Ossian in Germany Part 29

The remainder of the fifth volume does not offer anything for our purpose. The sixth and last volume, which was not published until 1799, is made up of "Fabeln," and of "Lyrische, Vermischte und Epigrammatische Nachlesen." In these later poems no traces of Ossian's influence are discernible, except in the cycle of the Seasons, where we encounter an Ossianic description now and then, although no distinct imitation is traceable.

I believe that the examples given have borne out the statement made in the introduction. Kretschmann was really never saturated with Ossian as Denis was. That he admired the Gaelic bard, he does not hesitate to admit, but aside from his fondness for the poems that were in everybody's mouth in his day, he felt no scientific curiosity to enter more deeply into the question of their authenticity. The fact that Klopstock and Herder regarded the poems as genuine, satisfied him completely. And when the bardic ghost stalked through the land, he willingly paid his tribute-wrote a number of bardic songs-and then retired on his laurels to seek new fields of poetical activity distinctly hostile to a continuation of Ossianic influence. Even his later lyric poems, where we might look for lingering tokens of its presence, reveal nothing of the sort. The bard and the grove and the oak of course still make their bow upon occasion, but these were so firmly engrafted in the lyric poetry of Germany by this time, that Ossian can no longer be called to account for each individual occurrence. More of this when we reach the _Gottinger Hain_.

--5. Minor Bards.

The paragraphs on Denis and Kretschmann have amply demonstrated just how the socalled bards were dependent upon Ossian. There is little difference between the bardic work of these two and that of the remaining bards, the names of many of whom have been consigned to oblivion, and it would serve little purpose to take up the entire work of each separately. I shall therefore content myself with pointing out some of the more striking Ossianic characteristics in a number of selections of bardic poetry taken at random.

Lorenz Leopold Haschka (17491827), in whose lyric poetry the influence of Klopstock and Denis is visible, has a bardic poem in the _Litterarische Monate_,[320] "Cronnan und Minona[321] an Annas Hugel"

(pp. 814), the very t.i.tle of which proclaims Ossian's presence. The first two names are taken from "CarricThura." The hill we have encountered before, and in the poem we even have the four stones at the corners of the grave.[322] Then we read (pp. 112):

Horch' auf! Da winselts das Farrenkraut Klaglich hindurch, wie Sterbelaut Auf Harfen!-Annas Seelchen ists, Minona!

Sie wunschet die Stimme des Lobes zu h.o.r.en!

The sound emitted by the harp to herald a person's approaching death,[323] the desire of the ghost to hear the voice of fame are both taken from Ossian. Then we have 'Disteln' (p. 10) and a "Tochter der Schattenharfe" (p. 12), Ossian's shadowy harp again.[324] Anna's ghost hovers over Tonthena (p. 13), the star mentioned several times in Ossian.[325]

In the same magazine we have several other bardic songs by Haschka. In the one "Bei Annas von Gluck Hugel," we have the echo called the "Sohn des Felsen" (p. 14) as in Ossian;[326] likewise in "Auf Elisabeth von H." (p. 307) the echo is the "Bergsohn."-"An den Gespielen meiner Harfe" contains the image of the youth standing tall "der luftigsten Eiche gleich" (p. 18), with which compare "He stands tall, ... as an oak."[327] After his death, the youth lies "unter den graulichten Vier Steinen" (p. 19), Ossian's "four grey stones."[328] Note also the following (p. 19):

Wenn ich dann, gleich der Blume, verwelkt bin Und, ihren Blattern ahnlich, mein durr Gebein Zerstreut liegt, ...

Dann komm zu meinem blumichten Hugel her Mit allen deinen Liedern, und gieb, mein Freund, Dem Winde meinen Geist, und meine Harfe dem niedrigsten Espenzweige.

As for the first stanza, see _supra_, pp. 934. When we strike an imitator of one of the leading bards, the chances of a direct influence on the part of Ossian are naturally lessened. More than likely Haschka was in this instance indebted to Klopstock more than to Ossian directly, or to Homer or the Bible, for that matter. The situation in the second stanza is thoroughly Ossianic and calls for no further comment.

In "Die Kraft der Tonkunst" we encounter the bardic machinery again as well as Ossianic rhetorical figures. The moon, _e. g._, is called the "Nachtschild" (p. 210). Then we have the 'sending round the sh.e.l.l' (p.

212),[329] "der Wehmut ... Wonne" (p. 215),[330] and the following noteworthy pa.s.sage (p. 215):

Schwindend itzt, wie Lonas Stimme Einst im Widerhalle starb, Da waldeinwarts Jager riefen: Ossian! Der Felsen Sohn Heischer widerseufzt': Ossian!

In the poem "Auf Elizabeth von H.," Elizabeth is said to resemble the morningsun (p. 307). In the same poem we have the 'snow of the bosom'

(p. 308) and in the "Geburtslied" the 'hand of snow' (p. 310).[331]

In Karl Mastalier's (173195) "Ode auf den Freyherrn von Laudon," we have Ossian's 'trembling harp' several times.[332] "Das Nationaltheater"

shows traces of Ossian's influence in the bardic paraphernalia and the imagery. The moon is termed the 'daughter of the silent night.'[333] On the whole, Mastalier's poems were but little influenced by Ossian, and there is nothing that distinguishes his poetry particularly from the usual run of bardic productions.

Knorr's[334] "Der Barde an seinen Freund K * * *," which appeared in the _Leipziger Musenalmanach_ for 1776, is written in the Ossianic vein. The bard sits by the grey oak and asks the breeze to lift his black locks.

"Wie Sanger Ossian Hebt er sich vom heiligen Eichbaum," we read on p.

95.

In the same number of the almanac we have a bardic song by Brown, ent.i.tled "Die Nacht," in which we find Ossianic description and Norse mythology side by side. In the opening lines of the poem, the Ossianic _Stimmung_ is imitated to prepare for the appearance of the ghost.[335]

A few quotations from the poem may not be amiss:

Und auf dem bemoosten Hugel, Ueber den des Sturmes Flugel Flattert, walle ich allein.[336]

The mossy hill, the wings of the storm, the lonely wanderer are all Ossianic, as is the lament (p. 216):

Auch mich, auch mich, schliesst einst im Felde Ein aufgethurmter Hugel ein, Auch ich werd' unter Eichenschatten

Wo am bemoosten Steine, etc.

In "Das Gesicht," a bardic poem that appeared anonymously in the _Almanach der deutschen Musen_ for 1773 (pp. 235), we have a splendid ill.u.s.tration of how far the imitation of Ossianic apparitions was carried.-The situation of a ghost appearing upon a stream of light and the beholder trembling in terror, as presented in "Die Erscheinung" by N--ch,[337] is Ossianic.

The _BardenAlmanach der Teutschen_ for 1802 contains a bardic poem, "Wodan und Braga," with Ossianic nature touches, as the following extract will show (pp. 1746):

Welch ein Aechzen weht vom Hayn der Fichten, ... ... ...

Blut'ge Schatten, ...

Wimmeln aus der Finsterniss hervor, ... ... ...

Schreiten uber Hayde, Sumpf und Moor.

Plotzlich, gleich dem Aufruhr wilder Wogen, Braus't der Sturm, und hohler Donner kracht: Unterm dunkelblauen Himmelsbogen Rollt er, rollt er in GewitterPracht.

... aus der FelsenOede Donnert Nachhall durch den FichtenWald.

Sufficient examples have been given to show the nature of Ossianic imitation as practiced by the minor bardic poets. Among the features they admired in Ossian was his independence of all rules and conventions, and here they approach the writers of the _Storm and Stress_. Nor did they hesitate to place him on a level with Homer.

Interesting in this connection is the following statement by Bernold: "Und wo nahm denn Ossian seine Regeln her? aus der Natur-und doch ubertrifft dieser Dichter in meinen Augen noch einigerma.s.sen den Homer selbst und taugt wenigstens fur einen Schweizer besser zu einem Vorbild als jener, indem seine besungenen Gegenstande, sowohl in als ausser der Natur, den unsrigen naher kommen und ungleich ahnlicher sind, als jene der Griechen und Romer oder anderer Nationen."[338] What Ossian meant to them is laid down in a poem "An Heyder," by J. G. Schulz, published in the _Leipziger Musenalmanach_ for 1783, with a striking quotation from which (pp. 1523) we shall leave this portion of our subject.-Grim sickness has chased the joyous muses away from the poet's side; no friend can aid, no book console him:

Nur Ossians des Barden Klage Umgiebt in meinem Jammer mich.

Da seh ich ihn in seiner Vater Hohle, Voll tiefen Schmerz die heisse Seele, Um Oskarn, der vor Ihm erblich Die vaterliche Zahre weinen: Und h.o.r.e seiner Harfe Jammerlaut Durch dumpfe Klufte wiederhallen.

Ich seh wie ihm auf ihren luftgen Hallen Die Geister der Vergangenheit erscheinen, Und Fingaln, der hernieder schaut Auf seinen alten mudgeweinten Sohn, Den er von allen einsam ubrig siehet, Den Barden, den des Tages Schimmer fliehet.- ... ...

Hier find ich all die vielen Leiden, Das karge Loos der Sterblichkeit, Und die Erinnrung an verflossne Freuden, Die zu den gegenwartgen Leiden Noch Schwefel in die Flamme streut.-

[Ill.u.s.tration]