John William Waterhouse - Undine

1872

oil on canvas

Undine is a novel by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué concerning Undine, a water spirit who marries a Knight named Huldebrand in order to gain a soul.
In Teutonic folklore, undines are female water-spirits who like to associate with humans. They often join villagers in their dances and merry-making. An undine was created without a soul, but by marrying a mortal and bearing him a child she obtained a soul and with it all the pains and penalties of the human race.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undine_(novella)
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18752
http://www.dur.ac.uk/c.e.schultze/works/undine.html


Rackham's illustrations
http://www.nocloo.com/gallery2/v/arthur-rackham-undine/
.
poem by Jane Yolen
http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA03Summer/undine.html