The scattered ruins of an old knight's tower are still to be seen on
one of the heights near Oberwesel. The castle was called Schönberg,
after the seven virgins who once lived there, and whose beauty was
renowned throughout all the Rhine countries.
Their father had died early, some say of grief, because Heaven had
denied him a son, and an elderly aunt had striven in vain to guide the
seven wild sisters; but her influence had not been sufficiently strong
to lead them in the right way. After the death of this relative the
seven beautiful maidens were left to themselves, and now their longing
after liberty and the pleasures of the world broke out even stronger
than before.
Many a tale was told about them, how they used to ride out hunting and
hawking, how many a magnificent banquet was given by them, and how
their beauty, their riches, and the gay and joyous life led by them
attracted many knights from near and far; how many a stately noble
came to their castle to woo one of the sisters, and how these maidens
at first ensnared and enchanted him with a thousand attractive
charms, only in the end to reject the enamoured suitor with scorn and
mockery.
Ashamed and very wrathful many a great knight had left the castle, and
with indignation and disdain had blotted out of his memory the names
of these bewitching sirens who at first had listened with deceitful
modesty to his honest wooing, only afterwards to declare with scornful
laughter that their liberty was so dear to them, that they would not
give it up for the sake of any man.
Alas! there were always youths to be found who put no faith in such
speeches and, trusting to their great names and peculiar merits,
sought their happiness among these maidens. But all the trials ended
in the same mournful manner; no suitor succeeded in winning the heart
of these seductive beings. Thus they continued their dangerous and
contemptible life for some years.
Once again there was a great banquet and feasting in the halls of the
castle. A circle of knightly figures sat round the brilliant board
among the seven sisters, who were quite conscious of their charms, one
rivalling the other in gaiety and liveliness.
The joyous scene was disturbed for a short time by two knights who
were disputing about one of the sisters, and had angered each other by
their growing jealousy.
The scene excited general attention and was looked on at first as a
most amusing one, but when the youths were about to draw their
swords, it was thought necessary to separate them.
Seizing this opportunity one of the other knights proposed that to
guard against further discord, the castle maidens should be urged to
make a final decision, so that each suitor--they all recognised one
another as such--might know what he had to expect.
The proposal met with general applause, only the sisters showed
discontentment, declaring they could not agree to such a presumptuous
plan. However the wooers tried every imaginable means of persuading
them, and at last one of the sisters wavered, a second followed her
example, and the remaining ones, after whispering to each other for
some time, declared with laughing countenances that they would decide
the fate of their suitors the next day.
The expected hour arrived, and the knights in great suspense assembled
in the large hall.
Every eye was riveted on the door through which these Graces should
enter, bringing a sweet surprise to some or a bitter disappointment to
others.
The folding-doors were suddenly thrown open, and an attendant
announced that the mistresses of the castle were waiting to receive
the knights in the garden near the river.
The numerous suitors all hurried out. To their great astonishment they
saw the fair ones all seated in a boat on the Rhine. With a peculiar
smile they beckoned the knights to approach, and the eldest sister
standing up in her seat, made the following speech.
"You may all throw your hopes to the winds, for not one of us would
dream of falling in love with you, much less of marrying you. Our
liberty is much too precious to us, and we shall not sacrifice it for
any man. We are going to sail down to Cologne to the property of a
relation, and there we shall disappoint other suitors, just as we have
misled you, my noble lords. Good-bye, good-bye!"
The scornful speech was accompanied by a scoffing laugh which was
re-echoed by the other sisters, and the boat set sail.
The rejected suitors stood speechless with shame and anger.
Suddenly a terrible storm arose, the boat was agitated violently, and
the laughter of the seven sisters was turned to cries for help. But
the roaring of the waves drowned their voices, and the billows rushed
over the boat, burying it and the seven sisters in the depths below.
Just on the spot where these stony-hearted maidens met their deaths,
seven pointed rocks appeared above the surface of the water, which up
to the present day are still to be seen, a salutary warning to all the
young maidens of the country.