling the ruins of a castle.16

In the days before authentic history a race of giants dwelt hereabout, who, fearing the mountain-spirit,[1] piled up these cliffs and constructed thus a giant fortress, of which these cliffs are the proud remains.17

[1] _Berggeist.18

Romar, a blooming youth of this race, was once hunting in the neighbouring forest for deer or wild boar.19

The soft air fanned gently his glowing face, the birds sang in the thicket, and the gentle influence of the hour led him to slacken his pace.20

Suddenly he stood still before a maiden asleep on a mossy bank under the rustling trees.21

Silently admiring, Romar gazed at the sleeping beauty, and the sweetest emotions filled his breast, till the stranger opened her eyes and beheld him, uttered a scream of terror, sprang up, and fled into the thickest of the forest.22

A moment Romar stood rooted to the ground; then coming to his senses, he followed the fleeing maiden, and, soon overtaking her, quieted her fears by kind and honest words; and this first meeting gave rise to many others.23 All suspicion, every fear vanished, and love speedily filled the maiden's heart.24

Romar inquired after the descent of his beloved, and turned pale as he discovered that she was a nymph, and the daughter of the Berggeist, so hostile to his race, and a river goddess, and dwelt in the neighbouring mountain lake.25

The nymph reassured him, told him she was her father's favourite, and he had never refused her a single request, and certainly would not refuse his consent to their union.26

Accordingly, during the absence of the Berggeist, they were married.27

A long time had passed, and Romar slept one day under an oak near Ruma, who held a lovely boy in her arms.28 Her father, returning from his journey, stepped out of the thicket, and came suddenly upon them.29

His first glance at the pair told him what had happened, and a smothered tone of anger forced itself from his trembling lips.30

Terrified, the nymph sprang up, and as she saw her secret discovered, and her father so enraged, she rushed toward him and entreated him to be calm.31 Romar now came forward and sought from the old mountain god reconciliation; but the latter only became more enraged.32

A wave of his hand called whole troops of well-armed dwarfs together, who were commanded to lead away mother and child; while others so maltreated Romar, that he only escaped covered with wounds to the Giant Castle.33

The Berggeist now tormented his unhappy daughter every hour to give up her husband.34 But her love for Romar only increased, and her father in his insane rage seized the child, broke it in pieces on the rocks, cursed and swore because he could not take the same measures with his mother, created with a wave of his hand the cave, the Weingarten Höhle, banished her into it, and left her with a laugh of scorn.35

Banished into the earth, shut up in a cave, the entrance guarded by malicious cobolds, the wretched Ruma sought to reach Romar, and a succession of cavings in proves her efforts to set herself free; but her watchful father always thrust her back into the depths of the earth.36

At last, after long years, she succeeded, by a subterranean way, in escaping from her father's dominions, as a full stream to spring into the light of day, and at a time when he, by the decree of an inscrutable destiny, had been attacked by a sort of torpor, she reached her old residence, the Nymph's lake, and was reunited to her faithful husband.37

The river which springs from the mountain on the border of the Gyps mountains is called, in honour of the faithful, loving nymph, the Ruma.38 Still its waters redden with the blood of her innocent child.39

The cliffs of the ruinated Giant Castle wear mourning still, and bear the name of the hero, the Romerstein, or Romar's rock.40

Legend of the Schildberg.41

Not far from the Lautenthal there existed in the pre-historic times the Schloss Schiltberg, or Schildberg, of whose builders, destroyers, and history we know next to nothing.42 All we know is that the Kaiser Frederic I., in war against Henry the Lion, took the castle in 1180.43

On the rugged, precipitous rocks stand the ruins of a dilapidated tower, now half veiled by clouds and mists, now echoing the roar of the savage tempest.44

Beneath, in the still valley, is a half-sunken grave, and a weeping willow spreads sadly her branches over it.45 Above, on the wild rocks, once stood a strong castle, whose walls hid many a deed of horror and crime.46 Below, in the peaceful vale, there was a small, simple hermitage, where an old hermit had dwelt alone long years.47