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A Summary of “The Spectre Bridegroom”

A bridegroom was killed by robbers. Later, she thought that his ghost appeared to her. However, the ghost proved to be a real flesh and blood man, whom she eventually married.

The works of Washington Irving abound in gentle satire, and "The Specter Bridegroom" is no exception. His chief target is Baron Von Landshort, a scion of the great family of Katzenellenbogen, who lived in a castle not far from the confluence of the Main River and the Rhine. In times when other German nobles had given up their uncomfortable old castles, "the Baron remained proudly drawn up in his little fortress, cherishing with hereditary inveteracy, all the old family feuds, so that he was on ill terms with some of his nearest neighbors, on account of disputes that had happened between their great great grandfathers." (All quotations are from Irving's original work as found in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories.")

Other targets of Irving's satire are the two aunts who educated their niece, who was the baron's only child. Quite correctly, they taught her to obey her father and to avoid personal contact with men without his permission, since this is in accordance with God's law, which says: "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother." However, Irving seems to exhibit a permissive attitude. At least, he points out that the two aunts were coquettes when they were young ladies. Because of this, they "were admirably calculated to be vigilant guardians and strict censors of the conduct of their niece; for there is no duenna so rigidly prudent, and inexorably decorous, as a superannuated coquette."

Irving even seems to have his tongue in his cheek while lavishing praise on the beauty and accomplishments of the baron's daughter. For example, she "made considerable proficiency in writing, could sign her own name without missing a letter, and so legibly, that her aunts could read it without spectacles."

Further targets are the relatives who frequented the baron's table. The baron firmly believed in the supernatural, and he regularly told tales to the guests assembled at his table. The relatives firmly believed everything that their host told them. Moreover, even though they may have heard a tale a hundred times in the course of previous banquets, they listened "with open eyes and mouth, and never failed to be astonished."

The baron had arranged an excellent marriage for his daughter. The bridegroom was the Count Von Altenburg, the scion of an illustrious Bavarian family. On the day when the bridegroom was expected to arrive at the castle, a great banquet was prepared in his honor.

However, tragedy struck. At Wurtzburg, he met an old friend named Herman Von Starkenfaust, who was returning to the castle of his father. Since the castle of the baron was close to the castle of Herman's father, the two friends decided to travel together. Since the count was eager to see his bride, the two friends left early in the morning on the appointed day. The retinue of the count was to follow them later on.

When they reached the forest of Odenwald, robbers attacked them. While they were fighting, the count's retinue arrived and drove the robbers away. However, the count had received a mortal wound. He was taken back to Wurtzburg.

Before dying, the count asked his friend to go to the baron's castle and "explain the fatal cause of his not keeping his appointment with his bride." He solemnly averred that he would not sleep quietly in the grave unless this was done. This placed Herman in an uncomfortable situation, since there was a feud between his family and the baron.

In the meantime, the baron and his guests were impatiently awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. They finally decided that the banquet had to begin even though the bridegroom had not arrived.

At that point, a lone cavalier rode up to the castle. The baron thought that he was the bridegroom and greeted him with a torrent of courteous words. The cavalier vainly tried to express himself. When he was escorted to the table and beheld the daughter of the baron, he no longer attempted to explain his presence. He wanted to enjoy the presence of the lovely maiden a little longer.

The daughter returned his love. Since she was dining with the cavalier under the auspices of her father, she gave her heart to him without reservation.

As the evening advanced, the cavalier became melancholy. Even the dull jokes of the baron did not cheer him up.

When the baron told a story about how a goblin horseman carried off fair Leonora, the cavalier listened with profound attention. As the baron finished the story, the cavalier gradually rose. He sadly bade the baron and his guests farewell. When the baron pointed out that they had prepared a chamber for him, he replied "I must lay my head in a different chamber tonight." As he left the castle, everyone was bewildered, and a tear appeared in the eye of the bride.

When the baron followed the cavalier, the latter explained that he was a dead man, slain by robbers. His body lay in the Wurtzburg cathedral, and he had to return there in time for the burial. He then galloped away on his horse.

The next day, the words of the cavalier were confirmed. The bridegroom had indeed died. Everyone at the castle was dismayed, especially the bride.

On the night of the second day of her widowhood, the bride and one of her aunts had retired to her chamber to sleep. As the widowed bride lay awake, she heard music and ran to the window to investigate. Seeing her spectre bridegroom, she screamed. Her aunt awoke and ran to the window. When the aunt saw the apparition, she fainted, and her niece had to catch her. The bridegroom disappeared.

After this, the aunt refused to sleep in the room again. In contrast, the niece insisted on sleeping in her room. She loved her bridegroom, even though he was a ghost. She made her aunt promise not to tell anyone what she had seen. If others knew about the apparition, she probably would "be denied the only melancholy pleasure left her on earth - that of inhabiting the chamber over which the guardian shade of her lover kept its nightly vigils."

The aunt managed to keep the secret for a week. Then something happened that allowed her to talk. Her niece disappeared.

When the residents of the castle heard the aunt's tale, it was generally believed that the spectre had carried off his bride. The baron was dismayed. His daughter was either carried to the grave or else married to a demon. In the latter case, he would soon have a host of goblins as his grandchildren.

The baron and his men were about to conduct a search for the missing daughter. However, the bride then appeared, accompanied by a real flesh and blood bridegroom, namely, Herman Von Starkenfaust. He had come to her at night and persuaded her to marry him without her father's permission.

Herman explained that he had come to tell the baron about the death of his son-in-law, but the baron did not give him a chance to express himself. When the baron was telling about Leonora, Herman thought that he could get out of an uncomfortable situation by pretending to be the ghost of the murdered man. However, he had fallen in love with the daughter of the baron, so he wooed, won, and married her.

Since the baron loved his daughter, he forgave them their fault. Although his family had a feud with the family of the bridegroom, at least his daughter was married to a real man instead of a goblin.

When I was in Germany, I saw the ruins of a castle on a prominence near the left bank of the Rhine, downstream from Bingen near the haunt of the Lorelei. I believe this is the castle of the Katzenellenbogen family, if I remember correctly.

Reference:

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories"; Penguin Books