Synopses & Reviews
This book first appeared in German in 1985, and set a new agenda for the study of medieval literary theory. While Haug focuses primarily on medieval German writers, the principles underlying his argument are equally relevant to medieval literature in English or any other European language. This ground-breaking study is now available in English for the first time.
Review
"...an intelligent, sparkling book." Neue ZÜrcher Zeitung"...it is to be hoped that this brilliant and lively book will quickly find a readership in related disciplines of study." Germanisch-Romanische Monatsschrift"...the volume is suitable only for upper-division undergraduate and graduate libraries supporting coursework in German literature and the Middle Ages." L.J. Rippley, Choice"This book...is undoubtedly one of the most important recent contributions to the study of medieval literary theory. Moreover... it is sure to spur similarly original investigations which interrogate literary conventionality and self-conscious reflection in the context of their concrete historical functions...." Richard J. Utz, Arthuriana"With this English edition of [Haug's] book, medieval literary studies, both here and abroad, ahve received a tremendous boost and an intellectual impetus that may well bear fruit for a long time." Ernst S. Dick, Speculum
Synopsis
First published in German in 1985, this important study sets an agenda for the study of medieval literary theory. Rather than seeing vernacular writersâreflections on their art as merely deriving from established Latin traditions, Walter Haug shows that they marked the gradual emancipation of an independent vernacular poetics that went hand in hand with changing narrative forms. While focusing primarily on medieval German writers the principles underlying his argument are equally relevant to medieval literature in English or any other European language.
Table of Contents
Translatorâs preface; Preface to the English edition; Introductory remarks; 1. The background: Christian aesthetics versus classical rhetoric; 2. The problem of the vernacular: Otfrid von Weissenburg and the beginnings of literary theory in Old High German; 3. Literature, allegory and salvation: theoretical positions in Early Middle High German; 4. Religious adaptation of secular forms: the Rolandslied, Brautwerbungsepen (âbridal questsâ), the Alexander romance; 5. Chrétien de Troyesâprologue to Erec et Enide and the Arthurian structural model; 6. Divine inspiration and the changing role of the poet in Chrétienâs Lancelot and Cligés; 7. Hartmann von Aueâs fictional programme: the prologue to Iwein; 8. Hagiographical legend or romance? - Hartmannâs prologue to Gregorius; 9. Wolfram von Eschenbachâs literary theory: the prologue to Parzival, the metaphor of the bow, and the âself-defenceâ; 10. Wolframâs Willehalm: a return to historical romance?; 11. Ethics and aesthetics: Gottfried von Strassburgâs literary theory; 12. The truth of fiction: Thomasin von Zerklære and integumentum theory; 13. The Lucidarius A-prologue in the context of contemporary literary theory, and the origins of the prose romance; 14. Magic, morals and manipulation: the emergence of the post-classical Arthurian romance; 15. Rudolf von EmsâDer guote Gêrhart: a programmatic rejection of the correlation between merit and reward; 16. Chance, fortune and virtue: Rudolf von EmsâAlexander; 17. Wolframâs prologue to Willehalm: a model for later hagiographical romances; 18. The new genre of love-romance: suffering as a way to fulfilment. From Rudolf von Ems' Willehalm von Orlens to Ulrich von Etzenbach's Willehalm von Wenden; 19. Konrad von Würzburg: spellbinding artistry and individual moral action; 20. Albrechtâs Der jüngere Titurel: magic and moral code in the inscription on the hound's leash; Concluding remarks; Bibliography; Index.