Womens song

Women's song (also called women's monologue ) is the name of a sub-genre of minnesongs within minnesang . Women's songs are mostly monologues in which the lyrical self is a noble lady ( frouwe ). They are about love and longing for a man and the related emotional and social problems.

Chronological order

In the aristocratic courts of the Romance- speaking area , women's songs are well known in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, for example in France with the trobadors ( chanson de femme ), in Spain ( canción de mujer ), in Italy ( canzone di donna ) and in Portugal ( cantiga de dona ). Early forms of Middle High German women's songs first appeared around the middle of the 12th century and thus in the early phase of German-speaking minstrelsong , the Danubian minstrelsong. However, these early forms are monophonic. The best-known authors of these forms are Dietmar von Aist , Meinloh von Sevelingen and the Kürenberger .

The actual monological women's songs, which usually have three to six stanzas, are in the tradition of the Danubian minstrel . However, they are to be settled in the high phase of German-speaking minnesang, i.e. during the phase of Hohen Minne (1170/1180 AD). The best-known authors of women's songs in this phase are Hartmann von Aue , Friedrich von Hausen , Heinrich von Morungen , Heinrich von Rugge , Heinrich von Veldeke , Walter von der Vogelweide and above all Reinmar the Old . Some women's songs have also come down to us from the 13th century AD, for example by Gottfried von Neifen .

Central motifs

The else in the minnesongs the male lyric I sung and unattainable Minne Dame ( Frouwe ) comes in the women's songs seems to speak for themselves and gives an insight into their emotional life. She is presented in contrast to the previously known image of the rejecting noble lady, in that she is shown as wanting, yearning and suffering.

Mostly it is about her love for a man ( knight ), her longing associated with it, her doubts, her worries, her hopes and her love affliction, which is related to the love for this man. Every now and then, envious ( merkaere ) and liars ( lying ) and their resentment regarding the relationship of lovers are mentioned. Often messengers (occurring offered ) on in the songs. The songs emphasize that the relationship with this man is fraught with problems and dangers. The minne lady, for example, is afraid of losing her virtuous honor ( êre ) and her reputation. She is thus in a conflict between personal happiness in love and the necessary consideration for her social reputation. In Walter von der Vogelweide 's women's songs , the frouwe usually opts for her love and the relationship with the man who advertises. It is different in the women's songs of Reinmar the Elder , in which the Minnedame recognizes the necessity of social norms and customs and decides against her private happiness and thus against her social duties.

example

MF 178, 1 "Dear messenger, nu wirp alsô" XXVIII. from: Kraus, Carl von: The songs of Reinmar des Alten. I. part. The individual songs. Publishing house of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences: Munich, 1919, p. 52f. (For reasons of formatting the lines are missing).

Middle High German XXVIII Dear messenger, nu wirp alsô, dear messenger, nu wirp alsô, in sheer and say ime daz: vert he wol and is he vrô, I live iemer least baz. Say ime by the will of me that he should be so iht gotuo that we are parted. II If he knows how I have been, then I live with pride. Swa you must lead in abe that he give me the talk. I am drawn to the heart and love to see the borrowed tac: that you should forget. III Ê daz you iemer im verjehest daz ime holdez heart, sô yourself, daz dû alrêrst look and vernim what I say to you: my he wol with triuwen me, swaz im then muge ze vröiden komen daz mîn êre sî, daz speak. IV He said, that he was waving , that I was worth it to you, so bit in, that he was talking about the speech, the youngest spoke to me, Ê that I saw in on. Who would he want me if no one would happen to me? V Of which he gert, there is the dead and spoil some lîp; pale and eteswenne red alse weet ez diu wîp. Minne heats the man, únde mohte baz unminne sîn. wê ime, which alrêst began. VI Since I alsô vil dâ from gerédetè, daz is my guiding, I turn what vil unwon sô gotâner árbéit, When I wear tougenlîchen - dûn shouldn't forbid everything that I have told you. II 6. ande MF. III 6. im then bC and MF. IV 6. wê wes wes wes C, waz E, dorch wat m, wes MF. He m he da mite CE and MF. 7. des m, daz CE and MF. V 6. unde MF.

New High German translation Dear messenger, now do the following Dear messenger, now do the following, hurry to him immediately and tell him this: if he is fine and if he is happy, I always live better. At my request, tell him that he should never do anything that could divorce us. II. If he asks how I am, say I live in joy. Wherever you can get him to spare me talking. I am devoted to him from the bottom of my heart and would rather see him than the day: but you should keep that quiet. III. Before you ever tell him that I am devoted to him from the bottom of my heart, first look and hear what I am telling you: If he thinks that he [to love] me faithfully, which can then give him joy, that is my honor so speak. IV. If he says that he wants to come here, I will always reward you, then ask him to refrain from the speech he recently made to me: Then I can look at him. Oh, why does he want to burden me with something that will never happen? V. What he desires is death and it spoils many a body; pale and sometimes red, that's how it makes women feel. Men call it Minne, but it should rather be Unminne. Woe to him who started it first! VI. I am sorry that I have talked so much about it , because I am not used to enduring such torture as mine in secret - you should never tell him anything about what I have told you.

Lore history

The women's songs have a marginal position in the genre of the Minneieder. Although they have come down to us in various manuscripts , the proportion of Minne songs in which a male lyrical self occurs clearly predominates . Nevertheless, women's songs have survived in handwriting A ( Kleine Heidelberger Liederhandschrift ), in handwriting B ( Weingartner Liederhandschrift ), but also in manuscripts C ( Codex Manesse ) and E ( Würzburger Liederhandschrift ). In addition, fragments of parts are preserved in an anonymous appendix (b) of the Weingartner song manuscript , and parts of women's songs can also be found in Möser's fragment (m).

The women's song “Lieber bote, nu wirp alsô” cited here is partly passed down in the manuscripts B, C, E and the Möser fragment (m), although the sequence of stanzas in the manuscripts varies. The most plausible seems to Albrecht Hausmann to be the tradition group Em, which is the only one to transmit stanzas IV and V. Manuscript B and C show a certain relationship, since the sequence of stanzas in the above song is identical in both. Only the fact that an additional stanza has survived in C distinguishes the two manuscripts in this regard in the tradition series x2. According to Hausmann, the song is available in "two effective reception versions that have not touched each other in the reconstructable tradition".

analysis

shape

The women's song “Lieber bote, nu wirp alsô” has a simple metric structure. As a tunnel it has two four-strokes each, as a swan song three four-strokes with orphan (single line of verse that has no rhyme ). The orphan of verse 4 rhymes with verses 19 and 21 of the previous verse 3. There are "rhyming responses" like me: say: me (verse 3, v. 19, v. 25 and verse 4, v. 27). There are also other rhymes such as mîn: sîn ( verse 1, verses 5 and 7) / holt: solt (verse 2, v.12 and 14) // seen: happening (verse 4, verses 26 and 28) or leit: arebeit (verse 6, verses 37 and 39). "Formally, stanzas 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4 are connected in pairs".

content

In the cited song, a female lyrical self speaks to a messenger within the text. She gives him an order, which is made clear in the first stanza by the sentence "Lieber bote, nu wirp alsô" (verse 1) and the statement "daz speak" (3rd stanza, v. 21).

• The first stanza is about the joy of the lyric self that it feels because of the joy of the loved one. This can be seen at the point "vert er wol and is he frô, I live iemer deste baz" (VV. 3f.). Also the request, "Tell him through the will mîn daz he iemer solhes iht getuo dâ from we are divorced" (VV. 5–7.) Shows that the lady who speaks here wants to be connected to him.
• In the second stanza she gives the messenger a first forbidden to speak by saying: "daz ab du versîwgen should" (v.14). She gives this after she has clearly confessed her love with the sentences: "I am in love with the heart and love to see the tac" (VV. 12f.).
• In stanza 3 she explains on the one hand that she is fond of him and devoted to him from the bottom of her heart, "deich im holdez heart wear" (v.16), but at the same time she is of the opinion that her reputation and honor should also give him pleasure. This can be recognized by the saying “Meine er wol mit triuwen mich, swaz then in müge ze fröiden come daz mîn êre sî, […]” (VV. 19-21).
• In the fourth stanza she asks the messenger to ask the man not to challenge her with his wooing words “sô bit in daz he verber talk dier youngest spoke to me” (VV. 24f.). She also raises the question “Who would he want it to happen to me?” (VV. 27f.). This implies that she considers the fulfillment of love to be improbable.
• In verse 5 it becomes clear that she fears love and therefore associates it with negative vocabulary. This becomes clear in verses 29f. "Des he gert daz is the killing and spoiling manegen lîp". It also arises in verses 31f. figuratively shows what love causes: “pale and eteswenne red alsô bewet ez diu wîp”. She also makes it clear that she would rather call the Minne called by the men Unminne, because it has such negative consequences: "Minne heats you up, and would like to baz unminne sîn" (VV. 33f.).
• In the last stanza the woman becomes aware of what she has said and revokes her words. She gives the messenger a renewed ban on speaking, which is made clear by the utterance “dune should never forfeit anything I have told you”.

All in all, this women's song is about the inner conflict of the female lyrical self . The speaker weighs honor and love against each other. She chooses her duty and acts out of responsibility to society and not on a whim. The song resembles a self-talk of the Lady Minned before a third, the messenger mentioned. According to Ingrid Kasten, it also demonstrates “how a loving woman's intention to communicate with her beloved man fails”.

Characteristics of the women's songs of Reinmar the Elder

Women's songs are an important sub-genre of the Minneongs . Above all, Reinmar the old man pointed out the dilemma of the minne ladies in his women's songs and mentioned the dangers and consequences of longing for and love for a man. In summary, important features of the women's songs Reinmar the Elder can be recorded:

• Within the text, a female lyrical I ( frouwe ) speaks either to herself or to a male person ( bote ) about another male person (mostly knight )
• the female lyrical self tells of her love and longing for a man and of her worries about her love
• In some women's songs , the frouwe instructs a messenger to deliver a message to the lover
• on the one hand she is reserved and wants to preserve her honor
• on the other hand, she clearly expresses her affection
• nevertheless, she mostly revokes her confession and "communication [between her and her lover] does not take place"
• she finds herself in a dilemma : she weighs her personal happiness against her obligations to society and her reputation or her honor
• At Reinmar, her decision is in favor of her honor and society's expectations of her, because she wants to preserve her staete (constancy), willekeit (reputation) and êre (virtuous honor)
• In this respect, one can speak of a development process of the lyrical self within the text, as the lady first openly confesses her love, then vacillates and revokes her statements and finally decides against love.

effect

With the appearance of the women's songs, the subject of the male lyrical complaints has finally acquired "plasticity" and it has become more understandable why the lady does not respond to the efforts of the suffering, male lyrical self . Women's songs fulfill the wish for an answer to the lamenting Minneieder , in which until then only a male lyrical self had a say.

For the first time, the Minnedame speaks about her inner life and provides explanations that have not been available until then. Reinmar the Old , who was one of the most important authors of minnesong , also made a decisive contribution to the development of this sub-genre through his women's songs. Perhaps it is also not surprising that authors such as Hartmann von Aue and Reinmar the Old , who are credited with most of the masculine affections , also wrote a large number of women's songs. Nevertheless, it should always be noted that, according to the opinion of most researchers, a male author "creates an image of women from the perspective of the advertising man, on which he bases his own feelings, passions and hopes and which at the same time corresponds to his secret idea of ​​women" . So if one assumes that most of the women's songs come from male authors, then they have "put into the mouth" of the female lyrical self through their choice of words.

Research discourses

Function of women's songs

According to Günther Schweikle, women's songs are “a counterbalance to the male complaints of love” and can therefore only be seen in connection with them. Furthermore, only both sides together would produce an overall picture of the minstrel. The women's songs allow the frouwe, sung about in the lamentations of love, to speak and explain her behavior. According to Hausmann, they should show what it would look like inside the hitherto dismissive and yet loving lady. It should become clear why she cannot and may not return the love offered by the advertiser and why she is silent.

Values ​​and virtues such as staete (steadfastness), triuwe (sincerity), wirdekeit (reputation) and êre (virtuous honor) are also presented. The norms of society are also mentioned. Since the lady in Reinmar's women's songs decides on her reputation and the obligations of society, one can also say that the women's songs also convey a “traditional male understanding of the role”. According to Katharina Boll, the ideas of male dominance and female inferiority would be cemented. The woman is therefore inferior to the man and quite devoted. She wants to love the advertiser, "but more than for the man, law, religion and custom are iron barriers for women, which oppose their decision for a free love that follows their personal inclination". According to Sabine Obermaier, the main function of the women's song is "to justify the typical minnesang dilemma of the singer who loves although he is apparently not loved, in the dilemma of the woman who wants to love but cannot".

Reasons for rejection in women's songs

The researchers do not agree on the reasons why the lady decides against her personal happiness , especially in Reinmar 's women's songs . On the one hand, maintaining her standing and reputation is very important to her. She is aware of her social position as a noble, courtly lady and thus knows about her obligations and the norms and customs. Although she confesses her love and affection in the monologue, she does not want to jeopardize her êre (honor) and her staete (constancy). However, recent research cites the “paradoxical male will” as an additional reason, which forces them to “hate love”. Their attractiveness lies in their beauty, virtue and prestige. This attractiveness depends on the preservation of these values ​​and is awarded through the fulfillment of love, so Hausmann. The lady of love must therefore prevent the fulfillment of love by ultimately remaining motionless.

Authorship and performance of women's songs

Science does not agree on whether some women's songs could also be written by female authors and whether there were also female singers who slipped into the role of the suffering lyrical self of women's songs when they were lecture to court society . Some researchers see this possibility as entirely plausible, since there were also some female authors in the Romance- speaking area , the so-called trobairitz . William Jackson even thinks it is quite possible that there were also female singers in the sung lectures at noble courts.

literature

• Katharina Boll: “So a vrowe schoene spoke”. Investigations into the constitution and function of women's speech in minnesong of the 12th century (Würzburg Contributions to German Philology; Vol. 31). Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-8260-3269-1 , pp. 114–116, p. 365 and pp. 456–465 (also dissertation, University of Würzburg 2005).
• Thomas Cramer: What is and how do you recognize a woman's stanza? In the S. (Ed.): Women's songs - Cantigas de amigo. International Colloquia of the Centro de Estudos Humanísticos, the Faculdade de Letras and the Department of German Studies . Hirzel, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-7776-1022-4 , pp. 19-32.
• Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. Studies on tradition and programmatic identity (Bibliotheka Germanica; 40). Francke Verlag, Tübingen 1999, ISBN 3-7720-2031-3 , pp. 197-226 (also dissertation, University of Munich 1977).
• William E. Jackson: Reinmar's Women. A Study of the Woman's Song ("Frauenlied" and "Frauenstrophe") of Reinmar der Alte (German Language and Literature Monographs; Vol. 9). John Benjamin Press, Amsterdam 1981, ISBN 90-272-4002-7 , pp. 195-337.
• Ingrid Kasten (Ed.): Women's songs of the Middle Ages (RUB; 8630). Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-15-008630-2 , pp. 82-103 (bilingual).
• Ingrid Kasten: Women's service with trobadors and minstrels in the 12th century. For the development and adaptation of a literary concept (supplements to the Germanic-Romanic monthly; vol. 5) Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, Heidelberg 1986, ISBN 3-533-03657-X , p. 316f. (Also habilitation thesis, University of Hamburg 1983).
• Ingrid Kasten: On the poetology of the female voice . In: Thomas Cramer (Ed.): Women's songs - Cantigas de amigo. International Colloquia of the Centro de Estudos Humanísticos, the Faculdade de Letras and the Department of German Studies . Hirzel, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-7776-1022-4 , pp. 3-18.
• Carl von Kraus: The songs of Reinmar the old. I. part. The individual songs . Publishing house of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Munich 1919, p. 39f., P. 52f.
• Matthias Lexer : Middle High German pocket dictionary . 38th edition. Hirzel, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-7776-0494-1 (with the addenda by Ulrich Pretzel ).
• Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang . Limburger Vereindruckerei: Limburg an der Lahn 1940, pp. 42–59 (plus dissertation, University of Frankfurt / M. 1940).
• Sabine Obermaier: The singer and his recipient. On Ich-Rollöe and Rollem-Ich in the singing and women's songs of the high minnesong . In: Thomas Cramer (Ed.): Women's songs - Cantigas de amigo. International Colloquia of the Centro de Estudos Humanísticos, the Faculdade des Letras and the Department of German Studies . Hirzel, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-7776-1022-4 , pp. 33-48.
• Günther Schweikle: Minnesang . Metzler, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-476-10244-0 , pp. 126-129.
• Gero von Wilpert : Subject dictionary of literature (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 231). 8th, improved and enlarged edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-520-23108-5 , p. 279.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ingrid Kasten: On the poetology of the female voice. Pp. 3-18.
2. ^ ^{A b c} William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 314.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Günther Schweikle: Minnesang. P. 126.
4. ↑ Thomas Cramer: What is and how do you recognize a woman's stanza? P. 24.
5. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 228.
6. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 42.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Günther Schweikle: Minnesang. P. 127.
8. ^ Gero von Wilpert: Subject dictionary of literature. P. 279.
9. ^ William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 315 and p. 334.
10. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 464.
11. ^ William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 315.
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 213.
13. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 58.
14. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 48.
15. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 209.
16. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 463.
17. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 459.
18. ↑ ^{a b c} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 214.
19. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 215.
20. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 47.
21. ↑ ^{a b c} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 221.
22. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 217.
23. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 45.
24. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 45f.
25. ↑ ^{a b c} Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 46.
26. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 222.
27. ^ ^{A b} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 223.
28. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 224.
29. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 47f.
30. ↑ Sabine Obermaier: The singer and his recipient. P. 43.
31. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 226.
32. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 114.
33. ↑ Sabine Obermaier: The singer and his recipient. P. 41.
34. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ingrid Kasten: Women's service with trobadors and minstrels in the 12th century. P. 317.
35. ^ ^{A b} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 218.
36. ↑ Erika Mergell: The women's speech in German minnesang. P. 49.
37. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 227.
38. ^ Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 197.
39. ^ William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 337.
40. ↑ ^{a b c} Albrecht Hausmann: Reinmar the old as an author. P. 225.
41. ^ William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 315 and p. 335.
42. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 462.
43. ↑ Katharina Boll: "So spoke a vrowe schoene". P. 100.
44. ↑ Ingrid Kasten: Women’s service with trobadors and minstrels in the 12th century. P. 8.
45. ^ William E. Jackson: Reinmars Women. P. 330.