Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have noticed that "Stock-am-Eisen—or, The Iron Trunk," a two-part story from the Knickerbocker magazine of 1933, is an odd creature. Is it fiction? Is it history? Or is it satire? It would seem the answers may be yes and no. It is not clear to me but I really would not know anything about that anyway. Since when have I ever heard of Knickerbocker magazine? No, I don't particularly favor knee-length knickers. Who would risk being seen in such an odd out-of-fashion sense? And who has time to read through all these old things? As in a dream I think I heard someone talking about this but I wouldn't be able to understand. Even now, though I have read the "Iron Trunk" story, still I don't quite understand what the fuss is about. Its use of names of prominent aristocrats and rulers of the late 18th century or early 19th century gives it a feeling of history. And yet the names do not seem to match the historical record. Who was this princess Louisa? Wikipedia turns up a Princess Louisa of Great Britain, but she lived mostly in London and died unmarried at age 19. Louisa was passed over and her two years younger sister was chosen for the marriage to Christian VII of Denmark. Caroline's children were Frederick and Louise, whose husband also was named Frederick. This Louise and Frederick were later divorced. Although they had three children—Christian, Frederick, and Caroline—Louise favored her brother's aspirations at the expense of her own family. Anyway , it is not likely that Louisa of Great Britain, who died at age 19, would ever come in contact with the story's commoner anti-hero, Frederick Stapps, who died an ignominious bachelor death after his attempted assassination of the incipient Napoleon, if that ever happened, at least that way. Anyway, there are several Princess Louise, but they are all from Denmark, and wasn't Federick Stapps living in Germany? I am confused. Princess Louisa's father was Frederick, Prince of Wales, not Frederick V of Denmark who was married to Princess Louise of Great Britain, daughter of King George II. How odd that Martin Luther's monastery should be named en route to the underground cave featuring an idol figure of Thor, deity of the Vikings. Oh, I thought Thor was strictly a Viking deity limited to Sweden and Norway. Since when are the Germans confounded with the Vikings? I am confused. So?