Guillaume de Lorris
Guillaume de Lorris (* around 1205 , probably in Lorris-en-Gâtinais ; † after 1240 ) was a French poet.
life and work
Guillaume, completely unknown as a person, is considered to be the author of a 4068-verse fragment of a novel, which he began around 1230 for a predominantly courtly audience and which was brought to an end by Jean de Meung around 1280 : the so-called rose novel (French: Le Roman de la Rose ).
Guillaume's special achievement consisted in skillfully combining three elements that were present in the literature of the time, but not very familiar: the form of the first-person narration, the use of allegorical figures as acting persons and the representation of an entire novel plot in form of a dream report. His sensitive and vivid portrayal of the psychology of being in love also testifies to Guillaume's mastery.
Apparently Guillaume was also the inventor of the allegorical figure of the Danger (from the Middle Latin domniarium "rule, claim to rule"). This monster, who embodies everything that makes it difficult for lovers, especially the loving man, to fulfill their wishes, was then an extraordinarily widespread figure in French literature, especially poetry, for over 200 years.
The rose novel, which describes a lover's search for the rose as the symbol of the beloved, was extremely successful after its continuation and completion by Jean de Meung and had a strong influence on French literature well into the 16th century.
German-language editions of the rose novel
- Heinrich von der Hagen (Ed.): The poem from the rose. Translated from the old French by Guillaume de Lorris by Heinrich Fährmann. Verein-Buchhandlung Berlin 1839 ( online - Internet Archive )
Web links
- Article in "Names, titles and dates of French literature" (main source of this article)
- Works by Guillaume de Lorris at Zeno.org .
- Literature by and about Guillaume de Lorris in the catalog of the German National Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Guillaume de Lorris |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | medieval author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1205 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lorris-en-Gâtinais |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1240 |