Gottfried von Neifen ( fl. 1234–1255) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Minnesänger (; "love song") was a tradition of lyric- and song-writing in Germany and Austria that flourished in the Middle High German period. This period of medieval German literature began in the 12th century and continued into the 14th. People who wr ...

'' (lyric poet). Gottfried was born to an ''

Edelfrei The term ''edelfrei'' or ''hochfrei'' ("free noble" or "free knight") was originally used to designate and distinguish those Germanic noblemen from the Second Estate (see Estates of the realm social hierarchy), who were legally entitled to atonem ...

'' famly of

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

. He was associated with the court of King

Henry VII of Germany Henry VII ( German: ''Heinrich''; c. 1273 – 24 August 1313),Kleinhenz, pg. 494 also known as Henry of Luxembourg, was Count of Luxembourg, King of Germany (or '' Rex Romanorum'') from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first em ...

(1220–1235) and is mentioned in documents between 1234 and 1255. Other poets associated with the court of Henry (VII) are Burkhart von Hohenfels and

Ulrich von Winterstetten Ulrich von Winterstetten ( 1241–1280) was a German nobleman, priest and ''Minnesänger'' (lyric poet). Life Ulrich belonged to the Tanne–Waldburg family of imperial ''ministeriales'' (unfree nobility) in the Duchy of Swabia. His father was Co ...

. Gottfried's poetry falls squarely within the conventions of

courtly love Courtly love ( oc, fin'amor ; french: amour courtois ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing vari ...

. His language is somewhat more sensual than typical, with references to sparkling eyes (''spilnde ougen'') and red lips (''rôter munt''). He stands out, however, for his adept handling of rhyme. His form was directly influenced by the Old Occitan lyric. His lightness and verbal agility were an influence on Konrad von Altstetten. His verbal artistry combined with an emphasis on form over social or ethical considerations has been labelled "

mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

". The manuscript attributions to Gottfried of a few obscene songs about peasants and craftsmen are doubted by some modern scholars. Under the name ''Götfrit von Nifen'', he is represented in the 14th-century

Codex Manesse The Codex Manesse (also Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift or Pariser Handschrift) is a ''Liederhandschrift'' (manuscript containing songs), the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German ''Minnesang'' poetry, written and illustrat ...

by 51 love songs (''Minnelieder'') totaling 190 stanzas. He is also portrayed alongside his coat-of-arms in an illustration. A prolific and influential poet, his work has often been denigrated by moderns for its shallowness. The following are two excerpts from two different poems, once illustrative of his conventional poetry and the other of his "blatant use of words for the sake of words".

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