The Germany tales are evidently not intended to be taken literally;
but are intended to illustrate certain truths and to convey a moral teaching, and one such story is the following:
« Not far from the foot of the
Untersberg mountain, upon a hill covered with a forest of pines, stood in ancient times
the castle of Tollenstein, of which at present only some remnants are left. The
walls are in ruins, but these go to show that formerly they were parts of a
palatial building.
One remnant, composed of huge
square stones, still indicates the extent of the large banqueting-hall, where
festivals took place, and it is said that on certain nights the orgies which
these stones witnessed are spectrally repeated and enacted in the astral light
by the ghostlike shapes of deceased ladies and knights; while not far off there
is a dilapidated tower of massive structure, enclosing a deep hole in the
ground, where the subterranean dungeon was located, the oubliette, or living tomb, in which poor wretches for some offence
were buried alive and “forgotten” left to starve among horrid surroundings.
It is also said that on certain
nights when the ghosts in the banqueting-hall hold gruesome carousals, cries
and groans and wails may be heard coming from the bottom of that pit.
In ancient times the owner of
that castle was Burkhart von Tollenstein, a youthful and valorous knight,
admired by all the ladies in the country on account of the voluminous mass of
golden hair which adorned his head. This, together with his manliness and
beauty, gained for him the hearts of all those fair ladies, except one, and
this was the very one for whose possession he craved, namely, the beautiful but
proud Julia von Horst.
He had seen her only once, but
that was enough to make him fall desperately in love with her face and
figure. He would have been happy enough,
had he not been so unfortunate as to have the tranquility of his heart
destroyed by the sight of her dark and languishing eyes. From that day forward
an image of the beautiful Julia was formed in his mind, and its contemplation
absorbed him so that he thought of nothing else. He sought to woo and to win
her.
But alas! His sighs and tears
were in vain, because he was poor, and the proud Julia cared far more for money
than for love. She knew that Burkhart’s fortune was too small to supply her
with all the luxuries she desired, and when he offered her his heart she
rejected it and sneeringly said:
-
“Of what use will be
your heart to me, if starvation waits for me in your house?”
This offensive remark was more
than Burkhart could bear, and cursing his poverty he went home in despair. From
day to day he now became more morose, grieving about the insufficiency of his
means. Finally he determined to enrich himself by whatever means he might find,
and if possible to rob the gnomes of the Untersberg of their gold.
In these times it was customary
for every stupid knight to have a wise and faithful steward to give good
advice. Burkhart’s steward tried his best to dissuade him from this wicked and
dangerous undertaking; but in vain did old Bruno, for this was his name,
entreat him to desist from his evil thoughts and to forget the proud Julia, as
she was unworthy of his affection. The knight would not listen.
“The Lord be merciful to you!” exclaimed Bruno. “Shake off this
delusion, O noble knight; think of your high descent and what your ancestors
would say. Look upwards, to where your salvation rests; the spirits of the
lower world will mislead and ruin you."
But the knight answered:
“I am not afraid of losing my life, which is worthless to me without the
possession of Julia. More than once I have looked into the face of death while
engaged in battle. I want the gold of the gnomes and must have it, let the
consequences be what they may. If the gnomes are not willing to surrender their
gold, I shall take it by force.”
Thus spurning good advice, the
knight gave orders to bring his black war-horse forth. This he bestrode and trotted towards the
Untersberg.
It was a gloomy evening in
November; the leaves of the trees had turned yellow and red and rustled in the
wind. Their voices seemed to warn him not to proceed, while the waving boughs
motioned to him to return.
Soon the queen of the night began
to spread her mantle over the face of the earth, and there arose in the gloom
like a gigantic shadow the outline of the mysterious mountain. For a moment
fear overcame the youth, and he stopped; but his desire overcame his fear, and
pronouncing an oath he spurred his horse, determined to push on. Just then the
horse shied, and looking up Burkhart saw sitting by the roadside a dwarf
clothed in a steel-grey gown. The dwarf looked steadily with glittering eyes at
the knight.
“Avaunt!” exclaimed Burkhart angrily. “Why do you sit here, and frighten
my horse?”
“Ho! Ho!” laughed the dwarf. “Know, you creeping worm of the earth, I am
Pypo, the king of the gnomes. Mine is the Untersberg with its treasures. What
have you to seek in my territory?"
When Burkhart heard these words
he deemed it prudent to speak politely to the king of the gnomes. He explained
to him his situation, and asked for the loan of a sum of money, for which he
promised his everlasting gratitude.
The king began to laugh.
“Confound your gratitude,” he said; “there would be plenty of beggars
like you coming to borrow money from me if it could be had at such a cheap
price.”
“What, then, do you demand?” asked the knight. ”State your terms, and I
will accept them, for I must have gold at any price.”
“Listen, then,” said the gnome; “it is not much that I ask. Only one
hair from your head for each thousand florins.” Thus saying, his eyes rested
searchingly upon the face of the knight.
“Only one hair from my head?” exclaimed Burkhart in great astonishment. “A
whole bunch of hair you shall have and be welcome to it, if you only furnish me
the money necessary to obtain the favour of Julia.”
“I am putting no limits to the amount you may draw,” laughed the king.
“For each thousand florins which you receive from me you will have to leave me
one hair from your head.”
“It is a bargain!” exclaimed the knight joyfully, and drawing his
dagger, he was about to cut a lock of hair from his forehead to offer it to the
king.
“Not so,” said Pypo. “Only one hair at a time, and I will have to pull
it out myself by the root.”
The knight dismounted, and as he
bent down the dwarf tore a single hair from his scalp, after which he threw a
bag of gold at Burkhart’s feet.
“Thanks!” exclaimed the knight, as he hugged the bag and gloated over
its contents.
“No thanks axe wanted,” replied the gnome. “See to it that the hairs
upon your head will not become too few in time to purchase enough gold for
satisfying the greed of your Julia.”
So saying the gnome vanished; but
the knight returned joyfully with his bag of gold to his castle. He now began
to enlarge his castle in exquisite style; he bought costly furniture, hired
servants and cooks, sent out invitations for dinners and balls, and every
evening he went to the Untersberg for another bag of gold, leaving in return
one of his hairs.
Soon the news of the riches of
Burkhart von Tollenstein began to spread, and everybody wondered and came to
see and admire the luxury displayed by the knight. Now the consent of Julia was easily gained,
and before many days the walls of the castle resounded with gay music,
merry-making and laughter; for the marriage of the valorous knight with the
beautiful countess took place. All the nobility were invited, and took part in
the revel.
Henceforth the castle of
Tollenstein became the scene of an uninterrupted succession of costly
festivities of all kinds. There was a round of gaieties and the doors were open
day and night to visitors.
Parasites of all kinds peopled
the castle; dinners, dances, masquerades, tournaments, theatrical performances
and hunting excursions followed each other without end, and the beautiful Julia
had the sweet satisfaction of being surrounded by flatterers and admirers to
her heart’s content; but her desires grew in proportion as they were gratified,
her vanity in proportion as it was tickled; her whims were incalculable, but
the resources of her husband seemed inexhaustible, and he was an object of envy
to every one.
More and more frequent were his
visits to the Untersberg, from each of which he returned with a thousand
florins in gold, but with one hair less on his head; and for all that he seemed
not happy, for he saw only too clearly that he had bought only the appearance
of love, and that his wife loved not him, but only his money.
Whenever he did not at once
comply with her unreasonable and extravagant demands, she would treat him with
contempt, so as to render life a burden to him. All this caused him a great
deal of grief, which he sought to drown in the wine cup.
Thus he became at last a
confirmed drunkard and an object of disgust to his wife. All the evil germs in
his nature began to grow luxuriantly and to bear fruit. He became a weakling, a cruel tyrant towards
his subjects and an abject coward in the presence of his wife, who treated him
as if he were a slave.
His troubles caused him to grow
prematurely old, and the hair upon his head grew thinner from day to day.
Thus a few years passed away in
great misery, and at last poor Burkhart was entirely baldheaded. The last florin
was gone, but the countess had ordered a great tournament and dinner, to which
many noblemen and ladies of rank were invited.
Once more Burkhart went to the
Untersberg for the purpose of asking the king of the gnomes for money; but no
more hair did he have to give in return. The gnome appeared, and the knight,
removing his helmet, showed him the deplorable condition of his scalp, hoping
to arouse the pity of the king.
“Ah, Burkhart,” exclaimed Pypo, “did I not tell you to beware that your
hairs may not become too few?”
“I now see my folly,” sighed the knight; “but for pity’s sake let me
have only one more bag of gold, to save myself from disgrace.”
“Ha! Ha! ” Laughed the gnome, “nothing brings nothing; no hair, no
money. Our bargain is at an end.”
“Ask what you will!” cried the knight; “but hair I have none to give.
Take my soul, but give me only one bag of money. Only one bag of gold I am
asking of you!”
But in vain Burkhart implored the
gnome; Pypo was inexorable and laughed at him. This exasperated the knight, and
becoming enraged he cried:
“Hell-hound! You have completed your devilish work. With each hair that
you took from my head you robbed me of a part of my manhood. Now I recognize
you as the fiend that you are. Give me back my lost energy. Give me back the
beautiful golden hair of which you have despoiled me by means of your accursed
gold. Give it back to me, or look out for the revenge of the Tollensteins.”
But the gnome laughed.
“Fool!” he said, “do you wish to frighten me? Would you now curse the
one from whom you received all that you asked? I laugh at you and your threats;
but if you wish your hair returned, be it so.”
So saying the gnome drew forth a
cord twisted from Burkhart’s hair and threw it at the feet of the knight. He
then disappeared within the depths of the Untersberg, while from all sides a
mocking laughter shook the air, as if coming from a multitude of invisible
spectators; but the knight went home and locked himself up in his bedroom.
At the castle of Tollenstein
everything was in readiness for the beginning of the great tournament. Knights
in glittering armour and ladies in costly dresses were thronging the halls;
while in the courtyard below richly decked steeds, attended by grooms in bright
colours, neighed and stamped the ground, impatient for the opening of the sham
fight; for the beginning of which nothing was now needed but the presence of
the host.
The trumpets sounded, but nothing
was seen of Burkhart. Repeatedly were messengers sent to his room, but they
found the door locked and were not admitted. At last Julia, losing her
patience, went up with clenched fists; but her knocks at the door elicited no
reply. She therefore ordered the door to be forced open, and then a ghastly sight
met her eyes.
Burkhart von Tollenstein was
lying dead on his bed, his features distorted as if he had died in great agony;
around his neck was tied a cord of yellow human hair, with which he had been
strangled; his eyes were protruding as if starting from their sockets; while
his fingers were spasmodically closed around a bag containing a thousand
florins of gold.
This was the end of the
Tollensteins.
»
(Occult Review, December 1911,
p.320-326)
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