Austria: Travel, Folklore, and a Royal Drama
Plus a story of petrified lovers
Hello!
This month I’m writing to you from Austria! I was able to join my husband on a last-minute business trip, and so, Austria will serve as the theme for this month’s post. I love to travel—there’s always so much to see and learn. My husband and I tend to eat, drink coffee, and walk our way through new cities, which on this trip will be Graz, Vienna, and Salzburg. Grandma and grandpa are in charge back at home—we’re thankful they could help us out. :)
Behind the Scenes: Building Toward the Midpoint
I’ve been writing scenes that build toward the midpoint of the novel. This is where my main character will become more decisive and less likely to simply react to others or the situation she finds herself in. But I’m realizing as I write the first draft, that as she takes control of her own actions, other characters will find themselves at her mercy. As my teenage daughter says while watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, “It’s starting to get juicy!”
Exploring Folklore: Petrified Lovers
While doing research for our trip, I discovered a collection of Austrian folklore and stories from 1874. They were gathered and arranged by Madame La Comtesse A. Von Günther into a book entitled, Tales and Legends of the Tyrol. One of my favorite stories from the collection is “The Petrified Lovers of Kramsach.” Kramsach is located in the Tyrol and is southwest of Salzburg.
The story is a tale of doomed lovers who turn to stone in a lake. It is a dark and harsh tale, but I find hope in the lovers’ continued endurance as permanent stone monuments in a beautiful setting. Petrification is a common theme in folklore. Stories of this type date back to ancient times and can be found in many different cultures. In some, petrification is caused by otherworldly or mythological beings, or can be a result of a consequence or punishment. Other times, the stories are meant to explain the physical presence of arranged stones.
Here is a summarized version of “The Petrified Lovers of Kramsach”—enjoy!
In the mountains above Kramsach, there once lived a Baron whose stronghold stood near a beautiful lake. His daughter loved a local forester, but the Baron disapproved of their relationship and ordered that the forester be chased out by hounds one night. In his rush to escape, the forester fell into the lake and drowned.
The daughter of the Baron never recovered from the death of her lover and would wander without engaging with her normal life. One day she went with her maid down to the lake. She could see her lover in the depths, and wishing to join him, she plunged into the lake.
The maid ran to tell the Baron, but when he and his men reached the water’s edge, the bodies of his daughter and her lover were gone. They had been changed into two rocks emerging from the water: one covered “with ferns and water weeds,” the other smooth as polished stone.
Series Recommendation: The Empress
Finally, I have a recommendation for a show with an Austrian tie-in. I watched the first season of The Empress (or Die Kaiserin in its original German) on Netflix a few months ago and really enjoyed it. It’s a historical drama full of romance and political intrigue. The first season explores how Duchess Elisabeth ("Sisi") von Wittelsbach and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria meet and fall in love, plus delves into political power struggles once Elisabeth becomes Empress. If you’re interested in the Viennese Court at that time, love a good family and political saga, or are intrigued by the fact that “Elisabeth is not allowed to wear a pair of shoes twice,” then this series is for you.
If you do not subscribe to Netflix, then good news: the show has also been adapted into a novel of the same name. In this case, the show came first, then Gigi Griffis was selected to adapt the script into a novel.
As ever, thank you for subscribing and reading.
All the best and auf Wiedersehen,
Steph
PS: Have you traveled to Austria? If so, which city is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know. :)