German Myths

German folklore, which flourished on the fertile soil of ancient Germanic pagan and medieval Christian culture, has captivated many generations of children and adults, inspiring composers, romantic poets like Byron, Goethe, Zhukovsky, and writers from Mary Shelley to J.R.R. Tolkien.... This magical book will take you through fairy-tale Germany, the land of ore-bearing mountains, where kobolds and the reclusive Rübezahl, the prototype of the Headless Horseman, reign, and green forests where mischievous dark elves and their Alder King play pranks, heroic legends of fearless and blameless knights, and cheerful tales of great swindlers and tricksters. You will learn who billy goats and alraunes are, what curious methods of divination the ancient Germans had, who the real Doctor Faustus was, and who is doomed to ride in the Wild Hunt until the trumpets of Judgment Day sound.