FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>   >|  
. It is lofty and gloomy. Worms itself is a shadowy and silent city as compared with the past. "The Luther Monument is a history of Protestantism in stone and bronze. It is one of the noblest works of art of modern times, and its majesty and unity are a surprise to the traveller. Luther is of course the central figure. He stands with his Bible in his hands, and his face upturned to heaven. Around him are the figures of the great reformers before the Reformation: Wycliffe, of England; Waldo, of France; Huss, of Bohemia; and Savonarola, of Italy. The German princes who befriended and sustained the Reformer occupy conspicuous places, and the immense group presents a most impressive scene, associated with lofty character and commanding talent. [Illustration: A BATTLE BETWEEN FRANKS AND SAXONS.] "We went to the place where Luther sat beneath a tree, when his companions sought to dissuade him from entering Worms. "'I would go to Worms,' he said, 'were there as many devils as there are tiles upon the roofs.' "The high pitched roofs and innumerable tiles on them everywhere met our eyes, and recalled the famous declaration. [Illustration: LUTHER'S HOUSE.] "I should here tell you the STORY OF SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNG HEROES. The early nations of Europe seem to have come out of the northwest of Asia. The Celts or Gauls came first; other tribes followed them. These latter tribes called themselves _Deutsch_, or _the people_. They settled between the Alps and the Baltic Sea. In time they came to be called Ger-men, or war-men. They lived in rude huts and held the lands in common. They were strong and brave and prosperous. [Illustration: A TRIBE OF GERMANS ON AN EXPEDITION.] They worshipped the great god Woden. His day of worship was the fourth of the week; hence Woden's-day, or Wednesday. Woden was an all-wise god. Ravens carried to him the news from earth. His temples were stone altars on desolate heaths, and human sacrifices were offered to him. Woden had a celestial hall called Valhall, and thither he transported the souls of the brave; hence the name Valhalla. There were supposed to be water gods in the rivers and elves throughout the forest. The heavens were peopled with minor gods, as well as the great gods, and the spirits of the unseen world could make themselves visible or invisible to men as they chose. Most great nations have heroes of s
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

called

 

Illustration

 

Luther

 
nations
 
tribes
 

Europe

 
people
 

strong

 

Deutsch

 

common


Baltic
 

northwest

 

settled

 

fourth

 

rivers

 
forest
 

supposed

 

transported

 

thither

 
Valhalla

heavens

 
peopled
 

invisible

 

visible

 

heroes

 

spirits

 

unseen

 
Valhall
 

HEROES

 

Wednesday


worship

 

worshipped

 

GERMANS

 

EXPEDITION

 

Ravens

 

sacrifices

 

offered

 

celestial

 

heaths

 

desolate


carried

 

temples

 

altars

 

prosperous

 

reformers

 

Reformation

 
Wycliffe
 

England

 

figures

 

Around