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The woman "Loreley" once lived in the Loreley cave, which used to be a refuge for the inhabitants of Bornich during the 30 years - war and it was destroyed for the mining industry in the years 1836 - 68. Loreley´s voice died away in the echo of the rocks.
Uncountable men fell in love with her. Especially when the rugged rocks of the "Ley" glowed in the evening sunlight, or when the cliffs were reflected in the water at the edge of the rocks with help of the yellow moonlight, you could see the Loreley on top of the mines. Some boatmen, who tried to get close to her, drowned in the breakers and his dead body was never found.
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| Only a chosen few fishermen of the "Salmwoge" in the upper "Fabian" and below the "Teufelssitz", were liked by her. |
Oil painting by Karl – Friedrich – Sohn 1872
You can find the painting at the town hall
in the Loreley City St. Goarshausen. |
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The fish catches of the nighttime increased so much, so that the fishermen were able, through their wealth, to leave their poor small huts at the Rhine river and trade them against gigantic three - storied buildings in the great Burgenstreet.
Greedy and chattering hunters, who talked about the meeting with the beautiful woman, lost their luck in hunting for ever. |
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The goodwill towards the highly gifted, of Loreley, was no secret anymore.
The calling of her beauty went way more far over the boarders of the "Middlerhine" area.
The palatinate hereditary earl also heard about the kindness of Loreley. With inexpressible desire, the young earl left the court of his father behind his back, in order to find the love of the beautiful Loreley. Some boatmen ,who were at the same age as the hereditary earl, lead him to her magic kingdom. As the red evening sunlight disappeared and the first stars started to shine, the royal vehicle arrived at the gigantic valley below the "Seven Virgins".
Bewitched of the wondrous singing, which echoed in the rocks, they could see the beautiful Loreley in the steepest slope of this area. The hereditary earl wanted to arrive the bank as fast as possible and there were only a few more feet to ride, but everybody was just starring at the steep slope above them. The boatmen forgot their obligation of navigating the boat and they lost their power in order to continue the paddling. So, the hereditary earl jumped over board because of his impatience, and he got lost in the suction of a swirl while screaming "Oh, Loreley!".
After the Palatinate earl heard about the death of his son, he gave orders to find and catch the "murderess" of his legatee. On the same evening, the warlord of the earl went to the waterside of the Loreley, where they found her in the spooky haze of the steep slope. Soon, the mountain was surrounded by the soldiers and the warlord climbed up the hill with his bravest men. They met Loreley again on a projecting rock.
The warlord screamed: "You have to pay for the bad things you did!" and he blocked the way to the cave for her.
The threatened woman answered: "Mind your own business!".
She threw her pearl chain into the flood and her voice resounded on the water: |
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"Quick, quick father!
Send the wild roses to your child!
It wants to ride the waves and the wind!"
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Waves as high as the rocks came up and took the fairy away into the grey of the darkness. A deadly silence was over the roaring waves.
The Loreley was never seen again after this event. She only derides the callers with her echo in the rocks, where the devil left the huge circles where he used to sit in former times. |
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Tourist Information in the Loreley City
Bahnhofstraße 8, D-56346 St.Goarshausen
Tel. +49 (0) 67 71 - 9 10-0 / Fax +49 (0) 67 71 - 9 10-15
E-Mail: info@loreley-touristik.de |
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