The name of this syndrome originates from Old German
mythology about the water nymph Ondine (Undine). Nymphs are known to be very
beautiful, and Ondine was certainly no exception. Nevertheless, she was very
wary of men because they are a threat to a nymph's immortality. Whenever a
nymph falls in love with a man, she loses her immortality and begins to age
and eventually dies. However, all this was forgotten when Ondine discovered
Sir Huldbrecht, a young knight, near her lily pond. Sir Huldbrecht, too, was
captured by Ondine's beauty, and soon the two fell in love and married. From
this very moment, however, Ondine started to age. Her stunning beauty slowly
fading away, Sir Huldbrecht soon found himself looking for a younger and
prettier woman. One afternoon, Ondine caught Sir Huldbrecht happily in the
arms of a young woman. Having sacrificed her immortality for this man who
had sworn love and faithfulness to her, Ondine demanded retaliation. With
her magic still powerful enough for vengeance, she cursed Sir Huldbrecht:
“As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, however, as soon as
you fall asleep, your breath will be taken from you!” It didn't take long
until Sir Huldbrecht fell asleep from exhaustion and died shortly
thereafter. This myth illustrates the problem of the patient suffering from
congenital central hypoventilation.