Austria has long been located at the crossroads of routes leading to various European countries. This has resulted in a well-developed hotel industry here. Over many decades, famous hotels have appeared here, arousing great interest among various tourists. Many people associate Austria primarily with the Alps, so the most fashionable hotels are located precisely on mountain resorts- Ischgl, Zell am See, Sölden. Many of these hotels are not just a business, but a family affair, passed down from generation to generation. That is why many establishments eventually become famous far beyond the borders of this country. IN major cities Austria also has many establishments that can confidently be called famous and even iconic. They are usually located in large cities - Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg. The sophisticated tourist has plenty to choose from - five-star hotel complexes or cozy designer hotels, where each room is decorated individually. In Austria there are often small castles that are readily converted into hotels. It’s not always possible to have such a unique opportunity to spend time in a medieval castle and feel like a real aristocrat.
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Tannen-E - a city under eternal ice
Legends of Austria
Compiled by I. P. Streblova
ETERNAL ICE OF LEGENDS
Have you ever heard about the rich city of Tannen-E, high in the mountains, which was once covered with thick snow, and the city remained under forever? eternal ice? The inhabitants of this city were overcome by greed and vanity, not only did they have nowhere to put their money, but they also decided to build a tower to the sky, a tower higher than all the snowy peaks, and hang a bell at the top so that all the peoples of the world would know about this city. That’s when nature acted in its own way - and punished its disobedient children who tried to disrupt its harmony. And this happened not somewhere in a magical distant kingdom, but in a real place that can be found on the map: in the Alps, in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the Etzthaler Fernern mountain range, where a rocky spire rises above the peak of the mountain covered with the Eiskugel glacier - this is a tower , not completed by the inhabitants of Tannen-E.
There is something surprisingly familiar about this story. She immediately reminded us of the Russian fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish and dozens of other fairy tales of the peoples of the world, telling about punished arrogance. But stop! Do not rush to conclude that the Austrian legend about the city of Tannen-E is the sister of these tales! There is a difference between a legend and a fairy tale.
Firstly, the location. In a fairy tale, everything happens in a kingdom far away, in one village or somewhere unknown at all: once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman, but we don’t know where they lived - and this is not so important in the fairy tale. The legend clearly states the location of the action. Look at the beginning of the Austrian legends: “A peasant from Obernberg, on the Inn River...” or “Once upon a time there lived Hans the Giant in the Upper Mühlviertel...” - all these are completely reliable names of specific geographical places, existing today. Cities, villages, valleys, rivers, streams, lakes, mountain peaks, individual rocks are named - and an amazing and instructive story is associated with each place. Gradually, as we become acquainted with Austrian legends, we develop a complete picture of the nature of this country, where every corner is covered in poetry. This is a kind of poetic geography. This is the geography of Burgenland, with its famous lowland lakes and picturesque castles. And here is the geography of the land of Styria: mountain lakes, glaciers, steep cliffs, caves.
We have arranged the legends as is usually done in Austrian collections of legends - by land. Nine sections of the book are nine pieces geographical map, together making up one country - Austria. The geography of legends is peculiar. She doesn't set priorities. The center of the action may be a small village, an inconspicuous stream, or a local mountain cliff. And in this the legend is very modern. After all, it is high time to abandon the method of getting to know geography based on the principle of marking: this city is worthy of mention because it is large and economically important, and that one is small and insignificant and is not worthy of being known about. Modern knowledge is humanistic, for modern man every corner of the earth is valuable - to the same extent that it was important to the ancient creator of the legend the only corner, which he described in detail and lovingly - after all, once it made up his entire world, he did not know other corners.
So, in a legend, unlike a fairy tale, a specific place of action is named. Of course, it happens that in a fairy tale the location of the action is known, as, for example, in the famous “Musicians of Bremen” by the Brothers Grimm - such fairy tales are similar in their characteristics to legends. The legend not only names a specific place, but also often names specific natural features: if in a fairy tale the sea is a conditional phenomenon, then in the legend each lake has not only a name, but also a description of what kind of water is in it, what kind of shores it is, what grows around it. Glaciers, snowfalls, caves, mountain paths are described in detail, and in urban legends - streets, alleys, taverns.
The second difference between a legend and a fairy tale is that the legend involves historical characters and mentions historical events. Among the numerous beggars, lumberjacks, blacksmiths and Hans, who, if they have a name, then it has long become a generalized symbol of a daredevil or a rogue among the people (a situation well known to us from a fairy tale), there is the very real legendary Hans Puchsbaum, who once led either the construction of the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, or the legendary alchemist Theophrastus Paracelsus, or Charlemagne, or Mrs. Perchta, who was not included in the annals at all, but was equally famous thanks to the Austrian legend. It is no coincidence that in the last phrase we twice came across the word “legendary,” which is appropriate in this case. Because a legendary person is a historical figure, treated in a special way by a legend. Unlike a chronicle, in a legend the exact date when an event occurred or when a historical hero acted often disappears. But the characteristic features of the historical figure in the legend are exaggerated, become brighter, more prominent. And again the same phenomenon, unusually close to the worldview of modern man: there are no main and secondary people, just as there are no main and secondary cities - everyone can participate in the creation of history, but for this he must do something significant - for his loved ones, for of his people. It turns out that in a fairy tale the personality is erased, the main character is the people, generalized and typified, while in a legend living, real people appear against this background.
And finally, we get to the third difference between a legend and a fairy tale. This is her special form. Much work has been done on the form of the tale, and it is described in detail. Of course, because the form of the fairy tale is very recognizable, and this is expressed in certain linguistic features. In a fairy tale there is a beginning and an ending, there is a threefold repetition of the plot, there are stable epithets. With a legend, the situation is more complicated. The main thing here is the story itself, the plot, and it can be presented in different ways. Often this plot is reflected in early chronicles, and then it is repeatedly written down and presented with variations. There are always many versions of a legend. We chose the option proposed by the wonderful Austrian writer Käthe Reheis. But no matter how the legend is processed, the leading features of its content remain. We have already talked about them.
A few words about translators. The legends were translated by a large team consisting of well-known and young translators. Each with their own professional destiny, with their own style. But there was a unity of views in the approach to the legends. We tried to preserve the accuracy of geographical designations, the features of colloquial speech, and the rather complex and varied language of descriptive storytelling, unlike a fairy tale. We really wanted the reader to feel with us the charming power of Austrian legends.
The basis for the book was a wonderful collection of legends, adapted for children and youth, written by the famous Austrian children's writer Käthe Recheis. It is called “Legends from Austria” (“Sagen aus Österreich”, Verlag “Carl Ueberreuter”, Wien – Heidelberg, 1970). In general, adaptations of legends have been done more than once, but it was this version that attracted us with its simplicity and expressive power.
Before you are the legends of Austria. An amazing, unique country. Created by amazing, unique people. But their essence will be clear to you. After all, this country is a part of a single Earth, and these people are part of a single humanity.
I. Alekseeva.
VEIN
Danube mermaid
At the hour when the evening serenely fades away, when the moon shines in the sky and pours its silver light onto the earth, a lovely creature appears in a swarm among the waves of the Danube. Light curls framing a beautiful face are decorated with a wreath of flowers; The snow-white figure is also covered with flowers. The young enchantress either sways on the shimmering waves, then disappears into the depths of the river, only to soon reappear on the surface.
At times, the mermaid leaves the cool waters and wanders in the moonlight through dewy coastal meadows, not even afraid to appear to people, looks into lonely fishing huts and rejoices at the peaceful life of their poor inhabitants. She often warns fishermen, informing them of impending danger: ice jams, high water or a severe storm.
She helps one, but dooms the other to death, luring her into the river with her seductive singing. Seized by sudden melancholy, he follows her and finds his grave at the river bottom.
Many centuries ago, when Vienna was still a small town and where tall houses now stand, low fishermen’s huts were lonely huddled together, one frosty winter evening an old fisherman sat with his son in their poor home by a blazing fireplace. They mended nets and talked about the dangers of their craft. The old man, of course, knew many stories about mermen and mermaids.
“At the bottom of the Danube,” he said, “there is a huge crystal palace, and the river king lives in it with his wife and children. On large tables he has glass vessels in which he keeps the souls of drowned people. The king often goes out for a walk along the shore, and woe to anyone who dares to call out to him: he will immediately drag him to the bottom. His daughters, mermaids, are always looking for a beauty and are very keen on young handsome guys. Those whom they manage to charm must soon drown. Therefore, beware of mermaids, my son! They are all charming creatures, sometimes they even come to people’s dances and dance all night, until the first rooster crows, and then they rush back to their watery kingdom.
The old man knew a lot of stories and fables; the son listened to his father's words with disbelief, for he had never seen mermaids before. Before the old fisherman had time to finish his story, the door of the hut suddenly opened. The interior of the poor dwelling was illuminated with a magical light, and a beautiful girl in a shimmering white robe appeared on the threshold. White water lilies were woven into her braids, shining like gold.
- Don't be scared! - said the beautiful guest, fixing her wet blue gaze on the young fisherman. “I’m just a mermaid and I won’t harm you.” I came to warn you of danger. The thaw is approaching; the ice on the Danube will crack and melt, the river will overflow its banks and flood the coastal meadows and your homes. Don’t waste time, run, otherwise you will die.
Father and son seemed petrified with amazement, and when the strange vision disappeared and the door quietly closed again, they could not utter a word for a long time. They did not know whether this happened to them in a dream or in reality. Finally the old man took a breath, looked at his son and asked:
-Did you see this too?
The young man shook off his stupor and nodded silently. No, it was not an obsession! There was a mermaid in their hut, they both saw her, they both heard her words!
Father and son jumped to their feet and rushed out of the hut into the frosty night, hurried to their neighbors, other fishermen, and told them about the miraculous incident. And there was not a single person in the village who would not believe in the prophecy of the good mermaid; everyone tied their belongings in bundles and left their homes that same night, carrying with them everything they could carry, and rushed to the surrounding hills. They knew perfectly well what a sudden thaw would threaten them with if the frost-bound stream suddenly broke its bonds.
When morning dawned, they heard a dull crash and roar coming from the river; bluish transparent blocks of ice piled on top of each other. The very next day, the coastal meadows and fields were covered with a seething and foamy lake. Only the steep roofs of the fishermen's huts rose lonely above the still rising water. But not a single person or animal drowned; everyone managed to retreat to a safe distance.
The water soon subsided, the stream returned to its channel, and everything became as before. But is that all? No, one person has lost his peace forever! It was a young fisherman who could not forget the beautiful mermaid and the tender gaze of her blue eyes. He constantly saw her in front of him; her image haunted the young man relentlessly, whether he was fishing or sitting in front of the fireplace. She appeared to him even at night in a dream, and in the morning, waking up, he could not believe that it was just a dream.
The young fisherman went to the banks of the Danube more and more often, sat alone for a long time under the coastal willows and kept looking into the water. In the noise of the stream he imagined the alluring voice of a mermaid. Most willingly, he went out in his boat into the middle of the river and thoughtfully admired the play of the waves, and every silvery fish that swam past seemed to be deliberately teasing him. He leaned over the edge of the boat, stretched out his hands to her, as if wanting to grab her, grab her and hold her forever. However, his dream was not destined to come true. Day by day his gaze became sadder, and his heart became more and more bitter when he returned to his home in the evening.
One night his melancholy became so unbearable that he secretly left the hut, went ashore and untied his boat. He never came back again. In the morning, his boat alone, without a swimmer, swayed on the waves in the middle of the river.
No one ever saw the young fisherman again. For many years, the old father sat alone in front of his hut, looked at the river and cried about the fate of his son, whom the mermaid carried with her to the bottom of the Danube, to the crystal palace of the water king.
Tree in glands on Stock im Eisen square
Life is not easy for children apprenticed to a master.
One such boy, Martin Mux, learned this the hard way since he was apprenticed to a noble Viennese locksmith, and that was three or four hundred years ago.
The work began at dawn and continued for a long time, until the evening. And Martin, oh, how he wanted to sleep longer, laze around, and play and frolic with the other kids. But the master was strict, and for Martin everything did not always go smoothly: sometimes the owner pulled him painfully by the ears.
One day the master sent a boy for clay. He took a wheelbarrow and went out of town to where everyone was getting clay. Martin was even a little glad to escape from the workshop and spend an hour or two in the wild. The sun was shining brightly and warmly from the sky, and the boy walked cheerfully, pushing a wheelbarrow in front of him. Outside the city gates, he met other boys and, abandoning the wheelbarrow, frolicked and ran around with them all day, forgetting about the clay and the fact that the master was waiting for him. While playing, he didn’t even notice how the day passed - and suddenly the sun set and dusk fell. The guys abandoned the game and ran home, and Martin realized too late that he had not completed the assignment, and realized that he would not have time: while he was collecting clay, the gates would close and he would not get into the city!
Martin sees that there is nothing to do. He picked up his car and ran home at full speed. He ran so hard that he was completely out of breath, and still he was late: when he reached the city gates, they were already locked. The boy didn’t have a penny in his pocket, and to get into the yurod, he had to pay the guard a kreuzer, otherwise he wouldn’t open the gate. Not knowing what to do, the boy began to cry out of grief. What will the master say when he sees that he has not returned? And where should he sleep?
Martin sat down on the wheelbarrow, roared, sniffled and thought: “What should I do? What should I do?" And suddenly, out of childish thoughtlessness, he blurts out:
- Eh, it was - it wasn’t! If only I could get into the city, I would be willing to sell my damn soul!
Before he had time to say this, suddenly a little man in a red camisole and with a pointed hat, decorated with a bunch of fiery red rooster feathers, appeared in front of him out of nowhere.
-What are you crying about, little boy? – the stranger asked in a hoarse voice.
Martin's eyes widened at his strange appearance.
Then the devil - because the stranger was just a devil - consoled the boy and said:
“You will have a kreuzer for the watchman, and a wheelbarrow full of clay, and there will be no beaters at home.” Do you want me to make you the best locksmith in Vienna as well? Don't be afraid, you will get it all with one small condition: If you ever miss Sunday mass, you will pay me for it with your life. Don't be shy! What's so scary about this? All you have to do is go to mass every Sunday, and nothing will happen to you!
The foolish boy believed that there was nothing wrong with this proposal. “Go to mass every Sunday? What's so difficult about this? - he thought. “You’d have to be a complete fool to miss Sunday service!” So he agreed and sealed the agreement with three drops of blood. For this, the devil gave him a shiny new kreuzer for the gatekeeper, and the wheelbarrow suddenly turned out to be completely full of clay. The boy knocked cheerfully on the gate, paid for the entrance, came home to the master, and he, instead of any thrashing, also praised him for his hard work.
The next morning, an acquaintance of Martin’s came to the workshop and ordered the master a very special piece of work. Near the city rampart at the corner of Carinthia Street there was an oak tree with a mighty trunk - all that remained of the ancient dense forests. And so the visitor said that he wanted to tighten the tree with a strong iron rim and lock it with an intricate lock. Neither the master nor the apprentices dared to take on such unprecedented and complex work.
- How so! – the customer was indignant. “What kind of craftsmen are you then if you don’t know how to make such a simple thing!” Yes, your student can handle this without difficulty!
“Well, if the student manages to make such a castle,” said the offended master, “then I will immediately declare him an apprentice and let him go free.”
Remembering the red man’s promise yesterday, the boy was not afraid:
- Agreed, master! - he exclaimed and, before he had time to come to his senses, the iron hoop and lock were already ready. The boy effortlessly completed the job in a few hours. He himself didn’t know how it happened, but the matter was boiling in his hands. The customer waited in the workshop for the end of the work, went with the boy to the oak tree, tied the trunk with an iron hoop and locked it. Then he hid the key and disappeared from view, as if it had never been there. Since then, this trunk and the area on which it stands is called “Stock im Eisen”, that is, “Tree in the glands”.
For Martin Mooks, the apprenticeship ended there, and the master let him go on all fours. According to the ancient custom, the young apprentice went on a journey, worked for various masters and finally found himself in Nuremberg. The master, to whom he hired himself as an assistant, only marveled at his work. Martin completed the elaborate window grille, which would have taken other apprentices a week to complete, in a few hours, and to boot, he also forged the anvil onto the grille. Such miracles made the master feel very uneasy, and he hastened to part with such an assistant as quickly as possible.
Then Martin set off on his way back and a few months later returned home to Vienna. Of course, during all his travels he never missed Sunday mass. Martin was not afraid of the devil and firmly decided to make a fool of his acquaintance in the red camisole. In Vienna, he heard that the magistrate was looking for a craftsman who could make a key to the elaborate lock that hung on the famous oak tree near the moat. It was announced that anyone who could forge such a key would be given the title of master and the right of Viennese citizenship. Many have tried to make such a key, but no one has succeeded so far.
As soon as Martin heard about this, he immediately got to work. But the red-jacketed man, who took the old key with him, did not like this idea. Turning himself invisible, he sat down near the forge and every time Martin put a key into the flame to heat it up, the devil turned his beard to the side. Martin Mucks soon guessed which way the wind was blowing and deliberately put his beard in the opposite direction before sticking it into the fire. So he managed to outwit the devil, who, with evil persistence, again turned her to the other side. Rejoicing at the successful trick, Martin ran out of the workshop laughing, and the enraged devil flew out through the chimney.
In the presence of all the members of the magistrate, Martin inserted the key and unlocked the lock. He was immediately solemnly awarded the title of master and citizen of the city, and Martin, in joy, threw the key high into the air. And then a miracle happened: the key flew away but never fell to the ground.
Years passed. Martin lived happily in peace and contentment, never missing Sunday mass. Now he himself regretted the agreement with the devil, which he had concluded when he was still a stupid boy.
But the red-jacketed villain did not at all like the respectable life of Martin Mooks, and the devil, as you know, does not give up on a healthy life once he has hooked a human soul. For many years he waited for an opportunity, but Martin Muks worked diligently on weekdays, and always went to church on Sundays, without missing a single mass.
Martin Mux grew richer and richer and soon became one of the most prosperous citizens of Vienna. However, he had no idea that the gentleman in the red camisole had a hand in his success. The devil hoped that wealth would soon turn the master’s head, and so it happened - little by little Martin began to indulge in playing dice and drinking wine.
One Sunday morning, the master sat down with a group of drinking companions in the wine cellar “Under the Stone Clover” on Tuchlauben Street. They started playing dice. When the bell tower struck ten o'clock, Martin pushed away the glass of dice to go to church.
- You'll still have time! – his friends began to persuade him. - Why are you getting ready so early? Mass starts at eleven, what's your hurry?
They didn't have to ask Martin for long; he stayed with his friends and continued drinking and playing dice with them, and they got so carried away that they couldn't stop even at eleven.
And again Martin Muks listened to them, and they continued the game. Suddenly the clock struck half past twelve. Martin Muks turned chalk white with fear, jumped out from behind the table, ran up the stairs and rushed into the church. When he ran to the square near St. Stephen's Cathedral, it was empty, only an old woman stood near one tombstone, it was a witch whom the devil ordered to watch over Martin.
“Tell me, for the sake of all that is holy,” Martin shouted, running up, “is the last mass really not over yet?”
- Last mass? – the old woman was surprised. “It ended quite a long time ago.” It's almost an hour already.
Martin Mucks did not hear how she giggled maliciously after him, because in fact it was not yet twelve. The poor master, out of grief, ran back to the wine cellar, tore off the silver buttons from his camisole and gave them to his friends as souvenirs, so that they would not forget him and learn from his terrible example. And just then the noon bell rang. The last blows had barely died down when a guest in a red camisole appeared at the door.
The frightened Martin Muks again rushed up the steps, jumped out of the basement and rushed to St. Stephen's Cathedral. The devil ran after him and grew taller with every step. When they reached the cemetery, a gigantic figure of a fire-breathing monster was already towering behind the back of the deceived poor fellow. At that moment the priest in the cathedral said last words masses. The service ended, and with it the life of Master Mux ended.
The fire-breathing monster grabbed him in its claws, soared into the sky and disappeared from sight along with its prey. And in the evening, the townspeople found the body of Master Martin Mux outside the gate where the gallows stood.
Since then, all the traveling apprentices of the plumbing trade, coming to Vienna, hammered a nail into the trunk of an oak tree in memory of the unfortunate master, which stood in the middle of the city and soon turned into a real “iron tree”.
Author
Annotation
The world of the Austrian legend is the world high mountains, eternal ice and mysterious caves. Legends, unlike fairy tales, reflect not only ancient beliefs, morals and character of the people, but also significant historical events and features of nature. Therefore, the book will be of interest to both children and adults - to anyone interested in the history and culture of the peoples of the world.
Legends of Austria are published in Russian for the first time.
Tannen-E - a city under eternal ice
ETERNAL ICE OF LEGENDS
Danube mermaid
Tree in glands on Stock im Eisen square
Basilisk
Miraculous Rescue
The spinner at the cross
Master Martin Iron Hand
Kahlenberg Pastor
Moaning Tree
Master Hans Puchsbaum
Judith from Vienna
Ham on the Red Tower
Scratched
The Devil and the Armorer
Take care of the pfennig
Mokhnach-Kosmach
Doctor Faustus in Vienna
Dear Augustine
Undermining the pagans
LOWER AUSTRIA
King Otter and Ruprecht's Hole on Mount Otterberg
Magic Castle Grabenweg
Snow Jacob from Wolfstein Castle
Forgotten chapel at Scharfeneck Castle
Margrave Herold and his daughters in the Dunkelsteinerwald forest
"Kunring Dogs"
King Richard the Lionheart in Durnstein
Rose Garden of Schreckenwald at Aggstein Castle
The Copper Soothsayer at Rauenstein Castle
Wine from the ruins of Greifenstein Castle
Korneuburg Pied Piper
Fairy Queen
Ghost of the Countess of Fischamend
Proud pine in Marchfeld
Baden brownie
The wandering grinder and the devil in Durnstein Castle
Ghosts at Schauenstein Castle
Death in a wine barrel
Shaky stone near Zelking
How the Klosterneuburg Monastery was founded
BURGENLAND
Curse of the Mermaid
Forest Fairy
Lake Neusiedlersee
Purbach Turk
Turks at the walls of Güssing
Worship stone
Devil's stone in St. Jorgen
The lucky one from Wörtherberg
Maiden's Heath
UPPER AUSTRIA
How the Danube mermaid thanked the boatman
Dwarven cave near Obernberg
House of Doctor Faustus near Aschakh
Lord of the Danube
Innkeeper from Windegg Castle
Hans the Giant of Mühlviertel
Mule owner and musician
Hotel "At the Jumper" in Eferding
About Saint Wolfgang
About how Lake Irrsee appeared
Rannaridl Fortress
Mountain Dwarf Bread from Rychraming
Saint Peter and donuts
Hunter of the Dead Mountains
SALZBURG
Mountain man from the Gerloz plateau
King Watzman
Gift of the Dwarves
Untersberg Dwarves' Magic Stone
About how a peasant met Frau Perchta near Radstadt
Maiden of Lofer
Putz from the village of Neukirchen in Pinzgau
One hundred eighty dozen gold ducats
Theophrastus Paracelsus in Salzburg
Subglacial meadow
Weitmosers from the Gastein Valley
Doctor Faustus and the Salzburg Cellarer
Emperor Charles of Untersberg
Mother owl from the village of Zell and her children
The missing wedding procession
Treasures of the Stubenbergers in Shekl Cave
Gleichenberg Witch
Herold von Lichtenstein
Snake Crown
Lake Wildsee on Mount Zirbitzkogel
Agnes von Pfannberg
Dragon Slayer from Mixnitz
Foundling from Wildon
How the Ore Mountain was discovered
The end of the Zeiring silver mine
Silver Babies from Arzberg
Queen of Snakes near Judenburg
The woodcutter of Mariazell - guard at the gates of hell
CARINTHIA
Watchman from Klagenfurt
Christmas Eve in Mölltal
Church in the Tauern mountains near Ossiach
Treasure Mountain near Metnitz
Snake Slayer in the Glantal Valley
Blacksmith from Rumpelbach Bank
Knight Bibernell of Stein Castle near Oberdravaburg
Turkish descent near the town of St. Veit on Guyana
Devil's Bridge in the Dravatal Valley
Giant of San Leonard Lake
White Rose at Arnoldstein Monastery
How the blacksmith from the Parable made a bet with the devil
Friedl - Empty Pocket
Mrs. Hitt
Giant of Mount Glungetser
Blessed virgins
Tannen-E, a city under the eternal ice of the Ötztal glacier
Hitte-Hatta and the great Jordan in the Gurgl valley
Lake Zierainersee
Kasermandl - the evil spirit of Oberwalchen
Fairy mountain range Sonnenwendjoch
Brave maid from the Wattenzer Valley
How a peasant had a dream about a bridge over the Tsirla River
Mouse attack
VORARLBERG
About how a hurricane happened on Shreker Meadow
How an old woman came to Dornbirn to spin yarn
Night spirits
Marvels
About where the Jodlerbühel hill came from near Bezau
How the Bregenz women fought with the Swedes
White woman from Rosenegg
The Beauty of Rookburg Castle
The story of a healing spring
Werewolves
Information about translators
Tannen-E - a city under eternal ice
Legends of Austria
Compiled by I. P. Streblova
ETERNAL ICE OF LEGENDS
Have you ever heard about the rich city of Tannen-E, high in the mountains, which was once covered with thick snow, and the city remained forever under eternal ice? The inhabitants of this city were overcome by greed and vanity, not only did they have nowhere to put their money, but they also decided to build a tower to the sky, a tower higher than all the snowy peaks, and hang a bell at the top so that all the peoples of the world would know about this city. That’s when nature decided in its own way - and punished its disobedient children who tried to disrupt its harmony. And this happened not somewhere in a magical distant kingdom, but in a real place that can be found on the map: in the Alps, in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the Etzthaler Fernern mountain range, where a rocky spire rises above the mountain peak covered with the Eiskugel glacier - this is a tower , not completed by the inhabitants of Tannen-E.
There is something surprisingly familiar about this story. She immediately reminded us of the Russian fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish and dozens of other fairy tales of the peoples of the world, telling about punished arrogance. But stop! Do not rush to conclude that the Austrian legend about the city of Tannen-E is the sister of these tales! There is a difference between a legend and a fairy tale.
Firstly, the location. In a fairy tale, everything happens in a distant kingdom, in one village or in an unknown place: once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman, and we don’t know where they lived - and this is not so important in the fairy tale. The legend clearly states the location of the action. Look at the beginning of the Austrian legends: “A peasant from Obernberg, on the Inn River...” or “Once upon a time there lived Hans the Giant in the Upper Mühlviertel...” - all these are completely reliable names of specific geographical places that exist today. Cities, villages, valleys, rivers, streams, lakes, mountain peaks, individual rocks are named - and an amazing and instructive story is associated with each place. Gradually, as we become acquainted with Austrian legends, we develop a complete picture of the nature of this country, where every corner is covered in poetry. This is a kind of poetic geography. This is the geography of Burgenland, with its famous lowland lakes and picturesque castles. And here is the geography of the land of Styria: mountain lakes, glaciers, steep cliffs, caves.
We have arranged the legends as is usually done in Austrian collections of legends - by land. The nine sections of the book are nine pieces of a geographical map that together make up one country - Austria. The geography of legends is peculiar. She doesn't set priorities. The center of the action may be a small village, an inconspicuous stream, or a local mountain cliff. And in this the legend is very modern. After all, it is high time to abandon the method of getting to know geography based on the principle of marking: this city is worthy of mention because it is large and economically important, and that one is small and insignificant, and is not worthy of being known about. Modern knowledge is humanistic, for modern man every corner of the earth is valuable - to the same extent that the ancient creator of the legend was important to his only corner, which he described in detail and lovingly - after all, once it made up his entire world, he did not have other corners knew.
So, in a legend, unlike a fairy tale, a specific place of action is named. Of course, it happens that in a fairy tale the location of the action is known, as, for example, in the famous “Musicians of Bremen” by the Brothers Grimm - such fairy tales are similar in their characteristics to legends. A legend not only names a specific place, but often also names specific natural features: if in a fairy tale the sea is a conditional phenomenon, then in the legend each lake has not only a name, but also a description of what kind of water is in it, what shores it is, what grows around it. Glaciers, snowfalls, caves, mountain paths are described in detail, and in urban legends - streets, alleys, taverns.
The second difference between a legend and a fairy tale is that the legend involves historical characters and mentions historical events. Among the numerous beggars, lumberjacks, blacksmiths and Hans, who, if they have a name, then it has long become a generalized symbol of a daredevil or a rogue among the people (a situation well known to us from a fairy tale), there is the very real legendary Hans Puchsbaum, who once led either the construction of the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, or the legendary alchemist Theophrastus Paracelsus, or Charlemagne, or Mrs. Perchta, who is not at all included in the annals, but equally famous thanks to the Austrian legend. It is no coincidence that in the last phrase we twice came across the word “legendary,” which is appropriate in this case. Because a legendary person is a historical figure, treated in a special way by a legend. Unlike a chronicle, in a legend the exact date when an event occurred or when a historical hero acted often disappears. But the characteristic features of the historical figure in the legend are exaggerated, become brighter, more prominent. And again the same phenomenon, unusually close to the worldview of modern man: there are no main and secondary people, just as there are no main and secondary cities - everyone can participate in the creation of history, but for this he must do something significant - for his loved ones, for of his people. It turns out that in a fairy tale the personality is erased, the main character is the people, generalized and typified, while in a legend living, real people appear against this background.
And finally, we get to the third difference between a legend and a fairy tale. This is her special form. Much work has been done on the form of the tale, and it is described in detail. Of course, because the form of the fairy tale is very recognizable, and this is expressed in certain linguistic features. In a fairy tale there is a beginning and an ending, there is a threefold repetition of the plot, there are stable epithets. With a legend, the situation is more complicated. The main thing here is the story itself, the plot, and it can be presented in different ways. Often this plot is reflected in early chronicles, and then it is repeatedly written down and presented with variations. There are always many versions of a legend. We chose the option proposed by the wonderful Austrian writer Käthe Reheis. But no matter how the legend is processed, the leading features of its content remain. We have already talked about them.
A few words about translators. The legends were translated by a large team consisting of well-known and young translators. Each with their own professional destiny, with their own style. But there was a unity of views in the approach to the legends. We tried to preserve the accuracy of geographical designations, the features of colloquial speech, and the rather complex and varied language of descriptive storytelling, unlike a fairy tale. We really wanted the reader to feel with us the charming power of Austrian legends.
The basis for the book was a wonderful collection of legends, adapted for children and youth, written by the famous Austrian children's writer Käthe Recheis. It is called “Legends from Austria” (“Sagen aus Österreich”, Verlag “Carl Ueberreuter”, Wien - Heidelberg, 1970). In general, adaptations of legends have been done more than once, but it was this version that attracted us with its simplicity and expressive power.
Before you are the legends of Austria. An amazing, unique country. Created by amazing, unique people. But their essence will be clear to you. After all, this country is a part of a single Earth, and these people are part of a single humanity.
I. Alekseeva.
Have you ever heard about the rich city of Tannen-E, high in the mountains, which was once covered with thick snow, and the city remained forever under eternal ice? The inhabitants of this city were overcome by greed and vanity, not only did they have nowhere to put their money, but they also decided to build a tower to the sky, a tower higher than all the snowy peaks, and hang a bell at the top so that all the peoples of the world would know about this city. That’s when nature decided in its own way - and punished its disobedient children who tried to disrupt its harmony. And this happened not somewhere in a magical distant kingdom, but in a real place that can be found on the map: in the Alps, in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the Etzthaler Fernern mountain range, where a rocky spire rises above the mountain peak covered with the Eiskugel glacier - this is a tower , not completed by the inhabitants of Tannen-E.
There is something surprisingly familiar about this story. She immediately reminded us of the Russian fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish and dozens of other fairy tales of the peoples of the world, telling about punished arrogance. But stop! Do not rush to conclude that the Austrian legend about the city of Tannen-E is the sister of these tales! There is a difference between a legend and a fairy tale.
Firstly, the location. In a fairy tale, everything happens in a distant kingdom, in one village or in an unknown place: once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman, and we don’t know where they lived - and this is not so important in the fairy tale. The legend clearly states the location of the action. Look at the beginning of the Austrian legends: “A peasant from Obernberg, on the Inn River...” or “Once upon a time there lived Hans the Giant in the Upper Mühlviertel...” - all these are completely reliable names of specific geographical places that exist today. Cities, villages, valleys, rivers, streams, lakes, mountain peaks, individual rocks are named - and an amazing and instructive story is associated with each place. Gradually, as we become acquainted with Austrian legends, we develop a complete picture of the nature of this country, where every corner is covered in poetry. This is a kind of poetic geography. This is the geography of Burgenland, with its famous lowland lakes and picturesque castles. And here is the geography of the land of Styria: mountain lakes, glaciers, steep cliffs, caves.
We have arranged the legends as is usually done in Austrian collections of legends - by land. The nine sections of the book are nine pieces of a geographical map that together make up one country - Austria. The geography of legends is peculiar. She doesn't set priorities. The center of the action may be a small village, an inconspicuous stream, or a local mountain cliff. And in this the legend is very modern. After all, it is high time to abandon the method of getting to know geography based on the principle of marking: this city is worthy of mention because it is large and economically important, and that one is small and insignificant, and is not worthy of being known about. Modern knowledge is humanistic, for modern man every corner of the earth is valuable - to the same extent that the ancient creator of the legend was important to his only corner, which he described in detail and lovingly - after all, once it made up his entire world, he did not have other corners knew.
So, in a legend, unlike a fairy tale, a specific place of action is named. Of course, it happens that in a fairy tale the location of the action is known, as, for example, in the famous “Musicians of Bremen” by the Brothers Grimm - such fairy tales are similar in their characteristics to legends. A legend not only names a specific place, but often also names specific natural features: if in a fairy tale the sea is a conditional phenomenon, then in the legend each lake has not only a name, but also a description of what kind of water is in it, what shores it is, what grows around it. Glaciers, snowfalls, caves, mountain paths are described in detail, and in urban legends - streets, alleys, taverns.
The second difference between a legend and a fairy tale is that the legend involves historical characters and mentions historical events. Among the numerous beggars, lumberjacks, blacksmiths and Hans, who, if they have a name, then it has long become a generalized symbol of a daredevil or a rogue among the people (a situation well known to us from a fairy tale), there is the very real legendary Hans Puchsbaum, who once led either the construction of the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, or the legendary alchemist Theophrastus Paracelsus, or Charlemagne, or Mrs. Perchta, who is not at all included in the annals, but equally famous thanks to the Austrian legend. It is no coincidence that in the last phrase we twice came across the word “legendary,” which is appropriate in this case. Because a legendary person is a historical figure, treated in a special way by a legend. Unlike a chronicle, in a legend the exact date when an event occurred or when a historical hero acted often disappears. But the characteristic features of the historical figure in the legend are exaggerated, become brighter, more prominent. And again the same phenomenon, unusually close to the worldview of modern man: there are no main and secondary people, just as there are no main and secondary cities - everyone can participate in the creation of history, but for this he must do something significant - for his loved ones, for of his people. It turns out that in a fairy tale the personality is erased, the main character is the people, generalized and typified, while in a legend living, real people appear against this background.
And finally, we get to the third difference between a legend and a fairy tale. This is her special form. Much work has been done on the form of the tale, and it is described in detail. Of course, because the form of the fairy tale is very recognizable, and this is expressed in certain linguistic features. In a fairy tale there is a beginning and an ending, there is a threefold repetition of the plot, there are stable epithets. With a legend, the situation is more complicated. The main thing here is the story itself, the plot, and it can be presented in different ways. Often this plot is reflected in early chronicles, and then it is repeatedly written down and presented with variations. There are always many versions of a legend. We chose the option proposed by the wonderful Austrian writer Käthe Reheis. But no matter how the legend is processed, the leading features of its content remain. We have already talked about them.
A few words about translators. The legends were translated by a large team consisting of well-known and young translators. Each with their own professional destiny, with their own style. But there was a unity of views in the approach to the legends. We tried to preserve the accuracy of geographical designations, the features of colloquial speech, and the rather complex and varied language of descriptive storytelling, unlike a fairy tale. We really wanted the reader to feel with us the charming power of Austrian legends.
The basis for the book was a wonderful collection of legends, adapted for children and youth, written by the famous Austrian children's writer Käthe Recheis. It is called “Legends from Austria” (“Sagen aus Österreich”, Verlag “Carl Ueberreuter”, Wien - Heidelberg, 1970). In general, adaptations of legends have been done more than once, but it was this version that attracted us with its simplicity and expressive power.
Before you are the legends of Austria. An amazing, unique country. Created by amazing, unique people. But their essence will be clear to you. After all, this country is a part of a single Earth, and these people are part of a single humanity.
I. Alekseeva.
Danube mermaid
At the hour when the evening serenely fades away, when the moon shines in the sky and pours its silver light onto the earth, a lovely creature appears in a swarm among the waves of the Danube. Light curls framing a beautiful face are decorated with a wreath of flowers; The snow-white figure is also covered with flowers. The young enchantress either sways on the shimmering waves, then disappears into the depths of the river, only to soon reappear on the surface.
The impressive architecture of Austria would mean nothing without the legends that are associated with it. Even the Cathedral of St. Stefan - and he keeps interesting story. And in every legend you can feel the atmosphere of this country. Sometimes even stronger than when sightseeing.
The historical center of the capital of Austria is the imperial city. Beautiful, stately buildings, cozy coffee shops and pastry shops, the famous Vienna Opera and the Ring Boulevard filled with greenery... Locals We have always been proud of this place. But their sense of humor always added a special piquancy to it. For example, since ancient times it has been preserved interesting riddle. Vienna has thick and strong walls, fortified bastions and well-guarded gates. But you can get inside without going through the gate. It turns out that the answer is simple: some of them are called “Red Tower”. There is no word “gate” in the name. By the way, it was through them that the main route to the Inner City ran.
The pride of Austria is its flag. You can read more about other features of this country and its resorts. Notice the white stripe decorating the red field. She is a reminder of the courage of the Austrian Duke. He had to fight a whole horde of enemies led by the Sultan. But he didn't back down. Although the clothes were stained with blood, a white stripe remained - the place under the weapon.
In the Imperial City, by the way, you should definitely look at the Cathedral of St. Stefan. It stands out significantly from the background of other buildings. And on its walls you can see “scars”. Once upon a time there was a shopping arcade near the cathedral. And sellers cut out lengths to measure the goods. So these slits remained on the walls of the attraction.
They say that when it was built, one of the linden trees was preserved. The architect came to the priest and warned that the trees should be cut down. But he begged him to leave one of his favorite linden trees. “She is as old as I am, and should not leave the world before me,” the priest addressed the architect. The specialist met him halfway and redesigned everything.
Moreover, everything was designed so that the linden tree would look into the priest’s window. He was incredibly happy. “We are good friends - Linden and I,” he said. And they say that when the time came for the priest to leave the world, the linden blossomed. Everything would have been fine, but it was in the middle of winter. Austria still preserves such an amazing legend. However, she also has many other interesting stories in her arsenal.
