The runner
The Renner is the only surviving German-language work by Hugo von Trimberg . The didactic work starts with the deadly sins, which are illustrated by examples, stories, allegories and fables. Quotes and appeals to authorities serve to secure and credibility of his statements. The “pear tree allegory” of the prologue structures the work. The "Renner" comprises 26,611 verses. Hugo completed the "Renner" in 1300, but worked on it until 1313. The numerous manuscripts that have survived from the late Middle Ages indicate that Hugo's late work was very popular in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Structure of the plant
Rhyme scheme
The “Renner” comprises 26,611 verses and is written in four-part rhyming pairs except for the tail rhyme prologue, e.g. E.g .: In Swâben, in Duringia, in Beiern, in Franconia / In Swabia, in Thuringia, in Bavaria, in Franconia /
Dâ süln tiutsche liute danken / Dort sollen deutsche Leute danken/ Mîner sêle mit irm gebete, / Meiner Seele mit ihrem Gebet/ Mit almuosen, mit andere guotête, / Mit Almosen, mit anderem guten Werk/ Daz ich vil fremder lêre in hân/ Dass ich ihnen viele unbekannte Lehre/ In tiutscher zungen kunt getân […] In deutscher Sprache dargelegt habe […]
It happens, however, that the static of paired rhymes is relaxed by the use of multiple rhymes. This is the case, for example, in the series of anaphors that appear again and again in the text of the “Renner” at regular intervals.
structure
The “hit” begins with a two-part prologue. At its center is the so-called pear tree allegory. The structure of its content corresponds to the structure and the thematic weighting of the entire text. It consists of two main parts: From a moral teaching ( v . 269-18000 ), in which the seven deadly sins hôchfart , gîtikeit , frâz , unkiusche , nît , zôrn and lâzheit , as well as the groups of people who fall into them, dealt with in six so-called distinctions and from a doctrine of salvation (v. 18001 - 24483) that deals with the subject of repentance. An epilogue, which, like the prologue, consists of two parts, closes the “hit”. In addition to the division of the seven main sins into distinctions, Hugo has also used an order in chapters or thematic sections within them. B. are groups of people who are particularly susceptible to the respective sin, or behaviors that are typical of the vice. These two structuring principles are secondary to each other and overlap. In addition, there are three larger excursions that follow the second, fourth and fifth distinctions.
teller
Hugo remains present as the author throughout the work. Since “Renner” is not an epic, but didactic and theological work, Hugo himself acts as the narrator of his material. He communicates his own views to the audience instead of capturing a narrator's voice for himself. Important passages such as For example: the entrances to the distinctions are marked by so-called “I” statements. Research sees this empathic attitude as "a characteristic of didactic literature in the vernacular", as it is through it that the poetic and moral demands of the author are conveyed in a haunting manner. Epic storytellers only appear in the fables and stories that Hugo has worked into the “Renner”. In the prologue, too, he apparently used a narrator's voice, since it can be assumed that its content is based on fiction and not on Hugo's own experiences. Because of the didactic intent that Hugo pursues with his work, he often addresses the reader directly in order to secure his attention.
content
In the following, the content as well as the formal design of the individual sections of the "Renner" are explained.
Prologue (v. 1 - 268)
Literary research calls the part of the "Renner" the prologue that precedes the treatise on the first major sin , the hôchfart . It consists of a so-called Prologus praeter rem and a Prologus ante rem . According to research, a poet presents the intention of his work in the Prologus praeter rem , while in the Prologus ante rem he introduces the reader to the subject matter of the work. This is also the case in Hugo von Trimberg's “Renner”.
The Prologus praeter rem (vv. 1 - 36)
construction
The Prologus praeter rem consists of three stanzas of twelve lines each. Each stanza has its own rhyme scheme. The rhyme schemes give each stanza its individual character, but by taking up and modifying the rhymes or rhyme sequences, they are also linked with one another and thus identified as belonging together.
content
The three stanzas of the Prologus praeter rem also stand out from each other thematically : In the first stanza (vv. 1-12) Hugo introduces himself as the poet of the work and describes himself as an old man who has long been suffering from complaints such as head humming and ringing in the ears, because of which he has already considered giving up poetry.
In the second stanza (v. 13-24) he informs the readers of the intention he is pursuing by writing the “Renner”: Hugo wants to make his “good friends [a booklet]” - “good friends [a little book]” poetry ”(v. 16) so that they“ remember ”him as they read his work. With this he intercedes for the salvation of his soul. Furthermore, the "racer" should serve him and other people as a penance.
In the third stanza (v. 25-36) Hugo states that he has “siben büechelin / In tiutsch […], and in lâtin five half” - “seven little books / in German […], and in Latin five half” ( 26 f.): The “Renner” is the only one of Hugo von Trimberg's five German-language works that has been preserved. It is still the only work that Hugo "deliberately designed as a purely German work" in order to make its content accessible to the German-speaking audience. With the half “booklet” Hugo means the “seed”, which he could not complete because he lost the arcs of the work. However, he integrated its content in the "Renner" in verses 24588 - 24605. Furthermore, in the third stanza, Hugo asks God's help so that his work can succeed. This is typical of sacred works of the Middle Ages. Hugo not only hopes that God will show him the "right" way for his poetry, but above all that it will give him the strength to complete his work before his death. The Prologus prater rem ends with a call to prayer (cf. vv. 33-36). This indicates once again that Hugo regards the "Renner" as a predominantly spiritual textbook.
The prologus ante rem (v. 37-268)
construction
In formal terms, the Prologus ante rem can be distinguished from the previous Prologus praeter rem : unlike its predecessor, it is not structured in stanzas, but rather characterized by the “continuous rhyming verses” typical of the “Renner”. For the most part, these appear in the form of pair rhymes, e.g. BV 49 ff .:
„Ûf einem grüenen reine, / „Auf einem grünen Wiesenrain, / Gesundert alterseine, / ganz allein, / Der was gezierte harte wol, / der sehr geschmückt war, / Wenne er stuont liehter blüete vol […]“ denn er stand in voller Blüte“ […]
Only in verses 80 - 83, 151 - 154, 175 - 178 and 195 - 198 do quadruple rhymes occur that break the order of the pair of rhyming chains, e.g. BV 151 ff .:
„Dô Adâm und Êvâ beide / „Als Adam wie Eva/ Von der wunneclichen heide / von der herrlichen Heide/ Des paradîses muosten scheide, / Des Paradieses scheiden mussten, / Dô lebten sie mit leide.“ lebten sie mit Leid.“
The topic of the "Renner" is presented in the so-called pear tree allegory. The event is presented by a homodiegetic narrator who cannot be equated with Hugo von Trimberg.
The narrator of the allegory is not only homodiegetic, but also autodiegetic, since he is the main character of the story and appears as a first-person narrator. In the pear tree allegory, Hugo therefore uses an internal focus. The content is divided into the pear tree allegory and its allegory .
Content: The pear tree allegory and allegory
The first-person narrator describes how he comes to a heather that lies in a valley surrounded by high mountains: "Diu heide lac in a valley, / Glîche gemezzen and niht ze wide, / With heights mountains ümmeleit" (v . 44 - 46) - "The heather lay in a valley, the same size and not too wide, surrounded by high mountains". A narrow, grassy path leads the narrator to the heather on which numerous flowers grow (cf. vv. 40-43). The narrator begins to explore the area more closely. On his way he discovers a tree, which he describes in detail: The tree stands alone on a piece of meadow and bears flowers. From these pears develop, which are shaken from the tree by the wind "Virwiz" when they are ripe (cf. vv. 65-75).
Some pears fall into a well under the pear tree, others into the puddle that is fed by the water from the well. Another part of the pears falls into a thorn bush that grows next to an untouched piece of green grass on which some pears also fall. The pears that fall into wells, puddles and thorns must perish. The pears that fall on the grass are exposed to the weather and suffer a little from it, but remain largely intact (vv. 87-100):
„Ein teil ir in die lachen kam: „Ein Teil von ihnen fiel in die Pfütze: Nieman die her ûz nam; / Niemand nahm sie dort heraus; / Ein teil viel in den brunnen: / Ein Teil fiel in den Brunnen: / Die beliben ungewunnen; / Die blieben unerobert; / Ir viel ein teil in den dorn: / Ein Teil fiel in den Dornenbusch: / Mich dunket die sîn ouch verlon, Ich denke, die sind auch verloren, Wenn si müezen fûlen dâr an/ Weil sie dort faulen müssen/ Niht wol man daz erwenden kann. Das kann man nicht verhindern. Ir viel ein teil ouch ûf daz gras: / Ein Teil von ihnen fiel auch auf das Gras: / Die lâgen wol, swie vil der was: / Die lagen gut, obwohl viele dort waren: / Aleine daz weter in têt wê, / Obwohl das Wetter ihnen zusetzte, / Doch verdurben jene anderen ê/ Verdarben jene anderen eher/ Die dâ lâgen an boeser stat, / Die an schlechter Stelle lagen, / Als man iuch vor bescheiden hât.“ Wie man euch zuvor berichtet hat.“
This section ends the description of the pear tree and thus the allegory. In the following, Hugo introduces the allegory, the interpretation of the previously created image: “Nu notice, young liute, / What the boum means, / The thorn and the green grass / And swaz mêr ûf the heath was!” - “Well Remember, young people, / What the tree means / The thorn bush and also the green grass / And what was more on the heath! ”(vv. 101-104).
Hugo proceeds in a subtle way with his interpretation: First he tells of the creation of man and Adam and Eve's peaceful life in the Garden of Eden (cf. vv. 105 - 122). In the following he devotes himself to the description of the fall, which in his opinion is the cause of the origin of sins. At this point, Hugo also decodes the meaning of the symbols from the "pear tree allegory ": According to this, the well stands for greed ( gîtikeit ), the thorn bush for pride ( hôchfart ) and the puddle for sins gluttony ( frâz ), fornication ( unkiusche ) , Anger ( zôrn ), envy ( nît ) and indolence ( laziness ). Well and thorn bush came about because Adam and Eve were greedy and haughty when they violated God's prohibition. The puddle of other sins is a consequence of the well of greed. The piece of green grass on which the pears fall, which remain almost completely unspoiled, stands for the remorse that Adam and Eve felt after eating the forbidden fruit (cf. vv. 124-132).
Hugo describes the further course of the Fall by describing the banishment of Adam and Eve from Paradise and their life on earth. He briefly refers to Cain's fratricide and mentions that there are numerous descendants of Adam and Eve. However, he does not want to go into further details and at this point refers the reader to the book of Genesis, in which the beginning of the world can be read, and the priests and monasteries, to whom God has given the task of interpreting the Bible. As a simple layman, Hugo does not see himself authorized or qualified to do this (cf. vv. 151-184).
Hugo only tries to provide a moral interpretation of his allegory and continues with the decoding of the symbols: Eva stands for the pear tree: “A rib got ûz in the [Adâm] dô nam, / from our muoter Êvâ came: / Si means the boum aleine, / Der dâ wuohs ûf dem pure ”-“ Then God took a rib from him / it came from our mother Eve: / it stands for the tree / that grew alone there on the meadow ”(vv. 111-113 ). The pears that grow on the tree, on the other hand, symbolize the descendants of Adam and Eve, namely the young, growing people (cf. vv. 201-203). The heather symbolizes the world created by God, the advantages of which Hugo lists, only to come to the conclusion at the end of this description that the earth is still a valley of tears compared to paradise (cf. vv. 207-234). The mountains surrounding the valley in which the heather with the pear tree lies represent the worries and hardships of life (cf. vv. 237–239).
In the following, Hugo points out that in his poetry he will only take into account the Christians, but not the Jews, heretics and pagans, who fall like pears in different places (cf. 246 ff.). This applies to all people: “Avoid, knehte, man and wîp / Sêle and êre, guot and lîp: / Des vallent si vil ungelîche, / Young, old, poor and rîche.” - “Girls, young men, men and women / Soul and honor, property and body: / They fall very unevenly, / young, old, poor and rich ”(v. 255 - 258). According to Hugo, the falling of the ripe pears is to be equated with the detachment of young people from their mother: This happens with the girls through the wind of curiosity, “Virwiz”, and with the boys through the egoist, “her Selphart”: “Swenne si the kintheit about striving, / And never mêr in vorhten lives, / Sân kumt her Virwiz gerant / And releases the avoid ûf diu bant; / She loosens Selphart, / Who would be tender before ir muoter. ”-“ If they resist childhood, / And never live in fear again, / Mr. Curiosity comes running at once / and unties the girls' ties; / Mr Egoist loosens young men / who were previously loved by their mother ”(vv. 261-266).
The first-person narrator describes the heather with flowers and pear trees as a natural idyll. This description corresponds to the description of a locus amoenus . In research, the allegory of the prologue is regarded as one of the few elements that gives the extensive material of the "Renner" a structure and thus a common structure. This happens because Hugo already refers to the sins in the prologue in the same order or hierarchy in which he introduces them in the main part of his work. The same applies to repentance, which is briefly mentioned in the prologue as it is at the end of the text. The prologue thus serves as a kind of table of contents and "weighting" for the rest of the text. Through numerous references to the initial allegory of the prologue, the work is also held together in its further course in terms of content and reminds the reader that Hugo first wants to describe the sins of mankind in order to then show them how they can turn away from them and achieve their salvation can.
The "moral teaching" (vv. 269 - 24483)
The concept of distinctio
The term distinctio comes from the scholastic method , which is based on the principles of interpretation and distinction. A distinctio is both a form of teaching and a literary genre. The term distinctio has been used in canon law since the 12th century as the structural term that it functions as in the “Renner” . Since the late 12th century, it has appeared as a characteristic for classifications, especially in Latin epics.
The distinctions are the dominant structural element of the work. With the division into distinctions, Hugo von Trimberg adopted a Latin system of subdivisions into vernacular German poetry, as was particularly common in didactic poetry. For example, B. Thomasîn von Zerclaere in “Der wälsche Gast” a structure of the Latin scholasticism of the 12th and 13th centuries. Already through the division into the Latin structure principle of the “distinctions”, the “Renner” is characterized as work that is in the tradition of medieval, didactic works.
The general structure of the distinctions in the "Renner"
When looking at the distinctions, it can be seen that Hugo follows a recognizable structure when describing the sins: First, he introduces the main sin, which is dealt with in the respective distinction, together with its subordinates. He personifies the sins as “master” or “mistress” and lets the under sins appear as “servants” or “playmates”. In a second step, the interdependencies of the main sin with each other, the interaction with their sub-sins and their hierarchy are described. Usually this happens through the personification of the minor sins as officials of the main sin. Then Hugo describes the activities and characteristics of sin. Another common feature of the distinctions is a series of anaphors that serve to describe an aspect of the subject area of the main sin in more detail.
The distinctions
In the following the contents of the six distinctions of the "Renner" are dealt with.
Distinction I: hôchfart (v. 269 - 4366)
The first distinction, which deals with the sin pride, begins with its own prologue, in which Hugo refers back to the pear tree allegory: “The pear is a lot in the thorn, / Manic sêle unfortunately is lost / From then thorn, if he hat / The roots of all misetât: / Anger, haz and gîtikeit, / Unkiusche, fraz, dar zuo lazheit / Gein all good things / Can bring you hôchfart ”-“ Part of the pears fell into the thorn bush, / A number of souls are Unfortunately lost / From the thorn bush, if it has it / The roots of all iniquity: / Anger, hatred and greed, / unchastity, voraciousness, because of indolence / against all good things / can bring arrogance "(v. 296 - 276) .
Hugo von Trimberg describes the hôchfart in this section as the root of all evil, since all other sins arose from it.
He traces the hôchfart back to Lucifer, who was banished from the kingdom of heaven because of her and who is now up to mischief in the world as the devil, drawing to himself the souls of the people who fall for her (cf. vv. 285-300). The following is a list of the activities that result from this sin first mentioned: "Heretic, rueing, scolding / mocking, screaming, shouting, scratching, / sounding, roaring, ripping, jumping, / storming, vehement, running, wrestling / [... ] / Diz is the high-ranking member / Bî whom I seldom find their guotes "-" Heresy, bragging, gossiping / mocking, screaming, scuffling, scratching, / noise, bickering, dancing, jumping, / storming, / fighting, running, wrestling / […] / This is the servants of pride, / With whom I rarely find good ”(v. 285 ff.). The numerous nouns and substantiated verbs are presented as the "Gesinde" of the hôchfart . Stringing them together acts as a rhetorical device that is intended to convey the dangers of sin to the reader in a particularly memorable way.
In the second section Hugo tells of the steer , the first group of people that in his opinion the hôchfart is threatened. He compares the girls who are married too early or put into the convent with the pears that fall from the tree before they are really ripe (cf. vv. 443-445). This is followed by a third part with a series of anaphors which extensively describes the properties of the hôchfart (cf. v. 467 ff.).
In the remainder of the first distinction, Hugo von Trimberg describes the relationship between the various classes and the sin of the hôchfart : He begins with the nobility, as they are particularly susceptible to the hôchfart . His descriptions develop into a "rulers scolding". Hugo complains about the bad manners that have entered the court, and about the support of the gentlemen's will of duty by the court. He clarifies his criticism of the example of "the fat farm dog". It is followed by a "peasant instruction". At the end of this section, Hugo emphasizes that all people are equal before God and that every class is threatened by sins: "Priests, knights and gebûre / Sint all clans of natûre / And süln even brotherly life" - "Priests, knights and farmers / Are all related to one another by nature / And should live in brotherhood ”(vv. 505 - 507). In the next section he deals with the clergy: it consists of a clergy's scolding, an excursus on alms and a treatise on monasteries and chapter friars.
Distinction I ends with an epilogue in which the interweaving of sins is clarified using the image of the three-headed hydra: Just as the hydra grows three new heads when one is cut off, every sin that has been overcome is followed by three more, so that man never grows can be free from sins: “From a slangen I wîlent read, / Der hete driu houbet and what / […] Swer im [slangen] der houbte einez abe sneit, / Sô wuohsen driu an stat. / Asam do our misconduct: Let us sleep, / sô wahsent three: Sus wirt the human never frî [...] "-" I read of a snake before, / It had three heads and was / [...] Who you [the Snake] cut off one of the heads / so three grew in its place. / This is exactly how our wrongdoings do it: if we reject one, / so grow three: man will never become free [...] ”(v. 4325 - 4332). Anyone who believes they have overcome a sin, Hugo continues, is attacked by others without being able to defend himself against it (cf. v. 4343f.). At the end of the "Hydra parable" Hugo refers to the Hercules saga and advises people to follow Hercules and cut off all heads and sins at once (cf. v. 4355 ff.).
Distinction II: gîtikeit (v. 4367 - 9431)
Hugo introduces gîtikeit in the prologue of the second distinction . He describes her as a “playmate” of the hôchfart , to whom more people fall into love . Her followers are so numerous that they cannot be counted: "I believe the hôchfart lâze / And want to write a little / From ir spiln the gîtikeit, / The crowd is sô large and sô wide, / That no one can indulge: / If you have wîp and you // Sô even won over, / Daz mêre in irn well / Birn vallent every day / Denne ûf den thorn, I got ez lament! "-" With arrogance I stop / And want a little write / About greed, his playmate, / Their host is so large and so extensive / That no one can count them: / When she has bound wife and husband to herself / That more pears fall into her well every day / Than in the thorn bush, God I lament it! ”(v. 4375 - 4384).
The groups of people who are particularly at risk include monks, nuns, priests, lay people, murderers, thieves, robbers, tax collectors, as well as usurers, hosts, traders and craftsmen (cf. V. 4386 - 4388). The gîtikeit forfeited not only more souls than the hôchfart their "servants" is also more extensive. Hugo resigned in the face of the crowd: “Was zo should I name them all? / I have to confess myself” - “Why should I call them all? You will probably recognize that yourself ”(v. 4403 f.).
In the first section of the distinction, Hugo deals with the topics of lies and valsche eide and above all with the untriuwe , a “sister” of the unkust . He dedicates his own series of anaphors to it (cf. v. 4457ff.). In a second part, Hugo deals in detail with the gîtikeit and its court: "Gîtikeit has old age / with all badness is common: / wickedness is ir kamerîn, / Karkeit is ir kelnerîn, / Untriuwe is ir râtgebîn, / Unkust is ir hârflechterîn, / Lying, carrying mac wol sîn / Ir schenkîn and ir trehsêzîn, / Unwirde ist ir spîserîn [...] "-" Greed has something in common with all misdeeds: / Malice is your chambermaid, / poorness is your waitress, / Her advisor is unfaithful / her hair braider is deceit / Lies and deceptions may well be / her pourer and treasurer / contempt is her eater [...] ”(v. 4565 - 4578). This enumeration of the “servants” of the gîtikeit is characterized by allegories of personification, through which Hugo immediately classifies them in a hierarchy. While the untriuwe, for example, functions in the elevated position of the advisor, the unkust only acts as a hair braider of the gîtikeit . In Hugo's opinion, gîtikeit is only out to increase the “treasure” and outwardly pretends to be virtue, while it accuses others of vice (cf. v. 4581 ff.).
Another section follows, in which Hugo deals with the behavior of the valid using examples. In addition, Hugo complains about the consequences of gîtikeit and cites animals that symbolize gîtikeit in the animal world, such as B. spider, mole, toad and rooster (cf. V. 4792 ff.). He describes the wickedness of people who succumb to sin, complains about new mores, such as: B. the sale, as well as hypocrisy, which is a particularly devious form of gîtikeit . There are other sections that deal with the endangered groups of people, as well as numerous stories, fables and examples that are intended to emphasize the danger of gîtikeit and follow the same scheme as the above.
The second distinction ends with an epilogue on gîtikeit and hôchfart .
Excursus I: Reflection on poetry (v. 9381– 9431)
The first excursus is made up of the last two sections of the second distinction on gîtikeit . In this Hugo reflects on his poetry. This reflection begins with a complaint about his age. Hugo has lost both his good memory and his quick grasp over the years. Now he must immediately write down everything he writes so that he does not forget it (cf. v. 9318 ff.). The numerous repetitions that appear in his work are also related to this. Hugo apologizes for this and asks his readers for indulgence (cf. V. 9318 - 9322). The old age suit amounts to a humility formula in which he defends his poetry: for example, every person has a different taste. Just as honey tastes good to some people and is good, the opposite is the case with others: "Honic is manigen liuten guot, / Manigen liuten ez schaden tuot" - "Honey is good for some people, / it harms some people" (v. 9360-9361). With this, Hugo wants to point out that his work does not have to please everyone, since literature is also a matter of taste. He describes the diversity of the seasons and justifies the presentation of the positive and the negative in his poetry with the coexistence of beneficial and harmful plants in nature. With this he wants to drive through the whole country "From the My biz and the Rîn [...]" - "From the Main to the Rhine [...]" (v. 9398). He hopes with this that the readers will remember his soul and in this way guarantee him salvation (cf. 9400 f.).
The second part of the excursus looks back on the two sins, hôchfart and gîtikeit . The subject of the interweaving of sins is also addressed again in this context . Hugo compares the sins with branches and roots that are so confused that no one, not even Hugo himself, manages to see through them (cf. v. 9402 ff.). But since Hugo wants to represent the world as it is, he accepts the confusion that arises from the interweaving of sins.
Distinction III: frâz (V. 9432 - 11726)
The third distinction begins with a prologue in which Hugo introduces frâz and describes the vices related to him: “Of which frâze I want to say: / Frâz, luoder and spil / Machent tummer liute vil / And unkiusche, diu ouch ir spil / Je what and must always be "-" I want to say about gluttony: / gluttony, temptation and play / make many people stupid / and unchastity, which is also their playmate / so it was and must always be "(v. 9432 - 9436 ). The voracity that arises from gîtikeit makes people stupid. Knowledge is therefore the prerequisite to grasp the entanglement of sins. People who succumb to frâz , however, are denied such insight.
The servants of the frâzes are led by Bruoder Slunt and her Trunc . Just like the playmates of gîtikeit , the followers of frâzes also appear in the form of substantivated verbs and fictitious proper names. In this list, Hugo not only criticizes the consequences of drinking, but also playing musical instruments, laughing and chatting (cf. V. 9445 ff.). At the start of the second portion Hugo points out that virtue maze of sin Fraz can prevent. He relates the temperance first to the ezzen. A part about drinking follows later.
In the first subsection he explains that mâze is a basic law of nature. Here he refers to Pliny , Galen and Hippocrates , who in his opinion are the masters of nature, as well as to examples of Freidank (cf. V. 9590 ff.). He also cites the example of the nun who unconsciously eats the devil. The Aesop fable and its interpretation follows . Then Hugo deals with the unmâze as a source of further sins and invokes the story of Esau from the Old Testament (cf. 9810 ff.). In Hugo's view, the worst consequence of the frâz is the neglect of worship. According to him, the openness of the people is the reason for the increased occurrence of sin frâz . Furthermore, Hugo calls on people to renounce the worldly good and to reflect on God again, since only a life in his sense can lead people to salvation. He cites greed and the neglect of “correct moderation” as the cause of misery in the world (cf. v. 10321 ff.).
In the following, Hugo refers again to the frâz , but particularly emphasizes the luoder . Then Hugo explains that Christians who strive for wealth are, in his opinion, no better than pagans because they worship gold and silver like gods. To this end he brings the story “Prelate and Pears” as an example with subsequent interpretation. In the next subsection, Hugo praises the order of the world, but at the same time criticizes the lack of love for God, which in his opinion leads to feuds between people (cf. v. 10875 ff.). Hugo dedicates the last part of the third distinction to the spil , which is a brother of the luoders (cf. v. 11253 - 11257). Gambling addiction causes among other things theft, perjury, lies, murder and untriuwe . In addition, it is also connected with the sins zôrn and nît (cf. v. 11265 ff.).
Hugo then points out the dullness of secular games. In his opinion, these include: dice , boccia, throwable , forced service, stabbing , adjusting and gymnastics , throwing stones , as well as excessive wrestling and jumping . The example of “From two fighters” is intended to further clarify this criticism (cf. V. 11287 ff.).
The third distinction ends with an epilogue to the frâz , in which biblical examples are given again (cf. v. 11691 ff.).
Distinction IV: unkiusche (V. 11727 - 13964)
At the beginning of the fourth distinction, the unkiusche , who is presented as a “playmate” of the frâzes , is introduced together with her “servants” in a prologue in the form of a string of substantiated verbs. This is followed by a series of anaphors in which the activities that these entail are listed. They include u. a. Dancing, laughing, bathing, kissing and applying makeup (cf. V. 11727 ff.). The prologue ends with a thank you quote and a transition to biblical examples, which follow in the next subsection and address fornication (cf. v. 11772 ff.).
In the next chapter, Hugo uses false models, v. a. with the role of idols, and warns against them. Then he dedicates it to demuot , which he believes is an important virtue. Your preferences are listed in another series of anaphors. This is followed by a praise of Mary (cf. V. 11905 ff.). In the next section, Hugo goes into the seductiveness of young girls, then adds a story about a woman who cheats on her husband with a ruse and then explains it. This is followed by further sections on women who succumb to the unkiusche and comparisons of women whom Hugo considers virtuous. Hugo makes use of numerous examples and stories to support his theses. In this distinction Hugo emphasizes the value of the Bible for people, but criticizes the fact that priests often teach the wrong arts and do not understand them properly. He points out that people are often led on the wrong path by striving for earthly goods and gives examples of this (cf. V. 13013 ff.).
Hugo concludes the fourth distinction with the following words: “Der unkiusche sül we urloup, / Wenne ir getiusche can't just / penetrate and ir misetât / And manic tückelîn, diu si hât” - “We should give permission to indecency Say goodbye, / For no one can smooth out their deceit / See through and their iniquities / And many pitfalls that it has ”(v. 13865 - 13868). Since the indecency remains unfathomable, Hugo wants to turn to the anger , the nît and their “servants”.
Excursus II: The "equestrian metaphor" (V. 13899 - 13964)
At the end of the fourth distinction, Hugo tries to justify the numerous mental leaps of the “Renner” with the metaphor of a rider who is being run over by his horse. Here the rider stands for the poet and the continuous horse for the work that he cannot master (cf. V. 13905 ff.). Hugo begins the digression by noting that many riders do not master their horse, which in a figurative sense refers to the (in) abilities of the poets. In the following, he relates the image of the equestrian metaphor to his own work and confesses to the readers that he, too, is controlled by his poetry and, like the rider, cannot always determine its course, like the rider on his way on horseback Confess to me / I know the run is cut a part / At my tied and with in the run, / Swar ez kills me with violence "-" I recognize the same thing in myself / When I cut part of the run / in my seal and run with him / wherever I am driven by force ”(v. 13908 - 13911).
This description personifies poetry and develops a life of its own. This is also clear in the picture of the rider: the horse goes through with the rider and the rider fails to bring it back to its original path. Hugo equates the ride with the development of his poetry and describes the obstacles that can stand in the way of the poets on such a "ride": "I bring ez back to the vart, / Sô loufet ez ofte vür manic zil, / Verrer because my heart wants; / About stoc, stone, stoup, bluomen and laugh / Treit ez me about some things: But we encounter a deep grave, / Sô strûchet ez himself and throws me down: / Sô I'm sitting in a troume / And vâhe ez but bî dem zoume / And run with me across the world / When he doesn’t want to rîten ”-“ I get it going again, / This is how it often goes for some goals / Further than my heart wishes; / Over sticks, stones, dust, flowers and puddles / It drives me away from many things: But if we meet a deep ditch, / Then it stumbles itself and throws me off: / So I sit like in a dream / And take hold of it Bridle / And run across the field with him / As if I couldn't ride it well ”(v. 13925 - 13940). So if the seal “throws him off”, Hugo takes the “horse” by the reins and leads it as if one did not know how to ride properly. This comparison shows how difficult a poet's job can be when poetry takes the lead. If the poet gets lost in the matter of his work, it can quickly become confusing.
Similar to the first digression, a formula of humility also appears here. It follows the “equestrian metaphor” and is used by Hugo to point out his “insufficient” education and his inability to use “profound” words (cf. V. 13941-13949). In this description, Hugo ascribes the privilege of using profound words to the high masters , whose knowledge rises like a river from a spring and spreads through the country. In Hugo's eyes, his own creative power can only be compared with a twig that floats on the surface of the water or as a trickle over a frozen sheet of ice, lacks any artistic vein and does not come close to the achievements of the high masters . In the following you can find out what Hugo means by his “insufficient level of education”. Because he explains: "Salern, Padouwe, Orlêns, Pâris / were never accused by me" - "Salerno, Padua, Orleans, Paris / were never seen by me" (v. 13950 f.). So Hugo did not go to college and even describes himself as “poor lêre boy” - “boy of a poor apprenticeship” (v. 13953). This also sets him apart from the high masters . Then he adds a quote that says that everyone should devote himself to the art he deserves (cf. v. 13959 ff.). Even Hugo does not want to oppose the order given by God and justifies with his argument that he does not penetrate as deeply into the matter as the great masters would be able to.
Distinction V: anger and nît (V. 13965 - 15946)
In the fifth distinction, Hugo summarizes the sins anger and nît . They come from the well of gîtikeit , but like the unkiusche, they cannot be fathomed, since they are intertwined with all other sins. Hugo depicts this entanglement of sins in the prologue of the fifth distinction (cf. V. 13969 ff.).
Furthermore, in this section Hugo points out the "devastating effect of the two words my and yours", which in his opinion are responsible for the disputes between people. Here he refers to Seneca and the biblical example of Cain, who killed his brother Abel out of envy, anger and greed. Then Hugo explains how anger turns envy into hate.
In order to clarify the effect of the sins on one another, Hugo compares them with a burning barrel, to which the bottom is opened: while envy burns in silence, anger causes the fire to break out (cf. v. 13986 ff.). Furthermore, Hugo assigns the colors green, yellow and blue to the envy of Freidank and points out that anger comes from the gall: “Green, gel and wide / Sol diu nîtvarwe sîn […] Ir washes ouch wizzen daz der anger / Von der Gall is born "-" Green, yellow and blue / Should the envy colors be [...] You should also know that anger / From the gall is born "(v. 14015 ff.).
Then Hugo describes the characteristics of anger. In his opinion, it affects the senses and the mind. Hugo describes the other properties of anger in a series of anaphors (cf. V. 14019 ff.). Then he points out that anger is a characteristic of fools and counts his “servants” again in the form of a string of substantiated verbs and fictitious proper names. Thebes perished as a result of the sins of hatred and envy. This is followed by a section in which the example “The stolen ham” is presented and displayed. In the following, Hugo explains that people's actions are dominated by envy and that bad advice from insidious people often brings suffering. He cites Achitofel , Gideon and Abimelech as examples for this (cf. V. 14099 ff.).
In the next section, Hugo devotes himself to nît and makes him responsible for ensuring that people always see the bad in each other. For this he gives the example of the basilisk (v. 14356 - 14375). Hugo calls on people to beware of envy, as it would result in numerous consequential sins. In his opinion, the envious continue to poison the innocent, which he illustrates with the example of "poisonous food" (vv. 14565-14599). In the following, Hugo describes the negative effects of lying and deceit and points out that the prophets of OT already foretold the negative state in which the world is now. Here he refers to the book of Jeremiah. Furthermore, he explains that envy already existed in the time of Adam (cf. v. 15303 - 15548). Hugo calls on people not to tread too much . He tries to reinforce this appeal with the example of the melancholy monk. Another example with interpretation follows, which deals with whether fire should be extinguished with fire (cf. V. 15645 - 15732 or 752).
In conclusion, Hugo points out once again that the hôchfart and their sins bring much harm to the world. He refers to biblical and ancient examples before he ends the fifth distinction with an epilogue, which contains a scribe's complaint designed as an excursus (cf. V. 15753-15946).
Excursus III: Complaint about the writers (v. 15901-15946)
In the third digression, Hugo complains about “stupid writers”: Their inability is expressed in the fact that they change books by rearranging words or eliminating letters in such a way that they falsify the entire message of the work and thereby destroy it. They do this, in Hugo's opinion, because they are stupid, jealous, or indecent. A virtuous person, in contrast to a sinful person, would not always only perceive the negative and therefore either gloss over a mistake or not mention it. Even with the copies of the "Renner", which were made during Hugo's lifetime, malicious and incompetent writers seem to have falsified the text and the statement.
In the following, Hugo describes his own way of working in order to distance himself from the dumb writers . "I hân stipplelt as a man / who never won his own world / And in rîcher lîute korn / Hinden brazen, swenne si in front / sickles towards truogen or garben [...]. Swer flîziclich eternally, he also had grain. / Ein bine vil manige bluomen rüerte / In velden, in welden, biz si gefüerte / Ir honic in ein vezzelîn / Als vil als des denne mac gesîn "-" I read ears of corn like a man / who never had his own field / And reads ears of wheat in the grain of rich people / behind when they carried sickles or sheaves in front. / He who diligently reads honors also has grain. / A bee digs through many flowers / In fields, in forests, until it brings its honey into a barrel / As much as that may be ”(v. 15919 - 15930). He describes himself as a man who reads the ears of wheat in the cornfields of rich people because he does not own a field of his own. He also compares himself with a bee that collects honey from numerous flowers and brings it to a vezzelîn (v. 15929). These two comparisons go back to Thomas Cisterciensis.
Finally, Hugo goes into the reception behavior that he hopes for the readers of “Renner”: He does not want his work to be viewed as chatter. It does contain honey and poison, that is, pleasant and unpleasant, but since the "hit" is based on the Holy Scriptures, it should be taken seriously by the readers. Just as Hugo, as a honey-collecting bee, selects his sources, the readers should also select what is useful for him from the “Renner” (cf. V. 15931 - 15939).
Distinction VI: laziness (V. 15947 - 18000)
The sixth distinction also begins with a prologue in which Hugo presents laziness as the last sin together with her servants: This time, however, this is not in the form of substantiated verbs, but as nouns, which above all have the suffixes –ness or –ness function as rhyming pairs, presents: “müezikeit, unstêtikeit, versiumikeit, lakheit and incomprehension, infinity, truthfulness” - “idleness, inconstancy, omission, indolence and incomprehension, infinity and sadness” (v. 15965 - 15970). With this, Hugo probably wanted to emphasize that the laziness compared to the other sins is not dynamic, but static. The dynamics of the sins hôchfart , gîtikeit , frâz , unkiusche , nît and anger are expressed in the distinctions through the long lists of the consecutive substantivated verbs. Since indolence also includes incomprehension (v. 15968), in which man's refusal to embark on the path to knowledge of God manifests itself, it is one of the greatest sins against God. Hugo further explains that laziness is neither committed to the hereafter nor to this world and is therefore difficult to define. He makes this clear in a series of anaphors that follow the interweaving of sins in the prologue: “You are neither cold nor warm, / You are neither rîch nor poor, / You are neither young nor old, / You are neither quiet nor baltic / You mac wol laugh with your mouth, / Ez gêt but not from the bottom of the heart ”-“ She is neither cold nor warm, She is neither rich nor poor, She is neither young nor old, / She is neither quiet nor loud / She can well with him Laughing mouth / But it does not come from the bottom of the heart ”(v. 15981 - 15986). The lâzheit can only be described by negationem because of their "inertia" because you can assign any "active properties". Nevertheless, through them people lose “guot, sêle, êre and lîp” - “good, soul, honor and body” (v. 16032).
In the second part of the sixth distinction Hugo describes three paths that can lead out his opinion, the people from the evils of existence: Hereafter could art of unintelligible standardized , gemach of grief work and tugent of abuse etat counteract. Art should be understood to mean both handicrafts and the seven liberal arts. In the following, Hugo praises the wisdom of old age, but also complains about the growing disregard for books, schools and teachers. This complaint is followed by a scolding of the clergy, as well as a Bamberg praise with an example of the "usurer in monk's robe" (cf. V. 16903 - 17010). Hugo later deals with the importance that scholarship has in poetry, in his opinion.
Although Hugo also deals with laziness in the final part of the last distinction , unlike in the previous distinctions, there is no epilogue.
The "doctrine of salvation" (V 18001 - 24483)
After the sixth distinction, the comprehensive part of moral teaching is followed by a significantly shorter part on salvation teaching. It can be roughly divided into three parts and an epilogue, the content of which is dealt with below.
The violence of the Scriptures (v 18001 to 19160)
In the violence of Scripture deals Hugo yourself with their PFAT to deal with in the next step of God's love. He recommends the renunciation of worldly things and points out the value of God's gifts (cf. v. 18001 - 18163). In the following Hugo goes back to the three estates and the existing order in the world (cf. V. 18164 - 18212). Then he deals with the topics of service and triuwe , praises God as an example of the milte and faith as protection from evil, before he goes back to the ambivalence of the pfennic , and thus once again to the impermanence of worldly goods (cf. 18213-19160).
Doctrine of Nature (V. 19161-20346)
This is followed by a detailed study of nature. It consists of an introduction, numerous Naturexempla and an epilogue. In this section Hugo expressly criticizes the ingratitude and thoughtlessness of people, but also gives praise to the creator.
Hugo begins with a description of the birth, before he works out the peculiarities of the human body by comparing humans and animals (cf. V. 19161 - 19242). In the following, Hugo explains to the readers that he originally intended to write a doctrine of nature in which he wanted to describe the miracles of God that manifested themselves as animals, plants and all of nature. Since he did not manage to do this, he would at least like to deal with the animals in this section. A detailed description of the quadrupeds follows, while pets and animals in the field and forest are only listed. This is followed by a description of the birds. Based on the descriptions it becomes clear that Hugo sees humans above animals (cf. V. 19243 - 19741).
The study of nature ends with a short and incomplete treatise on balm.
The repentance excursion and the "head allegory" (V. 20347 - 24483)
At the beginning of the "repentance" part, Hugo goes back to the pear allegory of the prologue before introducing the "ladder allegory" in the following:
Hugo describes the ladder and points out that it must stand firmly in order not to falter and to bring down the person who climbs it. "Ladder boume, die müezen stên / Gar vaste, si begin to swing differently / And irn stîger abe swenken, / Who is still sick with sins, / Daz he must vallen âne sînen danc!" - "Ladder trees, they have to stand / Otherwise it starts to stagger very quickly / And to shake off their climber / Who is still weak from sins / So that he has to fall down in ingratitude ”(v. 20368 - 20374). In the following Hugo describes the different ways that can lead people from sin to salvation. The ladder stands as a symbol for the path of salvation.
In the next section, Hugo reports that people have to fast, pray and give alms in order to get on the first three rungs: "And step on the first sprüzzel / with vasten, to the others with prayer, / with almuosen to the third ... “-“ And you step on the first rung with fasting, on the others with a prayer, / With alms to the third ... ”(v. 20379 - 20381). The love of neighbor and God, as well as confession (cf. V. 20619-20460) and a life according to the ideals of Christianity are indispensable on the way to the redemption of the soul.
In the third section, Hugo explains that people also have to renounce worldly goods and honors in order to be able to achieve eternal bliss through God's mercy after their death, the necessity of which he goes into again in detail (cf. v. 21171ff).
The "ladder allegory" functions as the program of the "repentance part", but is still part of the "pear tree allegory", since it describes how man can succeed as "pears", relatively unscathed from sins, on the "green grass ”of the prologue.
Epilogue (v. 24484-24611)
The “racer” ends with an epilogue, which, like the prologue, is made up of two parts.
part One
In his first part, Hugo goes back to his function and his self-image as a poet. To this end, he compares the nightingale with the donkey and explains their meanings. "To us tôrn means diu seamigal, / Who will make a shawl, / So we dance, tear, jump, / drive, twist, let sing, / we ourselves have to deal with a lot of nonsense / through valuable lop, ruom or minne" - "Unse Folly means the nightingale, / who make the world stale, / as we dance, run, jump, / fight, make noise, sing loudly, / strive with a lot of nonsense, / through worldly praise, fame or love ”(v. 19707 - 19712). Hugo regards the nightingale as a symbol of the folly of people who strive for worldly honor and love. Just like the activities mentioned in this section, for Hugo the song of the nightingale is beautiful, but nonetheless useless. The fact that nightingales lose their voices after mating (V. 19703 - 19706) stands for the turning away from God by people who have achieved worldly honors.
In the following Hugo turns to the donkey: In contrast to the nightingale, it is a simple-minded, but a useful animal, since as “the mouthpiece of God it proclaims the doctrine that helps people to salvation” (v. 24494 - 24503). At this point, Hugo brings up the biblical story of the donkey who is punished by his master Balaam because he has evaded the angel of God, and then was given the gift of speaking by God in order to draw his attention to his injustice. Hugo also sees himself as an instrument or “mouthpiece” of God through his poetry. Just like the donkey, as Hugo understands his function, Hugo also punishes sinful people by teaching them in the form of the “runner”. Although Hugo describes himself as humble and simple-minded through the comparison with the donkey, he also rises to be the mediator between God and man.
In the following Hugo again gives the reader instructions for the reception of the work and points out that both “honey seed” and “beeswax” are contained in his work. These terms stand metaphorically for the teachings of the saints and pagans, from which the readers, in Hugo's opinion, can take useful things if it makes sense to them (cf. v. 24504 - 24515). It is therefore left to the reader to acquire the aspects of the comprehensive work that are important to him.
The instructions for reception are followed by a request for indulgence with impure rhymes that appear in the “Renner”, as well as a reading recommendation, which Hugo's most important sources, v. a. Bernhard von Clairvaux's work “De consideratione ad Eugenium papam” and the “Moralia” of Gregory the Great contain. In this section it becomes clear that Hugo sees his greatest achievement in making Latin and Greek works of church teaching accessible to German-speaking circles. That is why they should remember him and thus ensure the salvation of his soul (cf. vv. 24543 - 24551).
Part II
The second part of the epilogue contains a "biographical-historical outline" that enables the work to be located in time (cf. V. 24560 - 24580) and a reference to the "seeder".
Hugo von Trimberg. He closes the “Renner” with a final plea and a quote from Freidanks (v. 24606 - 24611): “Swaz ich niht wol tihtet hân, / Tuot daz a wîser one back then, / Des should be said in danc: / Wenne ez spoke Her Frîdanc: Ûf earth is not really voluminous, / Daz ez dem wandel sî benumen ”-“ What I did not write well, / If a wise man then adds it, / Then one should thank him for it: / Because Mr Freidank said : Nothing on earth is so perfect / That it can be withdrawn from change “Hugo is aware of the changes in the world and approves of the changes in his work if these are carried out by a man who is as wise as Freidank.
The title
origin
Research assumes that the title “Renner” goes back to Michael de Leone. He took the “Renner” into his “house book” (the Würzburg song manuscript ), which was probably created between 1348 and 1353. Apparently the structure that Hugo had made on his work appeared to him to be inadequate, because he divided the “Renner” into forty-two chapters and provided it with a register. In the first chapter he gives Hugo's work its title, which is still in use today: “[the] before speech of the same book Renner called tub ez sol run through the lant” - “[The] prologue of the same book is called Renner, because it should run through the countries". Michael apparently derived the title “Renner” from the two-line line that regularly occurs in Hugo's work: “Nu sül we but run forbaz / And recognize our gentlemen baz” - “Now we should keep running / And recognize our master better”. Michael de Leone understands this differently than Hugo, who through him expresses his constant effort to gain knowledge of God, apparently in the sense of a broad impact. The title “Renner” has only survived in the handwriting En.
The function of the refrain
The two-line "Nu sül we but vürbaz run / And recognize our gentlemen baz", as well as the chapters and distinctions, marks cuts in the text's content. It recurs periodically throughout the text. It is reminiscent of the quote "sic currite ut comprehendatis" "run so that you understand", which comes from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians and is often used by Bernard von Clairvaux in the fifth book of his work "Se consideratione ad Eugenium papam" becomes.
The refrain serves to organize the extensive material and is intended to make it easier for readers to read. If you examine the contexts in which it stands, you can see that it is used for different purposes and adapts to the respective character of the three main parts:
1. The refrain marks the end of the distinctions or the transition to the next distinction and also serves to structure them internally, e.g. B. first distinction: v. 4365 f., Second distinction: v. 9430f. At the end of the third distinction it is in a modified form: “Like all of them from frâze / were pînt, I speak lâze / And but want to run vürbaz” - “Like all of the voracity / have been tormented, from whom I stop speaking / But I want to keep running ”(cf. V. 11713 - 11715). There is also a variant of the refrain at the end of the fourth distinction (cf. V.13963). The two-line also closes the middle part of the "Renner" (cf. V. 20345f.).
2. The refrain comes before and after the treatment of certain groups and stands or topics. This is now briefly explained for the first part of the “Renner” using the example of the first distinction: In the first distinction it is a variation after the section on the simony and equality of the spiritual princes (cf. v. 803 ff.) And before the Treatise of the evil gentlemen (cf. V. 855 f.). He also decides on the treatment of the priests and introduces the chapter on the monks (cf. v. 2887 f.). Similar to what is described here for the first distinction, the refrain in its original version or in a modified version also runs through the remaining distinctions. In the middle part, the refrain stands in front of a section that deals with human self-knowledge. The natural legoresis is decided by him. In the final part, he subdivides reflections that deal with age, life span and the increasing value of the world.
Sources and source processing in the "Renner"
It can be stated that Hugo von Trimberg incorporated his sources mainly in the form of quotations in the “Renner”. Quoting in the "Renner" is mostly based on the model of an appeal to authority. With his “willingness to quote” Hugo clearly stands out from authors of earlier didactic works such as Freidank and Thomasin.
construction
The way Hugo quotes is subject to recurring patterns: After a reference to the author, the quote to which Hugo would like to refer, such as B. at the following point, where he refers to Bernhard von Clairvaux: “Sant Bernhart at a statute: / 'Manic sêle unfortunately we lost, / Nobody suochet, I am angry: / The owner lost an esellîn, / Nâch then you run ûz and în. '”-“ Saint Bernhard instead: /' Unfortunately, many souls are lost / No one is looking for them, I'm angry about that: / But if a donkey is lost / one looks for this everywhere. '”( V. 2544-2548). Following this pattern, Hugo refers numerous times in the “Renner” to the origin of the quotes he used. Nevertheless, a distinction must be made between short quotations and mere names and longer sections of the authors' work evaluations.
function
The references to the originators of the quotations act as a call to authority. In “Renner”, with two exceptions, “every author he cites is a positive authority”. They serve to underpin the examples and theses given by Hugo and to give them additional meaning and authority. In this way, the readers should also be convinced of the truth and "correctness" of Hugo's statements. In Hugo's work, authoritative quoting therefore serves as “proof of the truth of didactic sentences”.
The calls to authority, which come about through short quotations and names, serve the "argumentative protection of what has been said". Another function, in Hugo's opinion, is the conveyance of foreign content to the German-speaking people, which is done through its translation. Hugo himself sees the mediation function as one of the greatest merits of his work (cf. V. 24543 - 24551). Furthermore, in the eyes of more modern research, the quotations function as content and structural elements of the work.
swell
The quotes that Hugo puts in the “Renner” come from among others. a. from Latin writers, ancient philosophers and prose writers, but also from church fathers like Augustine , anonymous authors, and from the Bible.
Ancient sources
Hugo refers in the "Renner" to both Latin and Greek authors. One can distinguish between poets, prose writers and philosophers. While most of the poets come from the Latin-speaking area, the philosophers and prose writers Hugo quotes are exclusively Greeks. Contemporary poets from antiquity are not cited in the “Renner”.
poet
The Latin poets cited in “Renner” include Ovid , Horace , Iuvenal , Persius , Virgil , Lucan , Dares , Statius and Claudian . Ovid takes priority in this, as he is cited four times while the others are cited three times each. The choice of the quoted authors corresponds to the Florelegies of Hugo's time. He quotes the ancient authors in moral doctrine because he regards them as moral critics of human vices. While he rarely gives work information in the "Renner", a full list of the classic authors follows in the registry.
Philosophers and prose writers
The ancient philosophers and prose writers that Hugo quotes include Cicero , Varro , Boethius and Sallust . However, contrary to the sayings of the Latin authors, the quotations of the ancient authors cannot all be found in their works. Quotes from other authors were often ascribed to them.
Church fathers
In “Renner” no group of authors is quoted as often as the Church Fathers. Hugo refers to Augustine and Gregorius in particular more than twenty times. Other church fathers that Hugo quotes include Hieronymus , Bernhard von Clairvaux, Ambrosius , Origines , Isidor , Gratian , Johannes Damascenus , Chrysostom and Hugo von St. Viktor . While there are explicit references in the “Renner” on the one hand to the works from which the quotations are taken, there are also many fake quotations that Hugo only uses as father's words.
Anonymous authors
Hugo often refers to anonymous authorities in the “Renner”. He only characterizes them by their professions or properties. So writes sayings e.g. As a Wisen one or Lerer to. It can be proven that he often refers to Freidank with the terms. This special principle of calling to authority presumably comes from the poetry of sayings.
Thank you
Freidank is the author to whom Hugo most often refers in "Renner". One hundred and sixty-four quotes are literal or almost literal from Freidank. However, if one takes into account the motifs and the language in Hugo's work, even more parallels become apparent, e.g. B. to Freidank's “modesty”. Hugo referred to him so often that he was "very close to him as a didactic poet".
Medieval writings
Hugo cited six medieval writings in “Renner”: Gesta Romanorum , Vitae patrum , De semine scipturarum, Peregrinus, imago mundi and summa vitiorum et virtutum. Hugo gives its title in a Middle High German translation, for example the "Gesta Romanorum" becomes the Roemer tât . This approach illustrates Hugo's intention to make Latin works accessible to his audience.
The Bible
Hugo used the Bible as the main source for the "Renner". He does not quote any of the named authors or scriptures as frequently as the Scriptures. It should be “the guideline for a virtuous way of life” for people. Hugo processes his main source in the “Renner” in three different forms, quoting the Old Testament more often than the New Testament:
1. Verbatim quotations from biblical books, e.g. B. (V. 2835 ff.):
„Der heilige prophête Malachias/ „Der heilige Prophet Malachias/ Sprach von den priestern, als ich las: / Sprach von den Priestern, wie ich las/ Des priesters lefse süln/ Die Lippen der Priester sollen/ künste walten […]“ Künste beschützen […]“
2. Carrying out biblical accounts, e.g. B. (V. 11820 ff.):
„Wir lesen in der künige buochen/ „Wir lesen im Buch der Könige/ An dem êrsten blate, Auf dem ersten Blatt, swer ez wil suochen/ wer es suchen will/ Daz got sibenzic fürsten sluoc […]“ Dass Gott siebzig Fürsten besiegte […]“
3. Examples of the proper names of biblical figures, e.g. B. (3235 - 3237):
„Dem tuifel was daz ouch viel liep,/ „Dem Teufel war das auch sehr angenehm,/ Daz Jûdas was von êrste ein diep/ Dass Judas zuerst ein Dieb/ Und dar nâch ein verrêter wart.“ Und danach ein Verräter wurde.“
The registrum and solsequium
The registrum and solsequium serve as intermediary sources for the "Renner". While the registrum, a catalog of school authors, offers the beginnings of the material collections, the solsequium can be regarded as its source base. Hugo incorporated the one hundred and sixty-six sermon examples contained in it into the “Renner” several times. It does refer to the original sources of the examples, but not specifically to the solsequium.
Literature lists in the "Renner"
Hugo deals with the German-language literature of his time in three literature lists in the "Renner": In the first literature list, which can be found in the first distinction, he praises the poetry of twelve singers, but criticizes the protagonists of the courtly epic and also leads a catalog of authors of Roman history.
The second list of literature is in the sixth distinction. It is consistently negative. Hugo complains here that people would rather serve the devil than God (cf. v. 16139 - 16214). The following is a list of thirteen people and their reading recommendations. It includes "almost the entire secular epic". In the following example, which illustrates the structure of this, reference is made to the Siegfried saga and the Tristan novel: "[...] The fourth wants Sifrides worm, / The fifth wants hern Tristerant [...]" - "The fourth wants Siegfried's dragon, / The fifth wants Mr. Tristan […] ”(v. 16188 f.).
In the third list of literature, which is included in the final part of the “Renner”, Hugo criticizes writings in which worldly life is glorified.
Fables
Several fables appear in the “Renner”. He mainly draws on Aesop's animal fables, but also on Avianus's collection of fables , both of which were widespread in the Middle Ages. Hugo mentions Aesop by name in three places (v. 1933, v. 9745 and v. 7343), while Avianus only once (v. 15568).
Lore
The “Renner” material has come down to us in sixty-four manuscripts, thirteen of which are richly illustrated. The extensive, but partly only fragmentary tradition indicates that Hugo's work must have enjoyed great popularity in the Middle Ages. If one compares the number of surviving manuscripts with the traditional testimonies of other works, then the "Renner" Hugo von Trimbergs can be put on a level with the " Parzival " Wolframs von Eschenbach (over eighty manuscripts) and the "Weltchronik" Rudolf von Ems (over one hundred manuscripts). This suggests that Hugo's work was one of the central works of the Middle Ages.
Hugo von Trimberg completed the “Renner” around 1300, but worked on it until 1313. It was only through the version by Michael de Leone that the “Renner” received attention beyond the borders of Bamberg. Between 1347 and 1400, roughly three manuscripts were created in each decade. From 1400 to the middle of the 15th century, this production even tripled at times due to the so-called literature explosion. It was only after 1387 that a version of the original “Renner” fabric by Hugo von Trimberg was created in the Rhine Franconian region. From then on she dominated the Leone version.
The "Renner" manuscripts were relatively constant in the German-speaking world. The reception of all versions of the work was particularly widespread in Nuremberg and the surrounding area. The northernmost manuscript known to researchers today comes from Northeim and is mostly written in Middle German. The "hit" has apparently not left the High German and Upper German language areas. The main areas of distribution were in the East Franconian, Rhenish Franconian and Bavarian-Austrian regions. Only the Ax and Ay manuscripts are of national significance. They were widespread from Thuringia and Swabia to the foothills of the Alps.
Reception and research history of the "Renner"
Between 1348 and 1353 Michael de Leone took the "Renner" into his house book and made a first attempt at structuring. The first print, based on Hugo's own classification, was commissioned in 1549 in Frankfurt am Main by Cyriacus Jacobus, who praised the "Renner" as a moral teaching. Even in the 18th century, the interest in Hugo's old work had still not died. Both Lessing and Herder dealt with the material and planned various adaptations of the "Renner", which were not carried out or completed.
Despite the recent printing of the Erlangen manuscript by the Historisches Verein Bamberg in 1833/34, interest in the “Renner” waned in the 19th century. Up until the 20th century, Hugo's work was heavily criticized by contemporary Germanists and its importance was generalized. The summary of Karl Janicke's dissertation from 1857 offered an initial overview of Hugo's life data and new insights into the tradition of the “Renner”. In his “Investigations”, Julius Egon Wölfel cleared the last doubts about Hugo's life data and described the characteristics of the work on the basis of forty-four manuscripts. He distinguished for the first time between the original Hugo von Trimbergs and the edited version by Michael de Leone. On the basis of these works, Gustav Ehrismann u. a. a stemma of the known manuscripts and fragments of the "Renner". From 1908 to 1911 he published four volumes at the Stuttgart Literary Association, which represent “the climax and provisional conclusion” [ss] of the investigations into the transmission and textual form of the “Renner”. After Ehrismann had a text edition that was considered reliable by German studies, investigations into the transmission and analysis of the manuscripts were largely discontinued. In 1970 Günther Schweikle added Ehrismann's edition with a list of names, an overview of the chapter headings, information on tradition and an introduction to the subject of the "Renner".
Studies by Else Schlicht and Johannes Müller from the 1920s deal with the way in which Hugo Quellen, v. a. the Bible in which "Renner" worked. At the same time, a study by Ehrismann appeared that dealt with the language of the work. Fritz Vomhof viewed the “Renner” in 1959 for the first time as a didactic work. In 1982 a study by Lutz Rosenplenter was published in which he tried to verify the quotations of the "Renner" marked by Hugo and worked out the function of the call to authority.
From the 1990s comes a monograph that deals with morality as the main category of the “Renner”, as well as an investigation of the allegorical patterns by Inés de la Cuadra, while Henrike Lähnemann with the Heidelberg manuscript cpg 471, a “individual text witness of the“ Renner "- tradition at the center of their investigation". The most recent study is by Rudolf Kilian Weigand from the year 2000, in which he critically examines the structure, the source dependency and the tradition of the "Renner" and in this way gives a general overview of the work.
Problems of work and genre definition
Since the beginning of the discussion about the "Renner", literary scholars have tried to assign Hugo von Trimberg's work to a certain genre category in order to be able to grasp its diversity of content. In addition to being viewed as a sermon, which was mainly represented in the 19th and early 20th centuries, new genre theories were also expressed in the second half of the 20th century. While many continued to perceive the "Renner" as a penitential sermon and assigned Hugo a preacher role, others viewed it as an encyclopedic work. Schweikle called Hugo's work with regard to its diverse character, on the other hand, as a "moral theory", which becomes an "encyclopedic house and realia book". According to Inés de la Cuadra, the difficulty of classifying the "Renner" in a certain genre is related to the large number of different types of text and the complexity of the text, as well as to the fact that in the Middle Ages there was no terminology available that was cover with today's category terms. Nowadays, Hugo's work is referred to as a "mixture of genres" because it combines many genre features. De la Cuadra makes a metaphorical comparison between Hugo's work and a library: Just like the books in a library, the “Renner” also has a certain system and the reader would be able to choose the “rubric” from Hugo's work that he would like just needed. Just like in a library you choose the book you need to learn something from it.
Consideration of the "Renner" as a courtly teaching poetry according to the investigations of Fritz Vomhof
Unlike other literary scholars, Fritz Vomhof does not judge Hugo von Trimberg's “runner” as a sermon or moral theory, but examines it with regard to its didactic aspects. In his dissertation, published in 1959, Vomhof deals with the “racer” as a courtly teaching poem. He first points out the numerous difficulties that one is inevitably confronted with when dealing with medieval didactics. On the one hand, there were only three mhd. Didactic poems which Vomhof believed had been “sufficiently critically processed”: These were “ Der Winsbeke ”, Freidank's “Modesty” and finally Hugo von Trimberg's “Renner” (“Wälscher Gast” by Thomasin von Zerclaere excludes Vomhof as it is far out of date in textual criticism and commentary). On the other hand, there are hardly any critical editions for Middle High German and Middle Latin didactics and on the other hand. Another difficulty is to be found in the works themselves, since nowadays (1959) the “access to understanding medieval didactics [...] is largely closed”. In 1959, the state of research was another problem, as the handwritten material that existed on Medieval Latin didactics was, according to Vomhof, only evaluated and critically assessed with exceptions.
In order to be able to understand medieval didactics, one must be aware of the prerequisites and conditions from which it arose: According to Vomhof, there was a change in the ruling powers in the second half of the 13th century, which resulted in a cultural and social shift : According to Vomhof, the poets of the post-courtly era saw it as their task either to entertain people through their works or to use them to reveal the way out of the earthly “valley of tears” to God and thus to salvation. In order to fulfill this task and to make the population heard at all, a poetry had to be created that clearly stood out from the poetry of high court culture: From this need, in Vomhof's opinion, didactic poetry developed, which was above all Appeal to Christian teaching in the form of the Bible. The Holy Scriptures represented a fixed point for people to orientate themselves towards, as it endured through the ages and retained its validity even in times of upheaval.
Vomhof points out that the teaching of poetry is not a phenomenon of courtly poetry, since "non-didactic poetry is not possible in the Middle Ages". In addition to the usefulness, “prodesse et delectare”, the task of medieval poetry is to be pleased. The first doctrinal elements can already be found in the Old High German Gospel Book of Otfrids , as well as in " Heliand ", since they are spiritual epics that are supposed to teach their readers. According to Vomhof, lessons were already contained in the courtly epics of Heinrich von Veldeke , Hartmann von Aue , Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Straßburg : In most cases, however, these are clearly separated from the actual narrative and mostly refer to the ideal of a knight. The teachings in the courtly epics should not have any influence on the readers, but rather on the deeds of the literary characters. The instructional sections thus had more of the function of justifying the actions of the protagonists or stimulating them in an impulse-like manner. The effect on the reader was therefore only indirect. The aim of the courtly novels was not the didactic education of the readers, but the propaganda of courtly ideals. The first transitions from epic to teaching poetry can be found in “Der Winsbeke” and in “ Tirol und Fridebrant ”. The didactic poem “Der Winsbeke” is also considered to be the “first fully developed didactic poetry”, although, in Vomhof's opinion, it ideologically stems from court poetry.
Ehrismann defines the didactics in contrast to the epic as follows: "The content of the epic is life, that of the didactic thinking about life [...]." Furthermore, the epic would deal with a single concrete example, whereas the didactics from such examples are general Would filter statements. Vomhof, however, does not find this description sufficient and draws on a definition of the didactic term by Thiel, which says that didactics have the task of reflecting the world and life view as well as the ideals of the time: "The task of didactics is to Concentrated on the essentials, to give expression to the respective world and view of life and the ideals of the time. It is a reflection of the time and its spiritual or spiritual aspirations ”. When trying to fathom the intentions of medieval didactics, one must draw conclusions from the statements of the individual works on general statements that make the didactics easier to understand. Closest to didactics would be courtly lyric poetry, especially in the form of chant poetry, as this often criticizes the prevailing social and cultural circumstances. Nevertheless, instruction is not the main aim of courtly poetry. A mixture of courtly poetry and didactics forms the “modesty” Freidanks, which aims to convey “correct” judgment. The doctrinal elements here become clear, for example, through the criticism expressed of chivalry.
Hugo von Trimberg's “runner” also contains critical considerations through which the work can be understood, among other things, as a teaching poem.
The literary criticism in the "Renner"
One aspect that Hugo judges critically in “Renner” is the work of the poet. According to Vomhof, he orientated himself on Gottfried von Strasbourg's “ Tristan ” and Rudolf von Ems' “ Alexander ”, which also contain a literary criticism. Hugo claims here that the sins of greed and unchastity are to blame for the knights' forgetting how well the earlier poets knew how to do their job.
As an example of a poet who still knew how to write poetry, he mentions Konrad von Würzburg : “Master Counrât is beautiful in words / he even verre hât wehselt / and from latîn alsô twisted / das lützel leien si vernement: / an tiutschen buochen diu niht cement… ”-“ Master Konrad has many beautiful words / which he has changed very far / and was so edited by Latin / that few laypeople hear them: / that is not appropriate for German books ”(v. 1202ff .). Hugo uses this criticism to explain what goal he is pursuing with his own poetry, namely to write poetry in such a way that all readers of all classes understand his work. Furthermore, he condemns works of courtly epic which, in his opinion, do not portray the truth: "Vil manigen [buoch] is but baz known / here and about manic lant / diu buoch, diu I called before hân: / Parcifâl and Tristrant, / Wigolais and Enêas, / Êrec, Îwan […] But sint diu buoch even lies vol ”-“ A lot of [books] are better known / here and in many other countries / the books I mentioned before: / Parzival and Tristan, / Wigolais and Aeneas, / Erec, Iwein […] ”(v. 21637ff.). Hugo hereby claims that his poetry is completely true. In contrast to the criticism of the courtly epic, the praise with which Hugo the court lyric poets, etc. a. Heinrich von Morungen , Walther von der Vogelweide (cf. V. 1236 ff.). The reason for praising courtly poetry lies in its proximity to that of didactics, which has already been described.
Hugo particularly emphasizes the Marner, as he wrote his works in both Latin and German. Anyone who speaks both languages and knows how to preach and write poetry in them is, in Hugo's opinion, a blissful man: "Ouch wizzet he is a sêlic man / who can do tiutsch and latîn / [...] with a süezem mouth" - " Also know he is a blessed man / who speaks German and Latin equally well / […] with a sweet mouth ”(v. 22371). Hugo also praises ancient poets, e. B .: Augustine, Aesop, Pliny, Ovid and Virgil, (cf. V. 14669) and although these as "heathens" do not know the Christian doctrine and therefore do not represent their ideals, Hugo often refers to them in "Renner" as Moral authorities. The fact that Hugo has no objection to non-Christians or “Gentiles” testifies to the following quote: “Jews lêre and wîser heiden / hânt us things vil modest, / diu is useful and good to us ...” - “The teaching of Jews and wise people Gentiles / have taught us many things / which are useful and good to us ”(v. 8447).
According to Fritz Vomhof, the only purpose of the literary criticism in “Renner” is to emphasize what Hugo's own poetry is used for in contrast to the works of other poets: “Since Hugo von Trimberg's literary criticism only serves to clarify his own poetry, it is closely connected with it The poet's thoughts on the task of his poetry ”. According to Hugo, good poetry has to look like this: It has to be in the service of God, be righteous and simple. Furthermore, it should teach how a person must lead his life in order to please God (cf. V. 17697 - 17666). The basis as well as the goal of good poetry must be the Bible (cf. V. 20301). Since preachers and teachers have mastered German and Latin and are not haughty, they come closest to the ideal image of the poet (cf. v. 22371). Poetry must show its readers its own impermanence and the greatness of God (cf. v. 17967).
Hugo further explains that language was given by God and therefore it was also God's will that through it all people were brought closer to divine teaching and the path to the kingdom of heaven and that sinners were directed back to the right path: “Gotes lop sül wir mêren with words and confess sinners, make people happy, preach, pray, the sêle unkrût with words ûz jeten ”-“ We should increase God's praise with words and convert sinners, make peace, preach, pray, weed out the weeds with words ”(v. 22231) It becomes clear that the main aim of Hugo's poetry is to spread the teachings of the Bible. Hugo is also aware that his poetry can only be of value if it meets with popular response. Hugo condemns people's turning away from poetry as the “guideline of their lives”: (cf. v. 5809 ff.). To want to acquire earthly goods such as wealth or power through poetry is a downright reprehensible goal for Hugo: "Earthly good and earthly êre / wants to devour and deserve the holy scripture lêre / sô ..." - "Earthly good and earthly honor / wants them Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures / completely annihilate and destroy ... ”(V. 2005 ff.). But Hugo recognizes that it was precisely this poetry that found the greatest popularity among people in his time (cf. V. 1991 ff.).
Although Hugo has a clear idea of “good” poetry, he does not present the “Renner” as a paradigm for it, but as a work with weaknesses. He always points out his own inability (cf. v. 15919 ff.) The difficulty that the scope of the work has made for him is illustrated by the image of the rider who occasionally runs through his horse. Hugo is aware of the weaknesses of his work and emphasizes that criticism of the form, but not of the content of the "Renner", is appropriate. This is z. B. at the following point clearly: “No one should speak because I mend / mîn tihte, whether I twist ez / and apply the holy scriptures ...” - “Nobody should say that I mend / my poem if I improve it / and grant with the Holy Scriptures ”(V. 20291 ff.). Hugo is still clear that the sins are never completely erased even through poetry like the "Renner": "Swie vil we write, read, write, / we do not tolerate the gitikeit" - "No matter how much we write, read, write, / we do not drive away greed ”(v. 7651 f.).
The time and social criticism in the "Renner"
The time and social criticism contained in the “Renner” is a further element of the didactics. According to Vomhof, the didactic specialist knows: "that he can only achieve his intentions by constantly criticizing his environment, namely to show his fellow men a better way". It should be noted that evaluations of the present are always subjective. This is also the case in the “Renner”: If Hugo writes about events of his time, he too evaluates them from a subjective point of view. An example of this is Hugo's statement about the conquest of Acon , the “last bastion of Christianity in the Holy Land”, by the Mohammedans on May 18, 1291. He assigns the blame for the defeat to the sins of the Christians who live there (cf. V. 15890) and in this context calls on Christians to turn to God again, since sins would otherwise destroy Christianity: "High, unkiusche and gîtikeit still destroy cristality" - "Arrogance, indecency and greed destroy Christianity “(V. 15893 f.).
Statements about concrete historical events such as the conquest of Acon or, for example, the attack on the papal convoy in 1297, appear less often in the "Renner" than, for example, statements about social conditions. The reason for this is Hugo's goal to counteract social developments through instruction in his poetry, which he perceives as bad. He is aware of the fact that he is living in a transition period from the courtly to the “civil” time and expresses this in the “Renner”: “Dô I came from êrste ze Babenberc / came, dô vant ich milter liute / vil mêre dâ I think vinde hiute [...] ”-“ When I first came to Bamberg, I found friendlier people / a lot more than I find them today ”(v. 21454 ff.).
The greatest danger that he sees in this upheaval is the attempt to abolish the order given by God: "Swer against sînen orden strives / and not lives according to God's sake / wizzet he is an end-crystal" - “Who against his order acts / and does not live according to God's will / knows he is an antichrist ”(v. 4495 ff.). Nevertheless, priests, knights and farmers (cf. v. 505 ff.) Are all equal before God, all threatened by sins and should live in peace with one another. Hugo subjects the three stands in the “Renner” to a comprehensive socio-critical investigation, as it is typical for medieval poetry according to Müller.
Criticism of the clergy and secularization in the "Renner"
Hugo laments the viciousness of the priests and monks, who z. B. in the form of greed, simony and unchastity express and even criticize the Pope: Although he is the shepherd of believing Christians, he wants to shear them out of greedy motives: "Got gap sant Pêter sînen blessing / and hiez in sîner schâfe, / He doesn’t give sheep: / nu all the parsons like to shear… ”-“ God gave Saint Peter his blessing / and instructed him to look after his sheep / he did not instruct him to shear the sheep: / Now they shear All priests like ”(v. 9010 ff.). However, there can be no talk of “pre-Reformation thoughts” in “Renner”, since Hugo always describes himself as the “faithful son” of the church. That he does not intend to rebel against them is also clear from the fact that he describes the clergy as "child of God" and says that one can only escape the confusions of the world through the monastic status (cf. v. 18012 ff.) .
Hugo also complains about the increasing secularization. However, it is clear to him that the few remaining Christians can no longer avert this (cf. v. 23243 ff.). The reason for this is people's strong ties to this world. That is why Hugo calls for contempt for the earthly in the “Renner”, since man must always be aware of his transience in order to free himself from the chains of earthly life. Furthermore, people have to go through a threefold birth: first the birth from the womb, second the “birth” through baptism and third the birth through death, which leads one back to God. (Compare V. 24085 ff.)
The goal that Hugo pursues with his criticism of the clergy is that people put their sins aside in order to serve God again. Since he believes that only the clergy can provide the impetus for a return to God and Christian ideals, he is particularly hard on this stand.
Criticism of chivalry
In post-court didactics, the ideals of courtly times were increasingly criticized because, on the one hand, a new awareness had developed in post-courtly times and, on the other hand, court culture was despised for its stagnation. In Hugo's opinion, the decline of courtly culture can be traced back to the parallel decline of chivalry: the formerly noble class of knights is now ruled by vice. Hugo asks himself where the virtuous knighthood of that time has gone (cf. V. 15180 ff.). With the description of the immoral behavior of the knights, Hugo von Trimberg uses a teaching principle that Fritz Vomhof calls "negative instruction". This principle teaches through the presentation of deterrent examples by showing how one should not behave if possible. By juxtaposing clergy and chivalry, Hugo also points out that only monastic life, not life as a knight, can lead to salvation. For example, he considers tournaments to be worthless and the work of the devil (cf. V. 11589.).
General time lawsuits
Hugo continues to criticize the merchants in the “Renner”. The merchants are a new class that emerged in Germany in the 13th century. Although the merchants had already established themselves as the new estate at the time of the Renner's constitution, it does not appear in Hugo's list of the estates (cf. V. 2213 ff.). Hugo therefore does not regard the merchants as an estate. This is not unusual, since other poets, e.g. B. Thank you, so do with them. When Hugo mentions them, he usually expresses himself negatively about them (cf. v. 6199 f.). The reason for this is probably due to the negative attitude with which the church meets the merchants, since it saw in the activity of action a danger for the salvation of the soul and this contradicted the ascetic ideal. Hugo also complains about the vices that are becoming more and more prevalent in the world and are gradually replacing virtues. B. "triuwe" to "untriuwe" etc. The reason for this is the predominance of gîtikeit , which Hugo believes is the main vice of the time (cf. V. 21435 ff.).
In general, it can be said that Hugo mostly portrays the present negatively in “Renner”, while he praises the past. This is a common means of didactic instructional poetry.
Personal lawsuits
Old age suit
Hugo often complains about his age in the "Renner" and uses this age complaint again for educational purposes: In the prologue he mentions a ringing in the ears from which he has been suffering since he was fifty. In Hugo's opinion, the head rush is a sign of the transience of human life (cf. v. 9 ff.). He goes on to say that the complaints that afflict people in old age are signals from God that remind people of their imminent death and call them to reflection and repentance: “Swenne he thinks back and forth / how healthy, like junc, like strong he wêr / and also noticeable host dâ bî / how old, how cold, how sick he is: / sölte he ûf gein himel trahten ”-“ When he thinks back and forth / how healthy, how young, how strong he was / and also notice / how old, how cold, how sick he is: / so he should think about heaven ”(v. 23027 ff.).
Poverty and Education Lawsuit
Hugo explains in the "Renner" that he worked as a rector scolarum at the Bamberg collegiate school St. Gangolf (Bamberg) . As such, he was appointed by the school's scholasticus and was financially dependent on him. Although little is known about the conditions of the Scholasterie in St. Gangolf in the 13th century, testimonies from other scholasters show that the wages for a rector scolarum were low. It can therefore be assumed that Hugo was also confronted with financial difficulties in his professional career as a teacher, which according to him comprised around 40 to 50 years (cf. V. 24.560 ff.).
In this context, Hugo von Trimberg also comments on the educational conditions of his time and evaluates them on the basis of his long professional experience. He particularly criticizes the early departures of the students from the collegiate schools. These are related to the founding of the city schools and universities. Because of the transition to literature, city schools were founded in which both Latin and German were taught. While in Bamberg the focus was on grammatical and rhetorical teaching, the universities also offered the new subjects medicine, theology and law. Students either preferred such university courses or attended local city schools. Collegiate schools like St. Gangolf and the wages of the teachers employed there, like Hugo von Trimberg, who were dependent on school fees, suffered as a result. Hugo's complaint of poverty is therefore directly related to the educational conditions of his time. According to him, the lack of understanding with which people approach his works is also existentially threatening.
And he continues to complain about the lack of enthusiasm for learning of the remaining students: "Swer hundred schuoler hât gelêrt, / landlord in von siben geêrt" - "Whoever has taught a hundred students / is honored by seven among them" (v. 17563 f.).
The knowledge that is imparted in the “Renner” is based on the “ 7 liberal arts ” through which, according to Hugo, one can come to God (cf. V. 16075 ff.).
Conclusion about Hugo von Trimberg's didactic intention in the "Renner"
Hugo von Trimberg wants to uncover the “wrong” actions of people through his complaints and critical statements and thereby lead them back to the “right” actions. In order to show people how to behave “correctly”, Hugo sets up a doctrine of virtues, which is expressed above all in his detailed presentation of vices and sins. That is why the seven main sins are the means of structuring the entire work. He mainly uses a teaching principle that Fritz Vomhof calls "negative instruction" in order to lead people back to God. As is typical for a textbook of the Middle Ages, it is both didactic and theological. In Hugo's time, the Bible was the center of school and religious education. It is not for nothing that the Holy Scriptures are the main source of Hugo's early work.
Sources (selection)
- The runner. Nuremberg 1347, University Library Erlangen-Nuremberg, UER MS.B 4 ( digitized ).
- The hit with “From Youth and Age” ; "Johannisminne" ; New moon calendar 1385-1399. Electoral Palatinate (?) 1378, Heidelberg University Library, Cod. Pal. germ. 366 ( digitized version ).
- The hit "Table of Christian Wisdom". Nuremberg 1425-1431, Heidelberg University Library, Cod. Pal. germ. 471 ( digitized version ).
- Der Renner- Südtirol, 1468, Fondation Martin Bodmer Cologny, Cod. Bodmer 91 ( digitized version ).
- The runner. Southern Germany, 3rd quarter of the 15th century, Heidelberg University Library, Cod. Pal. germ. 98 ( digitized version ).
- Der Renner - A beautiful and useful book. Franckfurt a. M. 1549, Bavarian State Library Munich, 2 Pogerm. 29 m # Beibd.1 ( digitized version ).
- The runner. (Fragment, 1 sheet), 14th century, Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, Hs 22025 ( digital copy )
- The runner. (Fragment, 1½ sheet), 14th century, University of Freiburg, Hs. 528 ( digitized version )
- Collective manuscript (fol. 1b – 151b, beginning and end fragmented) 1426, Austrian National Library Vienna, Cod. 3086.
Thematically related
- [ HUGO VON TRIMBERG ] Tyrol 1411-1413, University and State Library Tyrol, Innsbruck, Cod. 900 ( digitized ).
literature
Text output
- The "Renner" by Hugo von Trimberg, Vol. 1–4, ed. by Gustav Ehrismann . With an afterword and additions by Günther Schweikle (Nachdr. D. Ausg. Tübingen 1908–1911) (German reprints. Texts of the Middle Ages), Berlin 1970, ISBN 1-145-10692-7 .
- PDF versions in the Internet Archive : Vol. 1-2 , Vol. 3 , Vol. 4
- Online version by Henrike Lähnemann based on Ehrismann's text (without apparatus)
- Gregorius Magnus, Moralia in Iob, Vol. 1 - 3, ed. By Marcus Adriaen (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina CXLIII), Turnholti 1979–1985, ISBN 978-2-503-01431-9 .
- Peter Keyser: Michael de Leone (d. 1355) and his literary collection (publications of the Society for Franconian History Series IX, depictions from Franconian History 21), Würzburg 1966, ISBN 3-7686-9182-9 .
Research literature
Monographs
- Inés de la Cuadra: The "Renner" Hugos von Trimberg: allegorical forms of thought and literary traditions, Hildesheim 1999, ISBN 3-487-10940-9 .
- Klaus Düwel: Work descriptions of the Middle High German narrative literature, Göttingen 1983, ISBN 3-525-20548-1 .
- Henrike Lähnemann: 'Der Renner' by Johannes Vorster - investigation and edition of cpg 471, Tübingen 1998, ISBN 3-7720-2030-5 .
- Lutz Rosenplenter: Quotation and appeal to authority in Hugos von Trimberg's racer. A contribution to the education of the layman in the late Middle Ages, European university publications: Series 1, Dt. Language and literature; 457, Frankfurt am Main; Bern 1982, ISBN 3-8204-6237-6 .
- Rudolf Kilian Weigand: Hugo von Trimberg's “hit”. Tradition, source dependency and structure of a late medieval didactic poetry. Knowledge literature in the Middle Ages. Writings of the Collaborative Research Center 226 Wurzburg / Eichstätt, Vol. 35, Wiesbaden 2000, ISBN 3-89500-202-X .
Magazine articles
- Henning Brinkmann: The prologue in the Middle Ages as a literary phenomenon. Construction and statement. In: WW 14 (1964), pp. 1-21.
- Janicke: About Hugo von Trimberg's life and writings, in: Germania 2, 1857.
- Albert Leitzmann: Freidankquitate im Renner, in: PBB 45 (1921).
Anthologies
- Gustav Ehrismann : History of German literature up to the end of the Middle Ages, 3 vol., Munich 1922–1935.
- Hans Robert Jauss: Theory of the genres and the literature of the Middle Ages, in: Alterity and modernity of medieval literature. Collected essays 1956-1976, Munich 1977, ISBN 3-7705-1487-4 .
- KF Müller: "The literary criticism in Middle High German poetry and its essence", DF 26, Frankfurt am Main 1933.
- Nigel F. Palmer: Chapter and Book. On the structuring principles of medieval books, in: Frühmittelalterliche Studien 23, 1989, eBook ISBN 978-3-11-024221-8
- Bernhard Schemmel: Hugo von Trimberg, in: Fränkische Lebensbilder, ed. By Gerhard Pfeiffer (publications of the Society for Franconian History, VIIA series, Fränkische Lebensbilder 4), Würzburg 1971, pp. 1–26, ISBN 3-7686-9157-8 .
Lexicon article
- Ludwig Hödl, Fritz Hoffmann: Distinction . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 3, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1986, ISBN 3-7608-8903-4 , Sp. 1127 f.
- Günther Schweikle: Hugo von Trimberg, in: author lexicon . 2nd Edition. Vol. 4, 1983, ISBN 3-11-008838-X .
Dissertations
- Else Schlicht: The instructive parable in Hugo von Trimberg's runner. (Diss.) Giessen 1928.
- Helga Thiel: The devil's net - observations on late medieval spiritual didactics. (Diss.) Munich 1953.
- Fritz Vomhof: Hugos von Trimberg's “hit”. Contributions to the understanding of courtly German didactics. (Diss.) Cologne 1959.
- Egon Julius Wölfel: Investigations on Hugo von Trimberg and his Renner. (Diss.) Leipzig 1884, ISBN 1-141-11703-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The authoritative Renner edition is that of Gustav Ehrismann , which Günther Schweikle only added some information in the commentary volume in 1970.
- ↑ Weigand, Rudolf Kilian: The "Renner" of Hugo von Trimberg. Tradition, source dependency and structure of a late medieval didactic poetry. Knowledge literature in the Middle Ages. Writings of the Collaborative Research Center 226 Würzburg / Eichstätt, Vol. 35, Wiesbaden 2000, p. 26.
- ↑ Weigand, p. 346 ff.
- ↑ Palmer, Nigel F .: Chapter and book. On the structuring principles of medieval books, in: Frühmedalterliche Studien 23, 1989, p. 67 ff.
- ↑ Cf. Cuadra, Inés de la: The "Renner" Hugos von Trimberg: allegorical forms of thought and literary traditions, Hildesheim 1999, p. 122.
- ↑ See Weigand.
- ↑ See Henning Brinkmann: The prologue in the Middle Ages as a literary phenomenon. Construction and statement. In: WW 14 (1964), pp. 1-21. All quotations from the “Renner” come from this edition.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 289 f.
- ↑ Weigand, p. 26.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 26.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 291 f.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 291.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 292.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 295.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 45.
- ↑ Ludwig Hödl, Fritz Hoffmann: Distinction . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 3, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1986, ISBN 3-7608-8903-4 , Sp. 1127 f.
- ↑ Palmer, pp. 60-88.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 119 f.
- ↑ Ibid, p. 92.
- ↑ This is only fragmentary, as the large volume of the work does not allow a detailed description at this point. Cutouts and summaries are therefore unavoidable. An overview of the content of the "Renner" can be found at Weigand.
- ↑ It should be noted that envy is missing in this list and that the order of the sins does not match their sequence in the “Renner”.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 142
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 144.
- ↑ Possibly identical to Trik-Trak. See Weigand, p. 369.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 144 f.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 145 f.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 80.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 147.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 148.
- ↑ See ibid, p. 82.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 83.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 374.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 152 f.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 153.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 151 f.
- ↑ Cuadra, p. 155.
- ↑ The "Samener" is another work by Hugo. Since Hugo lost five arches of this work, he could not finish it. He integrated the received content in verses 24606 - 24611 of the "Renner".
- ↑ Keyser, Peter, Michael de Leone (d. 1355) and his literary collection, Würzburg 1966, p. 136.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 4.
- ^ I Cor 9:24.
- ↑ a b Weigand, p. 232.
- ↑ Cf. Rosenplenter, Lutz: Quote and call to authority in the Renner Hugos von Trimberg. A contribution to the education of the layman in the late Middle Ages, European university publications: Series 1, Dt. Language and literature; 457, Frankfurt am Main; Bern, 1982, p. 26.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 130.
- ↑ See Lähnemann, p. 111.
- ↑ See Rosenplenter, p. 127 f.
- ↑ See Rosenplenter, p. 134.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 290.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 307 f
- ↑ See ibid. P. 353.
- ↑ Leitzmann, Albert : Freidankzitate im Renner, in: PBB 45 (1921), p. 116 ff.
- ^ Wölfel, Egon Julius: Investigations on Hugo von Trimberg and his racer. (Diss.) Leipzig 1884, p. 18.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 325.
- ↑ See Schlicht, Else: The instructive parable in the Renner of Hugo von Trimberg, (Diss.) Giessen 1928, p. 11.
- ↑ Weigand, p. 33.
- ↑ See Weigand, pp. 251 f.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 253.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 253 ff.
- ↑ See Schlicht, p. 15 f.
- ↑ A list of the fables of Aesop and Avianus used in the “Renner” can be found in Else Schlicht's dissertation “The instructive parable in the Renner by Hugo von Trimberg” from 1928.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 151.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 152.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 3.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 5.
- ↑ It contains u. a. a directory that briefly describes thirty-three manuscripts of the "Renner".
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 19.
- ↑ Weigand, p. 7.
- ↑ See Weigand, p. 8 ff.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 17.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 39.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 269.
- ^ Schweikle, Günther: Hugo von Trimberg, in: VL 4, 1983², Sp. 273.
- ↑ Vomhof, Fritz: The "Renner" Hugos von Trimberg. Contributions to the understanding of courtly German didactics (dissertation), Cologne 1959, p. 4.
- ↑ Vomhof, p. 4 f.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 15.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 17.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 17.
- ↑ Ehrismann, Gustav: History of German Literature up to the End of the Middle Ages, 3 vol., Munich 1922-1935, p. 2.
- ↑ Thiel, Helga: The devil's network - observations on late medieval spiritual didactics. Diss. Munich 1953, p. 169.
- ↑ See Vomhof, p. 14.
- ↑ See ibid. P. 20.
- ↑ See V. 1243.
- ↑ Vomhof, p. 25.
- ↑ Ibid. P. 27.
- ↑ Vomhof, p. 34.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 221.
- ↑ See Müller, KF: "The literary criticism in Middle High German poetry and its essence", DF 26, 1933, p. 97.
- ↑ Vomhof: p. 39.
- ↑ See Cuadra, p. 138.
- ↑ Vomhof, p. 43.
Web links
- Rudolf Kilian Weigand: Hugo von Trimberg: The Renner . In: Historical Lexicon of Bavaria