In 1840, more than four decades after “Fair-Haired Eckbert” appeared, Tieck turned his attention back to his famous neologism Waldeinsamkeit and made it the title of his last novella. In this story, Tieck shows how “an expression unknown many years ago … has passed into everyday commerce”, changing its meaning in the process. Here, as in “Fair-Haired Eckbert”, the main character is threatened by madness. In the end, though, he finds his way back to the community.