Der Erlkonig
Written by Johanne Wolfgang van Goethe in 1782
Placed with Music by Franz Schubert in 1815
Video by coverman101 on youtube.com. Thanks
As a Psychology Major I was required to take general studies in order to graduate. One very special class and enjoyable one that was required was musical appreciation. This is where I first heard this poem written by van Goethe that was put to music by Franz Schubert. In the dark recesses of my mind it affected me to hear this song and understand what was going on though I did not understand the lyrics. I have placed a video within this post that gives the English Translation of the poem to you. I ask if you want to experience its full blast listen to the song without the lyrics first and see if what you heard is what I experienced too. I am going to describe what I was thinking while listening to this song for the Professor did not have a video but only played the songs.
Der Erlkonig is a story written in a poetic form that tells about a fathers fight against the supernatural world to save his son. The song starts out by setting a scene in which a father is blazing through a dark forest holding his sick young son close to him and trying to ease his sons tension. As, his father rides tension is built as he speeds through the forest trying to make it home. The son sees a dark visage appearing before him and calling to him. He tells his father who tries to calm his son and says it’s just a shadow or mist nothing more that you should worry. The son still not eased watches as the creature takes form. He tells his father that they are being followed. The creature is the Erlkonig, which is translated by the Danish and Germans as King of the Fairies,Elf -King, but in my mind Death itself. As, the father tries to ween his son from such thoughts the Elkonig speaks to the boy. The Erlkonig promises the boy many things such as a throne or even his daughters to dance and take care of him, if the boy only grabs his hand. The father terrified after his son tells him, gallops faster to escape the creature but it still follows. The boy tells his father that The King of Fairies says I do not join him, he will take me by force and the Erlkonig reaches out to him. The boy feels agonizing pain and calls out. The father is finally home. Clutching his boy intently but he feels his son is cold for he was taken by the King of the Fairies.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did. Thank you.
scarefirsttalklater 