Post on 03-Jun-2018
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The
GreifensteinCastle
The castle as it appears today, overlooking
the Danube River approximately 25 km
north of Vienna, Austria. There is a legend
that goes with this castle, so draw near and
listen . . .
The story of the Greifenstein Castle.......
AN OLD STORY
Are you the people we expect to
today's knight-meal in the castle of
Greifenstein? You are? Very good.
Follow me, I will show you the way.
Yes, this is the Danube at your left hand. An old, lazy river? Believe me, the
ship masters were very grateful, when it was tamed finally. In its young days it
was a wild, dangerous river, full of swirls and counterflows. The horses pulling
the boat upstream often lost their lives. Not only exhaustion killed them, gangs
of robbers added their part, too. Hijacking was a common sport in the old
times.
Fortunately, the Lords of Greifenstein granted them both, protection and help.
The demanded tax was easily paid. Compared to the possible losses everybodyconsidered it a reasonable amount.
We cross the road now and take this narrow way. Don't fear we will have to
climb like these few meters all the time. Remember, the knight and his
swordsmen had to rush down quickly sometimes, and the way had to be safe
for the horses, too. The path leads us softly through the wood. Be grateful for
the shadow!
Do you see the foot of the castle rock? Just a few more minutes until the castle
itself shows up. If the rain washed out the rock here and there? Perhaps it did,
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but most of the work was done by the strongest men. Boiling water and oil was
pouring down to stop the enemies in times of highest danger.
You are surprised, how suddenly the trees stand back and how far you can see
now. The city on the horizon is Tulin. Remember the knight needed time to
reach the river--boats are fast in this direction!
What did you say? You heard some wind blowing through the windows of the
tower. Maybe. But....maybe you heard him sigh, the last Lord of Greifenstein.
For hundreds of years he is waiting up there, waiting for his salvation.
He was not an evil man, at all. In his younger days, the castle was full of joy
and laughter. The Lord and his fragile, lovely wife even had plans to enlarge it
for their children. The first of them was already on the way. The child's -- a
daughter's -- birth was difficult, and the lady never recovered from the pains.Every new morning found her weaker than the last evening. Neither the
healer's medicine and the herbwitch's treatments nor the castle priest's
prayers could help. The lady died and left him alone with his little daughter.
There he sat in his huge chair, holding the baby in his arms, eye to eye with the
most beautiful girl he had ever seen -- for he noticed his wife's beauty in the
child. At this moment he devoted all his love to the girl, and it was a strong,
helpless love. No harm should ever cast a shadow on his daughter's life.
The years passed by, the girl grew up and was the sunshine of his days and thedream of his nights, and also loved him tenderly. Wandering singers praised
the Lord's knightly virtues, and more and more added verses about his pretty
daughter with the thick shiny braids.
Already the Lord's neighbors asked him, what would he think of a marriage?
Many knights would have been highly pleased of such a relationship. He was
an honourable man, just to everyone, a good educator for other knights' sons,
and he certainly was rich. He asked his daughter what she thought and felt
relieved, when she showed no interest at all. He also thought it was too soon.
Anyway, his visions of future changed a little. He saw himself supported in hisduties by a son-in-law, the best knight ever found in the nearer and farther
surroundings, and of course, some grandchildren filling the castle with their
joyous games, and his daughter beside him.
What he did not know was, that she had already fallen in love with her
father's hunter. Young was he, good looking and handsome, and he returned
her love with the same intensity. He was a poor man, of course, and not
according to her social position, but who asks for such trivial things when love
burns! Though they were aware of the differences in their birth and education,they met each other as often as they had an opportunity. Finally, it was not
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avoidable any more that the Lord found out what was going on in front of his
eyes. He talked to his daughter, friendly and patiently, but she persisted in her
right of love. So he found no other solution but to suspend the hunter from his
position.
You know, true love always finds ways to survive. But the knight was on the
alert and their secret rendezvous were rare. The sadness in the girl's face
could not be missed, her meals were left hardly touched. Even the old castle
priest, as her father confessor, felt sympathy, and when the couple asked him
to be married, he did not refuse his help and blessed their bond of marriage.
And openly, she confessed her decision when her father asked her, trusting in
his love and hoping he would put up with the fact somehow. He did not. He
could not.
His rage was boundless. Not only had she crossed all his plans but also hadacted against all rules of behaviour and knighthood.
"You are not my daughter any more! I swear, you will never set your foot in
my house in all your life," he shouted. All the swordsmen and servants and
also the priest came down to the yard to see what had happened. The priest
asked him to calm down, but as soon as the Lord noticed him, he remembered
the part the priest had in this matter.
"Out of my eyes, old man. Didn't you know what you did? What a life expects
my daughter now? Being the last of my house, I hoped that my bloodlinewould end up in a respectable dynasty. Once more, this door shall stay closed
for this woman forevermore!" Crying, the daughter fled out into the
thunderstorm coming up.
"My son," the priest started again, "be careful with your words and don't
swear like this. You always have been a loving father, remember that."
"Don't call me son, you who have never had children. Nothing do you know
about a father's love and care. And if you don't like my words, I will change
my oath. See the hollow in this rock -- my castle's cornerstone? When thishollow will be deep enough to take in the thick braids of my former daughter,
only then will she be allowed to enter this house again. And shall I die the same
day and be damned, if I ever break my oath! Servants, throw this thoughtless
priest into my deepest dungeon, right now!" Flash and thunder accepted the
oath. The servants, frozen with shock, hesitated. Only the fury in the knight's
eyes made them obey. Fearing the sin of hurting a priest, they carefully led
him down the steep stairs.
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A very old, undated
photo of the castle as
seen from across the
Danube. Notice the oldsteamboat/packet ship
carrying passengers and
freight upstream from
Vienna.
The story
continues.......
The young couple in
the forest tried their
best. They built a hut
where the wood was
thickest. Life was not
too hard. Spring had
just begun to warm
the ground, summer
was not too wet andeven fall brought
warm days. The
hunter knew where to
find animals, fruit and
roots for food. From
time to time the young
woman waited near
the castle to see her father. Around him, even smiles had faded away, and his
stony face discouraged her. She never dared to address him.
Winter, though late that year, brought not only the birth of a child, but also
new sorrows. The trees had lost all their leaves, and the first snow covered the
ground. The smoke of their fire would be visible far away, and so the couple
decided to heat only in dark nights. Frost bit through the wooden walls, and
hunger and illness occupied the hut. Love and only only warmed their souls,
not their bodies. The woman and the child suffered from heavy colds and fever
and could not leave their bed of leaves and furs any more.
The Lord generally used the cold season for the necessary inspection of his
villages. Of course, he happened to notice a hut in the middle of his forest. Hewent to see who settled there without his permission and opened the door.
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Could that be? This poor sick woman so very similar to his dead wife -- was
she really his beautiful daughter? Their eyes met, and sympathy filled his soul.
The tears in his eyes melted the icy armor of loss and senselessness and washed
it away. He finally was ready to forgive and seek a solution, and brought his
daughter and her family home.
The whole household helped to prepare a big feast. They had the same knight-
meal we had today, and I think you will agree it was excellent. After the meal,
late at night, the knight suddenly remembered the priest down in the dungeon.
He decided that everybody should be happy with them and went to set the old
man free. He wanted to hurry down the stairs, but he stumbled over the rock,
fell down and broke his neck. The god of oaths caught his parting soul and
locked it into the highest tower of the castle, where it was meant to stay until
the hollow in the rock would be deep enough for his daughter's braids.
Show him your respect now, you guests. Kneel down and grip the stone. May it
be merciful and crumble to dust under the palms of your hands, as the knight
had been merciful at last.