105-502: Minnesang ( German: [ˈmɪnəzaŋ] ; "love song") was a tradition of German lyric- and song-writing that flourished in the Middle High German period (12th to 14th centuries). The name derives from minne , the Middle High German word for love, as that was Minnesang 's main subject. People who wrote and performed Minnesang were known as Minnesänger ( German: [ˈmɪnəˌzɛŋɐ] ), and
210-465: A few others seem to have originated in the Alemannic dialect area in modern south-west Germany and Switzerland. Most texts are anonymous, and many are written in rhyming stanzas that were meant to be sung. In the post-classical period a major development is of new short narrative forms in rhyming couplets, with few clear boundaries between genres and little connection with previous writing except in
315-588: A knight meeting challenges on a journey to the fabulous East to achieve some goal: Herzog Ernst is exiled by the emperor for murdering an evil counsellor; for the other heroes the challenge is to win a bride in foreign lands. From the mid 12th century the courtly romance , written in rhyming couplets, was the dominant narrative genre in MHG literature. Between c. 1185 and c. 1210 Hartmann von Aue , Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Strassburg produced romances that were influential at
420-578: A knightly order such as the Garter in Britain also did. His criticism of men and manners was scathing; and even when this did not touch his princely patrons, their underlings often took measures to rid themselves of so uncomfortable a censor. Thus he was forced to leave the court of the generous duke Bernhard of Carinthia (1202–1256); after an experience of the tumultuous household of the landgrave of Thuringia , he warns those who have weak ears to give it
525-495: A loss of patronage. Most Minnesänger were of high noble rank (including the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI ) requiring no patronage. For them song would have been an occasional pastime, to enhance their prestige, and their œuvre is correspondingly small. The large number of songs and the increasing artistry from Minnesänger such as Reinmar, Walther and Neidhart, on the other hand, suggest professional court musicians from
630-609: A major role includes Eberhard Hilscher 's 1976 work Der Morgenstern, oder die vier Verwandlungen eines Mannes genannt Walther von der Vogelweide ("The Morning-Star, or the Four Metamorphoses of a man called Walther von der Vogelweide"), and two novels about Frederick II, Waltraud Lewin 's Federico (1984) and Horst Stern 's Mann aus Apulien (1986). In 2013, the Galleria Lia Rumma in Naples exhibited
735-440: A man of strong views; and it is this which gives him his main significance in history, as compared to his place in literature. From the moment when the death of the emperor Henry VI (1197) opened the fateful struggle between empire and papacy , Walther threw himself ardently into the fray on the side of German independence and unity. Although his religious poems sufficiently prove the sincerity of his Catholicism , he remained to
840-554: A new literature, centred on the towns and their urban patriciate, started to develop. Even in the following period , however, the old stories were copied and adapted for new audiences, with the result that many MHG works survive in the 15th century and even later copies, while the Meistersinger continued to develop the work of the Sangspruchdichter and were still using melodies of Walther's for new songs. There
945-472: A new monument was erected over the spot, called the Lusamgärtchen ("Little Lusam Garden"), today sheltered by the two major churches of the city. Walther's work is exceptionally well preserved compared to that of his contemporaries, with over 30 complete manuscripts and fragments containing widely varying numbers of strophes under his name. The most extensive collections of his songs are in four of
1050-465: A rise in didactic and political songs from the Spruchdichter in the footsteps of Walther. With the writings of the mystics , which for the first time included a number of female writers, this period also saw the first developments in literary prose. By the mid-14th century, however, with courtly culture in decline, the genres which had dominated MHG literature ceased to attract writers, and
1155-510: A series of works by Anselm Kiefer (two large paintings and a group of books) relating to " Under der linden " under the title " Walther von der Vogelweide für Lia ". In 1889, a statue of Walther was unveiled in a square in Bolzano (see above), which was subsequently renamed the Walther von der Vogelweide-Platz . Under fascist rule, the statue was moved to a less prominent site, but it
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#17327656469171260-515: A single song was called a Minnelied ( German: [ˈmɪnəˌliːt] ). The Minnesänger are comparable to the Occitan troubadours and northern French trouvères , but they are "an original German contribution to courtly lyric." In the absence of reliable biographical information, there has been debate about the social status of the Minnesänger . Some clearly belonged to
1365-426: A small number of Minnelied melodies have survived to the present day, mainly in manuscripts dating from the 15th century or later, which may present the songs in a form other than the original one. Additionally, it is often rather difficult to interpret the musical notation used to write them down. Although the contour of the melody can usually be made out, the rhythm of the song is frequently hard to fathom. In
1470-410: A traditional term, now agreed to be inaccurate and misleading — are a disparate group of five shorter pre-courtly narratives ( Herzog Ernst , König Rother , Orendel , Oswald , and Salman und Morolf ). They were probably written in the second half of the 12th century, though the manuscripts are of later date. They have in common that they are thought to have been based on oral tradition. All involve
1575-499: A trend which began around the start of the 13th century, with women readers as a particular constituency It is also reflected in the increasing number of manuscripts from the mid-13th century. However, narrative works with strophic form were or, at least, could also be sung. Sharing its strophic form with the songs of Der von Kürenberg , the Nibelungenlied could have been sung, and in all, melodies are known for eight of
1680-559: A wide berth. After three years spent at the court of Dietrich I of Meissen (reigned 1195–1221), he complains that he had received for his services neither money nor praise. Generosity could be mentioned by Walther von der Vogelweide. He received a diamond from the high noble Diether III von Katzenelnbogen around 1214: Ich bin dem Bogenaere (Katzenelnbogener) holt – gar ane gabe und ane solt: – … Den diemant den edelen stein – gap mir der schoensten ritter ein Walther was, in fact,
1785-547: Is also called "late heroic poetry" ( späte Heldendichtung ). The genre developed out of an oral tradition and only became a full genre with many texts in the course of the 13th century - only the Nibelungenlied dates to the main flourishing of courtly literature. A direct reaction to the heroic nihilism of the Nibelungenlied is found in the Kudrun (1230?), in which material also found in Old English and Old Norse about
1890-439: Is clear that many authors, even if they could read, were unable to write. Although readers might learn to form the letters of the alphabet with a stylus on a wax tablet, only those trained to handle parchment, quills, and ink would regularly produce written documents; composition by dictation to a trained scribe was the form in which much ‘writing’ was done (much as business letters were once dictated to typists). Each manuscript
1995-569: Is found in a Latin codex of the 12th century from the Tegernsee Abbey . Dû bist mîn, ich bin dîn: des solt dû gewis sîn. dû bist beslozzen in mînem herzen. verlorn ist das slüzzelîn: dû muost immer drinne sîn! Du bist mein, ich bin dein: des(sen) sollst du gewiss sein. Du bist verschlossen in meinem Herzen. Verloren ist das Schlüsselein: du musst immer darin sein! You are mine, I am yours, Thereof you may be certain. You're locked away within my heart. Lost
2100-422: Is known as Frauenlob ("praise of women"), Rumelant von Sachsen 's name means "quit the country", Der Kanzler is "the chancellor". While there is a small amount of such verse from the 12th century, it was Walther who raised the status of Spruchdichtung and expanded its range of subject matter to include "religion, ethical conduct, praise or lament for individuals, the conditions of the professional poets’ life,
2205-516: Is little biographical evidence about the MHG poets. The epic poets generally name themselves in their works, and the Minnesänger are identified in the manuscript collections, but works based on oral tradition are typically anonymous. For the higher status Minnesänger there is often documentary evidence, such as the account of the death of Friedrich von Hausen on the Third crusade , mourned by
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#17327656469172310-429: Is marked by increasingly elaborate formal developments but no great thematic progression. After 1300, Minnesang began to give way to Meistersang and folk-song . Frauenlob (d. 1318) can be seen as the last Minnesänger or the first Meistersinger. Spruchdichtung is the MHG genre of didactic song, written by non-noble itinerant musicians. Many worked under professional rather than personal names: Heinrich von Meissen
2415-525: Is mentioned in Samuel Beckett 's short story " The Calmative ": "Seeing a stone seat by the kerb I sat down and crossed my legs, like Walther." In 1975, the German poet Peter Rühmkorf published Walther von der Vogelweide, Klopstock und ich , in which he provided modernised and colloquial verse translations of 34 songs by Walther, accompanied by commentary. Historical fiction with Walther in
2520-484: Is no guarantee of survival: Erec was highly influential and widely quoted, but it survives only in the Ambraser Heldenbuch and a few earlier fragments. Bligger von Steinach 's narrative verse is praised by Gottfried von Strassburg and Rudolf von Ems , but none of it survives. Manuscripts were expensive, both in terms of material and labour of copying, even without the sponsorship of creative work or
2625-538: Is not found in contemporary records, with the exception of a solitary mention in the travelling accounts of Bishop Wolfger of Erla of the Passau diocese: " Walthero cantori de Vogelweide pro pellicio v solidos longos " ('To Walther the singer of the Vogelweide five shillings for a fur coat.') The main sources of information about him are his own poems and occasional references by contemporary Minnesingers . He
2730-700: Is presented in the Alexanderlied of Pfaffe Lamprecht ( c. 1150 ) and the Rolandslied of Pfaffe Konrad,( c. 1170 ), both of which concentrate on the legendary feats of these two heroes. These are two of the earliest German narratives to derive from French rather than Latin sources. The 13th century was the golden age of German verse chronicles, starting with the Gandersheimer Reimchronik (1216). Rudolf von Ems 's Weltchronik (unfinished at his death in 1254)
2835-465: Is regarded as a contrafactum of Guiot de Provins 's "Ma joie premeraine". By around 1190, the German poets began to break free of Franco-Provençal influence. This period is regarded as the period of Classical Minnesang with Albrecht von Johansdorf , Heinrich von Morungen , Reinmar von Hagenau developing new themes and forms, reaching its culmination in Walther von der Vogelweide , regarded both in
2940-446: Is regarded as one of the most outstanding and innovative authors of his generation... His poetic oeuvre is the most varied of his time,... and his poetry treats a number of subjects, adopting frequently contradictory positions. In his work he freed Minnesang from the traditional patterns of motifs and restricting social function and transformed it into genuinely experienced and yet universally valid love-poetry. Will Hasty's evaluation of
3045-478: Is that of Walther von der Vogelweide ( c. 1170 – c. 1230 ), a "massive corpus of great diversity", which introduces an insistence on reciprocity of feeling. Another innovator, again with a substantial œuvre, is Neidhart (d. c. 1240 ), whose songs introduce the peasant girl as the object of the knight's attentions, and for which, exceptionally, a large number of melodies survive. The prolific later Minnesang, from c. 1230 ,
3150-419: Is the key And you must ever be therein! The standard collections are 12th and early 13th century (up to Reinmar von Hagenau): 13th century (after Walther von der Vogelweide): 14th and 15th centuries There are many published selections with Modern German translation, such as Individual Minnesänger The two Minnesänger with the largest repertoires, Walther and Neidhart, are not represented in
3255-622: The Ezzolied and Annolied , were still the product of clerical authors with a biblical subject, but now directed towards a lay audience at the noble courts, rather than the clerical audience of the Old High German compositions. By the middle of the 12th century, though, more secular works such as the Kaiserchronik ("The Imperial Chronicle") and the Alexanderlied introduced more worldly subject matter, though still within
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3360-562: The High German area. The largest single collection is found in the Codex Manesse , which includes around 90% of his known songs. However, most Minnesang manuscripts preserve only the texts, and only a handful of Walther's melodies survive. Notable songs include the love-song " Under der linden ", the contemplative " Elegy ", and the religious Palästinalied , for which the melody has survived. For all his fame, Walther's name
3465-659: The Holy Roman Empire . He is particularly associated with the Babenberg court in Vienna . Later in life he was given a small fief by the future Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II . His work was widely celebrated in his time and in succeeding generations—for the Meistersingers he was a songwriter to emulate—and this is reflected in the exceptional preservation of his work in 32 manuscripts from all parts of
3570-670: The Minnesänger were writing and performing for their own social class at court, and should be thought of as courtiers rather than professional hired musicians. Friedrich von Hausen , for example, was part of the entourage of Friedrich Barbarossa , and died on crusade . As a reward for his service, Walther von der Vogelweide was given a fief by the Emperor Frederick II . Several of the best-known Minnesänger are also noted for their epic poetry, among them Heinrich von Veldeke , Wolfram von Eschenbach and Hartmann von Aue . The earliest texts date from perhaps 1150, and
3675-628: The Walhalla memorial near Regensburg ; Lajen , South Tyrol , Zwettl , Gmunden and the ruined Mödling Castle , all in Austria. There are schools named after him in Bozen, Aschbach-Markt and Würzburg. There have been more scholarly editions of Walther's works than of any other medieval German poet's, a reflection of both his importance to literary history and the complex manuscript tradition. The following highly selective list includes only
3780-419: The canzone , at its most basic a seven-line strophe with the rhyme scheme AB AB CXC, and an AAB musical structure (denoting the repetition of large segments), but capable of many variations. A number of songs from this period match trouvère originals exactly in form, indicating that the German text could have been sung to an originally French tune. For example, Friedrich von Hausen 's "Ich denke underwilen"
3885-494: The 13th century, the wealthiest urban patriciate had the means to sponsor literary work. Patrons are not mentioned in love lyrics, but several are named in narrative works and Spruchdichtung . Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia , for example, sponsored Wolfram von Eschenbach's Willehalm , Herbort von Fritzlar 's Liet von Troje , and the completion of Heinrich von Veldeke's Eneas . In several of his works Konrad von Würzburg refers to patrons, and these include "members of
3990-739: The 14th-century Münster Fragment (MS Z) under Walther's name, melodies of the Meistersinger attributed to Walther, and, more speculatively, French and Provençal melodies of the trouvères and troubadours which fit Walther's songs and might therefore be the source of contrafactures . The latter are the only potential melodies to Walther's love songs, the remainder being for religious and political songs. There are further melodies in two early manuscripts, M (the Carmina Burana ) and N ( Kremsmünster Stiftsbibliothek , Codex 127) but they are recorded in staffless neumes and cannot be reliably interpreted. The ascription of other melodies to Walther in
4095-543: The 15th century, Minnesang developed into and gave way to the tradition of the Meistersänger . The two traditions are quite different, however; Minnesänger were mainly aristocrats, while Meistersänger usually were commoners. At least two operas have been written about the Minnesang tradition: Richard Wagner 's Tannhäuser and Richard Strauss ' Guntram . The following love poem, of unknown authorship,
4200-648: The Dietrich epics, the combined epics Ortnit and Wolfdietrich (both c. 1230) have unclear connections to the Migration Period and may be inventions of the thirteenth century, although Merovingian origins are also suggested for Wolfdietrich . Almost all of the texts originate in the Bavarian -speaking areas of Bavaria and Austria, with several texts about Dietrich von Bern having origins in Tirol ;
4305-500: The French and Provençal tradition of courtly love song. The same sixty years saw the composition of the most important courtly romances. again drawing on French models such as Chrétien de Troyes , many of them relating Arthurian material. The third literary movement of these years was a new revamping of the heroic tradition, in which the ancient Germanic oral tradition can still be discerned, but tamed and Christianized and adapted for
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4410-556: The Godhead ) and Margareta Ebner . Religious narrative Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide ( Modern German pronunciation: [ˈvaltɐ fɔn deːɐ̯ ˈfoːɡl̩vaɪdə] ; c. 1170 – c. 1230 ) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs ( Sprüche ) in Middle High German . Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe ; his hundred or so love-songs are widely regarded as
4515-536: The MHG period, is a strophic work of salvation history from the Creation to the Crucifixion. The other poems from the first century of this period are likewise designed to present biblical material to a lay audience, and range from "biblical ballads" — short poems on individual biblical episodes — to longer retellings of complete Old Testament books. Many of these are collected in manuscript compilations, of which
4620-781: The Meistersang manuscripts (the Goldene Weise , the Kreuzton , and the Langer Ton ) is regarded as erroneous. The following songs by Walther share a strophic form with a French or Provençal song, and Walther's texts may therefore have been written for the Romance melodies, though there can be no certainty of the contrafacture: There is evidence that the surviving volume of the Jenaer Liederhandschrift
4725-477: The Middle Ages and in the present day as the greatest of the Minnesänger . The later Minnesang , from around 1230, is marked by a partial turning away from the refined ethos of classical Minnesang and by increasingly elaborate formal developments. The most notable of these later Minnesänger , Neidhart von Reuental introduces characters from lower social classes and often aims for humorous effects. Only
4830-639: The Nightingale of Vogelweide! How she carols over the heath in her high clear voice! What marvels she performs! How deftly she sings in organon ! How she varies her singing from one compass to another (in that mode, I mean, which has come down to us from Cythaeron , on whose slopes and in whose caves the Goddess of Love holds sway)! She is Mistress of the Chamber there at court Grove Music Online evaluates Walther's work as follows: He
4935-467: The Waldviertel. Additionally in 1987, Walter Klomfar and the librarian Charlotte Ziegler came to the conclusion that Walther might have been born in the Waldviertel. The starting point for their study is also the above-mentioned words of Walther. These were placed into doubt by research, but strictly speaking do not mention his birthplace. Klomfar points to a historical map which was drawn by monks of
5040-489: The Zwettl monastery in the 17th century, on the occasion of a legal dispute. This map shows a village Walthers and a field marked " Vogelwaidt " (near Allentsteig ) and a related house belonging to the village. The village became deserted, but a well marked on the map could be excavated and reconstructed to prove the accuracy of the map. Klomfar was also able to partly reconstruct land ownership in this region and prove
5145-599: The constraints of the taste of audiences and patrons and by the authority of literary conventions. Walther is one of the traditional competitors in the tale of the song contest at the Wartburg . He appears in medieval accounts and continues to be mentioned in more modern versions of the story such as that in Richard Wagner 's Tannhäuser . He is also named by Walther von Stolzing, the hero of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg , as his poetic model. Walter
5250-412: The content of Walther's work, especially of his crusade appeal, also known as "old age elegy", and concluded that Walther's birthplace was far away from all travelling routes of this time and within a region where land was still cleared. This is because the singer pours out his sorrows " Bereitet ist daz velt, verhouwen ist der walt " and suggests he no longer knows his people and land, applicable to
5355-408: The costs of decoration and illumination found in the most elaborate manuscripts. For new work: Patrons obtained sources from which the poets worked, they granted the poets time and freedom from other responsibilities to enable them to compose, and they made available the resources to have the poets’ work preserved in writing. This meant that only the church, the aristocracy, or, by the second half of
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#17327656469175460-598: The court. The vernacular literature of the Old High German period, written in abbeys and monasteries, had been encouraged by the Carolingian dynasty in order to support the work of the church in recently Christianized lands. This eventually lost its urgency under the subsequent Ottonian and Salian emperors, and official promotion of the written vernacular lapsed. The result was a period of around 150 years, c. 900 – c. 1050 , when there
5565-515: The crusade of 1228, and may have accompanied the crusading army at least as far as his native Tirol. In a poem he pictures in words the changes that had taken place in the scenes of his childhood, changes which made his life there seem to have been only a dream. Von der Vogelweide died about 1230, and was buried at Würzburg, after leaving instructions — according to the story — that the birds were to be fed at his tomb daily. His original gravestone with its Latin inscription has disappeared, but in 1843
5670-515: The earliest named Minnesänger are Der von Kürenberg and Dietmar von Aist , clearly writing in a native German tradition in the third quarter of the 12th century. This is referred to as the Danubian tradition. From around 1170, German lyric poets came under the influence of the Provençal troubadours and the French trouvères . This is most obvious in the adoption of the strophic form of
5775-510: The empire finally received recognition: a small fief in Franconia was bestowed upon him, which—though he complained that its value was little—gave him the home and the fixed position he had so long desired. That Frederick gave him a further sign of favour by making him the tutor of his son Henry (VII), King of the Romans , is more than doubtful. The fact, in itself highly improbable, rests upon
5880-523: The end of his days opposed to the extreme claims of the popes, whom he attacks with a bitterness which can be justified only by the strength of his patriotic feelings. His political poems begin with an appeal to Germany, written in 1198 at Vienna, against the disruptive ambitions of the princes: "Crown Philip with the Kaiser's crown And bid them vex thy peace no more." He was present in 1198 at Philip 's coronation at Mainz , and supported him till his victory
5985-464: The evidence of only a single poem, the meaning of which can also be interpreted otherwise. Walther's restless spirit did not suffer him to remain long on his new property. In 1217 he was once more in Vienna, and again in 1219 after the return of Duke Leopold VI from the crusade . About 1224 he seems to have settled on his fief near Würzburg . He was active in urging the German princes to take part in
6090-630: The existence of the (not rare) Christian name Walther . Contrary to this theory, Franz Pfeiffer assumed that the singer was born in the Wipptal in South Tyrol , where, not far from the small town of Sterzing on the Eisack, a wood—called the Vorder- and Hintervogelweide —exists. This would, however, contradict the fact that Walther was not able to visit his homeland for many decades. At this time Tyrol
6195-531: The hero Dietrich von Bern, forming a literary cycle comparable to that around King Arthur (the Matter of Britain ) or Charlemagne (the Matter of France ). These texts are typically divided into "historical" and "fantastical" epics, depending on whether they concern Dietrich's battles with Ermenrich ( Ermanaric ) and exile at the court of Etzel ( Attila ) or his battles with mostly supernatural opponents such as dwarfs , dragons , and giants . Closely connected to
6300-641: The heroine Hildr serves as the prologue to the - likely invented - story of her daughter, Kudrun. The anonymous authorship of the Middle High Germans heroic poems forms an important distinction from other poetic genres, such as romance, but is shared with some other genres, such as Spielmannsdichtung . From the 13th to 16th centuries, many heroic traditions enter writing in Germany and enjoy great popularity. From 1230 onward, several heroic epics, of which 14 are known to us, were written concerning
6405-425: The high nobility and poets who traveled with their masters used the unambiguous name of their ownership or their place of origin; therefore, the name was meaningful only in the near vicinity, where only one Vogelweide existed or it was understood as a metaphoric surname of the singer. Pen-names were usual for poets of the 12th and 13th century, whereas Minnesingers in principle were known by their noble family name which
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#17327656469176510-474: The higher nobility – the 14th-century Codex Manesse includes songs by dukes, counts, kings, and the Emperor Henry VI . Some Minnesänger , as indicated by the title Meister (master), were clearly educated commoners, such as Meister Konrad von Würzburg . It is thought that many were ministeriales , that is, members of a class of lower nobility, vassals of the great lords. Broadly speaking,
6615-497: The influence of the Provençal troubadours and the French trouvères , with effects on both form and subject matter. By 1200 the Minnesänger had absorbed the Romance influences and started to rework forms and themes independently, leading to a period of "classical Minnesang" represented by the songs of Albrecht von Johansdorf (fl. c. 1200 ), Heinrich von Morungen (d. c. 1200 ), and Reinmar von Hagenau (d. c. 1208 ). The largest surviving œuvre
6720-546: The knight's lady has a more active role in inspiring the knight to prove himself and his love is always rewarded. Only the adulterous relationship at the centre of Tristan challenges this pattern. After the classical period, further developments saw an expansion in the range of themes to encompass other legendary material and stories of lovers' separation by poets such as Konrad von Würzburg and Rudolf von Ems Some of these works were very widely read — there are more than eighty manuscripts of Parzival , for example — but by
6825-413: The knight's point of view. The knight's love is unreciprocated and his service is its own reward ( hohe minne , literally "high love"). However, there are many Minnesang sub-genres, some of which depict a reciprocated or even consummated relationship, often with a female perspective. The earliest songs (from c. 1160 ) drew on native German tradition, but from around 1180, Minnesang came under
6930-484: The lack of documentary evidence, it will probably never be known exactly. There is little chance of deriving it from his name; in his day there were many so-called Vogelweiden in the vicinity of castles and towns, where hawks were caught for hawking or songbirds for people's homes. For this reason, it must be assumed that the singer did not obtain his name primarily for superregional communication, because it could not be used for an unambiguous assignment. Other persons of
7035-505: The legendary figure of Dietrich von Bern . In the later MHG period from about 1230 (sometimes termed "post-Classical"), poets built on the achievements of the Blütezeit and expanded the scope of German literature in form and subject matter. New genres included a new style of short tale (German Märe ). Neidhart broadened the scope of the love-lyric with peasant characters and a satirical tone, while political uncertainty prompted
7140-564: The life of Archbishop Anno II of Cologne . The Kaiserchronik (completed after 1146, and also in the Vorau manuscript) is the first historiographic work in any European vernacular. In a purely chronological narrative it tells the story of selected Roman emperors and their Frankish successors, but judges each emperor according to Christian standards, and includes material from the Annolied . A more secular approach to historical figures
7245-471: The love songs is that: Walther's main contribution to the German love lyric was to increase the range of roles that could be adopted by the singer and his beloved, and to lend the depiction of the experience of love new immediacy and vibrancy. Of the political works, Hasty concludes that: In Walther's political and didactic poetry we again observe a consummately versatile poetic voice, one which finds new ways to give artistic expression to experience despite
7350-600: The main Minnesang manuscripts: Manuscripts B and C have miniatures showing Walther in the pose described in the Reichston (L 8,4 C 2), " Ich saz ûf einem steine " ("I sat upon a stone"). In addition to these, there are many manuscripts with smaller amounts of material, sometimes as little as a single strophe. In the surviving complete manuscripts, there are often missing pages in the sections devoted to Walther, which indicates lost material, as well blank space left by
7455-519: The mid 14th century, though the most popular works continued to be copied, no new romances were being written. Heroic poetry begins to be composed in writing in Germany with the Nibelungenlied (c. 1200), which updated the heroic legends about with elements of the popular literary genre of its time, German courtly romance . The epics written after the Nibelungenlied maintain this hybrid nature. For this reason Middle High German heroic poetry
7560-406: The middle of the 11th century and the middle of the 14th. In the second half of the 12th century, there was a sudden intensification of activity, leading to a 60-year "golden age" of medieval German literature referred to as the mittelhochdeutsche Blütezeit ( c. 1170 – c. 1230 ). This was the period of the blossoming of Minnesang , MHG lyric poetry, initially influenced by
7665-475: The most charming and spontaneous of his love-lyrics, came to an end with the death of Duke Frederick in 1198. Henceforward Walther was a wanderer from court to court, singing for his lodging and his bread, and ever hoping that some patron would arise to save him from this "juggler's life" ( gougel-fuore ) and the shame of ever playing the guest. He had few if any possessions and depended on others for his food and lodging, as knights bachelor [those not members of
7770-470: The most notable is the Vorau manuscript, with a dozen Biblical pieces. This includes poems by Ava , the earliest known female poet writing in German. The earliest historical poems are closely related to the biblical verse, as they view events from a Christian perspective. The Annolied ("Song of Anno") ( c. 1077 ) combines salvation history, world history from the Babylonians onwards, and
7875-426: The nobility, high-ranking cathedral clergy, and wealthy citizens who played important roles in the political and administrative life of the cities." In the main, MHG literature was written for oral delivery and public performance. First, literacy at the noble courts was limited: while the noble ladies will have had some education as will younger sons intended for the church, most knights were unable to read. Second,
7980-427: The performance and copying of existing works. This new, largely secular literature introduced "new ways of thinking, feeling, imagining", seen in the courtly concerns with romantic love, the challenges and obligations of knighthood , and a striving for personal honour. Religious concerns were not lost, but the issue was now how to reconcile worldly and divine obligations. From around 1170 Old French romances and
8085-411: The pinnacle of Minnesang , the medieval German love lyric, and his innovations breathed new life into the tradition of courtly love . He was also the first political poet to write in German, with a considerable body of encomium , satire , invective , and moralising. Little is known about Walther's life. He was a travelling singer who performed for patrons at various princely courts in the states of
8190-411: The poets themselves, even if illiterate like Ulrich von Liechtenstein , kept written copies of their own works, which may have been copied for readers. In any case, the song collections of the 14th century, particularly the massive and expensively illustrated Manesse Codex , are unlikely to have been intended solely, if at all, for performers. The Ezzolied (before 1064), the first literary work of
8295-419: The provision of public performance served to enhance the prestige of the patron. Nonetheless, there is extensive evidence for private reading of narrative works — for example, in manuscripts the presence of textual patterning such as acrostics , which would not be apparent to listeners. The conclusion is that MHG narrative verse was intended both for readers and listeners, and Dennis Green identifies this as
8400-469: The ranks of the unfree nobles ( ministeriales ). Much lower on the social scale were the Spruchdichter with their didactic and political songs — wandering minstrels who had limited legal rights. MHG literature is preserved in parchment and, towards the end of the period, paper manuscripts , However, there are no MHG literary manuscripts which show the hand of the original author — in fact, it
8505-430: The religious sphere. Minnesang is the MHG love song genre. The lyrics are preserved mainly in 14th century manuscript song collections, such as the illuminated Codex Manesse ( c. 1300 ), which has songs by 138 named Minnesänger. Few melodies survive, however, particularly from the first 70 years of Minnesang. The central theme is the love of a knight for a noble and idealised lady, expressed mostly from
8610-418: The religious world-view. In the same period, the love lyrics of the Danubian poets mark the start of the Minnesang tradition. Under Frederick Barbarossa (ruled 1155–1190), political stability and increasing wealth encouraged the nobility to "assert its identity in activities that enhanced its visibility and prestige", among which were the patronage of vernacular literature, sponsoring new compositions, and
8715-484: The romances of Chrétien de Troyes : Hartmann's Erec (the first Arthurian romance in German) and Iwein , Wolfram's Parzival , and Gottfried's Tristan . The central concern of these Arthurian romances is a knight's pursuit of aventiure (literally "adventure") — encounters which allow him to prove his valour and moral worth — and minne ("love"). In contrast to the heroic epic and Minnesang , however,
8820-570: The scribes to make allowance for later additions. With the exception of MS M (the Carmina Burana ), which may even have been compiled in Walther's lifetime, all the sources date from at least two generations after his death, and most are from the 14th or 15th centuries. As with most Minnesänger of his era, few of Walther's melodies have survived. Certain or potential melodies to Walther's songs come from three sources: those documented in
8925-604: The seminal 19th Century edition of Lachmann and the most important recent editions. A history of the main editions will be found in the introduction to the Lachmann/Cormeau/Bein edition . Consistent reference to Walther's songs is made by means of "Lachmann numbers", which are formed of an "L" (for "Lachmann") followed by the page and line number in Lachmann's edition of 1827. Thus " Under der linden ", which starts on line 11 on page 39 of that edition (shown in
9030-423: The songs of the Minnesänger , most notable among them Walther von der Vogelweide . Also among these classics is the heroic epic the Nibelungenlied , which drew for form and subject matter on Germanic oral tradition rather than Romance models. Other types of narrative with connections to oral tradition in the broader MHG period are the earlier Spielmannsepen ("minstrel epics") and the later epics surrounding
9135-513: The songs of the Provençal troubadours and French trouvères inspired MHG adaptations, which even from the start showed great independence from their sources. The following decades were a "golden age" (German Blütezeit ), a sixty-year period which saw the creation of works recognized by both contemporaries and later generations as classics: the courtly romances of Hartmann von Aue , Gottfried von Strassburg and Wolfram von Eschenbach , and
9240-418: The standard collections, but have editions devoted solely to their works, such as: For these and some other major Minnesänger (e.g. Morungen, Reinmar, Oswald von Wolkenstein) there are editions with parallel Modern German translation. Introductory works for an English-speaking readership Middle High German literature Middle High German literature refers to literature written in German between
9345-654: The state of society, or political matters." Many of the melodies have been preserved, notably in the Jena Manuscript , which has notation for over 90 didactic songs. Meistersang is the later development of the genre. While prose romances started to appear in France during the 13th century, German romance remained in verse. An exception is the Prosa-Lancelot c. 1250 , a cycle of three romances translated fairly faithfully (rather than adapted as
9450-530: The still-existing farmhouse Weid is indeed the mentioned Vogelweidhof and collected arguments for Walther being born in the Waldviertel ("Forest Quarter"). He published this in his 1974 book 800 Jahre Traunstein (800 years Traunstein) , pointing out that Walther says " Ze ôsterriche lernt ich singen unde sagen " ("In Austria [at this time only Lower Austria and Vienna ], I learned to sing and to speak"). A tradition says that Walther, one of
9555-426: The ten Old Masters , was a Landherr (land owner) from Bohemia , which does not contradict his possible origin in the Waldviertel, because in mediaeval times the Waldviertel was from time to time denoted as versus Boemiam . Powerful support for this theory was given in 1977 and 1981 by Bernd Thum (University Karlsruhe, Germany), which makes an origin in the Waldviertel very plausible. Thum began with an analysis of
9660-437: The thirteen different strophic forms found in heroic verse. And while there is no evidence that the rhyming couplets of the courtly romance were sung, they were probably delivered in a recitative style. As song genres, Minnesang and Spruchdichtung were necessarily designed for performance before an audience, and this is particularly clear from the references to dance. But even the lyric genres may have had readers. Certainly,
9765-410: The time and are recognized as classics. All were based on Old French sources, though heavily adapted and re-interpreted. The earliest German romance is Heinrich von Veldeke 's Eneas , based on the anonymous Roman d'Enéas , itself an adaptation of Virgil 's Aeneid , but the main subject matter was the Matter of Britain , tales centered around the court of King Arthur . These drew mainly on
9870-519: The verse romances were) from the Old French Lancelot en prose . Middle High German mysticism , often called " Rhineland mysticism," is a key prose genre. Three fourteenth-century Dominican authors are particularly important: Meister Eckhart , Henry Suso (also known as Heinrich Seuse), and Johannes Tauler . Female religious writers also made significant contributions, particularly Mechthild von Magdeburg ( The Flowing Light of
9975-432: The whole army. However, even a poet as famous as Walther von der Vogelweide is mentioned in only a single official document, and we know little about the narrative poets apart from what they say about themselves in their works and remarks by later writers. Given the time it would take to write such works, the epic poets would necessarily have been dependent on long-term patronage, and the many incomplete works may indicate
10080-420: Was a knight, but probably not a wealthy or landed one. His surname, von der Vogelweide, suggests that he had no grant of land, since die Vogelweide ('the bird-pasture') seems to refer to a general geographic feature, not a specific place. He probably was knighted for military bravery and was a retainer in a wealthy, noble household before beginning his travels. Walther's birthplace remains unknown, and given
10185-501: Was able to evaluate Walther's achievements as composer and performer, and who, writing in the first decade of the 13th century, proposed him as the "leader" of the Minnesänger after the death of Reinmar . diu von der vogelweide. hi wie diu ueber heide mit hoher stimme schellet! waz wunders si stellet! wie spaehes organieret! wies ir sanc wandelieret (ich meine aber in dem done da her von zytherone, da diu gotinne minne gebiutet uf und inne)! diust da ze hove kameraerin:
10290-512: Was almost no new writing in German. By the middle of the 11th century, there was an increasing preference for German over Latin in writing in the courts, and Henry the Lion was just the first of the princes, in 1144, to establish his own court chancery . At the same time there was a growing audience among the nobility for literature in the vernacular (as was already happening in France and England). The earliest works of this period, such as
10395-476: Was assured. After Philip's murder in 1208, he "said and sang" in support of Otto of Brunswick against the papal candidate Frederick of Hohenstaufen ; and only when Otto's usefulness to Germany had been shattered by the Battle of Bouvines (1214) did he turn to the rising star of Frederick, now the sole representative of German majesty against pope and princes. From the new emperor, Walther's genius and zeal for
10500-627: Was immensely popular, surviving in over 80 manuscripts. The Christherre-Chronik (likewise unfinished) and the Weltchronik of Jans der Enikel also enjoyed a broad readership. These three works were all vast narrative texts with expansive illustration programmes, in the 14th century they were combined and further expanded by the scribes of the Heinrich von München workshop. Later chronicles are generally in prose. The so-called "Minstrel epics" ( Spielmannsepik , Spielmannsdichtung ) —
10605-415: Was originally accompanied by another with melodies for Walther's Leich and some Sprüche . Further manuscript fragments containing melodies in the possession of Bernhard Joseph Docen (hence the "Docen fragments") were inspected by von der Hagen early in the 19th century, but are now lost. A contemporary assessment of Walther's songs comes from Gottfried von Strassburg , who, unlike modern commentators,
10710-850: Was restored to its original location in 1981. There are two statues of Walther in fountains in Würzburg , one near the Würzburg Residence and another in the Walther-Schule. There are also statues in: Weißensee ( Thuringia ); Sankt Veit an der Glan and Innsbruck in Austria; and Duchcov in the Czech Republic . Apart from his grave in Würzburg, there are also memorials in: the Knüll-Storkenberg nature reserve, Halle (Westfalia) ; Herlheim (Franconia) ;
10815-453: Was the home of several well-known Minnesingers . The court of Vienna , under Duke Frederick I of the house of Babenberg , had become a centre of poetry and art. Here it was that the young poet learned his craft under the renowned master Reinmar von Hagenau , whose death he afterwards lamented in two of his most beautiful lyrics; and in the open-handed duke, he found his first patron. This happy period of his life, during which he produced
10920-647: Was used to sign documents. In 1974, Helmut Hörner identified a farmhouse mentioned in 1556 as " Vogelweidhof " in the urbarium of the domain Rappottenstein . At this time it belonged to the Amt Traunstein , now within the municipality Schönbach in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel. Its existence had already been mentioned without comment in 1911 by Alois Plesser, who also did not know its precise location. Hörner proved that
11025-683: Was written by a scribe (or several) in the scriptorium of a monastery or the chancery of a noble court, and might be several generations from any "original". Most manuscripts are, in fact, of significantly later date than the work they record. An extreme case is the Ambraser Heldenbuch , compiled 1504–1516, which includes texts of Hartmann von Aue 's Erec and the Nibelungenlied , composed in c. 1185 and c. 1200 , respectively. However, many manuscripts (perhaps 75%) survive only in fragments and an unknown number of works have been completely lost. Even literary fame
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