''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. Hig ...

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 ar ...

. 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 ...

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 intel ...

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 c ...

'' '' Aliscans'', 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 Pippi ...

figure of Count William of Toulouse, who featured in the Carolingian song-cycle '' La Geste de Garin de Monglane'', 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") , ...

Date

Written after the completion of ''

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 ...

'' - 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 ...

. 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

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 popula ...

, 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 Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed b ...

, courage, and spiritual purity.

Sources

Date

Story

See also

References

Further reading