“Draft:Pack of Lies (Das Lügenmärchen)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

“Das Lügenmärchen” is a short story written in 1896 by celebrated German author Ricarda Huch. This text was translated by Shawn C. Jarvis into “Pack of Lies.” The format of the story is a style reminiscent of a fairy tale or Märchen, which is also evidenced in the title. Huch wrote “Das Lügenmärchen” just before deciding to become a writer, and the story was supposed to be part of a larger novel.^[1] An important motif from the Romantic era in this text is that of a mermaid.

Summary^[2]

“Das Lügenmärchen” centers around a young man who is interested in legends and fairytales, particularly those about mythical water creatures. He reads in a book about the possibility of a mermaid giving her magic singing ability to a human lover, for an undisclosed but great price.

One evening he hears singing coming from the sea. He finds a mermaid there. The two embrace and speak, and agree to meet each night by the light of the moon.  The young man resolves to win her love in order to learn the secret of her singing. Meanwhile, the mermaid resolves to win his love. She hopes to receive an immortal soul by convincing him to give her his heart to eat.

After a period of subtlety and seduction, the two strike a deal. The mermaid agrees to teach him to sing, but he must first give her his heart out of love and by his own volition. The man ponders this. He fears that his heart is necessary for survival, but he does not want to lose an opportunity to learn the mermaid’s magic.

She lends him a knife to fulfill his part of the deal. He returns to her with the heart of a calf, claiming that it is his own. She eats it raw, and commences to tell him the secret of her song. Her ability to sing comes from not having a heart.

The story ends without conflict. The mermaid believes that she now possesses an immortal soul, and can live with her love with eternity. The man has kept possession of his heart, but still cannot sing like a mermaid.

Analysis

The character of a mermaid seeking a human element (in this case a heart and soul) is common in German-language and world literature from the 19th century. Some other examples from the era include Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s Undine (1811), and Charlotte von Ahlefeld’s “Die Nymphe des Rheins” (1812), and Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” (1837), among others.

An important part of “Das Lügenmärchen” is dishonesty. Not only is this idea shown through the title, but it is also an important part of the story itself. As with many other mermaids and water spirits of the time, there is a need to deceive a human, or at least not tell the whole truth about oneself, in order to obtain what is desired. On one hand, while the man brings the mermaid a heart on his own, she deceives him by not being able to teach him how to sing. The man, on the other hand, deceives the mermaid by bringing her a heart that is not his own. However, the mutual dishonesty of the characters does not have a significant impact on the end of the story. This may be due to the fact that the man does not reveal his deception. In “Die Nymphe des Rheins,” for example, the male character deceives the mermaid, and she seeks revenge.^[3]

References

1. ^ Jarvis, Shawn C. Im Reich der Wünsche. Munich, C.H. Beck, 2012.
2. ^Huch, Ricarda. “Das Lügenmärchen.” Im Reich der Wünsche, edited by Shawn C. Jarvis, C.H. Beck, 2012, pp. 310-317.
3. ^Ahlefeld, Charlotte von. “Die Nymphe des Rheins.” Im Reich der Wünsche, edited by Shawn C. Jarvis, C.H. Beck, 2012, pp. 61-76.

Summary[2]

Analysis

References

Summary^[2]