Aristotle and Phyllis
Aristotle and Phyllis is a Middle High German fairy tale written by an unknown court poet. It shows the motif of the wise man who is seduced, outwitted and exposed by a beautiful woman. Two German versions are known, the so-called Strasbourg version and the older Benediktbeurer version. This was probably the model for the later Strasbourg version. "Aristotle and Phyllis" was written between 1260 and 1287 in the area of the Upper Rhine cities of Basel and Strasbourg . Compared to other tales, her narrative style has novel-like features. The story of the verse is documented in three manuscripts, which are only partially preserved. The original text was between 314 and 565 verses. The market is strongly influenced by the works of contemporary poets, so that there are literal echoes of these in several places. In research there is still disagreement about the intent of the narrative.
content
The powerful Macedonian king Philip and his beautiful, noble wife have a virtuous son named Alexander (vv. 1–37). The king appoints the wise Aristotle as teacher for the growing prince. This should prepare Alexander for his future duties as ruler. At first the boy finds it difficult to learn, but under the guidance of his teacher he becomes a diligent student. (VV. 38-81) This changes when Alexander falls in love with the pretty Phyllis. She is a member of the Queen's entourage and is of high parentage herself. Alexander is so in love with Phyllis that he can no longer concentrate on his lessons. He visits her secretly and finally Phyllis also falls in love with Alexander. In the near future the lovers will meet secretly in a garden as often as possible (VV. 82-145). However, Aristotle soon realizes Alexander's love for Phyllis. The teacher warns the prince of love and watches over him day and night as best he can. However, this does not prevent Alexander and Phyllis from their dates. Aristotle then gets the king through that the lovers be separated. Phyllis denies her relationship with Alexander before the king. The Queen believes Phyllis and denies her guilt. Alexander and Phyllis are very sad and suffer greatly from their separation (VV. 146–208). Her heartache makes Phyllis angry with Aristotle. She feels that her love has been stolen from the old man and wants to take revenge on him for it. Then she adorns herself with a light dress and a headband made of gold and precious stones and begins to pick flowers in front of Aristotle's window (VV. 209-339). He is carried away by her loveliness and asks her to spend the night with him for money (VV. 340-390). She pretends to respond to his request. Then Phyllis sees a saddle on the wall and, for her love, demands that she be allowed to saddle Aristotle and be carried through the garden by him like on a horse. Blind with love, Aristotle agrees. Phyllis buckles up a saddle for him and, singing a love song, rides on his back through the garden (VV. 390-489). This spectacle happened to be seen by some ladies-in-waiting and the queen. Phyllis insults the loving old man and is happy that her revenge has succeeded. She shows that Aristotle cannot live up to his own ideal and, like Alexander, falls in love with Phyllis. Thereupon Aristotle is exposed to ridicule and shame and flees. In a distant land he meditates on the perniciousness of wives' cunning (VV. 490–554).
The older template and the market share the essential workflows. Nevertheless, the medieval versions show different accentuations in terms of content. More details under: Version differences.
Motivation
The motif of a superior woman demonstrating and humiliating the sage has been known in world literature since the 5th century. It can already be found in Chinese, Arabic and Persian stories from this period. Examples are the Buddhist stories "Tripitaka" from the year 516 AD or the Persian story "About the good and bad sides of things" from the 9th century. In Europe this motif was particularly widespread from the 13th to the 16th century. It probably came to Europe from the Orient at the time of the Crusades . However, the role of the wise was only transferred to the philosopher Aristotle in the occidental stories. Some of the numerous examples in which the Weiberlist motif is carried out in literary form are Hugo von Trimberg's “ Der Renner ”, Lamprecht von Regensburg's “Daughter Syon”, Heinrich von dem Türlin's “Crône”, Hartmann von Aues “ Erec ” or Wolfram von Eschenbach's “ Parzival ” ".
In addition to the text documents, this motif was also widely used in the pictorial representations of the late Middle Ages. Images of the equestrian scene have been shown on objects of everyday court life, such as knife handles, combs or stove tiles. In addition, sculptures and facade reliefs in various churches and cathedrals are documented. Various design techniques were used in art to represent the motif. In addition to sculptures and facade reliefs , there are also drawings, woodcuts , copper engravings , embroidery and ivory carvings. Concrete examples are the painter's carpet or the woodcut “ Weibermacht ” from 1513 by Hans Baldung Grien . There are various possible explanations for the popularity of this motif. On the one hand, it is assumed that the representation was intended to appeal to the public as a warning against the ruse of women and was therefore particularly represented in the church context. Against this is the fact that many of the ecclesiastical images were not accessible to the public and their teaching did not get out. On the other hand, due to the often private locations, it is assumed that this motif was simply used for entertainment and was therefore often taken up.
Author and origin
The name of the poet who wrote the story is not known. It is certain, however, that he was an educated man, since he had an exact knowledge of the writings of Gottfried von Straßburg and Konrad von Würzburg and had great linguistic dexterity. His geographical origin is limited to the area around the Upper Rhine cities of Basel and Strasbourg through the Lower Alemannic language in his narration. Due to several literal matches and similarities to Konrad von Würzburg's works “ Herzmäre ”, “Engelhard” and “Trojan War”, it is now considered certain that the nameless poet knew these works and incorporated them into his mare. This fact provides an indication of the poet's life dates, since other incorporated works such as Gottfried von Strasbourg's “Tristan” are significantly older. According to today's knowledge, Konrad von Würzburg wrote his stories between the years 1260 and 1287. It can therefore be assumed that “Aristotle and Phyllis” also originated at the end of the 13th century.
Narrative style
Compared to other tales of the 13th century, “Aristotle and Phyllis” looks more like a novel. This impression is created on the one hand by the introduction by name and character description of the people. King Philip, for example, is described in great detail as great, powerful, generous, honorable and flawless (VV1-9). The beauty of his wife and Alexander's characteristics are also extensively described (VV. 13-35). On the other hand, the novel-like arises from the extensive elaboration of the secondary scenes. An example of such a detailed secondary scene is King Philip's conversation with Aristotle (VV. 40-67). In contrast to most of the verse narratives, the audience is very close to the plot thanks to the precise rendering of the words. In addition, this story is characterized by a great deal of detail in its descriptions. Phyllis' clothing and appearance in particular are described in great detail in over 60 verses (VV. 228-292). While the older model of "Aristotle and Phyllis" only shows a simple, sequential narrative style, the Märe itself shows an elegant expression.
Lore
The story “Aristotle and Phyllis” has been handed down in three medieval manuscripts. Two of these manuscripts have not survived. The Strasbourg version (version S) comprised 554 verses and was written around 1330–1350. It was part of a Strasbourg composite manuscript made of parchment . The manuscript comprised 80 sheets and belonged to the city library in Strasbourg. It burned in a fire during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Only one copy of the Strasbourg version has survived. The Regensburg version (version r) was 486 verses long and is dated to the 14th century. It was part of a 65-page manuscript made of paper that was in the possession of the Jesuit library in Regensburg. The manuscript had no signature and has been lost since the Battle of Regensburg in 1809. The most recent and least valuable version is the 565-verse Karlsruhe version (version k), which dates from the period between 1430 and 1435 and has been preserved. It is part of the 191-sheet Codex Karlsruhe made of paper and is in the Badische Landesbibliothek .
Literary template
In search of the template for “Aristotle and Phyllis” it was first assumed that the fair was a takeover of the “ Li Lais d'Aristôte ” (Lai d'Aristote) written around 1230 by Henri d'Andeli . However, it turned out that the old French edition shows many deviations from the German market. In the French version, Aristotle is the leader of the barons and knights of Alexander. Alexander hesitates to continue his campaign of conquest and spends all of his time with his beloved in India. This beloved, threatened by Aristotle, seduces and now rides Aristotle, too, making him look ridiculous in front of the king and court. Due to the different framework and the lack of literal similarities, it is now assumed that it was not the work of Henri d'Andeli that was the model for the later German market, but the older, Rhine-Franconian Benediktbeurer version. This is only fragmentary and was originally between 314 and 368 verses long. It was created around 1200, making it the oldest European version. The Benediktbeurer version shows all essential narrative features as well as literal correspondences with the later Strasbourg version and thus appears convincing as a model. The following comparison illustrates an example of the literal proximity of the two versions:
Strasbourg version
Mhd. "Everything helped just a little"
Nhd . “None of that was of any use. "
Benediktbeurer version
Mhd. "In the ability sîne sense no help umbe a hearing"
Nhd. "His senses could not help him in the least."
In the following sentence, both versions are completely identical:
Mhd. "(The master) krouch ûf all four."
Nhd. "The master crawled on all fours."
The parchment of the Benediktbeurer version was not found until 1964/65 during the restoration of the organ of the Benediktbeuern monastery church. It was used to seal the organ pipes in 1695. It remains unknown where the Benediktbeurer version got the narrative material from. It is assumed that there was a preliminary stage of this version that was not preserved or that the material was transmitted orally.
Version differences
Despite the correspondence of the main courses of action, the two medieval versions show different accents and endings.
Benediktbeurer version
The Benediktbeurer version, which served as the basis for the fair, shows a one-sided narrative view that focuses on the pernicious cunning of women. This is particularly emphasized in two places:
Middle High German (VV. 300-304)
“Waz wîbe list can
tell no one about that.
A wîp can ûf the verte hunt, so
that no one can gevristen from ir
lists. "
New High German translation
“What the wisdom of women can achieve,
no one can express in words.
A woman can follow her trail in such a way
that
no one can feel safe from her cunning . "
Here the woman is portrayed as a hunter, which reverses the traditional distribution of roles in which the woman is hunted as prey by the man. It also describes the powerlessness of men:
Middle High German (VV. 323-325)
"How he sî, how lôs a man,
from wîbes list no one can
bind his mind (...)"
New High German translation
"
No matter how clever and sly a man may be, no one can break free
from the cleverness of a woman
."
After his exposure to the entire court, Aristotle is banished and expressly urges the audience to stay away from the crafty women. This warning is justified with examples from ancient or biblical traditions, in which women bring misfortune to men by seduction. Called Adam , Samson , David and Solomon . The means used by the cunning women are implemented differently in this older version than in the later March. This is particularly evident in the motivation for the ride. Phyllis does not try to seduce Aristotle in order to carry out her plans for revenge, but pretends not to be able to leave. Phyllis doesn't even have to use her seductive art here, but outsmarts Aristotle solely through her cleverness. Although her revenge on Aristotle was initially criticized by the court, she ended up staying with Alexander all her life. Aristotle himself becomes a memorial to female cunning.
Strasbourg version
In the story from the 13th century, the warning against the cunning of women is no longer in the foreground, but the right to love as a central theme. This is particularly clear from a comment by the narrator in which he no longer generalizes women as vicious and cunning, but also admits that there are impeccable women:
Middle High German (VV. 453-464)
"Diu wîp all are not asô.
wîp make manic heart vrô,
that worries would be buried.
wil ir a part niht êre
still have kiuschen sin, still stats must,
daz schat the niht, they are behout
and vrî before all messetât.
tûsent wîbe virtues has
a wîp. whether no one would be
evil and changeable,
should one recognize bî,
welhiu would be misewende vrî? "
New High German translation
“The women are not all like that (cunning).
Women delight many hearts
buried in grief.
If a part of them has no honorable demeanor,
no pure disposition, and no steadfast mind,
then those
who are devoid of any wickedness are not affected .
The virtues of a thousand women
are already possessed by the individual. If there were no women
who were bad and reprehensible,
how could one notice
which one was without fault? "
In this text excerpt you can see a further development of the fairy tale in contrast to its original. While women were generalized as insidious in the older version, a more precise distinction is made here. The fluctuating liable Mare accordingly, there is a partisan narrative here. Phyllis is portrayed as superior in comparison to Aristotle. She is described with the positive character traits of a court lady "beautiful and praiseworthy" and "of high skill" as beautiful, praiseworthy and of high descent. The wisdom ascribed to Aristotle (v. 41), on the other hand, is drawn ironically by making clear that his warning cannot be carried out. After Aristotle's escape, Alexander and Phyllis no longer come together in this version. On the distant island Aristotle writes a book about the cunning of women.
Text copying from other works
What is remarkable about the Märe is that the later Strasbourg version is strongly influenced by the works of other medieval poets. In several places there are borrowings from Gottfried von Strasbourg's “Tristan” novel and Konrad von Würzburg's “Herzmär”. For example, four longer sections were taken verbatim from the Tristan novel and cleverly inserted into the plot of the fair. One passage is the adoption of the verses from the Tristan novel in which Blanscheflur falls in love with Riwalin:
Middle High German Aristotle and Phyllis (VV. 207-216)
"Si something with the same damage
by in, as he by sî, loaded.
diu mighty minne
diu what ouch in ir sense
a part ze stormy komen
and het ir violently benomen
a part ir best mâze.
si what about ir like i'm
still the same as i
'm good at ir won site. "
New High German Aristotle and Phyllis (VV. 207-216)
“He
caused her the same harm as she did him.
The profound love also
ruled her mind
in a stormy way
and had
forcibly robbed her of her moral behavior.
Your view of
yourself and the world
did not correspond to the usual way. "
Middle High German Tristan (VV. 957-970)
“You were
also loaded with the same damage by in as he was by you.
Diu violaerinne minne
diu was ouch in ir senses.
A part of ze sturmelîche came
and had by force taken
the best part of ir mâze.
Sine what about ir gelâzen
ir even who werlt not mitenâch ir won the site. "
New High German Tristan (VV. 957-970)
“It was fraught with the same damage
from him as he from her.
The profound love
was also in her mind.
In some cases, this has been so stormy
that it
has forcibly robbed them of their moral behavior.
Her view of
herself and the world
no longer corresponded to the usual way. "
This example shows that the verses from the Tristan novel are taken over very well. The unknown author only changed the order of the sentence slightly and adopted the content. Similar examples can also be found for Konrad's "Herzmare":
Aristotle and Phyllis verse 203
Mhd. "You send jâmerunge vergienc ouch niht the young one."
Nhd. "The longing pain was also very persistent."
Herzmar verse 521
Mhd. "Daz heart ir in the lîbe plays by sender jâmerunge."
Nhd. "Her heart broke in her body with wistful pain."
Given these borrowings, it seems certain that the fairy poet was very familiar with the works of his contemporaries.
One can only speculate about the reasons the poet had for his takeovers. In research, however, it is predominantly assumed that the poet wanted his audience to recognize the text passages that were taken over as such. It is believed that this was intended to produce a certain narrative effect, such as a parodic stimulus.
History of interpretation
Since the 1970s in particular, there have been many attempts to interpret the fairy tale “Aristotle and Phyllis”. In contrast to other stories, it received a lot of research attention. This is mainly due to the indecision of the verse narration. The main controversial question of research is whether the fair is an example of a story of insurmountable love or a warning about the cunning of women. The ambiguous characterization of Phyllis is decisive for this question. She is described on the one hand as "innocent" and "the lovely one" with the words "diu süeze pure" and "diu minnecliche" (VV. 375). On the other hand, her will to harm Aristotle is also emphasized when the narrator describes:
Aristotle and Phyllis (VV. 378-380)
Mhd.
"Si kêrte darûf iren sin
as si in schante
it even called;
Nhd.
"She had
resolved to bring him (Aristotle) to shame
, she was very eager for that."
It is not possible to unambiguously classify either of the two disputed positions as true or false, as both approaches can be read from the text. Some of the most common research approaches are briefly outlined:
Hellmut Rosenfeld deals in his essay published in the 1970s with the then newly discovered Benediktbeurer version. He gives information on the place of discovery, the handwriting, the dating, the localization, the comparison with the Strasbourg version and other European versions, as well as the literary position. He takes the position that the older version served as a template for the later Strasbourg version and underlines this by showing that the two versions correspond literally. According to Rosenfeld, the motif of women cunning is mainly found in both versions. In the following he deals with the question of why the Strasbourg version has been changed so much compared to its original. On the one hand, he answers the question of influencing the works of contemporary authors. On the other hand, in his opinion, the embarrassment for Aristotle is specially softened in the Strasbourg version, since Aristotle had become a school reading in the 13th century. Aristotle is rehabilitated by the fact that the lovers in the Strasbourg version no longer meet again.
Burghart Wachinger sees in his investigation of the Strasbourg version, under the aspect of the reception of Gottfried von Strasbourg in the 13th century, a clear tightening of the warning against the woman's cunning. It shows the intertextual references to the "Tristan" novel and how purposefully the unknown author of the fairy has incorporated them into his work. He also asks whether the audience at that time was able to recognize these textual transfers. He emphasizes that even then the effect of the fair must have worked differently depending on the knowledge of the listener.
Hedda Ragotzky added a new approach to interpretation in the 1990s. In contrast to its predecessors, this no longer assumes that the warning against women is in the foreground, but the power of love. She argues that Phyllis is no longer a chilling symbol of female seduction, but a fighter for unjustly forbidden love. She attributes this primarily to the use of the "Tristan" extracts. Phyllis' vengeance would only serve the love that Aristotle had presumed to suppress. Ragotzky gives the fair a new variant of meaning. She expresses it as follows: "The intertextual references to the Tristan novel result in a reinterpretation of the original" woman's cunning "- an example of a demonstration of the invincible power of courtly love (...)"
Karin Cieslik presented the current state of research in 2006. In her opinion, Hedda Ragotzky has the most convincing position, which is also the most plausible. In her investigation, in which she builds on Ragotzky, Cieslik herself places the contradicting representation of Phyllis, who she sees as the main character, at the center of her explanations. The central question of research is whether "Aristotle and Phyllis" is about invincible love or a story about cunning women. This could not be clearly clarified due to the indecision of Phyllis' character.
literature
Primary text
- Jürgen Schulz-Grobert: Smaller Middle High German verse narratives. Reclam, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-15-018431-2 .
- Gottfried von Strasbourg: Tristan. Volume 1: Text, Middle High German / New High German, verses 1–9982. edited by Rüdiger Krohn. Reclam, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-15-004471-5 .
- Heinz Rölleke (ed.): Heinrich von Kempten, Konrad von Würzburg. Middle High German texts based on the edition by Edward Schröder. Reclam, Stuttgart 1968, ISBN 3-15-002855-8 .
Research literature
- Marija Javor Briéski: A warning against dominant women or an affirmation of sensual pleasure? On the ambivalence of the “Aristotle and Phyllis motif” as a symbol in the mirror of German poetry of the late Middle Ages. In: Amsterdam Contributions to Older German Studies. Volume 59, 2004, pp. 37-66.
- Karin Cieslik: Constitution of meaning and tradition of knowledge in the late medieval market: Aristotle and Phyllis. In: Gudrun Marci-Boehncke , Jörg Riecke (eds.): From myths and mars. Medieval cultural history as reflected in a scientist's biography . Olms, Hildesheim 2006, ISBN 3-487-13179-X , pp. 173-189.
- Klaus Grubmüller: Novellistics of the Middle Ages. Fairy poetry (= library of the Middle Ages; Volume 23). German classic publishing house, Frankfurt a. M. 1996, pp. 1185 ff. ISBN 3-618-66230-0 .
- Cornelia Herrmann: The ridden Aristotle. The motif of the “Aristotle on horseback” and its significance for maintaining social order from the beginning of the 13th century. until around 1500. Centaurus-Verlagsgesellschaft, Pfaffenweiler 1991, p. 47 ff. ISBN 3-89085-583-0 .
- Norbert Ott: Minne or amor carnalis? On the function of the minneslaves - representation of medieval art. In: Jeffrey Ashcroft, Dietrich Huschenbett, William Henry Jackson (ed.): Love in the German literature of the Middle Ages . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1987, ISBN 3-484-10551-8 , pp. 107-125.
- Hedda Ragotzky: The wise Aristotle as a victim of female seduction. On the literary reception of a widespread example of the “inverted world”. In: Helga Sciurie, Hans-Jürgen Bachorski (Ed.): Eros - Power - Asceticism. Gender tensions as a dialogue structure in art and literature . Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier (WVT), Trier 1996, ISBN 3-88476-132-3 , pp. 279-301.
- Hellmut Rosenfeld: Aristotle and Phyllis. A newly found Benediktbeurer version around 1200. In: Journal for German Philology . Vol. 89 (1970), pp. 321-336.
- Otto Springer: An unpublished game by Aristotle and the Queen. In: Zeitschrift fur Deutsches Altertum and Deutsche Literatur , vol. 111 (1982), pp. 22–52.
- Burghart Wachinger : On the reception of Gottfried von Straßburg in the 13th century. In: Wolfgang Harms, Peter Johnson (ed.): German literature of the late Middle Ages. Hamburg Colloquium 1973 . Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin 1973, ISBN 3-503-01213-3 , pp. 56-82.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ In the following always quoted from: Schulz-Grobert, Jürgen: Kleinere Mittelhochdeutsche Verserzählungen, Stuttgart: Reclam 2006.
- ↑ Grubmüller, Klaus: Novellistics of the Middle Ages . Märendichtung, (Library of the Middle Ages; Volume 23). German classic publishing house, Frankfurt a. M. 1996, p. 1185 ff. ISBN 3-618-66230-0 , p. 1188.
- ↑ Ott, Norbert: “Minne oder amor carnalis ?. On the function of the minneslave - representation of medieval art. ”In: Jeffrey Ashcroft, Dietrich Huschenbett, William Henry Jackson (ed.): Love in the German literature of the Middle Ages . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1987, ISBN 3-484-10551-8 , pp. 107-125. P. 111.
- ↑ Ott, Norbert: Minne oder amor carnalis ?. On the function of the minneslaves - representation of medieval art. , Pp. 107-125.
- ^ Klaus Grubmüller: Novellistics of the Middle Ages . Fairy poetry, p. 1185.
- ^ Burghart Wachinger: On the reception of Gottfried von Strasbourg in the 13th century. In: Wolfgang Harms, Peter Johnson (ed.): German literature of the late Middle Ages. Hamburg Colloquium. Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin 1973, ISBN 3-503-01213-3 , pp. 77-78.
- ↑ Heinrich Myller in his "Collection of German Poems III".
- ↑ Verbatim comparisons quoted from: Hellmut Rosenfeld: Aristoteles und Phyllis. A newly found Benediktbeurer version around 1200. In: Journal for German Philology. Volume 89, 1970, p. 331.
- ↑ Quoted from: Karin Cieslik: Constitution of meaning and tradition of knowledge in the late medieval market. Aristotle and Phyllis. In: Gudrun Marci-Boehncke, Jörg Riecke (eds.): From myths and mars. Olms, Hildesheim 2006, ISBN 3-487-13179-X , p. 178.
- ↑ Quoted from: Rüdiger Krohn: Gottfried von Straßburg: Tristan Volume 1, Reclam, Stuttgart 1986, p. 66.
- ^ Burghart Wachinger: On the reception of Gottfried von Strasbourg in the 13th century. P. 79.
- ↑ Hellmut Rosenfeld: Aristoteles and Phyllis. A newly found Benediktbeurer version around 1200. In: Journal for German Philology. Vol. 89, 1970, pp. 321-336.
- ^ Burghart Wachinger: On the reception of Gottfried von Strasbourg in the 13th century. In: Wolfgang Harms, Peter Johnson (ed.): German literature of the late Middle Ages. Hamburg Colloquium. Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin 1973, ISBN 3-503-01213-3 , pp. 56-82.
- ^ Ragotzky, Hedda: The wise Aristotle as a victim of female seduction. On the literary reception of a widespread example of the “inverted world”. In: Helga Sciurie, Hans-Jürgen Bachorski (Ed.): Eros - Power - Asceticism. Gender tensions as a dialogue structure in art and literature . WVT. Knowledge Verlag, Trier 1996, ISBN 3-88476-132-3 , p. 187.
- ↑ Karin Cieslik: Constitution of meaning and tradition of knowledge in the late medieval market: Aristoteles and Phyllis . P. 177.
- ↑ Karin Cieslik: Constitution of meaning and tradition of knowledge in the late medieval market: Aristoteles and Phyllis. In: Gudrun Marci-Boehncke, Jörg Riecke (eds.): From myths and mars. Olms, Hildesheim 2006, ISBN 3-487-13179-X , pp. 173-189.