''Willehalm'' is an unfinished
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. High ...
poem from the early 13th century, written by the poet
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 are ...
. In terms of genre, the poem is "a unique fusion of the
courtly
Courtesy (from the word ''courteis'', from the 12th century) is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books.
History
The apex of European courtly c ...
and the heroic, with elements of the saintly
legend attaching to it."
Sources
''Willehalm'' is based on French sources. Its foremost source is the
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 intelligib ...
''
chanson de geste
The ''chanson de geste'' (, from Latin 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th cen ...
'' ''
Aliscans ''Aliscans'' is a ''chanson de geste'' of the late twelfth century. It recounts the story of the fictional battle of Aliscans (Alescans), a disastrous defeat of a Christian by a pagan army. The name 'Aliscans' presumably refers to the Alyscamps in A ...
'', which was written a few decades earlier. The French sources were provided by Wolfram's patron,
Landgrave Hermann of Thuringia. ''Willehalm'' represents (even in its unfinished form) a drastic but artistic condensation of the sprawling French adventures Wolfram inherited. For the poem ''Aliscans'' is, in turn, likely derived from the earlier ''
Chanson de Guillaume'', inspired by a historic battle in 793 wherein the
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
figure of
Count William of Toulouse, who featured in the Carolingian song-cycle ''
La Geste de Garin de Monglane
''La Geste de Garin de Monglane'' is the second cycle of the three great cycles of ''chansons de geste'' created in the early days of the genre. It centres on Garin de Monglane. One of its main characters is William of Gellone.
The cycle
The cy ...
'', was defeated by an invading
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
army from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Date
Written after the completion of ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance (heroic literature), 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 Percival, Parziva ...
'' - and referring as it does to the coronation of
Emperor Otto in 1209 - ''Willehalm'' has been dated to the second decade of the 13th century. It has survived in sixteen manuscripts.
Story
Wolfram's prologue to ''Willehalm'' had a major influence on the
romance writings of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
.
In the story, Eschenbach has the Muslim invasion motivated by a father's desire to retrieve his daughter and a husband's desire to retrieve his wife. For we are reminded by the author in Book I of a well-known tale that the protagonist, Willehalm, March Count of Provence, wooed and won Arabel, daughter of King Terramer and wife of King Tibalt, and brought her from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
to France where he converted her to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, changed her name to Giburc, and took her to wife. So Terramer and Tibalt, with numerous other kings from Spain, invade France and roundly defeat Willehalm in a battle so severe that he alone escapes alive. But Willehalm then secures the aid of King Louis of France, returns with a large force, and defeats the Muslims on the same battlefield.
[Charles E. Passage, translator, ''The Middle High German Poem of Willehalm by Wolfram of Eschenbach'' (1977) New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, Inc., pp. 11 and 28-31]
Though this storyline is simple, Eschenbach develops memorable characters and action, such as the touching death of Willehalm’s nephew, Vivian, a young knight who exemplifies
chivalry
Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours we ...
, courage, and spiritual purity.
See also
References
Further reading
The text of Wofram's ''Willehalm'' in medieval High German text curated by Karl Lachmann
''The Source of Wolfram's "Willehalm"'' by Susan Almira Bacon, year 1910, 190 pages
*M. H. Jones and T. MacFarland, editors
''Wolfram's Willehalm: Fifteen Essays'' year 2002, 344 pages
{{Authority control
13th-century poems
Arthurian literature in German
Medieval German poems
Middle High German literature