Study notes for the classic German Gothic-romance vampire story, "Wake Not the Dead" by Tieck

Study Notes:(these match the paragraph numbering on my modernized language version).

As with many early stories, this is a meld of popular story and cautionary morality tale. As a morality tale it warns the reader that the sin, while pleasurable, brings eternal negative repercussions. Walter is demonstrated as impetuous, thoughtless,and as living only for his own pleasures, and the results of his uncontrolled personality traits are death and destruction for his vassals (who he is sworn to protect) and for his children. The vampire shown here is merely the punishment enacted upon the sinner, and it does the work of divine retribution. The only people who survive at the ending are his second wife, Swanhilda, who he has sent home to her father, and the servants willing to leave safety and comfort and flee with their children.

These are the sorts of things that appear to an academic at a first, quick read... they might encourage you to wrestle with the story, learning more about your own universe through examining one created in another time and place. This page opens in its own window, so you can have it side-by-side with the text.

1. What do we learn about the character of Walter when we meet him as he laments the fate that has taken his love into the realms of death while leaving him behind? Note how he behaves as though her failure to answer was a personal choice that she is making to somehow spite him.

2. - Does passion really burn hotter in the young or is it merely our recollection of it that makes it seem wilder and less structured? (Or dumber?) - What is the relevance of his grave-sitting at midnight? - Is Walter a sinner, or is the implication that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?

3. - Walter is a Lord in Burgundy -- inherently a powerful position -- is it harder on a person of power to find himself powerless to alter his situation than upon a poor man? - Why is Brunhilda -- the evil Vampire of the story -- given dark hair "dark as the raven face of night?" Is a dark haired women inherently evil -- given the time and the dominance of fair-haired Germans? - What can be found in her eyes that puts her opposite Swanhilda? - She dies young, and after a short period of intense mourning, he takes another bride -- how does this reflect the character Teick developed for him?

4. - Note the differences in the physical attributes of Swanhilda and Brunhilda? How do the physical forms demonstrate the personalities of the two women? - Why doesn't her tempering personality stick -- make Walter permanently better? - What is it in society that reflects the expectation that the son will have the attributes of the father, the girl the mother? - Note that Swanhilda gives him children, while Brunhilda never expected him to share her with progeny. - Her children form a bridge between Swanhilda and Walter -- how does this reflect the Biblical story of Joseph and Rachael (given to a husband who can only think of another women, even while giving her children)? - Walter dwells upon former happiness -- as don't we all?

5. - Break the metaphor about time's passage apart -- just why does it work as a comparative to human emotions? -Walter appears to be suffering mid-life crises -- he wants the thoughtless passion of his youth returned to him. - Ask yourself how easily we forget the faults and imperfections of lovers once they have left -- they are always better in retrospect -- why? - Swanhilda seems incapable of doing anything when Walter chooses to spend the nights mourning by Brunhilda's grave.

6. What are the special properties of herbs grown on graves?

7. Should we mourn for those who die before us?

9. Should the dead wish to return?

10. Just because I don't sympathize with your paroxysms of grief, does it mean I don't have a heart?

11. "Senseless" If you have a heart and common sense and soul, you would indeed shudder at the walking dead -- they have changed, become disconnected from the world, just as none of us are unchanged by the experiences we have as we live. How could I connect in the same way with a being that hasn't changed on the same continuum as me?

12. Ah, but we love? Does love conquer all? Even death itself?

13. First warning to not mess with raising the dead.

14. Walter ignores the warning -- why? How human is it to ignore the warning when it warns us from something we really want. How does that play into Walter's character.

15. The sorcerer says that we each hold evil within us, and each construct our own evil as we do things we shouldn't. Can a person bridge the chasm between life and death?

26. this is the gothic chapter with the storm and the eruption from the grave.

35. This matches the German "Lenore" poem --- fiery black steed and all. - This also references Persephone -- who was brought back from Hades, although her rescuer had to share her since he looked back to see if she was still behind him.

38. Siren: mermaid-- the call that drives men crazy - He declares that she has been refined by death -- untouchable by sin during this sojourn in the grave?

40. Brunhilda makes much of the difference between what she is, and a "daughter of the earth." What are the implications?

41. metaphore of what happens when we allow our passions to sweep us away....

42. - How does divorce work in this world? Send the unwanted women home to her father and keep the kiddies? Nice. - Do vampires dream? It is implied here that the ability to dream separates the living from the undead. Why or why not would an ability to dream work this way?

45. The author directly addresses Walter with foreshadowing

46. The vampire is made in this universe by the power of necromancy -- vamp characteristics: can't wear gold only wears pearls avoids bright sunlight and prefers gloomy apartments and twilight during daylight usually out at the full moon shudders when she hears a "crowing of the cock" (no idea -- this is a new one to me) she retains the nasty disposition she had as a human, unchanged by death

47. more about vampire: she has an "artificial life in order to mimic human vitality and warmth she must drink warm human blood, from its source she has no interest in any human occupations, only in obtaining blood she is tied to her besotted husband by his will for her, and hence must satisfy his need for her in his arms Her preferred food source is young innocent children She doesn't care what sex her victim is She lulls her victims into a "lengthened sleep" by breathing on them There is no charm, amulet, herb, holy taper, or exorcism can save the victim after she lathed onto it If the victim survived, they became thin and gray, cadaverous and wrinkled.

50. she is worried about her decreasing food supply

51. It is all about food to this vampire; she doesn't care who is the supplier, or what their relationship to herself is, so long as there is food.

54. Wormwood is the wood in Absinthe, and both wormwood and gall are biblical references. Mankind throws away the good thing, because it is ugly , or it fails to tickle our tears. And we seek to undo death?

57. "Even as the dead love" seems to imply that the dead do not have the same relationship to the living that they had before. They are "cold."

58. "Creature of Blood!" = vampire, does it not? And is it indeed Walter who is responsible for the carnage wrought by the vampire for awakening it from the dead, and bringing it among us? Is the soldier responsible for the deaths, or the commander? She continues reminding him that she was his choice, and that he knew what he was doing, and can't claim otherwise.

59. The victim can't escape from his vampire companion -- can't, by repentance (Christian term meaning "turn back, turn away from) alone accomplish this feat.

60. We are back in the realm of the gothic now, of the wild wind and the horrible creature

62. Walter tries to shift off the blame unto the magician -- the warning wasn't clear enough We are now also moving into religious terminology -- sacrilegious and profanation -- which indicates that Walter had the lexicon even at the outset, and knew he was doing wrong.

70. To slay the vampire: pierce the breast with a sharpened dagger (specially prepared) renounce, and refuse to ever think about. If you do think of her, promptly renounce again.

72. Have you noted all the sevens days and the new moons? relevance please?

74. Again he must wait -- another twice seven days -- why not just fourteen? Why spell it out?

75. He is safe within the charmed circle? Why?

76. The coal-black steed is back.

77. Does the unhuman Brunhilda have more insight into his sinning state and his eventual post-death destination that the sorcerer?

79. Again the vampire tells him that he is doomed to perdition (hell), but this time for slaying her.

80. Walter's curse on the vampire: "Never will I think of her with love, never recall her to mind intentionally, and, should her image recur to my mind involuntarily, so will I exclaim to it: be you accursed."

83. The "fang" of Brunhilda still has him, doesn't it. Why this choice of word? A second time he "is doomed to perdition?" where is perdition? What is implied with the mark of Cain? Take a look in Genesis (The Bible) at the curse God issues upon Cain for the murder of his brother? Are we our brothers keepers?

84. The nameless woman appears on a black horse with a raven on her arm? What kind of foreshadowing are we getting? She's following the same road he is, and it isn't the one to heaven! Her hair is brown and her eyes dark and full of fire (more foreshadowing) We've got the twice seven days thing going on again Note the whole flattery thing going down -- he is a man of "discretion" who as learned his lesson

85. She is "exhort[ing]" Walter, which is a biblical reference -- encouraging him to do good works. The castle echoes with riot She turns into a serpent and crushes Walter We again are told to "Wake not the Dead!"