Comments (Meaning / History Only)
German for alluring.
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The Lorelei are sirens along the Rhine River. They lure sailors to their deaths. The name is German and means "alluring, temptress," according to nameberry.
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Lorelei was a Siren, not a mythological nymph. Sirens were in fact described as very ugly, looking somewhat like a mutant seabird and nothing at all like a mermaid in the traditional sense. From a distance, their looks were appealing and their songs sweet, but up close their true appearances and voices were revealed, leaving the poor sailors nothing pleasant to drown to. [noted -ed]
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Translation of the famous German poem written in the early 1800s.
"The Lorelei" by Heinrich Heine
I don't know what it may signify
That I am so sad;
There's a tale from ancient times
That I can't get out of my mind.
The air is cool and the twilight is falling
and the Rhine is flowing quietly by;
the top of the mountain is glittering
in the evening sun.
The loveliest maiden is sitting
Up there, wondrous to tell.
Her golden jewelry sparkles
as she combs her golden hair
She combs it with a golden comb
and sings a song as she does,
A song with a peculiar,
powerful melody.
It seizes upon the boatman in his small boat
With unrestrained woe;
He does not look below to the rocky shoals,
He only looks up at the heights.
If I'm not mistaken, the waters
Finally swallowed up fisher and boat;
And with her singing
The Lorelei did this.
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"The Lorelei" by Heinrich Heine
I don't know what it may signify
That I am so sad;
There's a tale from ancient times
That I can't get out of my mind.
The air is cool and the twilight is falling
and the Rhine is flowing quietly by;
the top of the mountain is glittering
in the evening sun.
The loveliest maiden is sitting
Up there, wondrous to tell.
Her golden jewelry sparkles
as she combs her golden hair
She combs it with a golden comb
and sings a song as she does,
A song with a peculiar,
powerful melody.
It seizes upon the boatman in his small boat
With unrestrained woe;
He does not look below to the rocky shoals,
He only looks up at the heights.
If I'm not mistaken, the waters
Finally swallowed up fisher and boat;
And with her singing
The Lorelei did this.
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Loreli (Lorely) are mythological nymphs (mermaids) of the Rhine river in Germany who sang sweetly to lure the sailors to their deaths. The sailors would end up crashing on the rocks while entraced in the Loreli's song.
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Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
The 'maiden' part is one of those antropomorphic embellishments which sailors are famous for, whenever the water seems more powerful than a ship they tend to 'see' half clothed women trying to 'lure' them to their doom.
This says nothing about the intentions of women, but rather a lot about where male minds wander when they are bored and supplied with alcohol.