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Meaning & History
Old German name of uncertain origin. In recent years it has been debated that Laurin might be derived from Latin laurinus "crowned with laurels".In Germanic mythology Laurin is a dwarf king who is mentioned in both a 13th century heroic epic and an Alpine legend dating from the same era.
In the latter, Laurin has a beautiful rose garden high up in the mountains. When Biterolf, the reigning human king, prepares to get his daughter, beauteous Similde, married, he invites every nobleman far and wide - except King Laurin. So the dwarf decides to attend the festivity hidden under his invisibility cloak. The moment he lays his eyes on fair Similde, he falls in love with her and abducts the girl to his rose garden.
Of course the gallant young princes follow them, led by Dietrich von Bern, and a fight erupts which Laurin cannot win despite his magical girdle that gives him the strength of twelve men. So the dwarf, once again, hides under his invisibility cloak and starts a wild chase through the garden, believing himself invisible. But wherever he runs the roses move and betray his hiding place. When the knights lead him away into captivity, Laurin turns around and curses the treacherous garden: neither by day nor by night shall the human eye be able to behold the roses. In his anger and his wrath, however, he forgets about twilight. So now every dawn and every dusk the roses in his garden bloom and glow and cast their red shimmer over the valley. A shimmer that we call the Alpenglow.
In the latter, Laurin has a beautiful rose garden high up in the mountains. When Biterolf, the reigning human king, prepares to get his daughter, beauteous Similde, married, he invites every nobleman far and wide - except King Laurin. So the dwarf decides to attend the festivity hidden under his invisibility cloak. The moment he lays his eyes on fair Similde, he falls in love with her and abducts the girl to his rose garden.
Of course the gallant young princes follow them, led by Dietrich von Bern, and a fight erupts which Laurin cannot win despite his magical girdle that gives him the strength of twelve men. So the dwarf, once again, hides under his invisibility cloak and starts a wild chase through the garden, believing himself invisible. But wherever he runs the roses move and betray his hiding place. When the knights lead him away into captivity, Laurin turns around and curses the treacherous garden: neither by day nor by night shall the human eye be able to behold the roses. In his anger and his wrath, however, he forgets about twilight. So now every dawn and every dusk the roses in his garden bloom and glow and cast their red shimmer over the valley. A shimmer that we call the Alpenglow.