SOURCE: "Bird Motif and Myth in Theodor Storm's Schimmelreiter"' in Seminar, Vol. IV, No. 1, Spring, 1968, pp. 1-16.

In the following essay, Artiss examines the symbolic use of birds in Der Schimmelreiter, finding that they "supply the key to the supernatural element" in the novella.

Recent interpretations of Der Schimmelreiter by Theodor Storm reflect the renewed interest in the study of motif and symbol, after the neglect of half a century. Two of these interpretations draw attention to the need for a closer examination of the mythological elements in this Novelle. A closer study of the birds in the story reveals the author's "grand design," for the birds supply the key to the supernatural element and show that Theodor Storm consciously used the bird motif in Der Schimmelreiter. His unique contribution was to give the bird motif a new dimension through his expert knowledge of folklore. In this...