''Iwein'' is a
Middle High German
Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. Hig ...
verse romance by the poet
Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue, also known as Hartmann von Ouwe, (born ''c.'' 1160–70, died ''c.'' 1210–20) was a German knight and poet. With his works including ''Erec'', ''Iwein'', '' Gregorius'', and ''Der arme Heinrich'', he introduced the Arthuria ...
, written around 1200. An
Arthurian
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
tale freely adapted from
Chrétien de Troyes'
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intellig ...
''
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = between 1178 and 1181
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, fo ...
'', it tells the story of Iwein (
Yvain
Sir Ywain , also known as Yvain and Owain among other spellings (''Ewaine'', ''Ivain'', ''Ivan'', ''Iwain'', ''Iwein'', ''Uwain'', ''Uwaine'', etc.), is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, wherein he is often the son of King Urien ...
), a knight of
King Arthur's
Round Table. It was written after Hartmann's ''
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
'', and is generally taken to be his last work.
The poem tells how Iwein embarks on an adventure which culminates in marriage to the lady Laudine. But he is then persuaded to leave her for a year to pursue success in
tournaments. After he misses the deadline to return to her, he is rejected by Laudine in front of the Arthurian court. Dishonoured, he descends into madness and goes off into the wilderness. There he is healed by a lady with a magic ointment and has further encounters which allow him to show true heroism. These include helping a lion which is being attacked by a dragon, the lion then becoming his companion. Eventually, his honour restored, he regains Laudine's favour.
''Iwein'' was recognized by contemporaries and later generations alike as a masterpiece and a classic. Its enduring popularity is attested both by the large number of manuscripts from the whole
High German
The High German dialects (german: hochdeutsche Mundarten), or simply High German (); not to be confused with Standard High German which is commonly also called ''High German'', comprise the varieties of German spoken south of the Benrath and ...
area over three centuries and by the depiction of scenes from the poem in a number of
frescos
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster ...
.
Dating
''Iwein'' is generally regarded as the last of Hartmann's works.
It must already have been well known to the audience for
Wolfram's ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
'', since Wolfram alludes in two passages (253, 10–14 and 436,1–10) to a specific scene in ''Iwein'': he contrasts the faithfulness of Sigûne to her dead suitor Schianatulander with Lûnete's advice to Laudine in ''Iwein'' to marry her husband's killer (''Iwein'', ll.1815ff.). Since ''Parzival'' must have been completed after 1203, this is often given as a date for ''Iwein'', though strictly it is a ''
terminus ante quem
''Terminus post quem'' ("limit after which", sometimes abbreviated to TPQ) and ''terminus ante quem'' ("limit before which", abbreviated to TAQ) specify the known limits of dating for events or items..
A ''terminus post quem'' is the earliest da ...
''.
It has been argued that the first 1,000 lines of ''Iwein'' show a markedly different poetic character from the subsequent text, and that this indicates two distinct phases in the poem's composition, with ''Iwein'' possibly started before ''
Gregorius
Gregorius or ''The Good Sinner'' is a Middle High German narrative poem by Hartmann von Aue. Written around 1190 in rhyming couplets, it tells the story of a child born of the incestuous union of a brother and sister, who is brought up in a mona ...
'' and ''
Der arme Heinrich
Der arme Heinrich (''Poor Heinrich'') is a Middle High German narrative poem by Hartmann von Aue. It was probably written in the 1190s and was the second to last of Hartmann's four epic works. Combining courtly and religious narrative patterns ...
''.
In any case, it seems safe to conclude that ''Iwein'' was completed around the start of the 13th century.
Source
Hartmann's source was the Old French epic ''
Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion'' by
Chrétien de Troyes, which was written 1177–1181. In contrast to his rather free version of ''
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
'', Hartmann's translation of ''Iwein'' remains much closer to the French original, though ''Iwein'' is nonetheless longer than ''Yvain'' by 1351 lines, around 20%.
As the themes of the courtly romance were by this time familiar to his German listeners, Hartmann no longer needed lengthy explanatory digressions such as are found in ''Erec''. The additional material, apart from the inevitable increase involved with translation, represents, in particular, Hartmann's different approach to the relationship of Laudine and Lunete.
Plot
Prologue (ll. 1–30)
A
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
introduces King Arthur as an example to emulate in the search for honour in
chivalry, since his fame is ever-lasting. The author is then introduced, in the third person, as a learned knight who writes poetry.
Kalogrenant's tale (ll. 31–944)
Whitsun
Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the ...
festivities are taking place at the Arthurian court. The knight Kalogrenant tells of an adventure in which he visited a spring in the wilderness and was defeated by the knight who defended the spring.
First plot cycle
![Iweinwaldmensch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Iweinwaldmensch.jpg)
The story begins with a
Whitsun
Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the ...
celebration at the court of Arthur, the epitome of courtly festivities. While there,
Iwein hears the story of the Knight Kalogrenant.
The unsucessful adventure of the Arthurian knight Kalogrenant gives the court of Arthur a legitimate challenge - that of avenging the dishonour. Iwein, who as a relation of Kalogrenant's is doubly hit by the scandal, rides ahead of a procession of the entire court and heads secretly into the Well-Kingdom. The adventure repeats itself, but with deadly consequences for Askalon. Iwein chases the mortally wounded, fleeing Askalon into his castle. The falling portcullis cuts Iwein's horse in two; though he himself remains uninjured, he is sealed in the gatehouse.
Only with the help of
Lunete
In Arthurian legend, Lunete (also known as Luned or Lunet) is a handmaiden and advisor to the Lady of the Fountain ( Laudine). It is she who is responsible for convincing Laudine to accept Ywain in marriage. She is described in Chrétien de Troyes' ...
, the confidante of the mistress of the castle, Laudine, does Iwein succeed in escaping the castle guards. Out of thankfulness for earlier assistance at the court of Arthur he receives from Lunete a ring which makes him invisible. The dead Askalon is mourned by his beautiful wife Laudine. Iwein sees the castle-mistress through a window and becomes inflamed with love (Minne) for her.
The wounds of the dead man begin to bleed again, due to the presence of the killer, and thus a burlesque search for the invisible man begins. Once again Lunete solves the paradoxical situation and convinces Laudine that the victor over Askalon would be a worthy successor as husband, Lord of the land and protector of the fountain. In a comedic enactment (as all the parties are already aware of the intentions of the other) Iwein and Laudine come together under the mediation of Lunete. Soon thereafter the wedding is celebrated.
Then the court of Arthur arrives at the source, and Iwein must try out his role as fountain-protector for the first time. This succeeds against
Keie, the exemplarily resentful knight of the court of Arthur. The entire court now celebrate the marriage of Iwein and Laudine. Thereby the plot arrives at a temporary ending - as well as the ''êre'' of victory Iwein has, unlooked for, achieved a wife and Lordship.
Iwein's breakdown and madness
On the urging of his friend
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
, who uses the ''verligen'' (long-term idleness) of
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
as an example, Iwein leaves Laudine shortly after the wedding, and goes in search of
Tournaments
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
and ''âventiure''. Laudine extracts from Iwein a promise to return after a year and a day. This timeframe implies a legally effective deadline after which his claims against possible usurpers would have lapsed. (This knowledge is left to the reader, and is not made explicit in the text).
The painful parting of the lovers is characterised by ''Minneharmonie''. In a dialogue between the narrator and
Lady Love it is stated that Iwein and Laudine have swapped their hearts, which will lead to momentous consequences.
Iwein gives himself up to the excitement of tournaments and notices only too late that he had already missed the pre-appointed deadline by six weeks. Lunete sues him before the
Round Table for betrayal and takes the ring from him. All his honor is lost in Arthur's court and Laudine breaks off all connections with him. Thus Iwein loses his identity. Gripped by
madness he rips the clothes from his body and becomes a
wild man
The wild man, wild man of the woods, or woodwose/wodewose is a mythical figure that appears in the art and literature of medieval Europe, comparable to the satyr or faun type in classical mythology and to '' Silvanus'', the Roman god of the woodl ...
in the woods. His only social attachment is a silent exchange agreement with a hermit. Only through the help of the Lady of Narison and her companion, who treat his madness with a fairy-salve, can Iwein return to proper consciousness. His earlier identity as a knight seems to him as a dream. He must recognise that he no longer belongs to courtly society
Second plot cycle
Iwein frees the land of the Lady of Narison from Count Aliers, who has asserted a claim to it. The lady and the people wish him to become their sovereign, but he does not want this and hurries away. In the course of the story, he twice more rejects a marriage out of loyalty to Laudine.
Iwein rescues a lion from a dragon. From now on, the lion remains faithfully at his side, giving Iwein a new identity, the Knight of the Lion.
Chance brings him back to the spring, where the memory of his loss causes him to faint and fall from his horse. Iwein is on the verge of losing his mind again. Then he finds Lunete at the spring; because of her role in the marriage and Iwein's faithlessness (''untriuwe''), she has been sentenced to death. The only means of proving her innocence is
trial by combat
Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the ...
, and the deadline is the following day. Iwein acknowledges his guilt and assures Lunete that he will fight for her.
Immediately thereafter, however, he also commits himself to assisting his host in the fight against the giant Harpin the following morning. With the lion's help, he is able to overcome this scheduling conflict by defeating the giant in time to also be able to successfully fight for Lunete. Her accusers undergo the same punishment that was intended for her: they are burned at the stake. Laudine, who does not recognize the Knight of the Lion in his new identity, learns during this episode that the knight has lost the favor of a lady, and condemns it—unaware that she herself is the lady.
Since their relationship is still unresolved, Iwein again leaves Laudine. He then undertakes to defend the younger daughter of the Count of the Black Thorn in a conflict with her sister concerning their inheritance. With the girl, Iwein sets out for Castle Maladventure, where he must fight two giants in order to free three hundred noble ladies who are held captive in a workhouse.
After that, he rides with his companion to King Arthur's court, where a trial by combat is decreed. Iwein's friend, the exemplary Arthurian knight Sir Gawain, has declared himself the champion of the other sister. Without either knowing who the other is, Gawain and Iwein fight; neither is able to seal the victory. Only after darkness has fallen and the battle has been discontinued until the following day do they recognize each other while talking. King Arthur poses a trick question to the older sister, which causes her to betray herself, and grants the younger sister's claim. Iwein then reveals his identity and is joyfully welcomed back to the fellowship of the Round Table.
Although Iwein has gained great honor, he is sure that he will die of a broken heart. Once more in the guise of the Knight of the Lion, he returns to Laudine's court. However, he wins her back only after a comic intrigue on the part of Lunete: Laudine swears an oath to aid the Knight of the Lion who watered the stone at the spring in regaining his lady's favor. With that she must forgive Iwein, who expresses his deep regret and promises never again to risk losing her favor. The two renew their marriage and their love.
Manuscript tradition
''Iwein'' is preserved in 15 complete and 17 fragmentary manuscripts, making it one of the mostly widely read texts of the genre (surpassed only by
Wolfram von Eschenbach
Wolfram von Eschenbach (; – ) was a German knight, poet and composer, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of medieval German literature. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry.
Life
Little is known of Wolfram's life. There ar ...
's
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
). The two oldest complete manuscripts both date from the second quarter of the 13th century, reasonably close to the date of composition.
*MS A:
Heidelberg, Universitätsbibliothek, Cpg 397,
Central German-
Low German.
*MS B:
Giessen, Universitätsbibliothek, Hs. 97,
Upper German
Upper German (german: Oberdeutsch ) is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in the southern German-speaking area ().
History
In the Old High German time, only Alemannic and Bairisch are grouped as Upper German. In the Middle High ...
.
The poem continued to be copied until the 16th century, when it was included in the
Ambraser Heldenbuch
The Ambraser Heldenbuch ("The Ambras Castle Book of Heroes") is a 16th-century manuscript written in Early New High German, now held in the Austrian National Library (signature Cod. ser. nova 2663). It contains a collection of 25 Middle High Ger ...
of 1517.
Even though MSS A and B are both relatively early, there are major differences between them, both in the wording of individual lines and in the treatment of the material in ''Yvain''. The B version contains 150 lines not matched in A, while A has 24 lines not in B. However, there is nothing to distinguish the additional material in B from the rest of the poem, so the additions cannot be seen as later interpolations by a different hand. All in all, these circumstances indicate that A and B cannot have come from a common archetype. Also, neither A nor B can be understood as the descendant of a unique primary manuscript (and therefore the source of the other).Rather, they represent distinct versions of the story.
Reception
The popularity of ''Iwein'' is seen not only in the rich manuscript tradition but also in its influence on later writers and its reflection in domestic decoration.
Literary influence
Wolfram von Eschenbach's ''Parzival'', likely completed less than a decade after ''Iwein'', includes several direct references to ''Iwein'', but it also borrows the structure of Hartmann's poem as a framework for the latter part of ''Parzival'' in view of the unfinished nature of Chrétien's ''Perceval'', Wolfram's source.
The hero of
Wirnt von Grafenberg Wirnt von Grafenberg was a Middle High German poet of the thirteenth century.
Biography
Grafenberg was a Bavarian nobleman who between 1202 and 1205 wrote an epic, entitled ''Wigalois'', which describes the adventures of Gawain's son, the name bein ...
's ''Wigalois'', (), has in common with ''Iwein'' that he undergoes a crisis of identity, and the poem borrows some 370 lines of verse from Hartmann's work.
Editions
*
*
* With commentary by Mireille Schnyder.
For details of earlier editions, se
Iwein — digital
English Translations
*
*
*
* Edition based on MS B, with parallel text.
Notes
References
*
*
*
* With bibliography.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
''Iwein''at the Hartmann von Aue Knowledgebase
Iwein – digitalComprehensive list of editions(to 2019)
Facsimiles
A: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 397B:Gießen, Universitätsbibl., Hs. 97Links to facsimiles of other manuscripts
{{Authority control
1200s books
Arthurian literature in German
Medieval German poems
Mental health in fiction
Middle High German literature
Works by Hartmann von Aue
Poetry based on works by Chrétien de Troyes