Der Pleier
Encyclopedia
Der Pleier is the pen name of a Middle High German
poet active between 1240 and 1270 whose real name is unknown. He is the author of three long romances all on Arthurian subjects, the most famous of which is Garel von dem blühenden Tal
(Garel of the Flowering Valley), but little else is known of him. He was an important figure in the revival of Arthurian literature in Germany in the mid-13th century, after decades of declining interest in the subject.
, and may refer to his tendency to break down old material and reforge it, much as a glassblower melts down old material to shape it into something new. Textual evidence in his work implies he may have been from Austria
, perhaps the area around Salzburg
. He had a broad knowledge of German Arthurian literature, and most of his work takes plots, scenes, and especially characters from older romances.
, consisting of 21,310 lines in short rhyming couplets. The story follows King Arthur
's young knight Garel on his adventures through the territory Ekunaver of Kanadic, who has declared war on Arthur. Garel defeats hostile knights and rescues friendly ones, and amasses a vast army as he moves. He frees Queen Laudamie of Anferre from the evil Vulganus and marries her, and uses his army to conquer Ekunaver before Arthur even arrives. A truce is settled, and the romance concludes with a festival celebrating the reconciliation. The poem was written as a reaction to a previous work, Daniel von dem blühenden Tal by Der Stricker. Apparently disliking the brutality of the warrior ideal exemplified by Der Stricker's tale and antagonist, Der Pleier specifically designed his hero as a virtuous, chivalrous knight appealing to the courtly ethos of the time.
Tandareis und Flordibel, which consists of 18,339 short lines chiefly in rhymed couplets, tells the story of the love between the young Tandareis and the foreign princess Flordibel, which stands in defiance of Arthur's wishes. When Arthur discovers their illicit love, he attacks them until Gawain
establishes a truce which ends the fighting and sends Tandareis on a quest to prove himself as a real knight. Meleranz, consisting of 12,834 lines in short rhyming couplets, concerns the adventures of the titular squire as he attempts to find his way back to his lady love, Tydomie of Kameric.
Der Pleier adapted much of his material from older poems, but there is no corroborating evidence for his claims of direct French
sources. His romances borrow from the older German Arthurian authors Wolfram von Eschenbach
, Gottfried von Strassburg
, and Hartmann von Aue
, as well as lesser-known ones such as Der Stricker and Wirnt von Grafenburg. Most of his characters appear in earlier works, especially the genealogies in Wolfram von Eshenbach's Parzival
and Titurel
, which he greatly expands and adapts. Der Pleier's stories appealed to audiences familiar with the older works, and revived flagging interest in the Arthurian legend in German literature in his time. Their popularity is attested by the murals in Runkelstein Castle, created around 1400, which depict scenes from Garel.
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
poet active between 1240 and 1270 whose real name is unknown. He is the author of three long romances all on Arthurian subjects, the most famous of which is Garel von dem blühenden Tal
Garel
Garel von dem blühenden Tal is a medieval Arthurian romance composed by Der Pleier around 1230-40. It appears to have been written in contradiction to Der Stricker's Daniel von Blumenthal. It consists of 21,310 lines in rhyming couplets; the beginning is missing.After a journey, King Arthur...
(Garel of the Flowering Valley), but little else is known of him. He was an important figure in the revival of Arthurian literature in Germany in the mid-13th century, after decades of declining interest in the subject.
Name and biography
The meaning of Der Pleier's pseudonym is unknown, though it may mean "The Blower," as in glassblowerGlassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
, and may refer to his tendency to break down old material and reforge it, much as a glassblower melts down old material to shape it into something new. Textual evidence in his work implies he may have been from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, perhaps the area around Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. He had a broad knowledge of German Arthurian literature, and most of his work takes plots, scenes, and especially characters from older romances.
Works
Der Pleier is best known for his longest work, Garel von dem blühenden TalGarel
Garel von dem blühenden Tal is a medieval Arthurian romance composed by Der Pleier around 1230-40. It appears to have been written in contradiction to Der Stricker's Daniel von Blumenthal. It consists of 21,310 lines in rhyming couplets; the beginning is missing.After a journey, King Arthur...
, consisting of 21,310 lines in short rhyming couplets. The story follows King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's young knight Garel on his adventures through the territory Ekunaver of Kanadic, who has declared war on Arthur. Garel defeats hostile knights and rescues friendly ones, and amasses a vast army as he moves. He frees Queen Laudamie of Anferre from the evil Vulganus and marries her, and uses his army to conquer Ekunaver before Arthur even arrives. A truce is settled, and the romance concludes with a festival celebrating the reconciliation. The poem was written as a reaction to a previous work, Daniel von dem blühenden Tal by Der Stricker. Apparently disliking the brutality of the warrior ideal exemplified by Der Stricker's tale and antagonist, Der Pleier specifically designed his hero as a virtuous, chivalrous knight appealing to the courtly ethos of the time.
Tandareis und Flordibel, which consists of 18,339 short lines chiefly in rhymed couplets, tells the story of the love between the young Tandareis and the foreign princess Flordibel, which stands in defiance of Arthur's wishes. When Arthur discovers their illicit love, he attacks them until Gawain
Gawain
Gawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...
establishes a truce which ends the fighting and sends Tandareis on a quest to prove himself as a real knight. Meleranz, consisting of 12,834 lines in short rhyming couplets, concerns the adventures of the titular squire as he attempts to find his way back to his lady love, Tydomie of Kameric.
Der Pleier adapted much of his material from older poems, but there is no corroborating evidence for his claims of direct French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sources. His romances borrow from the older German Arthurian authors Wolfram von Eschenbach
Wolfram von Eschenbach
Wolfram von Eschenbach was a German knight and poet, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of his time. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry.-Life:...
, Gottfried von Strassburg
Gottfried von Strassburg
Gottfried von Strassburg is the author of the Middle High German courtly romance Tristan and Isolt, an adaptation of the 12th-century Tristan and Iseult legend. Gottfried's work is regarded, alongside Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival and the Nibelungenlied, as one of the great narrative...
, and Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue was a Middle High German poet. He introduced the courtly romance into German literature and, with Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Strassburg, was one of the three great epic poets of Middle High German literature...
, as well as lesser-known ones such as Der Stricker and Wirnt von Grafenburg. Most of his characters appear in earlier works, especially the genealogies in Wolfram von Eshenbach's Parzival
Parzival
Parzival is a major medieval German romance by the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, in the Middle High German language. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, is itself largely based on Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval, the Story of the Grail and mainly centers on the Arthurian...
and Titurel
Titurel
Titurel is a fragmentary Middle High German romance written by Wolfram von Eschenbach after 1217. The fragments which survive indicate that the story would have served as a prequel to Wolfram's earlier work, Parzival, expanding on the stories of characters from that work and on the theme of the...
, which he greatly expands and adapts. Der Pleier's stories appealed to audiences familiar with the older works, and revived flagging interest in the Arthurian legend in German literature in his time. Their popularity is attested by the murals in Runkelstein Castle, created around 1400, which depict scenes from Garel.