The Shepherd of the Giant Mountains

[1] The ballad tells the story of a shepherd named Gottschalk who falls in love with Adiltrude, the duke's daughter.

Realizing that he has no hope of defeating a creature that can fly away, Gottschalk refuses to worry, instead composing songs about the duke's daughter and singing them to his dour fellow shepherd, Hans.

He follows the griffin to her nest and watches her and her children make a gruesome meal of dead oxen, and leaves without being seen.

Returning with a sharpened staff, Gottschalk stops to pray for God's help before arriving at the nest while the mother griffin is away.

Reminding himself that the young griffins will grow up to feed on people, Gottschalk sets fire to the nest.

Gottschalk deep in thought with his staff and pipe, while the griffin flies in the distance and his fellow shepherds watch in horror (Illustration by Selous)