User:LovesMacs/The Magic Ring

The Magic Ring (Der Zauberring) is a fantasy novel by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, set in 12th Century Europe.

Plot introduction
Against the background of the Third Crusade, Otto, a young knight, goes in search of an enchanted ring so that he can return it to Gabrielle, the woman he believes is its rightful owner and with whom he has fallen in love.

Volume I
Otto and his cousin Bertha witness a duel between two knights (Folko and Archimbald) over who should own a certain magic ring and the estates that go with it. Folko defeats his opponent, who, as had been promised, agrees to no longer pursue the ring on behalf of the beautiful Gabrielle. Otto is instantly smitten by her and vows to champion her cause. His cousin Bertha soon becomes very depressed. Her brother Heerdigen feels that Otto has wronged her and seeks to avenge her. When Bertha's family fears for her life, they bring her to see the Lady Minnatrost to be healed. Bertha recovers, but she flees the castle after being frightened by the magical items within.

Otto defeats Folko and wins not just the magic ring, but Gabrielle's heart.

Volume II
Before Otto and Gabrielle can marry, he drinks by mistake a potion that temporarily enrages him and gives him hallucinations. When he recovers, he finds that he has been branded an evil spirit and abandoned. Many months pass, and the knight Arinbiorn tracks him down and finds that he has become a hermit out of despair. Arinbiorn tells Otto that everyone has since learned the true reason for his madness, and that he has been forgiven. Arinbiorn also invites Otto to help him forcibly convert people to Christianity.

Characters

 * Otto von Trautwangen, a young, enthusiastic and at times impulsive knight who has fallen in love with Gabrielle, whom he believes should rightfully own a certain magic ring
 * Bertha von Lichtenried, Otto's cousin who falls into melancholy when Otto leaves
 * Folko de Montfaucon, a French knight who fights on behalf of his sister (later revealed to be stepsister) Blanchefleur to obtain a magic ring
 * Blanchefleur de Montfaucon, a French noblewoman
 * Gabrielle de Portamour, who also wants the magic ring
 * Archimbald von Waldeck, a German count who initially fights on behalf of Gabrielle for the ring before abandoning this cause
 * Heerdigen von Lichtenried, Bertha's brother and knight who wants to avenge her sadness
 * Lady Minnatrost, a Druda who is renowned for her wisdom, especially in matters of the heart
 * Theobaldo, an Italian merchant who decides to accompany Otto as a squire
 * Arinbiorn, a knight from Normandy, also called the "Knight of the Sea" and the "Sea-Monarch". He is known for his helmet or symbol of golden vulture wings. He is secretly in love with Blanchefleur.
 * Gerda, a shieldmaiden who was formerly betrothed to Arinbiorn
 * Kolbein, cousin of Arinbiorn
 * Alessandro Vinciguerra, an Italian count and friend of Folko
 * Don Hernandez, a Spanish nobleman and friend of Folko
 * Blondel, a trouvère on his way to Jerusalem
 * Hugh von Trautwangen, Otto's father, a retired knight
 * Asmandur, an armorer who repairs Otto's sword after it is broken. He tells of Arinbiorn's troubled family history and the tragedy of Hugur and Astrid.
 * Hugur, a Norwegian knight who married Astrid but accidentally killed her
 * Astrid, the beautiful daughter of a Norwegian jarl and sister of Hildridur
 * Hildridur, Astrid's sister, who had been a skilled sorceress but who forsakes magic and marries Hugur after her sister's death
 * Walter, a minstrel

References to other works

 * Myth of Sigurd and the sword

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The Austrian composer Franz Schubert set a number of poems contained within The Magic Ring to music. D. 93 nos. 1-3.

Publication history

 * 1825, England (Edinburgh), Oliver & Boyd