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Week 6: “Undine and Huldbrand: Love and Nature”

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For this week’s reading assignment, Undine, the story of a mermaid who categorizes her race as “Undines” has married a knight through the church. The story however takes place the day after the marriage, but something is tugging at Undine’s heart, which I believe is that she wants to come clean to her now husband, Huldbrand. Undine’s story was wholesome from start to finish as it shows a different perspective of what we’ve been seeing throughout the readings assigned. I may be wrong, but I felt this was a heartfelt romantic passage between two beings that though their differences are huge, their love for each other keeps them together. As shown in the passage, I was surprised that Undine came forward to tell Huldbrand the truth about her and where she comes from, “Listen attentively to what I will relate to you…You must know my loved one, that there are beings in the elements which almost appear like mortals, and which rarely allow themselves to become visible to your race.” (Bacchilega & Brown 104) 

Not only has Undine revealed what she is to her husband but to her coming heartbreak also lets Huldbrand know what it is of the Undines once they pass away. “We and our like in the other elements, vanish into dust, pass away, body and spirit so that no vestige of us remains behind; and when you mortals hereafter awake to a purer life, we remain with the sand and the sparks and the wind and waves.” (Bacchilega & Brown 105)  

I enjoyed reading this passage as I could feel the fear Undine felt with her revelation and her husband’s decision after doing so. To this, I feel like Undine represents that part of nature that wants to be known, discovered, and cherished. Nature personified telling us to adore and take care of it with the fear that humans may turn against it. Fortunately for Undine, and also to my happiness, Huldbrand replies to her in the best way he can express his love to her, and she to him, “She was about to say still more, but Huldbrand embraced her with the most heartfelt emotion and love, and bore her back to the shore…he swore amid tears and kisses, never to forsake his sweet wife,…Undine walked back to the cottage, leaning on his arm; feeling now for the first time with all her heart,” (Bacchilega & Brown 106) 

There is no man vs mermaids/nature in this passage, and I’m living for it. It is about a man accepting and truly loving nature and everything that has to do with it, which is Undine. This must be my favorite story from The Penguin Book of Mermaids, so far. 

Week 6: Undine

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Reading Undine brought a different perspective to humans vs. merpeople. The different readings we have explored illustrated mermaids as either symbols of sin, vanity, temptation, or as embodiments of higher power such that we saw in Oannes. Undine made their existence seem almost depressing and merely insignificant.

In Undine, Friedrich De La Motte Fouque, draws a connection between various natural elements and these “soulless” creatures while highlighting some fundamental flaws that come with having a soul. Specifically, he notes how these creatures wish to be human because “all beings aspire to be higher than they are” (Penguin, 105). In other words, human life does not really end. Our bodies are just temporary placeholders of our soul/spirit, and upon death we move on to a higher place. Undine explains how unlike humans, other creatures upon death just “vanish into dust,” highlighting how insignificant existence really is for them. Fouque ties nature into it by highlighting that upon death they just remain on earth with the wind, trees, and waves. Their existence ends and just turns into meaningless dust.

Although Fouque illustrates these creatures’ lives being insignificant, he also points out a how flawed humans are by bringing to light Undine’s husband’s betrayal. Even though he accepts her, he ends up betraying her for Bertalda. It poses the question, would you rather metaphysically exist forever with negative elements or would you rather get one life and make the most out of it before turning into dust?

Week 6: Undine (1811)

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The first version of the story Melusine was published during the end of the Feudal era. On the other hand, Undine was written in 1811. Since the 14th century, the world changed in many ways, including the colonization of the Americas. The development of capitalism was in full swing. Also, the Industrial Revolution is a relevant consideration for the period. I also wonder what the story means in the context of the Black Forest producing many of the modern fairytales that we know of today

After my first read of the story, I noticed that the author has somewhat romanticized the appearance and beauty of nature. This makes me wonder if the separation of Man from nature during the Industrial Revolution is what caused this. When de la Motte Fouque writes, “They wander over the pure sand of the sea”, it makes me think that there is already a disconnect from the natural environment because of the way it is so highly described. I doubt a society connected closely to nature would write this story with such an emphasis on the beauty of nature because they likely see it all the time.

The ending of the story makes me further convinced that this story could be a call to acknowledge the separation of humans and nature that didn’t always exist. When Undine references the natural elements of the world as her family and explains that the soul of her kind is carried on into nature, it highlights that modern humans (in the 19th century) are often living in more urban settings without a connection to the natural world.

In future stories, I am curious to see the continued development of the relationship between humans and the natural environment. I would also like to see some modern stories from non-Western parts of the world and compare the differences between the cultural norms.

From Demons to…Angels?

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After reading the story of Undine, it is abundantly clear that Melusine’s impact on the image of the mermaid in historical literature has turned the once-damned creatures into pious women, desperate to be ever closer to God.

Undine’s sweet nature and her devotion to Huldbrand directly mirrors that of Melusine to Raymond, giving both mermaids an innocent and pure aura about them. This demeanor is of course further emphasized by both mermaid’s decrees of holiness.

Just as Melusine declares to Raymond that she “is as faithful a Christian as [he is]” (The Romance of Melusina, 25), Undine “entreated [the priest] with an agitated tone to pray for the welfare of her soul” (Undine, 101). Undine is also described as “mild and gentle as an angel” (103), which is a stark contrast to the stories of sinful and villainous sirens that were pedaled by the church in it’s past. In this way, it is clear the iconic influence Melusine had on shaping the newfound saintly view of mermaids that were once used as a comparison to debauchery. These mermaids are good Christians, who are concerned with obtaining and protecting their immortal souls, serving as a means for the church to further maintain control of women’s place in society.

Melusine and Undine together promote messages that women are not entitled to their secrets, as Melusine is punished for keeping hers and Undine rushes to reveal her own. They also communicate that to earn the privilege to be loved, a woman must be serving to both God and to her husband.

By twisting and warping the image of the mermaid, and therefore, the image of women as an obscure species, the church maintains control of how women are to exist—what they will be punished for, and what they will be rewarded for. These stories serve as an underscored warning to women about how they must act if they are to be seen as anything but deranged monsters.

“The Mermaid” article.

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While reading the article published, “The Mermaid” I was interested in how the depictions of the mermaid change so radically when race is added to the mythology. The mermaid stories we have read so far are always explicit in stating the beauty of the mermaid’s human half. So beautiful as to seem ethereal and other worldly. The source of evil and ugliness is always relegated to their animalistic lower half. On Page 234 of the text we get two completely different depictions of non-white/western mermaids. On the first one the article says, “It was a female with, with ugly negro features. The skin was harsh, the ears very large, and the back parts and tail were covered with scales.” This stands in such stark contrast with the previous descriptions we have previously encountered. The text explicitly state that this mermaid is not beautiful because of its ethnic features. Where the mermaid’s skin was previously pearlescent and so transparently white as to almost seem spirit like, this mermaid is described as having harsh skin. Though the description is brief it also gives the sense that it focuses more on how far from humanity this creature is. It struck me that it mentions the position of the mermaid when at rest. The text says “It’s position, when at rest, is always erect”. I don’t know if this is intended to be sexually suggestive but I am also considering that there is a history of Black bodies, particularly women’s bodies, being highly sexualized by the western world.

The second mermaid description that I noted is on the same page and it is describing a mermaid found in the Archipelagos of the Aegan Sea. This mermaid is described in fuller detail and it the text immediately zeroes in on its similarity to a young female human. Already this mermaid is placed in closer relation to humanity than the first mermaid. That being said she still has enough of that “exoticism” that the western world was so fascinated by in relation of Asian countries. She is not afforded the mythical flowing hair of western mermaids. Instead this one has “gills for respiration, which appear like curls… this one only has rolls which, at a distance, might be mistaken for short curls.” After this the article also mentions that she seems to have fins and her temples as if she was wearing a headdress. Here we see that this mermaid does not have the typical human head and torso and fish tail. It’s animal-like properties are distributed across her entire body.

Week 6: Undine

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In this week’s reading: The Day After the Wedding, from Undine, I though the connection between the natural world and humans was a powerful theme. There is a passage on page 104, that reads, “There are beings in the elements which almost appear like mortals, and which rarely allow themselves to become visible to your race.” This suggests the presence of mystical and supernatural forces intertwined with the natural humans. It highlights the ever longing idea of a hidden realm that is populated by beings that are not within human perception, but are existing alongside our reality. Undine mentions that there are spirits that exist within the air and bodies of water, as well as in creatures such as salamanders and gnomes. The mention of these mythical beings expands the mythological world that mermaids and sirens exist. This also makes Huldbrand question his own perception of reality and he must question Undine’s existence. He is forced to reflect on the boundaries between these two worlds as well as his complex relationship with a non human.

I also found the quote, “His only daughter should become possessed of a soul, even though she must then endure many of the sufferings of those thus endowed.” I found this really intriguing because it first indicated that she now possesses the soul of a human which makes her different from her father and the rest in the supernatural realm. In a religious context, having a soul is often associated with consciousness, morality, and having the capacity for deeper emotions and experiences. Souls may experience joys and sorrows, pleasures and pains, love and loss, in ways that are uniquely human. So, in this case, Undine having a soul makes her more vulnerable to the struggles of human existence, including having the capacity to love someone. This duality in her nature contributes to her sense of otherness and her struggle to find her place in the world.

Week 6: Undine, Huldbrand, and Christianity

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In this weeks reading of “The Penguin Book of Mermaids” by Cristina Baccheliga, I was mainly interested in the idea of Undine, a water goddess, needing to marry a powerless mortal man in order to gain a soul. The reason I was fixated on this idea is because the story seems to create this logic that women are soulless beings that absolutely require a man in order to be complete. I don’t know if I interpreted the reading correctly, but it almost feels like Undine’s significant power was being undermined and overshadowed by the need for a man. This story was written by a man in 1811, and that context tells me that this was a subconscious thought that was shared by men in these decades. True feminist movements wouldn’t begin until about 150 years after this was written.

Despite the unfortunate context of the story, I did appreciate the overall happy ending, as those have not been very common so far. Huldbrand fully “embraced her with the most heartfelt emotion and love” after she revealed that she was not human. Undine was able to keep her new soul but gave up her power as a body of water. While I will admit that the pretext confused me a bit as it seems to contradict the contents of the story, it was an interesting parallel to see how this semi-human entity reacted to a man compared to the sirens with Oddyseus or Melusine with Raymondin. One difference that I found between this story and the others is that Huldbrand seems to be a completely well rounded man, whereas Raymondin was unintentionally a murderer that did not pay the price for his wrongdoings. My theory is that God, or the universe, made an effort for Raymondin to pay for his sins by making him ruin his relationship with Melusine. Huldbrand, on the other hand, has committed no wrongdoings and so he gets to live happily with his wife who shares similar characteristics as Melusine. This would make sense as Christianity was huge in the 1800s and the idea of sinning was taken a lot more seriously than it is today.

Week 6: Freakshows and Fantasies

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“The Feejee Mermaid Hoax” and “Freakshows and Fantasies” both demonstrate the Western obsession with mermaids and the efforts at “ordering the natural world and its creatures” that continued from the Enlightenment period (Scribner, 129). In Barnum’s autobiography from 1854, he discusses the Feejee Mermaid Hoax, but also outlines a historical account of mermaid sightings and displays. Barnum describes the mermaid as a “fabulous animal”, and yet, continually applies Western beauty standards to the mermaid sightings and displays. He views the mermaid as animal or other, but not enough for them to be free of our judgment.

While almost every recorded mermaid sighting occurred in the British Isles or America, both readings pointed at “the ‘Oriental’ allure of Asia (that) still held sway of the Western masses” (Scribner, 126). In 1758 a mermaid exhibited at the fair of St. Germaine’s in France was described as “female, with ugly negro features. The skin was harsh, the ears very large…” (Penguin, 243). Here, Western beauty standards, and clear racism, is being applied to the mermaid, even though they are viewed as animal or other. However, in London in 1775, a mermaid exhibited was determined to be an “Asiastic mermaid… young female- its eyes a fine light blue- its nose small and handsome- its mouth small- its lips thin- its chin well shaped- its breasts are fair and fall… the belly is round and swelling, but there is no navel…” (Penguin, 243). The mermaid that was suspected to come from the Archipelago seems to meet the Western standard of human beauty.

Also, the detail of the rounded belly lacking a navel points out the ongoing question of how mermaids reproduce. If there is no navel, it must widely differ from the human birthing process. I find it interesting that this detail was included in the 1775 exhibit.

In mermaid sighting and captures from earlier in 1187 and 1430, they both appeared close to human, but were said to not be able to speak, Barnum states “that nothing seem wanting to it (the mermaid) but speech” (Penguin, 242). The mermaids lack of speech seems to be another separating factor between us or other, as well as if the mermaid was even deemed satisfactory.

Week 6: from Undine

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A close study of this chapter reveals that Fouqué employs a variety of literary approaches to illustrate the psychological complexities of his characters and to examine the tension that develops between them. The characterization of Undine, the water sprite who marries the knight Huldbrand, is a key aspect in Fouqué’s portrayal of jealousy. Undine’s jealousy is obvious as she deals with the presence of Bertalda, a human lady who causes problems in her marriage. Undine’s actions and language reveal her envy, as she strives to reconcile her otherworldly origins with the human feelings she feels. For example, when Bertalda expresses admiration for Huldbrand, Undine reacts with a mix of uneasiness and possessiveness, indicating the depth of her mental anguish. Furthermore, Fouqué uses subtle narrative tactics to create a sense of uncertainty around Undine’s motivations, confusing the reader’s understanding of her character. Fouqué uses unreliable narration and subtle foreshadowing to suggest Undine’s capacity for both compassion and malevolence, blurring the distinctions between protagonist and adversary. This ambiguity gives dimension to Undine’s character, prompting readers to consider the nature of her jealousy and its ramifications for the story.

Week 6: Thoughts about Undine

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I found the story of Undine entertaining. I am starting to notice some similarities between these mermaid tales, especially between this one and Melusine. First, both stories mention that the mermaids are under some spell or evil, for Undine it was having no soul and Melusine a serpents tail. Second, both women are required to find a man to marry them in order to break the “curse”. Third, both stories end in some tragedy stemming from the man betraying the woman in some way, haven’t read a tale where the woman betrays the man, yet. Fourth, both women lead the man to a body of water. I find the requirement of a man marrying a woman to save her quite interesting because it kind of shows that a woman is dependent and needs to be saved. I can see how this relates to Christianity because I know marriage is a big thing in religion, (weddings are often held in churches with a pastor) not to mention that Undine was written by Christian minister, George Macdonald. In Undine, a part that caught my attention was Huldbrand’s foreshadowing dream, “…disguise themselves as beautiful women, and from beautiful women, they all at once assumed the faces of dragons…” (pg102). I get that this piece was a foreshadow to Undine’s true nature, what I don’t get is why in every one of these tales it’s beautiful women who are seen as evil. I’ve never read a woman who’s described as “unappealing” of committing these acts of deceit. If I were to live in those days, these tales would have me question every beautiful woman’s intentions/nature, I wonder what the reasoning behind this is.