作 品的题材来源于一个德国传说：流浪骑士唐豪舍发现了维纳斯堡，那是掌管爱的女神维纳斯的地下宫殿，被维纳斯的魔法蛊惑，唐豪舍在那里和维纳斯住了一年。唐豪舍为他的行为感到羞耻，他到罗马请求教皇的宽恕，教皇说宽恕是不可能的，除非他的法杖开花。唐豪舍回到维也纳，三天后，教皇的法杖奇迹般的开花了。 
诗人Algernon Swinburne在他的诗 'Laus Veneris' 中如此描述维纳斯： 
Her little chambers drip with flower-like red, ... 
Her gateways smoke with fume of flowers and fire, 
With loves burnt out and unassuaged desires 
Between her lips the steam of them is sweet 
The languor in her eyes of many lyres... ... 
Her beds are full of perfumes and sad sound, 
Her doors are made with music, and barred round 
With sighing and with laughter and with tears, 
With tears whereby strong souls of men are bound.