The Greifenstein Castle

8/12/2019 The Greifenstein Castle

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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.

The Greifenstein Castle

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