Undine By Friedrich de la Motte Fouque

I’ve always loved George MacDonald’s essay on the Fantastic Imagination, and his discussion of fairytales. While rereading it recently, my curiosity was piqued by the example of the story he feels embodies the true fairytale form: Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque.

Were I asked, what is a fairytale? I should reply, Read Undine: that is a fairytale; then read this and that as well, and you will see what is a fairytale. Were I further begged to describe the fairytale, or define what it is, I would make answer, that I should as soon think of describing the abstract human face, or stating what must go to constitute a human being. A fairytale is just a fairytale, as a face is just a face; and of all fairytales I know, I think Undine the most beautiful.

The Fantastic Imagination, George MacDonald.

The Author

The author of Undine, by the full name Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, or Baron Fouqué, was born February 12, 1777, and became a German novelist and playwright (though he was of French descent). He was an avid reader who loved mythology, especially of the Scandanavian, Greek, and Norse variety.

His writings often embodied the ideals of chivalry and drew upon the linguistic ideas of J.G. Fichte, a German philosopher who was one of Fouqué’s contemporaries.

Fouqué’s fame was short-lived, but thanks to the shout outs he got from his contemporaries, such as George MacDonald, his works are not lost (background from here).

The Premise

Though it has been likened to the Little Mermaid, the stakes in Undine’s premise are much higher:

“Undine has come to earth to seek for a soul. Without one she may never know the golden gifts God has given to each mortal, gifts these of love, joy, sorrow. You will read in this little book how Undine, the water maiden, won for herself a human soul.”

Undine, From: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18752/18752-h/18752-h.htm

She is not just looking for a man she fell in love with; she needs a soul, because she doesn’t have one.

The Chivalrous Knight and the Maiden

The story begins with your standard chivalrous knight happening upon a fisherman, his wife, and their a beautiful foster daughter Undine.

Undine is captivated by the knight, and begs him to tell her about his adventures. Her foster parents angrily insist that the knight not tell Undine, and Undine storms out of the cottage and into the dangers of the woods.

The fisherman and the knight then must embark on a noble quest to bring the maiden back safely.

Here we see that the maiden is strange, for she sits peacefully during a big storm:

Looking around him Huldbrand saw where Undine had found a shelter. It was on a little island, beneath the branches of a great tree, that the maiden sat. There was no terror of the storm in her eyes. She was even smiling happily as she nestled amid the sweet scented grass, safe from the fury of the storm.

Undine, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18752/18752-h/18752-h.htm

From this scene, I can only think that Undine(1811) must have influenced George MacDonald in writing The Light Princess (1864), as there is a similarity in the lightness of their character.

The Knight’s Tale

After Undine is safely back in the cottage, the knight agrees to tell Undine his tale, and the fisherman and his wife now agree to listen.

The knight encounters many terrifying creatures, including an “ugly little man” and some hostile goblins. A tall, white, haunting figure seems to follow him, especially in the stream.

In the knight’s story, Undine learns that she has a rival for his affections: a lady that the knight had met in town, named Bertalda. It was she who sent the knight on his quest into the forest, to bravely face the perils and bring news back to her.

The Knight is Domesticated

The knight is trapped by the stream, which rose after the storm, and is forced to stay with Undine and her parents at the cottage.

The knight slowly becomes domesticated, no longer needing his sword. He begins to imagine that Undine is secretly the daughter of some king, and daydreams about marrying her.

A Priest Walks Into a Cottage…

Enter a priest, literally. He knocks on the door, just when the knight is thinking about how much he wants to marry Undine. How convenient! The knight seizes the opportunity to propose.

Tragically, it is only after they are wed that the knight learns about the true condition of his impish, seemingly insensitive wife:

‘Lady, you are fair to look on, but I pray you to cease these foolish ways, lest your soul become less beautiful than your face.’

Undine’s laughter ceased. After a while she looked at the priest and asked in a timid whisper, ‘What is this thing which you call a soul, holy Father?’

Over the little kitchen a hush fell as the holy man answered, ‘How can I tell you what this strange thing which we call our soul really is? Yet can I tell you why God gives us this great gift. It is that we may learn to know and love Him. Our bodies will grow old, and we will lay them aside as a garment which we no longer need, while our souls will live and dwell with Him for ever.’

Undine.

Undine never realized she didn’t have a soul until she learns what it is, and this is the first that her new husband knows about it, too. The knight impresses on her the importance of having a soul, telling her that, without it, her love for him will grow cold.

And yet, in a twist, as they look into each other’s eyes:

Through love Undine had won a soul, which is indeed the gift of God to every mortal.

Undine.

Undine won her soul by learning to love another. How sweet! But the story has just begun…

Undine’s Origins

The mystery throughout the story is, what is Undine and where did she come from?

Once Undine has a soul, we get to hear her story. We learn she is a water nymph or mermaid, who has taken on human form.

This comes back to haunt her, as her uncle is a powerful and vengeful water spirit who keeps trying to steal her away.

Forces seem to work against Undine and the knight being together, as they are of different natures.

The Rivals

Bertralda and Undine, though rivals at first for the knight’s heart, become fast friends.

Then, things get a little sticky: Bertralda spends more time with the knight. Undine doesn’t like it, and the knight reproves Undine for her jealousy. Then, Undine’s vengeful uncle tries to lash out at the knight and Betralda. It becomes a little soap opera-esque until our heroes meet an unhappy end.

Literary Connections

I can definitely see how this story draws upon some of the characters and themes of older stories, such as Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene (1590), which celebrates virtue and bravery, and also has two female characters: the pure Una and the false Duessa.

I can also see elements of a Greek tragedy here with the difficulties of a god/ creature marrying a human as a theme throughout the story.

Overall, this was a lovely story, but since I like a happy ending, especially in a fairytale, it left me wanting something.

I’d love to hear from you!

Are you a fan of mythology/ fairytales?

What are your favorites?