Old high German literature

To Old High German literature all textual evidence be expected that the High German developed language area between about 750 and 1050th In a narrower sense, this includes texts in Alemannic, Bavarian and Franconian writing language. Although the Old Saxon , Old Low Franconian and West Franconian languages belong to Old Low German, the few texts that have survived in them are treated in terms of literary history within the framework of and as part of Old High German literature, as the Old High German literary language had a strong influence on them, especially in the 9th century Owned neighboring languages.

Divided into centuries

8th century

Under Charlemagne (768–814), the first evidence of German literature is recorded, which was handed down by monks who knew how to write in the scriptories of individual Benedictine monasteries .

All texts in the Old High German written language are understood as German literature, including the German translations of Latin texts that were initially handed down in the form of glosses , interlinear versions , dictionaries and ecclesiastical texts (baptism, confession, prayer formulas, Benedictine rules , psalms , Bible texts).

Important testimonials from the 8th century are:

Abrogans (around 750)
Merseburg magic spells (around 750)
Malbergic glosses in the Lex Salica (751/768; West Franconian)
Hildebrandslied (1st half of the 9th century)
Hammelburg mark description (777)
Würzburg market descriptions (779)
Wessobrunn prayer (around 790)
Old High German Isidore (around 790)
Weissenburg Catechism

9th century

In the 9th century, vernacular poems were added: Otfrid's Gospel Harmony , but also the praise of a Christian king in the Ludwigslied .

Important testimonies from the 9th century are:

Kassel Talks (around 810)
Old High German Tatian (around 830)
Strasbourg oath (842)
Peter’s song (around 850)
Otfrid von Weißenburg (around 863 or 871)
Muspilli (around 870)
Georgslied (around 880)
Ludwigslied (881/882)

10th century

In the 10th century, German literature fell almost completely silent, only insignificant proverbs, blessings and rhymes emerged . Instead, a Middle Latin literature flourishes beyond the Alps . Only the extensive translations by the St. Gallen monk Notker Labeo (around 950-1022) by ancient philosophers into a form of Old High German are a significant exception.

Organized according to writing regions

The following list contains the primary sources of Old High German varieties, arranged from north to south. During this time the second sound shift is only fully implemented in the southernmost idioms (Alt Alemannic, Old Bavarian , Longobard ).

Old Rhine-Franconian

AG Augsburg Prayer (between 875 and 900)
BI Binger inscription (between 975 and 1000)
FG / FrG Franconian prayer (821, Old Rhine-Franconian and maybe partly Old Bavarian)
KV Kicila-Vers (uncertain: between 1025 and 1075, Reichenau, Old Rhine-Franconian, Old Alemannic)
L / LL Ludwigslied (uncertain: 882, Lower Lorraine, Old Rhine-Franconian)
LB Lorscher confession (uncertain: between 875 and 900, Lorsch, uncertain: Old Rhine-Franconian)
LS Lorscher Bienensegen (10th century, Lorsch, old Rhine-Franconian)
MB Mainz confession (before 962, old Rhine-Franconian)
TSB Trier horse blessing (B; Trier saying; uncertain: 10th century, Trier, arh.-Franconian and perhaps Old Saxon)
TSp Trier Spruch (Trier rhyming phrase; uncertain: between 1000 and 1025, Trier, Old Rhine-Franconian., And maybe Old Saxon)
TV Trier verses against the devil (uncertain: between 875 and 900, Trier, uncertain: old Moselle Franconian, old Rhine Franconian)

Old Middle Franconian

KI Cologne inscription (uncertain: 860, Cologne, old Middle Franconian)
KT Cologne baptismal vow (uncertain: 811, Cologne, old Middle Franconian)
MNPs Old South Central Franconian and Old East Lower Franconian Psalms (9th century, Old South Central Franconian and perhaps Old East Lower Franconian and Old Saxon)
MNPsA Old South Central Franconian and Old East Lower Franconian Psalms Excerpts
TC Trier Capitulare (between 925 and 975, uncertain: Trier, old Middle Franconian)

Old East Franconian

FB Fuldaer Beichte (uncertain: 830, 10th century, Fulda, old East Franconian)
FF Fuldaer Federprobe (9th century, uncertain: Old East Franconian)
FT Franconian baptismal vow (uncertain: between 775 and 800, old East Franconian)
HM Hammelburger mark description (777, old East Franconian)
LF Lex Salica fragment, Old High German (between 800 and 825, Old East Franconian or Old Bavarian)
MG Merseburg prayer fragment (between 800 and 825, old East Franconian)
MZ Merseburg Magic Spells (uncertain: 700 and 750, Old Thuringian, Old East Franconian)
PT Parisian Tatian Fragments (830, Fulda, Old East Franconian)
T Tatian , Old High German (830, Fulda, Old East Franconian or Old Alemannic)
WB Würzburg confession (between 825 and 875, Würzburg, Old East Franconian and perhaps Old Lower Franconian)
WM Würzburg mark descriptions (8th century, Würzburg, Old East Franconian)

Old South Rhine Franconian

I Isidore of Seville , Old High German (between 775 and 800, uncertain: Lorraine, Asrhfrk., Old Bavarian)
MF Mondsee (-Wiener) fragments (between 775 and 800, uncertain: Lorraine, asrhfrk./altbairisch)
O Otfrid (863–871, Weißenburg, asrhfrk.)
PfB Pfälzer confession (uncertain: 10th century, Weißenburg, asrhfrk.)
RB Reichenauer confession (10th century, arh.-Franconian)
RhC Rheinfränkische Cantica (uncertain: 900, arh.-Franconian or old Middle Franconian)
WK Weißenburg Catechism (uncertain: 790, Worms, asrh-Franconian)

Old Bavarian

A Abrogans (between 775 and 800 Old Bavarian, copy approx. 830 Old Alemannic)
AB Old Bavarian confession (between 800 and 825)
BR Basel recipes (uncertain: 8th century, partly Old Bavarian and Old English )
BB Vorauer confession (between 875 and 900)
BG Old Bavarian Prayer (between 800 and 825, uncertain: Regensburg, partly Old Franconian)
C Carmen ad Deum (between 825 and 875)
E Exhortatio ad plebem christianam (between 800 and 825)
FP Freisinger Paternoster (between 800 and 825, Bavaria)
Hi / HL Hildebrandslied (Original uncertain: between 700 and 750, Northern Italy; surviving manuscript 9th century, Bavaria or Fulda, Old Bavarian and partly Old Saxon)
I Isidore of Seville , Old High German (between 775 and 800, uncertain: Lorraine, Asrh-Franconian, Old Bavarian)
JB Younger Bavarian Confession (1000)
KG Kassel Talks (uncertain: 8th century, Bavaria, old Bavarian)
M Muspilli (uncertain: 9th century, 810, 830, Old Bavarian)
MF Mondsee (-Wiener) fragments (between 775 and 800, Lorraine, asrh-Franconian or Old Bavarian)
OG Otloh's prayer (after 1067, old Bavarian)
P Petruslied (Freising's supplication to St. Peter; uncertain: between 825 and 875)
PE priesthood (uncertain: between 800 and 850, old Bavarian)
PNe Pro Nessia (uncertain: 10th century, old Bavarian)
Psb Psalm 138 (around 930, Abayrian)
SG Sigihart's prayer (between 900 and 925, Abayrian)
W Wessobrunn creation poem and prayer (766–800, Old Bavarian, uncertain: Old Saxon and Old English)
WS Wiener Hundesegen (uncertain: between 900 and 950, old Bavarian)

Old Alemannic

A Abrogans (between 875 and 900, Old Bavarian, copy approx. 830 Old Alemannic)
APs Old Alemannic Psalms Translation (between 800 and 850, Reichenau am Bodensee)
B Benedictine rules (800, uncertain: St. Gallen)
BS Blutsegen, Longinussegen (uncertain: between 975 and 1000)
G Georgslied (between 875 and 900, uncertain: Weißenburg, St. Gallen, Reichenau, Prüm, Old Alemannic, Old Franconian [, Romansh])
GA St. Gallen schoolwork (letter from Ruodpert; between 1000 and 1050, St. Gallen)
GP St. Galler Paternoster and Credo (between 775 and 800)
GSch St. Galler Schreibervers (between 850 and 900, St. Gallen)
GSp St. Gallen Proverbs (11th century, Old Alemannic)
GV St. Gallen ridiculous verses (between 850 and 900)
HH Hirsch und Hinde (uncertain: between 975 and 1000, St. Gallen, old Alemannic)
MH Murbacher Hymnen (between 810 and 817, uncertain: Reichenau, old Alemannic)
N Notker III. (980-1022, St. Gallen, Old Alemannic)
NP Notker (additional text words from the St. Paul fragments, 12th century)
NGl Notkerglossator (between 1025 and 1050, St. Gallen, old Alemannic)
NGlP Notkerglossator (additional glosses of the St. Pauler fragments)
Ph Physiologus (between 1050 and 1100)
WU Weingarten book signature (11th century, Weingarten, old Alemannic)

Longobard

LLang Leges Langobardorum (after 643 Northern Italy, Lombard)

Unassigned

Cap Capitularia (between 6th and 10th century, different Old High German language affiliations)
Gl glosses (from more than 1100 manuscripts between 700 and 750 and 15th centuries, different Old High German language affiliations)
LAl Lex Alamannorum (uncertain: 712 or 725, 7th century)
LBai Lex Baiwariorum (before 743)
LRib Lex Ribvaria (uncertain: 7th century, old Franconian)
LThur Lex Thuringorum (around 800)
LVis Leges Visigothorum (7th century)
PAl Pactus Alamannorum (7th century)
Strasbourg oath of February 14, 842, but only survived in a falsified copy from the 10th or 11th century

literature

Rolf Bergmann (Ed.): Old High German and Old Saxon Literature. de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2013, ISBN 978-3-11-024549-3 . (De Gruyter Lexicon)
Helmut de Boor : The German literature from Charlemagne to the beginning of courtly poetry (770-1170). (= History of German Literature 1, Helmut de Boor, Richard Newald (Hrsg.)) CH Beck, Munich 9th edition 1979, ISBN 978-3-406-06088-5 .
Gustav Ehrismann : The old high German literature. (= History of German literature up to the end of the Middle Ages 1) Unchanged reprint of the 2nd, fully worked out edition 1932, CH Beck, Munich 1962.

Hanns Fischer: Tablets for the Old High German reading book. Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen 1966.

Wolfgang Haubrichs : The beginnings. Attempts at vernacular writing in the early Middle Ages (approx. 700-1050 / 60) . (= History of German literature from the beginnings to the beginning of modern times. Vol. 1, 1, Joachim Heinzle (Hrsg.)) Niemeyer, Tübingen 1995.

Gerhard Köbler : Collection of smaller Old High German language monuments. Works on law and linguistics Verlag GmbH, Giessen 1986, ISBN 3-88430-050-4 .

Stephan Müller : Old High German Literature. A commented anthology: Old High German, Old Low German / New High German. (= Reclams Universal Library 18491) Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-15-018491-2 .

Kurt Ruh , Burghart Wachinger et al. (Ed.): Author's lexicon. The German literature of the Middle Ages. 2nd, completely revised edition, De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1978 ff.

Stefan Sonderegger : Old High German Language and Literature. An introduction to the oldest German. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2003, ISBN 3-11-017288-7 .

John C. Wells : Old High German glossy dictionary, including the glossy index started by Taylor Starck. Heidelberg (1972–) 1990.