Herodias the Wild Huntress in the Legend of the Middle Ages.

Author(s): Waldemar Kloss Source: Modern Language Notes, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Mar., 1908), pp. 82-85 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2916467 . Accessed: 08/10/2013 07:22
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xxiii', FVol. No. 3.

moval of a bodyto clear the stage,becomesin Shakespeare'shands a moving and dramatic incident,and he will see once more justified what De Quincey said of Shakespeare,that "the further we press in our discoveries, the more we shall see proofsof design and selfsupporting arrangement, wherethe carelesseye had seen nothingbut accident."

where abundant referencesto Herodias, the wind'sbrideare to be found. Although Heinrich Heine oftenenoughruthlessly scoffed at his most intimate objectofhatred, Massmann:
"Nur altdeutsch verstand er,derPatriot, NurJacobGrimmisch undZeunisch,"

there is ampleevidencethathe followed " blush" JacobGrimm's ingly footsteps. Afterall Heine's satirehad reference onlyto the exaggerations of someof Grimm'sfollowers. W. STRUNK, JR. Cornel University. Heine was throughout an ardent admirer ofJacob s almostsuperhuman Grimm' workin thefield of " folklore. In " Elementargeister und Dimonen, in 1834, he pays thefollowing published enthusiastic tributeto Jacob Grimm: " Der einzige Jacob Grimmhat fur Sprachwissenschaft mehr HERODIAS THE WILD HUNTRESS IN geleistet als eineganzefranz6sische seit Akademie THE LEGEND OF THE Richelieu. Seine Deutsche Grammatik ist ein MIDDLE AGES. kolossales Werk,ein gothischer Dom, worim alle With regardto an articleby Mr. Jacob N. germanischen V6lkerihreStimmen erheben, jedes Herodias and Salome in mod- in seinem Beam, concerning Dialekte. Jacob Grimm hat vielleicht in the Januaryissue of demTeufel ern literature, published seineSeele versclirieben, damiter ihm the ModernLanguage Notes,I have a few re- Materialien undihmals Handlanger lieferte diente expresses theopinion bei diesem marksto offer. The writer ungeheuren Sprachbauwerke.In der that the love elementis entirelyof nineteenthThat, um diese Quadern von Gelehrsamkeit and thatthewellknown herbeizuschleppen, romantic origin, century um aus diesenhunderttausend and perversity of Heine's imagination Citateneinen M6rtelzu stampfen, fertility dazu geh6rt thesaga pure mehrals ein Menschenleben makesit probablethathe invented und mehrals Menas he schengeduld." and simpleand assigned a fictitious source, had done before withthe saga of the "Flying So itis nodaring that Heinemay have assumption " in Die Memoiren des Herm Schna- studiedthese chapters Dutchman verycarefully; here the of Atta Troll graceful, blewopski.In the famouschapter fairy Abundia, whom he hastreated with withother such tenderness whereHerodias appears in company in the same chapter, may have mythological ladies,Heine tells us thatHerodias smiled at thepoet. Heinrich his Heinetookfrom of her earlyyouth had JohntheBaptistbeheadedon account a deepinterest in all popularlegends unrequited love. and mythology, and he remained trueto thispas"In der Bibel steht esnicht, sionto theendof his life. This absorbing interest imVolke Doch dieSage lebt is splendidly as Elementarattested bysuchworks Liebe." VonHerodias' blutiger und Daimonen geister (1834), Die, G(tterim Exil kurionebst Thus Heine indicates that his conceptionof (1836) and Dr. Faust,ein Tanz.poem, fber Teufel, Hexen und Dictkunst Herodias is based on a popular legend. The senBerichten forthese works, vague term"im Volke" gives no clue whether (1847). Makinghispreparations bad to reada good deal on occult to Jewishor Christian we are referred legends. he undoubtedly and relatedsubjects. It is, however, easy enoughto showthat Heine sciences,magic,witchcraft has not "invented the saga pure and simple" Here he must have met Herodias the Wild almostat everystep,for Herodias,as of the same. I Huntress noreven any important feature " we shallsee, was forseveralcenturies a most imon the " Furious Host, refer onlyto thechapters a dire name,and although onlya spectre, on " Bertha," Abundia, Holda, the " witches portant was His HellishMajesty, reality. In like manner Teutonic Mythology, jaunt," etc.,in Jac. Grimm's

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Herodiaswas least fromtheseventh or incarnation as whoseemanation century. This is however person- of no importance fascinatinag forHeine a very considered, here,as I wishonlyto indicate for enough, himoften instance: thesources ality. He mentions where Heine might havefound at least tracesor features of theHerodiaslegend. Jules nicht denTeufel, verspotte Menscli, or Baissac in his interesting, but by no meansexunder kam,etc. denTeufel Ich rief haustiveHistoirede la Diablerie Chretienne; Le du dia.ble,le Personnel du speak of the mythological Diable, la personne Modernpsychologists p. 275, theCanonin of ourdream-life. Heine wouldprobably diable (Paris, 1882), quotes, faculty MIythology theCanonis quotedin have taken the oppositepointof view and have full; in Grimm's as the ablidgedform. The Canonreadsas follows: of mythology the formation interpreted "I Thereare somecriminial women who,seduced of the "Volksseele." And just here dreaming and phantoms of theDevil, have of Heine's by tlle illusions explanation we findthe psychological undertheyokeof Satan; and strong affinityfor everythingmythological. placed themselves thenight they "Traumbilder" were,we may say, the overture theybelieveand assertthatduring rideand roamwithDiana, Goddess oftheHeathof his career as a lyricpoet. crowd for Heine in the ens, or withHerodiasand an innumerable Anotherpointof attraction and astrideon certainanimals, subject of "Herodias" was the dance-element.of otherwomen, in thesilenceof traverse greatdistances his life an exorbi- thatthey throughout Heine entertained to this fortheartof Terpsichore. Here darkness; theyclaimthattheydo homage tantenthusiasm her for theirsovereign; on " Pomare," Goddessacknowledging I mention onlyhis dithyrambics called on forperso ex- and that theyare sometimes dancer. The poetbecomes the celebrated shall in the churches that he sonal service. The priests cited over the grandioseperformance to theircareemploy great diligenceto he is Herod and Pomareis Salome,and entrusted imagines thepeople and to teachthem thatall this he winds up withthe order, "Man schlageab instruct that theyare the victims of pure phan" (to decapitate Johnthe is false, das Haupt dem Tiiufer sentintothesoulsoftheunbelievers, notby tasms Baptist). One. For the but the divine Evil spirit, by Tanz istdas, Sie tanzt.Derselbe himself into an angel of Satan, whotransfigures Herodias' die Tochter Deneinst and of thesoul light, having become Lord master Herodes. Getanzt vordemJudenk8nig Ihr Augespriiht, wieBlitzedes Todes. of a poorwoman on accountof herinfidelity and lack of faith, takes unto himself the form and the tollSie tanzt michrasend-ichwerde soil? Weib,wasich Dir schenken Sprich of different appearances persons. In thismanner I Liiufer Du lichelst! Heda! Trabanten, he mocksthe poor soul duringsleep, holdingit ! ab das HauptdemTiiufer Man schlage in captivity and presenting to such soul visions, sometimes innumerable known Of thealmost passagesin medieval sometimes triste, gay, of things as the and unknown, from whereHerodias is mentioned leadingsuchpoorsoul astray literature, Host," thestraight ofthe " Furious leaderoroneoftheleaders path. All thistakesplaceonlyin the of mind, soulis firmly buttheunbelieving convinced I shall mention onlya few. The mostfamous has been thatit is real. all is theso-calledCanonEpi8copi which on " Who has not seen in his sleepmanythings a document authority of thehighest considered themiddleages, nay whichhe never saw while awake! And who is during matters of witchcraft cen- ignorant and silly tobelievethatall which of theseventeenth enough evenuntilthe beginning to the takesplace in the mindhas likewise an external tury. This Canon has been attributed councilof Ancyrain 314; this of courseis an reality? For instance,when Ezechiel had the for visions of theLord, it was in his mind,notin the itis found, however, assumption; unwarranted for the vigitof body,and whenthe apostleJohnwas enraptured the first time in the Ingtruction a diocese, was it in themindor in thebody? It writtenby Regino who was abbot of in ecstasy, Prum until 899 and died at Trevesin 915. It devolveson us to declarepubliclythat whoever and others of thesame kind, can hardlybe doubtedthat this Canon dates at believes suchthings

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[Vol. xxiii, No. 3.

as it were,ex cathedra. Theylay has lost his faith, and who has lost faithin the tionofwitches, on thefollowing Lord, does not belongto the Lord butto him in especialstress points: therefore, whomhe believes, thatis theDevil. WVhosoever Every preacher, ought to inculcate four important points: then thatanything can be created, or that thefollowing believes 1) BesidesGod there is no otherdivineBeing. can be changed intoa better orworse any creature 2) When the witchesboast of theirnightly himself:suchperson, form, exceptby theCreator in thesuiteofDiana and Herodias, we declare,is beyond and worse roamings they doubt,an infidel are in fact,enjoying thecompany ofthedevil. thana pagan." 3) This happensin the imagination the I have given the admonition of the Canon only, that on the soul in such manner reason devil operating Episcopi in extenso,for the following to ride through theair, while in his workDas Pa.psttum Paul Hoensbroeck in the witchimagines at home. refers seiner social-kulturellen to the sheremains Wirkearnkeit 4) That wizardsand witches obeythedevilin whereinthe imaginary of admonition, character thenightly is asserted, as "pronounc- all things. witch-jaunt of the offanatics expectconsistency ing a verdictof condemnation on the horrible We cannot and Institoris;often the bullsandblood-curdling enough manifestations ofthevice- classofSprenger excurspeaksof thenightly of Christin latercenturies;on theother MalleusMaleficartm gerents of the incinera- sionsin a thoroughly realistic fashion. hand,all the greatest promoters Nearlyall the promoters of of the persecution tionof witches loudly protest againstsuchimpious expresstheircordialagreement withthe interpretation, and theyappeal, as it were,unani- witches mously' a Canone Episcopi male interpretato ad Canon Episcopi, for instanceSpina; and they ' " If we appre- protest energetically againstan interpretation that Canonem melius interpretandum. to explainawaytheclimeofwitchciate the spiritualistic character of theconception wouldattempt of the worldin the middleages, we cannot,I craft. I believe,theirpointis welltaken. The all the mostardent " crushers failto concludethat the question of think, whether canon contains " may desire. Mark well the expresthese roamings are to be conceivedin realistic witches to himin whomtheybelieve, or as takingplace onlyin theimagination sion, "they belong terms, of the adherents of the devil, and at the same thatis theDevil." Can thismeananything else than what the Witch-Hamnmer calls "the implicit timeof thespectators, is entirely secondary.The " consists " maleficium in the pact withthedevil pact with the Devil?" Furthermore, do the "lack offaithb" and the submission "worsethan to his sovereignty.This,of terms"infidelity," of apostasy is easily on a purely and heresy course, explained spiritualisticpagans," implythe crime basis. The pact withthedevilmaybe implicit, whichin the eyes of mediavaltheologians was a in merely deserving capitalpunishment.The quotai. e., consist passive submission to his crime tion of isolated passages froma documentor power. But in order to setourdoubts at rest, let us tulm authoris moreor less misleading;thedangeris forenlightenment of those to thehighest, timesII is most irrefragablethegreaterthemorethespirit " removed from the on such matters, spirit of our time. authority Goethe the Malleus Mfaleficacompared theWitch-Hammer "past times" ,rum, to a book with oftheDominican seven fathers us and warns and Inistitoris, not seals, to Sprenger introject our which ideas in theyearof the into Lord 1484 madeits appearance of otherages. It would be, with theapproba- our interpretation not particularly difficult tion of theUniversity to make of Cologne and proving its in my opinion, right of existenceby prefixing substantial collection of dictafrom the execrable up a fairly the witch-bull of InnocensVIII, "Summis deside- writings of themostnotorious obscurantists, which " For latereditions rantes. thereverend authors will make them appear in the light of highin securing succeeded a diploma ofEmperor humanitarian Max- minded,unprejudiced, gentlemen. I cannotleave theCanonEpiscopi without imilian. Supported by this formidable arrayof addauthority, bothspiritual and secular, theseblood- ing a few remarksconcerning the mythological thirsty fanatics deliver theevangelof thepersecu- implications of this important document. We

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withDiana, butnot who in the year of the Lord 1653 published his findhereHerodiasassociated des demons etsoreiers,tells in thesame sense as in Heine's Atta Troll. For Dentonologie or Traitg are us on page 126: "I have learnedfromvery Herodias and Diana in the Calon Ep)iscopi personalities. trustworthy as two distinct iiotto be interpreted personsthat at different times of the time,such a They are only two "avatars" of the Evil One, night,especiallyabout Christmas ferocious noise was heardin theair that the formof Diana, terrible who now takesunto himself ofboth yotu attributes wouldhave said : all thedogsof the country combining lnow nowofHerodias, in one apparition. We have herethedream-like are barkingto theirheart'scontent;the people claim that this is King IIerod leading so beautifully generally of thebondsof identity, suspension s Ilanneles tlle Furious Host and that he is condemned to illustratedill Gerhard Hauptmann' are of thepersonality ofherbeloved this exercise; but the more enlightened HIimnelfahrt, where in opinionthat it is the Devil himself together who makes teacherand that of the Saviourflow the peoplein their of "the Stranger." Diana was thisnoise in orderto disturb the apparition as Fr. as an incarnation of the devotion." Here we have enlightenment, to the clergy wellknown it. In thiscase, of course, storyof the Perreaudunderstood the New Testament Evil One from whomthe Diana of the Ephesians. The Canon Fpiscopi it is Herod who killed tlle innocents, thistreimendous the questioni peoplecredited concerniing with givesus no information noise-making fancy whether Herodias the Wild Huntressand leader faculty. But afterall to themythological to be the of the people "all Herodswill look alike," and of the "Furious Host" is understood to meeta King Herodas leader about we mayanticipate wifeof King Herod whosemalicebrought the doom of John the Baptist, or her daughter oftheFuriousHost whowillbe an amalgamation Salome. Origen tells us that the maidenwho ofthetwoHerods. thehead of the king and to whom danced before WALDEMAIR KLoss. the Baptistwas given in a goldenchargervas Mase. Oambridge, also known as "Herodias." It is well known were patronymics that in Hellenisticliterature in a veryloose way. So thedamselin employed of Herod would even as a step-daughter question to the nameof "Herodias." have been entitled ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND. we know she was the daughterof Moreover, The location ofRobinson Crusoe's islandhaving Herodes Philippus. And thus her claim to be comeup as a question, a wellknown cyclopedia of called " Herodias" cannotbe disputed. as an authority thatcouldbe char- nameswas consulted it is one ofthefundamental Furthermore, Crusoeand under Selkirk that func- cited. UnderRobinson evolution, acteristics of mythological about Crusoe,but nothing are at a therewas something to thefather attributed originally tions, to the son,and abouthis island. later stageof thesaga attributed William A. Wheeler's Ex.planatory antdProand vice to the daughter those of the mother Dictionary oftheNAoted NamesofFiction, versa. It is easyto followup this development ntouncizg and in classical as well as in Germanicmythology. 17thed. (Boston1882), was nextexamined, was this: Robinsonl, trivialprinciple: " No difference,underCrusoe, The somewhat in that remainsin the family," is everywhere "The hero of DeFoe's great novel; a shipour wrecked sailorwhoformany nowconcerns yearsleads a solitary evidence. In thelegendwhich on an uninihabited islandof thetropics, to show existence it requires no further argument attention, by an inexex- and who alleviateshis longreclusion have continuously and daughter thatmother haustible prodigality of contrivance." to places. Nay, we shouldhave no right changed if we wereto meetIHerodthe WVild MIr.Wheeler's"Names" werecontributed by be surprised dictionaries of the Hunter insteadof Herodias the Wild Huntress. him to one of our bestknown in orderto English language. In the volumesdated 1890, I have notput myself to any trouble " nail" Herod theWild Huniter. Fr. Perreaud, 1901 and 1907, the names and explanations are

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