Bildungsromans; Germany -- Fiction; Poets, German -- Fiction
Henry reaches Sophia's land, in Nature, such as might be allegorically
painted; after having conversed with Klingsohr concerning certain
singular signs and omens. These are mostly awakened by an old song
which he hears by chance, and in which is described a deep water in a
secluded spot. The song excites within him long forgotten
recollections; he visits the water, and finds a small golden key, which
a raven had stolen from him some time before, and which he had never,
expected to find. An old man had given it to him soon after Matilda's
death, with the injunction that he should carry it to the emperor, who
would tell him what to do with it. Henry seeks the emperor, who is
highly rejoiced and gives him an ancient manuscript, in which it is
written that the emperor should give it to that man who ever brought
him a golden key; that this man would discover in a secret place an old
talisman, a carbuncle for his crown, in which a space was yet left for
it. The place itself is also described in the parchment. After reading
the description, Henry takes the road to a mountain, and meets on the
way the stranger who first told him and his parents concerning the blue
flower; he converses with him about Revelation. He enters the mountain
and Cyane trustingly follows him.
He soon reaches that wonderful land in which air and water, flowers and
animals, differ entirely from those of earthly nature. The poem at the
same time changes in many places to a play. "Men, beasts, plants,
stones and stars, the elements, sounds, colors, meet like one family,
act and converse like one race. Flowers and brutes converge concerning
men. The world of fable is again visible; the real world is itself
regarded as a fable." He finds the blue flower; it is Matilda, who
sleeps and has the carbuncle. A little girl, their child, sits by a
coffin, and renews his youth. "This child is the primeval world, the
close of the golden time." "Here the Christian religion is reconciled
with the Heathen. The history of Orpheus, of Psyche, and others are
sung."
Henry plucks the blue flower, and delivers Matilda from her
enchantment, but she is lost to him again; he becomes senseless through
pain, and changes to a stone. "Edda (the blue flower, the Eastern
Maiden, Matilda) sacrifices herself upon the stone; he is transformed
to a melodious tree. Cyane hews down the tree and burns herself with
him. He becomes a golden ram. Edda, Matilda, is obliged to sacrifice
it. He becomes a man again. During these metamorphoses he has the very
strangest conversations."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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