Fair Eckbert (1797)(Der blonde Eckbert)
by Ludwig Tieck
Ludwig Tieck - novelist, poet, editor and translator - was one of the first and most influential writers of early German Romanticism. In his” literary fairytales” he introduces complex characters struggling with moral and spiritual issues. A classic example of this genre is “Fair Eckbert”, published in 1797 in the first volume of the “Volksmärchen”; a story highly praised by August and Wilhelm Schlegel. Eckbert’s and Bertha’s hitherto quiet marriage turns into a nightmare after some cryptic remarks about her past. Mistrust leads to estrangement and murder and Eckbert’s search for the truth - to be found in the appearance of an old woman – is marked by obsessive fears and the inability to distinguish between the real and the supernatural.
