Lorelei

views updated

Lorelei

Name of the tall rock on the right bank of the river Rhine, near St. Goar, Germany, that is noted for its remarkable echo. It has given rise to the legend of the lorelei water nymph, whose siren song lures sailors to their doom. In turn, this story has affinity with the legend of Holda, queen of the elves, who fascinates men, who become doomed to wander with her forever. The lorelei legend is of comparatively recent origin, a creation of the writer Klemens Brentano in his ballad story Lore Lay (1800) and retold in Heine's famous poem "Die Lorelei."

More From encyclopedia.com