MrShineyhead's Travels:
Deaf Dog in the Park | State Fair | MrWildWildWest | Gone Fishin' | The Pirate | Me Here!

Tales in The Dark:
The Mountain Lion | Ice Lake | Civil War | Lorelei | The Goblins

With a special ASL translation of:
The Star-Spangled Banner

Lorelei

Long long ago, a king ruled the region around the Rhine River. One day, as the king and his favorite son surveyed his kingdom and the surrounding land, the king thought of how mischievous and sneaky his son usually was, and wrote it off to, “boys will be boys.”

The king had heard many rumors about a specific part of the Rhine River. The area in question was in a very deep part of the river bordered on either side by high cliffs and dense trees. Many men captaining their ships passed through this area. It seemed that as the moon light shone, any ship passing through this part of the Rhine would inevitably crash and finally sink.  This had happened a number of times, resulting in many shipwrecks and many deaths.

The king pondered this situation and wondered what to do. His son wanted to undertake an expedition to sail this treacherous area and find the cause of the repeated shipwrecks.  The king was concerned for his son and cautioned him against such a voyage. But his son persisted and gathered a group of soldiers which he led to his waiting ship.

As the ship set sail, the king’s son stood at the ship’s bow and looked out across the water.  Soon, the high cliffs with dense trees were visible on either side of the ship, and the king’s son knew they were approaching the area in question.  The landscape and water was beautiful, and the king’s son wondered why his ship had not encountered any problems yet.

As the ship continued through the channel created by the cliffs, the king’s son saw something shining brightly from the top of the cliff on his left.  As the ship came closer, the king’s son was able to see what had been shining so brightly:  it was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen!

The woman had long flowing golden hair that she combed rhythmically as she swayed. The king’s son was so entranced by the woman’s beauty that he felt drawn to meet her. Suddenly it became all he wanted:  to meet this fantastic creature!

The king’s son was captivated by the song the lovely woman sang, which reverberated off the cliffs and made his heart soar.  He felt that he and the woman had a true connection and that he was truly in love.  He could not take his eyes off of her. 

As the singing continued, and the king’s son watched the woman comb her flaxen hair, the water around the ship began to change and shift.  The once calm and lapping river became a roiling whirlpool, whipping the king’s son’s ship around and tossing it like a toy boat. Soon the ship was swallowed up by the water, and the ship sank out of sight.

The water calmed and the river became peaceful again.  Soon, a lone surviving soldier plunged upward out of the deep water. He struggled for air and was able to crawl onto a piece of wreckage where he floated until he caught sight of an approaching ship.

The soldier flagged down the ship, and the sailors aboard were able to pull the solider to safety.  The rescuing ship turned about and headed back to port.

Meanwhile, the king impatiently awaited the return of his son’s ship. As the second ship approached, the king was confused.  The surviving soldier approached the king, and the king asked, “Where is my son and where is my ship?”

“I beg your pardon your majesty,” said the soldier.

“Again, I ask you where is my son, and where is my ship?” the king replied angrily.

“Dead, sir,” said the soldier.

“But how? What happened?” exclaimed the king. 

“There was an incredible whirlpool that consumed the ship and swallowed it up!” explained the soldier.

“There was an amazingly beautiful woman up on the high cliffs, singing and combing her hair. Then all of a sudden – I don’t know what happened!?”

The king marshaled his troops and dispatched a fleet of ships to find out what had happened to his son.

The ships sailed all night and the next day, the troops returned with the body of the king’s son, carried two by two in a casket to the king.

The king approached the casket, and when it was opened he saw the body of his son inside.

“Who has done this?” he asked, “Who has murdered my son!?”

Once again, the king gathered his troops and set sail vowing to wage war on whomever was responsible for the death of his son. 

The fleet sailed for many miles. The king stood at the bow of one of the ships watching vigilantly for signs of the murderer. He saw nothing, however.

Finally, as the moon rose in the sky and the ships approached the high cliffs lined with trees, the shimmering, beautiful woman with the golden flowing hair appeared, combing her hair and singing.

All the soldiers were instantly entranced by the beauty they beheld. They raced their ships toward the woman, each feeling certain that they were deeply in love.

The soldiers anchored their ships and swam to the shore with great haste. They marched onto the shore and approached the beautiful woman who stood before them combing her long hair.

The soldiers marched up to the woman, armed themselves and the army captain approached her with his sword drawn, “You killed the king’s son!” he cried.

Looking confused, the woman continued combing her hair.

“You killed my king’s son!!” the captain said, “He was in love with you, and you killed him. So now, you must die!”

The woman began to speak, but her words were not understandable to the soldiers. Then, she began to sing.  The soldiers looked around, confused, as her song continued. Rhythmically she sang and the water between the cliffs began to form waves and lap at the shore.

The singing continued, and the water roiled and waves formed, hitting the shore and cliff walls with such force that the ground shook and the soldiers jumped in fright.

As the woman’s song reached its crescendo, the waves beat the cliff walls with a fury, and the woman moved to the edge of the cliff away from the men. She took on the glowing form of a naked, exquisitely beautifully woman and as her song continued the men stood with rapt expressions and watched as the waves reached the edge of the cliff and carried the woman into the water.
The soldiers stood stunned at what had happened.  The water was peacefully calm, and there was no sign of the beautiful woman.  She was gone!

Shaken, the men reboarded their ships and sailed back to report to the king.  Upon their arrival, the king asked, “Did you find the person responsible for the death of my son?”

A soldier spoke, “Pardon me your highness,”

“Did you find the person who killed my son!!” the king roared.

“Uhh…well, there was a beautiful woman.  She was so amazing and wonderful. I can’t even explain it…” the soldier replied.

“Well, who killed him?” asked the king.

“The woman…but she’s gone,” said the soldier, “The river ate her.”

“The river ATE her?” scoffed the king, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, sire, but the river took her and she disappeared.”

“Well,” said the king, “I guess it doesn’t matter now.  She is dead, and my son’s death is avenged,” and as news of this spread throughout the kingdom, people cheered and rejoiced that the murderer had met her fate.

That woman’s name was Lorelei.  But was she really gone? Who really knows?

Many years after the story of the king and his son, another man sailed his ship down the Rhine River, through the region with the high cliffs on either side bordered by trees. This man had heard the legend of Lorelei and that she had been taken by the river many years ago as penance for causing the death of the king’s son.

But there, on the cliff above him, the man saw a glowing light shimmering……

Translation done by: Tammera J. Richards, BS, CI & CT; SC:L; NAD IV