In Germany, manners, customs, and beliefs, along with issues of prejudice a

Mythology, Legends, Folklore and Mysterious Things

Click on Images for Information

(#CommissionsEarned)

Shades of Current Image

(#CommissionsEarned)

Current Root

@Mythology, Legends, Folklore and Mysterious Things
13-Apr-2026 03 am

In Germany, manners, customs, and beliefs, along with issues of prejudice and matters of art and science, may have a beginning, yet they never truly conclude. In this ancient land of mysticism and philosophy, everything is deeply entrenched, designed for eternity, akin to the venerable oak trees of the Hercynian forest of antiquity: when the parent tree is felled, losing its trunk to support branches and boughs, it generates new shoots from its roots. Druidism also found permanence in this region. It once resisted the Roman gods; similarly, it opposed Christianity during the time of Witikind. It was preserved, albeit in secrecy, by the initial iconoclasts or image destroyers, and when the entire vast territory was ultimately subdued and wholly embraced Catholicism, it unexpectedly re-emerged in the early days of the Reformation. Theologian Martin Luther could very well be described as new generation of Druid. This resilience of belief, characteristic of creeds, combined with the fertile nature of the land, ensures that whatever appears to have vanished resurfaces in new forms, and whatever has been lost is somehow revived. The veneration of elemental spirits persisted despite the various other creeds that sought to eradicate it permanently. The atomic deities, once minuscule, had astonishingly expanded in size compared to their original minuteness. They had even taken on a form and a body, a visible shape that was not devoid of elegance. They evolved into Alps or Alfs, later recognized by their Eastern name, Sylphs. Occasionally, a late traveller, whether a peasant or a charcoal burner, returning home from a wedding at dusk, would be fortunate enough to encounter a group of little goblins revelling in the dim twilight at a clearing in the woods or along the banks of a stream. These beings were known as Sylphs, diminutive creatures that soared in swarms through the atmosphere, constructing their nests within flowers or fashioning them from bits of grass at the base of broom-sedge. They ventured out only in the evening to socialize and fulfil their roles as good neighbours. Should a traveller, peasant, or charcoal burner tread softly upon the fine sand of the brook or along a grass-covered path where his footsteps would go unheard, and if he paused at the right moment to observe without being detected, he might witness their playful antics and uncover the mysteries of their private lives without incurring any danger. Some Sylphs, by suspending a thread of gossamer between blades of grass, created a charming swing for their enjoyment, while others utilized a spider-web to fashion a hammock. Meanwhile, others danced exuberantly in the air, rhythmically flapping their tiny wings, thus providing an orchestra for the aerial ball. Nearby, a few Sylph ladies, undoubtedly skilled housekeepers, were engaged in washing their linens under the moonlight or preparing a banquet. The feast comprised a blend of honey mixed with flower nectar, a few drops of milk left by the udders of young heifers on the tall grass, and several pearls of precious dew secreted by aromatic plants; this concoction served as a seasoning for butterfly eggs whipped to a snowy whiteness. The primary task of other hobgoblins and elves involved guiding lost wanderers back onto the correct path. Such were some of the benign spirits of Air and Fire.

[Text-Information-Source: Myths of the Rhine by X.-B. Saintine (1798-1865); Translated by M. Schele de Vere (1820-1898)] [The book is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations.] [Image: AI generated art of Elemental Spirits Sylphs] [Contents in this Website is also covered by Disclaimer linked at the bottom of the Page] [This website article means no intellectual appropriation by any way and only wishes to contribute in sharing of knowledge]