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tanyarobinson's review against another edition
3.0
Now that I am home from my Rhine River cruise I can say that this book of tales was a great preparation for my trip. Many of the stories in Spence's collection were referred to as I visited sites in western Germany.
As literature, however, I wasn't particularly excited about Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine. Nearly every tale ended with everyone dying, the heroine locked up in a nunnery, or some dark magical transformation. For instance, in one story there are seven princesses who have balked at getting married, but they finally agree to have a big party where they will choose grooms from all the suitors in the kingdom. While the men are waiting for them to appear, however, the girls all head out to the Rhine and start rowing away on a boat. The men are distressed to see them escaping, but even more upset as they watch the boat capsize and all the women drown. This, by the way, is the origin of a group of 7 rocks poking out the top of the river.
Anyway, these legends give insight into the early Germanic peoples.
As literature, however, I wasn't particularly excited about Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine. Nearly every tale ended with everyone dying, the heroine locked up in a nunnery, or some dark magical transformation. For instance, in one story there are seven princesses who have balked at getting married, but they finally agree to have a big party where they will choose grooms from all the suitors in the kingdom. While the men are waiting for them to appear, however, the girls all head out to the Rhine and start rowing away on a boat. The men are distressed to see them escaping, but even more upset as they watch the boat capsize and all the women drown. This, by the way, is the origin of a group of 7 rocks poking out the top of the river.
Anyway, these legends give insight into the early Germanic peoples.
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