Middle Rhine

This morning we cruised the castle section of the Rhine. We had a mixture of sun and clouds with fall colors on the hills. The castles were built primarily by prince/bishops to collect tolls from ships plying the river. Most were built before the 15^th century, many were either destroyed by the armies of King Ludwig or Louie the 14^th as the wars between the French and Germans occurred. Some remain in ruins, but most have been rebuilt into residences or hotels. Many have legends associated with them, usually a story of rivalry over a girl. We passed by several hazardous sections, including Lorelei rock, where the shipping channel narrows.The story is that an attractive woman would lure the sailors onto the rocks.

Lorelei and her rock

Then we walked the town of Boppard, Germany. Population 15000. This where the bentwood chair was invented. There are Roman ruins from a third century fortress as well as a cute church of St. Severus with lots of wood, roman arches, and a beautiful organ with a rose window behind it.

Church of St. Severus

In the afternoon I toured Marksburg castle, built beginning in the 11^th century and never destroyed. It had 4 levels of walls to protect against invasion. The bedroom here was heated, so it also served as the day room for the women. The toilet was off the dining room. It was a seat with a hole, the waste dropped straight down from the wall. The lock on the door was to prevent invaders from using it to get inside, rather than provide a person privacy. In fact, it was common to converse with those in the dining room while you were in the toilet. The torture room had a shame mask called a pig mask with a long nose piece with a weight at the end, forcing the person to drag their face near the ground.

Pig Mask

A castle legend

Many of the castles have legends associated with them:

Sir Diethelm of Burg Rheinstein was not rich but he found consolation by thinking of his beautiful daughter, Gerda. Once Gerda reached marrying age, her father often daydreamed of a rich suitor who would share his fortune with him upon marriage to his daughter.

Chapel and Reichenstein Castle

Helmbrecht, eldest son of the old Knight of Sternberg Castle, lacked neither looks nor youth, but did lack riches and family fortune. However, this did not prevent him from wooing Gerda. Helmbrecht went to his uncle, Gunzelin of Burg Reichenstein, and asked him to speak to Gerda's father on his behalf. Gunzelin was a grey haired giant possessing a vast fortune. Due to the close proximity of Burg Reichenstein and Burg Rheinstein, Gunzelin was well aware of Sir Diethelm's desire regarding a wealthy son-in-law. At their first meeting, Gunzelin found Gerda so beautiful he asked for her hand in marriage.  Blinded by Gunzelin's wealth and stately appearance, Gerda's father agreed to their marriage. The ceremony was scheduled for a few days later in St. Clement's Chapel  which lies on the banks of the Rhine between Burg Reichenstein and Burg Rheinstein. However, Gerda became quite distraught upon discovering the name of her future husband, she cried aloud with anguish, and broke into tears. As everyone knows water creatures are attracted to tears from near and afar. The water-nymph who heard Gerda's sadness, knew what needed to be done.

Rheinstein Castle

On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom began their journey to St. Clement's Chapel. This route included a hornet's nest firmly entrenched
at the side of the road. As the couple approached it, the water-nymph threw a jagged rock right into the hornet's nest. As a result, the hornets swarmed and began stinging the horse, which was transporting the couple to the chapel. The horse stood on his hind legs and threw Gunzelin over a cliff to his death. Gerda was rescued by Helmbrecht who was wallowing in his sorrow near the chapel.

A week later, Gerda von Rheinstein married Helmbrecht in the same St. Clement's Chapel where, after a lifelong happy marriage, they were both laid to rest.