Medieval poetic heritage has largely become the foundation of later literature. In that era, genres also arose that corresponded to the lifestyle, interests and level of education of a particular class. In addition to religious literature, secular literature also developed in the Middle Ages. It includes chivalric novels, heroic epics, lyrics of French troubadours and German minnesingers. This, according to scientists, had a significant impact on the entire Western European culture.
The birth of medieval poetry
Knightly virtues, except for novels, were glorified in songs performed by knight-poets. In France they were called troubadours (in the south) and trouvères (in the north), and in Germany they were called minnesingers. This softened the rough manners that existed in that era among the aristocracy. The works of many medieval poets are known: Chrétien de Troy, Bertrand de Born, W alter von der Vogelweide, etc.
The first troubadours appeared inOccitania around the end of the 11th century. Their work was greatly influenced by the Arab culture of neighboring Andalusia. The word trovador in the Old Occitan language meant "inventing, finding something new." Indeed, the first poets themselves composed songs and music for them, and performed them themselves.
What did the troubadours, trouvers and minnesingers sing about?
Among these medieval poets there were many representatives of the nobility, for example, Emperor Henry VI, King Richard the Lionheart and his great-grandfather, Duke of Aquitaine Guillaume. The main theme of the works of knightly poetry was courtly love for the Beautiful Lady, gallant and sublime. Less often, poets in their work turned to social, military, anti-clerical or historical subjects.
On the lands of Germany
In northern France, the trouvères and minnesingers in Germany followed the traditions of the Occitan troubadours in their works. So, around the middle of the XII century, love songs composed by wandering poets spread in Swabia, Bavaria, Switzerland and Austria. They do not yet sing the service to the Lady, these works are closer to the folk song. Therefore, the woman is represented in them as tender, faithful, often suffering innocently.
Walmar von Gresten, Dietmar von Eist and Kürenberg - one of the first minnesingers, composed in this vein. Their works are written in the art form of pairwise rhyming verses without stanzas.
When in one shirt, sleepless, standing
And I remember your noble stateliness, I will turn red like a dew-sprinkled rose.
And the heartlonging for you, my love.
The founder of courtly German lyrics is Heinrich von Feldeke, who worked until 1190. His poetry reflected court education, elegant style and sophisticated forms of versification.
Blessed is he who has no sins
Does not count, And who is always ready to sin, He is deprived of fate.
Who did not weave a snare to others, He carelessly, He forever
Happiness in life will find.
Love sings, but in turn
Say it sincerely
What will you be in a year
Serve her flawlessly.
She doesn't weave a snare
And carelessly
And forever
Happiness in life will find.
Rise of the minnesang
The court chivalric lyrics in Germany got the name "minnesanga" - from the old German word Minne, which means "love". The Duke of Breslau, the Margrave of Brandenburg and some other representatives of the noble class, along with ordinary knights, composed works glorifying women, depicting class customs and court life.
In its heyday, the minnesang turned not so much to describing love itself as to thinking about it. The business of a knight is to be a vassal of the Lady, humbly endure her whims, meekly expect her favor. All this was stated in exceptionally polished rhymes with strict observance of the number of syllables, which distinguished the works of German poets from the works ofProvencal troubadours.
Among the minnesingers, despite their imitative nature of the latter, the original features inherent in the Germanic peoples are also clearly visible: timidity in love, a tendency to reflect, sometimes a sad, pessimistic attitude to life, etc.
What a summer to me! All complaints and fines.
Let life really be good in summer, The seal of winter is on this chant.
My soul hurts like winter.
I love, I love, crushing myself with longing, Still love her alone.
I sacrificed my spring to her, I'm ready to take the blame:
No, I will not curse my love.
Grievances will forgive my soul, Otherwise I would be a fierce enemy.
Sinning with pernicious inconstancy, I deprived myself of the desired benefits.
Yes, it's my own fault. Yes, it is.
He who declared war on reason, Sorrows will be captured.
Punished, how dare I
Shamelessly deny my guilt!
The works of such minnesingers as Wolfram von Eschenbach, Gottfried von Neufen, Steinmar, Burkhard von Hohenfels, Reinmar, Rudolf von Fines, Tannhauser and others have come down to us. They lived on the territory of modern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. However, W alther von der Vogelweide surpasses them all in many ways.
Outstanding representative of German lyrics
W alther von der Vogelweide is a minnesinger who worked in the heyday of Swabian poetry. He was born about 1170, in his youth he lived at the court of the AustrianDuke Leopold, where he learned to compose poetry. Although W alter belonged to the knightly class, he did not have his own land ownership. Only in his declining years did the emperor grant him a small flax. Therefore, throughout his life, the performance of his own works served as a source of income for W alter. During his wanderings, he met wandering artists and poets (goliards, spielmans), whose work had a noticeable influence on his lyrics.
It was W alter von der Vogelweide who was the first in chivalrous European poetry to sing love not for a rich lady, but for a girl from the people. On the one hand, he, like other minnesingers, praises spring, love and women, and on the other hand, he raises the theme of the fall of German greatness, denounces insignificant rulers and corrupt clergy. On this basis, many researchers note the closeness of his poetry to the folk song.
God makes whoever he wants to be king, And I'm not surprised by this.
But I wonder a lot about priests:
What they taught all the people, Then everything was completely opposite for them.
So let it be in the name of conscience and God
We will be explained that it is godless, What's true, let's face it!
After all, we believed them for good reason, Where is the truth - in the new or in the old?
If it's true, then it's false:
Two tongues can't be in your mouth!
From sunset to return from oblivion
Oswald von Wolkenstein and Hugh of Montfort are considered to be the last minnesingers. These poets lived in the late XIV - early XV centuries. There is a lot of personal in their works: if in their youth they served the ladies, then at the end of their lives they glorified their own wives in verse, which was completely unusual for poets of previous eras.
Although Minnesinger poetry occupies an honorable place in the history of German culture, interest in it was revived only in the middle of the 18th century. Since then, a lot of research has been devoted to the study of the work of medieval poets, collections of their works have been published, reading which, you can be sure that many topics that worried people centuries ago remain relevant today.
