Medieval German literature refers to
literatureLiterature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" , and therefore the academic study of literature is known as Letters...
written in Germany, stretching from the Carolingian dynasty; various dates have been given for the end of the German literary Middle Ages, the
ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
(1517) being the last possible cut-off point.
The Old High German period is reckoned to run until about the mid-11th century, though the boundary to Early Middle High German (second half of the 11th century) is not clear-cut.
The most famous work in OHG is the
Hildebrandslied, a short piece of Germanic alliterative heroic verse which besides the
MuspilliMuspilli is one of but two surviving pieces of Old High German epic poetry , dating to around 870. One large fragment of the text has survived in the margins and empty pages of a codex marked as the possession of Louis the German and now in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek . The beginning and end of...
is the sole survivor of what must have been a vast oral tradition.
Medieval German literature refers to
literatureLiterature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" , and therefore the academic study of literature is known as Letters...
written in Germany, stretching from the Carolingian dynasty; various dates have been given for the end of the German literary Middle Ages, the
ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
(1517) being the last possible cut-off point.
Old High German
The Old High German period is reckoned to run until about the mid-11th century, though the boundary to Early Middle High German (second half of the 11th century) is not clear-cut.
Epic Poetry
The most famous work in OHG is the
Hildebrandslied, a short piece of Germanic alliterative heroic verse which besides the
MuspilliMuspilli is one of but two surviving pieces of Old High German epic poetry , dating to around 870. One large fragment of the text has survived in the margins and empty pages of a codex marked as the possession of Louis the German and now in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek . The beginning and end of...
is the sole survivor of what must have been a vast oral tradition. Another important work, in the northern dialect of Old Saxon, is a life of Christ in the style of a heroic epic known as the
HeliandThe Heliand is an epic poem in Old Saxon, written in the first half of the ninth century. The title means saviour in Old Saxon , and the poem recounts the life of Jesus in the alliterative verse style of a Germanic saga...
.
Lyric Poetry
Works include the short but splendid
LudwigsliedThe Ludwigslied is an Old High German poem of 59 rhyming couplets, celebrating the victory of the Frankish army, led by Louis III of France, over Danish raiders at the Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu on 3 August 881.The poem is thoroughly Christian in ethos...
, celebrating the victory of the Frankish army, led by
Louis III of FranceLouis III , King of Western Francia, was the second son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde, and became king, jointly with his brother Carloman, on his father's death in 879.He was a fourth generation descendant of Charlemagne....
, over Danish (
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
) raiders at the
Battle of Saucourt-en-VimeuThe Battle of Saucourt occurred between Danish forces of pagan Viking warriors and the Christian troops of King Louis III of France on 3 August 881 at Saucourt-en-Vimeu. Louis was victorious in what must have been a rare pitched battle against the northern raiders. The battle is celebrated in the...
on 3 August
881-Europe:* Charles the Fat is crowned Western Emperor.* Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu: Louis III of France routs Norman pirates.* St. Cäcilien, Cäcilienstraße, is founded as a college for women. It is now the Schnütgen Museum.-Births:...
. There is also the incomplete
Das GeorgsliedThe Georgslied is a set of poems and hymns to Saint George in Old High German.Its likely origin is Saint George's Abbey on the Reichenau monastic island on Lake Constance in Germany which was founded in in 888 and was an important center for the veneration of Saint George...
about the life of
Saint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and the...
, and the
Wessobrunn PrayerThe Wessobrunn Prayer , sometimes called the Wessobrunn Creation Poem , believed to date from c790, is among the earliest known poetic works in Old High German.-Origins:...
, a praise of Creation and a plea for strength to withstand sin.
Other Literature
Works include the
Evangelienbuch (
Gospel harmonyThe Diatessaron is the most prominent Gospel harmony created by Tatian, an early Christian apologist and ascetic. The term "diatessaron" is from Middle English by way of Latin, diatessarōn , and ultimately Greek, dia tessarōn The Diatessaron (c 160 - 175) is the most prominent Gospel harmony...
) of
Otfried von WeissenburgOtfrid of Weissenburg was a monk at Weissenburg and the author of a gospel harmony in rhyming couplets now called the Evangelienbuch. It is written in the South Rhine Franconian dialect of Old High German. The poem is thought to have been completed between 863 and 871...
, the Latin-German dictionary
AbrogansThe Abrogans, or Codex Abrogans , is probably the oldest extant book written in the German language. It is a manuscript dictionary of synonyms from Latin into Old High German dating from the 8th century . Several copies were made, but only one has survived to the present, that in the library of St...
, the magical
Merseburg IncantationsThe Merseburg Incantations are two medieval magic spells, charms or incantations, written in Old High German. They are the only known examples of Germanic pagan belief preserved in this language...
, and the Old High German translation of the theologian
TatianTatian the Assyrian was an early Christian writer and theologian of the second century.Tatian's most influential work is the Diatessaron, a harmony of the four gospels that became the standard text of the four gospels in the Syriac-speaking churches until the 5th-century, when it gave way to the...
.
Middle High German
Middle High GermanMiddle 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...
proper runs from the beginning of the 12th century. 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 (1170-1230). This was the period of the blossoming of MHG lyric poetry, particularly
MinnesangMinnesang was the tradition of lyric and song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century. People who wrote and performed Minnesang are known as Minnesingers . The name derives from the word minne, Middle High German for love which was their main...
(the German variety of the originally French tradition of
courtly loveCourtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
). The same sixty years saw the composition of the most important courtly romances. These are written in rhyming couplets, and again draw on French models such as
Chrétien de TroyesChrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Little is known of his life, but he seems to have been from Troyes, or at least intimately connected with it, and between 1160 and 1172 he served at the court of his patroness Marie of France, Countess of...
, 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 the court. These high medieval heroic epics are written in rhymed strophes, not the alliterative verse of Germanic prehistory.
Epic Poetry
The
KaiserchronikThe Kaiserchronik is a 12th century German epic poem. It is at once a kind of "Legend of all the Saints" and a confused but remarkable account of the Roman emperors and also of the German emperors and kings up to the crusade of King Conrad III . The language is comparatively good and often quite...
is one of the first monuments of Middle High German. The three key authors of courtly romances are
Hartmann von AueHartmann von Aue was a leading poet of the Middle High German period.He belonged to the lower nobility of Swabia, where he was born. After receiving a monastic education, he became retainer of a nobleman whose domain, Aue, has been identified with Obernau on the River Neckar. He also took part in...
,
Gottfried von StrassburgGottfried von Strassburg is the author of the Middle High German courtly romance Tristan, which is regarded, alongside Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival and the Nibelungenlied, as one of the great narrative masterpieces of the German Middle Ages. He is probably also the composer of a small number...
, and
Wolfram von EschenbachWolfram 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:...
, in particular his
ParzivalParzival is a major medieval German epic poem attributed to the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, written in the Middle High German language. The poem is commonly dated circa the first quarter of the 13th century...
, which is regarded as one of the supreme literary achievements of the period. The revamping of the heroic tradition is visible in works like the
NibelungenliedThe Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. The story tells of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge....
and
KudrunKudrun , is a Middle High German epic, written probably in the early years of the 13th century, not long after the Nibelungenlied, the influence of which may be traced upon it....
. Another epic of the High Middle Ages is
Herzog ErnstHerzog Ernst is a German epic from the early high Middle Ages , first written down by an anonymous author from the Rhein region.-Story:...
; other authors include
Konrad von WürzburgKonrad von Würzburg was the chief German poet of the second half of the 13th century.As little is known of his life as that of any other epic poet of the age. By birth probably a native of Würzburg, he seems to have spent part of his life in Strassburg and his later years in Basel, where he died...
,
Rudolf von EmsRudolf von Ems was a mediaeval German epic poet.-Life:Rudolf von Ems was born in the Vorarlberg, in an area that is now Austria. He took his name from the castle of Hohenems near Bregenz, now in Austria, and was a knight in the service of the Counts of Montfort. His works were written between 1220...
, and
Ulrich von TürheimUlrich von Türheim was a German writer from the Augsburg area writing during the first half of the 13th century. Three of his works have survived: a conclusion to the version of the Tristan legend left unfinished by Gottfried von Strassburg; Rennewart, a continuation of Willehalm, left unfinished...
.
Lyric Poetry
The most impressive example of Early Middle High German literature is the
AnnoliedThe Annolied was composed in about 1100 in Early Middle High German rhyming couplets by a monk of Siegburg Abbey.-Dating:A principal point of reference for the dating is the mention of Mainz as a place of coronation...
. It was about the beginning of the 12th century that
AvaThe poetess Ava , also known as Frau Ava, Ava of Göttweig or Ava of Melk, was the first named female writer in any genre in the German language.-Life:...
became the first woman to write poetry in German. The "big name" of Minnesang is
Walther von der VogelweideWalther von der Vogelweide is the most celebrated of the Middle High German lyric poets.-Life history:For all his fame, Walther's name 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:...
, but there are many others, and some of their melodies have survived. Other notable works include the incomplete
Christherre-ChronikThe Christherre-Chronik is a 13th-century world chronicle from Thüringen, written in Middle High German rhyming couplets. It was written by a churchman in the service of Henry III, Markgrave of Meissen, and may be seen as attempting a spiritual answer to the courtly world chronicle of Rudolf von...
, a 13th-century world chronicle from Thüringen, and the works of
Heinrich FrauenlobHeinrich Frauenlob , sometimes known as Henry of Meissen , was a Middle High German poet. He was born in Meissen; the nickname Frauenlob means "praise of women" or "praise of Our Lady". He had great musical talents, and he held court positions in Prague...
.
Urban literature
From the later 13th century, we see the rise of urban literature, which becomes the dominant force from the mid-14th century onwards. This urbanization and the introduction of printing in the 15th century are the main developments marking the very vague boundary between late medieval and early modern German literature.
Lyric Poetry
The first important urban author was the Viennese chronicler
Jans der EnikelJans der Enikel, i.e. "Jans the Grandson" was a Viennese poet and historian of the late 13th century. He wrote a Weltchronik and a Fürstenbuch , both in Middle High German verse....
. Other poets include
Hans FolzHans Folz was a notable medieval German author.Folz was born in Worms. He was made a citizen of the city of Nuremberg, Germany in 1459 and master barber of the city in 1486. Folz was a reformer of the meistersangs, adding 27 new tones to those that had been allowed by the twelve "Alten Meister" ...
,
Johannes von TeplJohannes von Tepl , also known as Johannes von Saaz , was a Bohemian writer of the German language, one of the earliest known writers of prose in Early New High German ....
, and
Sebastian BrantSebastian Brant , Alsatian humanist and satirist, was born in Strasbourg.He studied at Basel, took the degree of doctor of law in 1489, and for some time held a professorship of jurisprudence there...
.
Judeo-German
From the late 13th century, there is evidence of the beginnings of the Yiddish language, which in the early phase is a variety of Middle High German, not distinct enough even to be described as a dialect, but written in Hebrew characters. In its early phase, it is normally referred to as Judeo-German; from the 15th century it becomes Old Yiddish. Poems in this idiom belong equally to the fields of Medieval German Studies and Jewish/Yiddish studies.
Epic Poetry
Notable works include the 14th-century
Dukus HorantDukus Horant is a 14th-century narrative poem in Judeo-German .It is the best known of a number of works which survive in the famous Cambridge Codex T.-S.10.K.22. This manuscript was discovered in the Cairo Geniza in 1896, and contains a collection of narrative poems in a variant of Middle High...
(a narrative poem known as the "Jewish
Kudrun") or the 15th-century
Bovo Bukh, the most popular chivalric romance in the Yiddish language.
Further reading
The most comprehensive guide to this literature currently available in English is the first three volumes of the
Camden House History of German Literature, with a chapter in volume four on the transition to the modern period (various editors, Camden 2004-5). A good single-volume guide to the classical period is Francis Gentry's
A Companion to Middle High German Literature to the Fourteenth Century, Brill 2002.