Gespensterbuch

The Gespensterbuch is a collection of German ghost stories written by August Apel and Friedrich Laun and published in seven volumes between 1810–1818.

Engraving from a later edition of Vol.1 with an illustration of "Der Freischütz"

Stories
Volume Year Original title English translation Author
1 1810 "Der Freischütz" The Freeshooter Apel
"Das Ideal" The Ideal Laun
"Der Geist des Verstorbenen" The Ghost of the Deceased Laun
"König Pfau" King Peacock Apel
"Die Verwandtschaft mit der Geisterwelt" The Kinship with the Spirit-World Laun
2 1811 "Die Todtenbraut" The Dead Bride Laun
"Die Bräutigamsvorschau" The Bridegroom Preview Apel
"Der Todtenkopf" The Death's Head Laun
"Die schwarze Kammer" The Black Chamber Apel
"Das Todesvorzeichen" The Sign of Death Laun
"Der Brautschmuck" The Bridal Jewelry Apel
"Kleine Sagen und Märchen" Little Legends and Tales Apel
3 1811 "Die Vorbedeutungen" The Portents Laun
"Klara Montgomery" Klara Montgomery Apel
"Der Gespensterläugner" The Ghost-Deniers Laun
"Das Geisterschloß" The Ghost-Castle Apel
"Der Geisterruf" The Ghost Call Apel
"Der Todtentanz" The Dance of Death Apel
4 1811 "Zwei Neujahrsnächte" Two New Year's Nights Apel
"Der verhängnisvolle Abend" The Fateful Evening Laun
"Zauberliebe" Magic Love Apel
"Die Braut im Sarge" The Bride in the Coffin Laun
"Das unterirdische Glück" The Underground Luck Laun
5 1815 "Der Heckethaler" The Hedge Thaler Laun
"Der Liebesschwur" The Love Oath Laun
"Die Ruine von Paulinzell" The Ruins of Paulinzell Apel
"Die Hausehre" The House-Honour Laun
"Die Schuhe auf den Stangen" The Shoes on the Bars Apel
"Legende" Legend Laun
"Das silberne Fräulein" The Silver Miss Apel
6 1816 "Vorrede" Foreword Apel
"Swanehild" Swanehild Laun
"Der Schutzgeist" The Guardian Spirit Apel
"Die Wachsfigur" The Wax Figure Laun
"Blendwerk" Blend Work Laun
"Das Meerfräulein" The Mermaid Laun
"Der Mönch" The Monk Laun
"Der rothe Faden" The Red Thread Laun
"Der Lügenstein" The Lying Stone Laun
7 1818 "Vorrede" Foreword Laun
"Die drei Templer" The Three Templars Fouqué
"Der Liebesring" The Love Ring Laun
"Die Jungfrau des Pöhlberges" The Maiden of the Pöhlbergers Laun
"Der Bergmönch" The Mountain Monk Miltitz
"Die Fräulein vom See" The Young Women from the Lake Laun
"Muhme Bleiche" Aunt Bleach Miltitz
"Friedbert" Friedbert Miltitz
"Altmeister Ehrenfried und seine Familie" Head Master Ehrenfried and His Family Fouqué

Freischütz

The first tale in the first volume[1] is the story of a magic marksman, "The Freischütz". It underlies Weber's opera Der Freischütz. [2]

Translation

In 1812, Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès translated eight German ghost stories into French as Fantasmagoriana, including five of the tales from the first and second volumes of the Gespensterbuch. The following year, Sarah Elizabeth Utterson translated five of the stories from Fantasmagoriana into English as Tales of the Dead (along with a story of her own), including three of the Gespensterbuch tales. The stories she omitted were translated into English by A. J. Day together with Utterson's translation in Fantasmagoriana: Tales of the Dead (2005).[3]

"Der Freischütz" was translated by Thomas De Quincey and published anonymously as "The Fatal Marksman" in Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (1823).[4]

References
  1. August Apel und Friedrich Laun, "Gespensterbuch" (in German). Band 1, Verlag Göschen, Leipzig, 1811
  2. Friedrich Kind. "Schöpfungsgeschichte des Freischützen". Der Freischütz, Volks-Oper in drei Aufzügen, Göschen, Leipzig, 1843, S. 117–123 (in German).
  3. Day, A. J. (2005). Fantasmagoriana: Tales of the Dead. ISBN 1-4116-5291-6.
  4. Birkhead, Edith (1921). The Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance. London: Constable. p. 174.


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