Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer is a Middle Dutch

Middle Dutch

Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects which were spoken and written between 1150 and 1500...

 drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

. It is the shortest of the four abele spelen

Abele spelen

The Abele Spelen are a collection of four plays contained in the valuable Hulthemse Handschrift. This manuscript dates from 1410 and is in the collection of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the Royal Library in Brussels, Belgium, hs. 15.589-623....

 that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift

Van Hulthem (manuscript)

The manuscript known as the Van Hulthem manuscript is a masterpiece of medieval Dutch literature. Its contents of over 200 stories from around Brussels, Belgium was summarized in the following slogan: 'all of life’s intensity in one volume'....

and consists of 625 lines in rhyme

Rhyme

A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...

The other abele spelen are: Esmoreit

Esmoreit

Esmoreit is a Middle Dutch drama. It is one of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 1018 lines in rhymeThe other abele spelen are: Gloriant, Lanseloet van Denemerken and Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer...

, Gloriant

Gloriant

Gloriant is a Middle Dutch drama. It is one of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 1142 lines in rhymeThe other abele spelen are: Esmoreit, Lanseloet van Denemerken and Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer...

 and Lanseloet van Denemerken

Lanseloet van Denemerken

Lanseloet van Denemerken is a Middle Dutch drama. It is one of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 925 lines in rhyme...

.

The play deals with the battle between Winter and Somer (Summer) and their role in making love. The play is followed by the sotternie, the farce

Farce

In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...

, Rubben.

Roles

• Venus, (goddess of love)
• Die Winter
• Die Somer
• Loiaert (on Winter’s side, lazy man)
• Moyaert (on Somer’s side, dandy)
• Clappaert (on Winter’s side, talks a mile a minute)
• Bollaert (on Somer’s side, boaster)
• Die Cockien (tramp)

Plot

The main figures Winter and Somer and their companions have a fierce discussion about which of the two is the most important season of the year for making love. Both are convinced they are: Winter because of the long night to play the “game of love”; Somer because of the “happy season for happy hearts”.

Because of the high tempers they decide to have a duel to see who is right; they both expect to win to get rid of the other for all time.

While both are preparing themselves Moyaert runs to the goddess Venus to bring in her help because it all deals with love after all.

Venus separates the to who at first are reluctant to do so. In the end they give in out of respect for her.

Venus points out the importance and equality of the two seasons and the fact that the one cannot be without the other.

There is only one loser and the end of the play: Cockien wanted Somer to win.

External links

Original Middle Dutch text

• Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer (with line numbers) bij de Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren: The Digital Library of Dutch literature