The First Female Vampire: Goethe's Poem "The Bride of Corinth:" A Summary

While this is the first female vampire in the poetic tradition, this vampire poem is frankly a hard read even for me, and I work in Academia (MA specialties: Seventeen-Century Literature; Victorian Literature; and Drama).

A Biography for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is readily available on Wikipediea,so I will not repeat the information here. Click on the following link and it will open to the appropriate Wiki page. Wikipedia Goethe Page

The time period for this poem is, at best guess, around 300 AD or so, given the slow turn to Christianity around Corinth at that time. The poem's lifeblood seems to be the war between two opposing theologies which meets in two families. The family of the Bride (Juliet, if you will), has embraced Christianity; while the family of the bride-groom has remained faithful to the old gods, including Venus -- Goddess of Love. The troth was plighted (marriage promise) exchanged under the old religion -- and the maiden refuses to turn her back on the promise made by the two sets of parents.

It is not only the vows of Theology that is being broken in this poem; the bounds of guest visits are being broken as well when young female vampire daughter of the house attacks, and apparently is prepared to kill, the young male guest. He is owed safety and honor within the house. He receives a vampire love/wife, and death. Uncool.

The characters here are unnamed. The roster contains: the young man who has come visiting to meet the fiancé he was betrothed to as an infant. the young woman: his fiance who is also the vampire. The Mother who greets him, and who has recently buried her daughter (and failed to mention it?). Priests who chant and pray through the nights.

Summary

The set is staged and the location established in stanza one by the young mans arrival at the home in Corinth on a visit from his home in Athens. He is hoping to claim a favor (his bride! she is quite a favor!) from his father's friend.

Stanza two: Upon his arrival the narrator lets us know that the new religion of Christianity has been embraced by his fiancé's family. Under the tenets of both religions, they will now be pulling different directions. The male is set up as open to the possibility of having a different woman by the question: can a person appreciate what comes easy? his fiancé is coming easy, with no work on his part to win her.

Stanza three: When he arrives he discovers that the house has retired for the night, and he will have to wait to meet his fiancé. The mother greets him and leads him to a guest chamber.

Stanza four: The young man is served food and drinks by ignores it, going to bed instead.

Stanza five: As soon as he lays down and closes his eyes a young "maid" enters. She is wearing a veil to hide her features, and dressed in white. She has a black and gold headband and moves in a glide, without discernable steps.

Stanza six: This maid that has arrived has very white hands. She declares that she is hurt at not having been introduced to the guest upon his arrival. She interprets this as the family being embarrassed by her.

Stanza seven: She offers to leave him alone, and he asks her to stay. He has fallen in love with her because she is so beautiful. (Although she is never shown removing her veil!)

Stanza eight:8. She appears to be pale with fear as he approaches for sex "the raptures the Immortals taste." She backs off telling him not to approach, she can't do it -- for she has already been "raptured" by her mother's "sick-bed phantasy?" (Huh?) My best guess is that her mother's fantasy is Christianity, and the "rapture" being reborn into both Christianity and death."

Stanza nine: Her mother has been cured from worshipping the wrong gods, and since has sworn that since she herself was spared, everyone in the house would devote themselves to heaven. All other God's have given place to the Savior and his cross.

Stanza ten: His unnamed visitor tells him the family now no longer sacrifice lamb or steer, but instead perform human sacrifice here. (My guess: she is talking about the Eucharist -- the body and the blood of the sacrament.) He listens but all he is thinking about is how to get into her pants. Is she his betrothed; he wonders?

Stanza eleven: Marry me!" he says. Our fathers youthful promise was that we would marry. Heaven will bless our marriage. She tells him "I can't marry you -- you are for my sister. When you are diddling her, remember me.

Stanza twelve: He declares "I love only you. I will kill myself if I can't have you!"(classic male cry -- I will die if you don't come across?) To which she answers, you don't have to die; Hymen says we can be together -- come with me.

Stanza thirteen: They exchange wedding vows on the spot; she gives him a golden chain, and he gives her a silver chalice. (Silver is a pure metal, often anathema to supernatural creatures.)

Stanza fourteen: She tells him she can't accept the chalice, and asks for a lock of his hair. It chimes midnight right after she says this, and she is really happy about it. She holds the cup of wine to her "pallid" lips, but drinks none of the wine within. (More shade of the Eucharist.)

Chapter fifteen: She won't eat the bread either. (Bread = Christ's body) He does drink from the chalice when she brings it to him. He is love-sick (read HORNY) and will do anything she asks.

Stanza sixteen: She shrinks away from his prayer, and he falls on the bed weeping at her rejection. She comes near him and apologizes for rejecting his pass. She offers to tell him her "sad" secret.

Stanza seventeen: She tells him that she is "cold as ice, although white as snow." He clasps her in his arms to try to warm her. "Even if her spirit came from the grave," he is certain that his body's heat will warm her.

Stanza eighteen: He tries to make her passionate by kissing her repeatedly, and she sips the flame from his mouth. (Odd phrasing)

Stanza nineteen: His passion finally manages to warm her, but she has no heart-beat!(!!!!) While she is quite careful to not get caught or noticed by anyone passing the room, still it happens. The mother walks by, and hears the sounds coming from inside.

Stanza twenty: The mother hears sounds of joy, sadness, and bliss. They are entwined as bride and bridegroom. She won't leave the door until she knows what is going on.

Stanza twenty-one: The girl hears the "cock's loud strain" (day's announcer), and tells him she will return the next night. At this point the mother finally enters -- who is this maid whoring with her guest?

Stanza twenty-two: The mother is horrified to see her own daughter -- and her daughter refuses to hide her face (brazen).

Stanza twenty-three: The girl lifts herself slowly from the bed -- "spirits strength?" In spite of the passionate kisses, she still has "wan" lips. She gets in her mother's face asking if she isn't entitled to at least ones night "passion?"

Stanza twenty-four: heavy vampire imagery here! She continues berating her mom: Hey mom, aren't you content at having forced me to wear the "shroud of death? I have busted out of my 'COFFIN,' and "by a wond'rous[sic] fate I am 'FORCED' to rove while the "blessing and the chauntings sound" The priests' words are useless!

Stanza twenty-five: She blames her mother for attempting to separate them from the vow of love sworn under a different theology when they were infants -- and water and salt -- even earth itself can't separate them.

Stanza twenty-six: "gods, though, don't listen to what a mother does to separate a promised joining "plighted troth". She is forced to leave her GRAVE to find and love her bridegroom. And to DRINK HIS BLOOD from his heart.

Stanza twenty-seven: When he dies, she must move on to other victims, who will also sink under her vengeance -- she is going to "SHRIVEL UP THY FORM SO FAIR -- she has exchanged tokens with him, and has a lock of his hair. (Witchcraft uses these locks -- early DNA?)

Stanza twenty-eight: He should be sorry when he sees it, he will be gray "tomorrow" and then it will return to brown later? She further instructs her mother to open her GRAVE, and the two of them (she and her lover) will BURN - and have rest!

Stanza twenty-nine: Short stanza, only three lines. -- (the poem began with a four line stanza) When they have burned together, they will return to their old gods, blessed.