The Willehalm - Wolfram Von Eschenbach

The Willehalm - Wolfram Von Eschenbach

This courtly epic is perhaps the most famous of the Middle Ages and ranks among the most popular pieces of poetry in history. It was written in the early 13th century by Wolfram von Eschenbach (1170–1220), possibly the foremost representative of Middle High German epic literature. Although little is known about his life, we may assume that he was a member of the nobility. His outstanding literary works have inspired writers throughout the centuries.

A German Heroic Epic with Golden Pictures

Wolfram patterned his famous work on a 12th century French chanson de geste, a kind of warrior epic poetry. After his defeat near Narbonne and Carcassonne in 793, Willehalm, a hero based on the historic figure of William of Orange, halts the march of the Saracens. He defends his wife Gyburc, the baptized daughter of the pagan King Terramer who arrives with a pagan army to free her; Gyburc had previously liberated Willehalm from captivity and followed him to his homeland. In the first battle, the Christians are defeated. Now young Rennewart, Gyburc’s brother, enters the scene. Fighting side by side with Willehalm in the second battle and delivering crushing blows with his mace, he leads the Christians to victory. In Willehalm the struggle between Christians and pagans, a popular theme of Middle High German poetry, corresponds to a battle between the realm of God and that of the Devil in accordance with the crusaders’ ideology. Nonetheless, Wolfram breaks with this classical way of thinking. For the first time, the pagans are given their own religious, ethical significance. They are regarded as creatures of God and treated on an equal footing with the Christians. Closely interwoven with classical elements of courtly romance, such as the hero courting his beloved young lady of the nobility, the writer draws a fascinating picture of courtly life in the Middle High German language.

117 Golden miniatures

Our manuscript constitutes possibly the finest version of the epic and clearly owes its impressive appearance to its exuberant decoration: countless colored initials, 22 deluxe initials and no less than 117 miniatures illustrate the fascinating epic tale and also introduce the reader to the exciting world of courtly love.