Page:15 decisive battles of the world Vol 1 (London).djvu/265

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ARMINIUS.
249

ing the Irminsul current in the bishopric of Minden, one version of which might seem only to refer to Charlemagne having pulled down the Irminsul.

Herman, sla dermen,
Sla pipen, sla trummen,
De Kaiser will kummen,
Met hamer un stangen,
Will Herman uphangen.

But there is another version, which probably is the oldest, and which clearly refers to the great Arminius.

Un Herman slaug dermen,
Slaug pipen, slaug trummen ;
De fürsten sind kammen,
Met all eren-mannen
Hebt Varus uphangen.[1]

About ten centuries and a half after the demolition of the Irminsul, and nearly eighteen after the death of Arminius, the modern Germans conceived the idea of rendering tardy homage to their great hero; and accordingly, some eight or ten years ago, a general subscription was organized in Germany, for the purpose of erecting, on the Osning — a conical mountain, which forms the highest summit of the Teutoberger Wald, and is eighteen hundred feet above the level of the sea — a colossal bronze statue of Arminius. The statue was designed by Bandel. The hero was to stand

  1. See Grimm, "Deutsche Mythologie," 329.