A German novelist and playwright. Fouqué descended from French aristocracy, and in his writings evinced notions of chivalry and honour. He drew his inspiration from Scandinavian mythology, and wrote the first modern dramatic treatment of the Nibelung story, which would later be used by Wagner in his operatic cycle. He wrote Undine, which had a profound influence on English fairytale writers in the 19th and 20th centuries.