Introduction

Hey everyone! This storybook is a project for my mythology and folklore class, and its focus will be on stories from the Rhineland. The Rhineland is a region of Germany known for its picturesque castles, unique wine (the grapes used for the Riesling variety actually originated here), and–of course–its folklore. Many of the photos you'll see on this website are from a trip that I took in 2018 when I traveled to Cochem with a friend and Koblenz to visit family. These cities are near the heart of the Rhineland and epitomize the region's culture; hopefully, these snapshots will help you visualize my stories more clearly in your head and place you in the middle of their plots!

This is a personal photo of a fortress on the Rhine River from August of 2018.

Though my work will be renditions of classic Rhineland tales, and may or may not resemble the originals closely, you may be able to recognize some familiar elements. Well-known shorts like "The Lorelei" and works from the collections of Brothers Grimm are set along the rivers of the Rhineland. Other aspects of my storybook will likely come from more obscure tales like "The Mouse Tower."

I'll do my best to blend the acclaimed and the inconspicuous through telling my tales from the viewpoint of a traveler going down the Rhine River. As many of the scenes from stories I will be incorporating occur in or around more medieval settings, like castles, my storybook will be set in a time period closer to the Middle Ages than today. I chose this storytelling perspective because this journey is, and has always been, a common practice in Germany. Today, riverboats and cruises offer rides up and down the river's length, stopping at vineyards and architectural marvels along the way. With any luck, you'll feel as though you are on one of these boats yourself! I hope to incorporate descriptions of scenery and personal anecdotes to keep everything engaging, but I'd recommend drinking your favorite wine while reading so you really get the full experience :) I hope you enjoy it!