Name of a famous
song, composed by
Franz Schubert in 1815. Based on a poem with the same name by
Goethe. The theme of the song centers around a father who is riding on his horse like mad to save his dying child. The
dwarf king (Erlkönig, also known as the
Erlking) tries to entice the child in his arms. The song ends on a sad note, with the father holding the dead child in his arms.
Wer reitet so spat durch Nacht
und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind...
The Erlkönig theme also plays a prominent role in the book by Robert Pirsig 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.