Fragments of Didacticism: The Early Middle High German ‘Rittersitte’ and ‘Der heimliche Bote’
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Claudia Wittig
Abstract
Some of the earliest texts in the medieval vernacular languages are transmitted as unique and often fragmentary manuscripts. In most cases we have no information as to their composition or reception, and sometimes even parts of their content remain unclear. This article proposes a way of reading early vernacular fragments as parts of the discourses to which they contribute. It argues that this context can help us assess the literary and didactic status of a text and even aid in their editing. This is demonstrated by the example of two early Middle High German texts: the ‘Rittersitte’ and ‘Der heimliche Bote’. The former is transmitted as a fragment and its editor has attempted to fill the gaps based on vivid imagination rather than on sound philological principles or contextual information. Scholars are still uncertain concerning the unity of the latter and its literary genre: is it a love letter or a didactic poem? Considering the broader discourse in which these texts participate provides some context for the transmission of the manuscripts and can help establish social situatedness for early didactic literature, even if the witnesses are incomplete or of questionable literary status.
Abstract
Some of the earliest texts in the medieval vernacular languages are transmitted as unique and often fragmentary manuscripts. In most cases we have no information as to their composition or reception, and sometimes even parts of their content remain unclear. This article proposes a way of reading early vernacular fragments as parts of the discourses to which they contribute. It argues that this context can help us assess the literary and didactic status of a text and even aid in their editing. This is demonstrated by the example of two early Middle High German texts: the ‘Rittersitte’ and ‘Der heimliche Bote’. The former is transmitted as a fragment and its editor has attempted to fill the gaps based on vivid imagination rather than on sound philological principles or contextual information. Scholars are still uncertain concerning the unity of the latter and its literary genre: is it a love letter or a didactic poem? Considering the broader discourse in which these texts participate provides some context for the transmission of the manuscripts and can help establish social situatedness for early didactic literature, even if the witnesses are incomplete or of questionable literary status.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Vorwort V
- Inhaltsverzeichnis VII
- Prodesse et delectare – An Introduction 1
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Sektion 1: Wissen und Macht / Knowledge and Power
- The Knowledge of Knights and Power of Kings in Twelfth Century England 15
- Secret Knowledge for Political and Social Harmony. The ‘Secretum secretorum’ between the Middle East and Europe 39
- A ‘Mirror of the Gentry’: Vernacular Versions of the ‘Secretum Secretorum’ in Medieval Wales and England 57
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Sektion 2: Performanz und Bildhaftigkeit / Performativity and Imagery
- Performing Didacticism in Early Middle High German Poetry, Poet, Audience and Creed in Armer Hartmann’s ‘Rede von deme heiligen gelouben 85
- Probleme der Bilderkennung und des Text-Bild-Verhältnisses am Beispiel des ‚Welschen Gastes‘ Thomasins von Zerclaere 102
- “And You Shall Tell Your Son on this Day”: Visual Didactics in Medieval Illustrated Haggadot 138
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Sektion 3: Formen und Funktionen/ Forms and Functions
- Fragments of Didacticism: The Early Middle High German ‘Rittersitte’ and ‘Der heimliche Bote’ 177
- Insegnare in versi nell’Italia settentrionale 210
- Darf man einen gesunden Zahn ziehen? Ein juristisches Lehrgedicht des Simon von Couvin (ca. 1325–1367) 233
- Quotation, Form, and Didacticism: The ‘Breviari d’Amor’, ‘Der Renner’, and the ‘Vita nova’ 261
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Sektion 4: Modelle and Rezeption / Models and Reception
- ‘Recognitions’ as a Scientific Text: Spanish and Italian Readers in the High Middle Ages 285
- Poeta doctus / poeta doctor: Didaxe und Eros in CB 88 306
- Il ‘De conflictu vitiorum et virtutum’ di Giovanni Genesio Quaglia. Una psicomachia del Trecento e le sue fonti 336
- Una bella roba. Novellare als neues Erzählkonzept in Boccaccios ‚Decameron‘ 355
- Die Aufwertung der alten germanischen Heldenepik im 16. Jahrhundert zwischen delectare und prodesse am Beispiel des ‚Liedes vom Hürnen Seyfried‘ 389
- Authors and Works 401
- Manuscripts 405
- People and Places 407
- Autorenverzeichnis 411
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Vorwort V
- Inhaltsverzeichnis VII
- Prodesse et delectare – An Introduction 1
-
Sektion 1: Wissen und Macht / Knowledge and Power
- The Knowledge of Knights and Power of Kings in Twelfth Century England 15
- Secret Knowledge for Political and Social Harmony. The ‘Secretum secretorum’ between the Middle East and Europe 39
- A ‘Mirror of the Gentry’: Vernacular Versions of the ‘Secretum Secretorum’ in Medieval Wales and England 57
-
Sektion 2: Performanz und Bildhaftigkeit / Performativity and Imagery
- Performing Didacticism in Early Middle High German Poetry, Poet, Audience and Creed in Armer Hartmann’s ‘Rede von deme heiligen gelouben 85
- Probleme der Bilderkennung und des Text-Bild-Verhältnisses am Beispiel des ‚Welschen Gastes‘ Thomasins von Zerclaere 102
- “And You Shall Tell Your Son on this Day”: Visual Didactics in Medieval Illustrated Haggadot 138
-
Sektion 3: Formen und Funktionen/ Forms and Functions
- Fragments of Didacticism: The Early Middle High German ‘Rittersitte’ and ‘Der heimliche Bote’ 177
- Insegnare in versi nell’Italia settentrionale 210
- Darf man einen gesunden Zahn ziehen? Ein juristisches Lehrgedicht des Simon von Couvin (ca. 1325–1367) 233
- Quotation, Form, and Didacticism: The ‘Breviari d’Amor’, ‘Der Renner’, and the ‘Vita nova’ 261
-
Sektion 4: Modelle and Rezeption / Models and Reception
- ‘Recognitions’ as a Scientific Text: Spanish and Italian Readers in the High Middle Ages 285
- Poeta doctus / poeta doctor: Didaxe und Eros in CB 88 306
- Il ‘De conflictu vitiorum et virtutum’ di Giovanni Genesio Quaglia. Una psicomachia del Trecento e le sue fonti 336
- Una bella roba. Novellare als neues Erzählkonzept in Boccaccios ‚Decameron‘ 355
- Die Aufwertung der alten germanischen Heldenepik im 16. Jahrhundert zwischen delectare und prodesse am Beispiel des ‚Liedes vom Hürnen Seyfried‘ 389
- Authors and Works 401
- Manuscripts 405
- People and Places 407
- Autorenverzeichnis 411
