German Literature

Der Jungerer Titurel is inspired by the fragments of Wolfram's Titurel. It tells the story ofthe entire life of Sigune and Schionatulander, two characters from Wolfram's Parsival.

Gottfried von Strassburg. Tristan. ed. Reinhold Bechstein, re-ed. Peter Ganz. W iesbaden: Brockhaus, 1978.

---. Tristan ... with the Surviving Fragments of Tristan of Thomas. trans. A.T. Hatto. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974.

The Tristan-Isolde-Mark love triangle story, with some strong overtones of t he Celticoriginal.

Hartman von Aue. Erec. ed. by Albert Leitzman; 5th ed. Ludwig Wolff. Tubingen: Niemeyer, 1972.

---. Erec. trans. J.W. Thomas. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1982.

This is a loose adaption of the French Erec et Enide. The story revolves around the theme oflove and duty.

---. Iwein: Eine Erzahlung. eds. G.F. Benecke and Karl Lachmann; 7th ed. Ludwig Wolff. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1968.

---. Iwein. ed. and trans. Patrick M. McConeghy. New York: Garland, 1984.

This is a much more faithful adaption of Chretien de Troyes's French romance Yvain. Itprovides a ra ther optimistic vision of Arthur's court, retaining little of the romantic pessimismthat seems prevalent in the French.

Konrad von Soffeln. Gauriel von Muntabel. ed. Ferdinand Khull. Graz: Leuschner and Lubensky, 1885.

Gauriel has been abandoned by his otherworldly wife, and during his quest to find her heencounters Arthur's Court. After many deeds he is accepted as a Knight of the Round Tableand his wife returns.

Ulrich von Zatzikhoven. Lanzeltet : Eine Erzahlung. ed. K.A. Hahn. Frankfurt: Bronner, 1845.

---. Lanzelet: A Romance of Lancelot. trans. Kenneth G.T. Webster. New York: Columbia University Press, 1951.

A verse composition that follows the French versions of the Lancelot story quite closely. Thisversion, however, does not even hint at the adultery that is so central to the French tales.

57. Wirnt von Graffenberg. Wigalois, the Knight of Fortune's Wheel. tra ns. J.W. Thomas. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press: 1977.

Probably one of the most popular German Arthurian tales, this poem is the tale of Gawain'smysterious son who takes the Siege Perilous and then distinguishes himself on knightl yadventure. Unlike a lot of Arthurian knights, Wigalois does not have any flaws for which toatone, which may account for the poem's popularity.

Wolfram von Eschenbach. Wolfram von Eschenbach (edition of Parsival) . ed. KarlLachmann. Berlin, 1833; 6th ed. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1926, 1965.

---. Parsival. trans. A.T. Hatto. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980.

Perhaps the greatest of the medieval German writers, Wolfram adapted Chretien' s Perceval,but in doing so recreated the Perceval story. His concept of the Grail differed significantlyfrom any that had gone before, setting a stamp on the Grail legend that is still evident today. His story inspired Richard Wagner's Arthurian opera, Parsival.

© 1996 John J. Doherty

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