The children of darkness
The Children of Darkness is a historical novel by Wolf von Niebelschütz , published in 1959.
action
The novel takes you back to the 12th century, to the imaginary province of Kelguria, which is supposed to represent the southern Arelat . Real events such as the campaigns of Frederick I Barbarossa and the persecution of the Cathars are interwoven with fictional storylines. The main character is the shepherd boy Barral, who, born out of wedlock , eventually becomes ruler of the province. The conflict between different religions, the Christian, the Muslim and the pagan, the religion of the common people is also discussed. In particular, the role of the Roman Catholic clergy and the feudal nobility and their position of power, influence and abuse of power in the society and politics of Kelguria is depicted. The novel also gives a historically well-founded insight into the aristocratic world of the High Middle Ages, for example into the role of minnesong, feudalism, gender roles and the tough struggle to secure one's own power and public reputation.
Translations
An English translation (half of the novel) by Barrows Mussey was published by Allen & Unwin in 1963 under the title The Badger of Ghissi . There is also a translation into Spanish.
expenditure
- The children of darkness. Diederichs, Düsseldorf 1959 (new editions 1981 and 1990, ISBN 3-424-00721-8 ).
- The children of darkness. Haffmans, Zurich 1989, ISBN 3-251-01033-6 (new editions 1995 and 2004).
- The children of darkness. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-423-12030-4 .
- The children of darkness. Kein & Aber, Zurich 2010, ISBN 978-3-0369-5559-9 .
Web links
- Jutta Ladwig: An old fairy tale . Review at Literaturkritik.de . Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- Review note on Perlentaucher . Retrieved July 21, 2010.
literature
- Dominik Riedo : Wolf von Niebelschütz: Life and Work. A biography . Lang, Bern 2013, ISBN 978-3-0343-1346-9 (including a detailed chapter on the medieval novel)