Der blonde Eckbert

by Ludwig Tieck

Ludwig Werke in vier Bänden. Nach dem Text der »Schriften« von 1828–1854, unter Berücksichtigung der Erstdrucke. Herausgegeben von Marianne Thalmann, Band 1–4, Mü Winkler, 1963. Tiecks dreibändige Sammlung »Phantasus« verknüpfte bereits früher gedruckte mit neuen Texten. Erstdruck der Berlin (Realschulbuchhandlung) 1812–1815. Erstdruck Volksmärchen, hg. von Peter Leberecht [d.i. Tieck], Berlin (Nicolai) 1797.

Genres: Classics, German Literature, Fiction, Short Stories, Romanticism, School, Read For School

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1797

About the author

Johann Ludwig Tieck was a German poet, translator, editor, novelist, and critic, who was part of the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Tieck's importance lay in the readiness with which he adapted himself to the new ideas which arose at the close of the 18th century, rather than in any conspicuous originality. His importance in German poetry is restricted to his early period. In later years it was as the helpful friend and adviser of others, or as the well-read critic of wide sympathies, that Tieck distinguished himself.

Tieck remained influential as dramatic adviser to the theatre at Dresden, and as an editor of Hans Sachs, Martin Opitz, Andreas Gryphius, and Daniel Casper von Lohenstein and of Heinrich von Kleist and Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz.

Tieck also influenced Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser. It was from Phantasus that Wagner based the idea of Tannhäuser going to see the pope and Elisabeth dying in the song battle.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klassiker und ich - das ist nicht immer einfach. Ich mochte dieses Kunstmärchen, aber wirklich berührt oder angesprochen hat es mich nun nicht. Es ist ja schnell gelesen, auch wenn ich mich an die Sprache ein bisschen gewöhnen musste. Eine kurzweilige Unterhaltung also, aber ich gestehe, ich bin auch froh, dass ich schnell damit durch war :)

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading for the first time in October 2022; Re-Read: September 2025
------

Mein absoluter Lieblingstext!🖤😍 Meiner Meinung nach gibt kaum eine besser sprachlich und inhaltlich konzipierte Wahnsinnsnovelle (oder: Kunstmärchen -> je nach Auslegung) als diese von Tieck🖤🫶🏻🖤

5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

------
My absolute favorite text!🖤😍 In my opinion, there is hardly a better linguistically and substantively conceived madness novella (or: artificial fairy tale -> depending on the interpretation) than this one by Tieck🖤🫶🏻🖤

5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[nshowsherbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it was very entertaining! I loved the plottwist at the end!

[Il lettore sul trespolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ma cosa cavolo ho appena letto?
Stava filando tutto liscio, una grande prosa tedesca illuminava le pagine e poi é arrivato il finale più assurdo e senza senso che abbia mai letto.
Ora, non darò contesti di sorta, voglio che la recensione appaia confusa quanto il finale lo é stato per me.
1: Perché?
2: Come faceva Ekbert a sapere chi era la strega? (Che per altro, già vecchia allora, é ancora viva dopo 40 anni)
3: "Era tua sorella" ecco...
4: Nella storia non c'era scritto che la protagonista aveva un fratello
5: "Chissà perché l'ho sempre sospettato" e te la sei sposata comunque! Aggiungo io.
Non ho parole.

[Luka · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was pretty boring ngl. i mean, moral of the story: don't steal, be grateful for what you have or whatever but like,,,, there was drama and this was just written in the most boring way that i wasn't even phased when we landed on incest. aaaanyway, can we talk about how girlie had my dream life given to her after escaping from an abusive home and she gave it all up for what?? seeing three villages and marrying someone broke who fetishized her sheltered upbringing and took her riches to build himself up? bitch. come here i need to hit the back of your head real quick.
if anyone knows any nice old rich witches who live in the middle of a forest and want to adopt someone, pls lmk

[rexcorvvs · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all I liked it, but wtf did I just read.

[MeliMelisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

mai buna decat corupt

[David Karlsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

En samling med fem noveller, eller rättare sagt sagor, författade kring sekelskiftet 1800 av en av den tyska romantikens mer produktiva författare. Tidsmässigt är det alltså ungefär när Bröderna Grimm samlade in sina folksagor och det är i en liknande tradition Tieck verkar här.

Allt som oftast handlar det om hur människor lockas i fördärv av sin nyfikenhet eller önskan efter rikedom. Det övernaturliga är alltid närvarande, inte sällan i naturens form, och ett par av sagorna har också inslag som lutar åt skräck även om det aldrig blir fokus. Bäst gillar jag kanske den saga som lutar mest åt det hållet, "Kärleksmagi", men samtliga har något att erbjuda.

En fin liten bok om man uppskattar en god saga eller två. Givetvis utgivet av alltid pålitliga Hastur förlag.

[Austin Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obwohl es sich angeblich um ein Märchen handelt, scheint mir diese Geschichte ihrer Zeit voraus zu sein. Sie wurde 1797 geschrieben, behandelt aber psychische Themen wie die Einsamkeit, Paranoia, und Schuld. Diese Geschichte erinnert mich an The Black Cat von Poe, die fast 50 Jahre später veröffentlicht wurde.

Generell habe ich das Buch interessant gefunden, ist schön und kurz, aber das Plottwist am Ende macht mir ein bisschen... unruhig. Ich glaube, der Autor fühlte dass er einen 'Grund' brauchte, warum Eckbert vom Anfang an so verflucht war.

[chort · Rating 4 out of 5]

после сами знаете какого поступка героини я утратила к ней всякое сочувствие и заодно половину интереса к рассказу.
причем автор стопудов не предполагал, что когда-нибудь в глазах читателя этот поступок перекроет весь романтический пафос истории.

но так-то для 18 века норм хоррор. на "чёрную курицу" немного похоже

[Annabel Sewerin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganz schön starke Kritik äußert der Ludwig da an der Aufklärung. Ich würde da auch lieber einen Ritter mit Schloss aufsuchen, als bei ner alten Frau mit nem Edelsteine legenden Vogel gefangen zu sein. Sünden werden eh überbewertet.

[Violet]

I read it for class (in English). That was crazy.

Prototypical early-romantic text. Lots of Waldeinsamkeit, solitude and nature. Pro-simple life. Anti-riches.

[kaisa pung]

“inimesele on õnnetuseks, et ta saab oma mõistuse ainult selleks, et kaotada hingesüütus”

[Morpheus Lunae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short author fairy tale is quite the connective tissue between Romanticism and its spiritual predecessors. The ending was a bit abrupt but otherwise this was really good stuff.
---
Mein Buch hatte einen Drachen auf dem Cover und dann war da gar kein Drache drin. Daher nur ein Stern! - Okay, Spaß beiseite. Der blonde Eckbert war, bis auf das abrupte Ende einmal abgesehen, ein wirklich gut erzähltes Kunstmärchen. Außerdem sind hier die Verbindungen der Romantik mit der ihnen vorausgehenden Richtungen sehr gut erkennbar. Ein wichtiges und auch gut zu lesendes Werk!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing (and short) story of a child who runs away from home after being abused by her cruel father, who constantly says she's useless. The scenes of her in the woods are worth the read alone. Tieck may have been borrowing a lot here, but he rendered a great, magical tale that includes a stunning twist and is, ultimately, about revenge.

[Orçun Güzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tieck’s 1797 tale includes all the best from German Romanticism: Nature, magic, dreams, delusions, suspicion, doubles and a perfectly built uncanny atmosphere. Tieck was one of the first writers to further complicate a supernatural story (or fairy tale) with an insanity crisis. Later, Hoffmann followed his steps. And yes, twist at the end was great. It makes you think all the story once more.

[Zane Akers · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't explain why i liked this story so much. i'm sure i didn't understand it all properly, but it just made so much sense when i read it, it just resonated. the idea that getting near to someone is worth more than being near to someone knocked me on my butt. Waldeinsamkeit!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Freud’s essay on the uncanny was turned into a fairytale

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

AKA: The White Egbert; The Fair-Haired Eckbert; Auburn Egbert


The story revolves around Eckbert, a knight, and his wife Bertha. They live in isolation in a remote castle. One evening, Eckbert's friend Walther visits, and during their conversation, Bertha narrates her mysterious and eerie life story. She recounts how, as a child, she fled her oppressive home and wandered into the forest. There, she encountered a strange old woman who took her in and treated her kindly. The old woman had a magical bird that laid jeweled eggs and sang enchanting songs. Eventually, Bertha stole the bird, the woman's treasures, and fled, later meeting Eckbert and marrying him.

However, soon after sharing this story with Eckbert's friend Walther, Bertha falls ill and dies. Suspicion and paranoia consume Eckbert as he becomes convinced that Walther knows too much about Bertha's past. He ends up killing Walther, only to discover later that his friends Walther and Hugo were actually the old woman. Haunted by guilt and fear, Eckbert eventually goes mad and dies, leaving the reader with a sense of eerie and tragic inevitability.

It's a haunting tale that delves into the human psyche, exploring themes of guilt, the consequences of one's actions, and the thin line between reality and the supernatural.

[Ⰰⱃⰿⰰⱀⰴ Ⱆⰾⰴⰵⱃⰻⰽⱁ Ⱅⰵⱄⰾⰰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zagreb
Naprijed 1965.
Preveo Ivo Mrkušić
Naslov je objelodanjen u sklopu zbirke proze "Njemački pripovjedači 19.st.". Osvrt na izdanje zbirke proze bit će dan posebno, kada pročitam cjelokupnu knjigu.
Jezik je konstruiran u stilu bajke. Žanrovski govorimo o umjetnoj bajci, pseudobajci, čak bih ja bacio i izraz antibajka, u pogledu ironično-mračnog okružja teksta. Njemački romantičari kruga u Jeni su obožavali pisati umjetne bajke, bajke koje nisu utemeljene u folklornoj predaji. Tieck je ovom bajkom želio, bogami i uspio, preokrenuti žanr bajke. Kako? Pročitajte!
Zašto Tieck nije u čitankama, u srednjoškolskom kurikulumu? Zašto malo tko zna za Tiecka i E.T.A. Hoffmanna? Izuzev činjenice što je većina čovječanstva glupo, dosadno i jadno, opet mase znaju za Poea, neka se upoznaju s biserima njemačkog romantizma. Germanistice i germanisti (poruka ua sve libtarde-žao mi je što sam rodno binaran) bi trebali prionuti na prevođenje Tiecka i Hoffmanna. Kada uspostavim neograničenu osobnu diktaturu, germanistika će biti prisiljena prevoditi i prevoditi. Mislim, zar bih ja u svojim godinama uz španjolski još i njemački trebao učiti? By the way, Tieck nije baš preveden na engleski. Većina njegovih naslova ima isključivo stranicu Wikipedije na njemačkom.

[JA Condie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In a district in the Harz Mountains lived a knight who by custom was called simply Eckbert the Blond..."

I had this pdf translation on my Kindle and, completely coincidentally, read it while camping in the Harz Mountains 220 years after it was first published! After discovering the German word 'Waldeinsamkeit' and learning it was coined by Ludwig Tieck in this story, I sought it out and stored it away to read later. My trip to Germany seemed an ideal time and it was a glorious bonus to find it was set in the very hills I was reading amongst.

The story is odd and haunting, and kind of subverts the usual fairy story trope that the Good end happily, Hard Work wins out, and the Wicked will come to a sticky end... at least, it seems to subvert that... for a while.

[Irene Lázaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es que esta adaptación para extranjeros principantes sea alta literatura, pero la historia es buena y me ha llamado lo suficiente la atención como para buscar el libro original (en español, eso sí). También me ha gustado mucho que viniera con pequeños "artículos" de un par de páginas cada uno que te hablan de la vida del autor, del romanticismo alemán, de pueblos de alemania... para ser una edición para extranjeros que están aprendiendo alemán, está bastante bien, la verdad.

[Hugolane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read in German without a glossary of difficult words. The story blew me away. That was 0ver 40 years ago, and I’ve never lost my affection for the it. Reading it in translation for the first time as a cultural component of the Germany since 1648 course I’m teaching. All and all I think Thomas Carlisle does a fine job with the translation because I wanted to blow my students’ minds. It worked.

[Saraiyu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurzweiliges Kunstmärchen über den Ritter, der nur der blonde Eckbert benannt wird. dafür dass es ein Kunstmärchen ist, hat es wenig Märchenhaftes an sich und erinnert eher an eine gescheiterte Novelle.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me quedé tan plantada con esta historia tan rara que llore por cada uno. Disfrute mucho de esta lectura.

[Erictò · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ed è una sventura per l'uomo ottenere la capacità di intendere soltanto per perdere l'innocenza dell'anima."

[злобный енотик · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot twists rule

[Tatiana Alejandra de Castro Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es más complicado de lo que pensaba, aunque parece ser una historia fantástica.

Tendré que releerlo en otro momento.

[Amelia Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is cray and I love it. It gets me every time. I just love the wackiness of 19th century german romanticism. Waldeinsamkeit.

[Dana Burlacu · Rating 5 out of 5]

„miracolul se contopea cu realitatea, lumea din jur era vrăjită, iar el nu mai era în stare să făurească un gând, o amintire.”