Tetramund and Ortrud
Preserved but no longer current.
He arrives at Antwerp in a skiff drawn by a swan, champions Elsa, and becomes her husband on the sole condition that she shall not ask his name or lineage. She is prevailed upon to do so on the marriage- night, and he, by his vows to the Grail, is obliged to disclose his identity, but at the same time disappears.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tetramund and Ortrud” mean?
He arrives at Antwerp in a skiff drawn by a swan, champions Elsa, and becomes her husband on the sole condition that she shall not ask his name or lineage. She is prevailed upon to do so on the marriage- night, and he, by his vows to the Grail, is obliged to disclose his identity, but at the same time disappears.
Is “Tetramund and Ortrud” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.