The legend goes back to the Middle Ages, but the version that changed everything came in 1850 — when German composer Richard Wagner turned it into one of his greatest operas. The story is set around 933 AD. A young noblewoman named Elsa of Brabant is accused of murdering her own brother. The charge is a lie — her brother was actually turned into a swan by a sorceress named Ortrud. But nobody believes Elsa. She has no champion to fight for her in trial by combat. She’s about to die.
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Love & Heartbreak·3/3·1′
The place
Neuschwanstein Castle
The Swan Knight Lohengrin
The Arthurian knight in a swan-drawn boat who inspired a king to build a castle
Medieval legend, 19th century revivalNeuschwanstein Castle
Moral of the Story
“Faith says don’t ask certain questions. But human nature says you have to. The tragedy isn’t in the asking — it’s that love built on mystery can never survive the truth.”
Characters
L
Lohengrin (the Swan Knight)E
Elsa of BrabantP
Parsifal (Lohengrin's father)O
Ortrud (the sorceress)K
King Ludwig II of BavariaR
Richard WagnerSource
Wagner, Richard. Lohengrin, WWV 75, premiered 1850; Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (c. 1200-1210); McIntosh, Christopher. The Swan King, 2012