Sperm bird tone

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The song verses of the poet Spervogel , which have been handed down in manuscripts A and C (1–11) , are referred to as Spervogelton . The sayings are also handed down in the Jenaer Liederhandschrift (J).

Lore

Several stanzas in three different manuscripts have come down to us under the name Spervogel. The manuscripts were created at different times and contain partly the same, but partly different texts. The manuscripts are named A, C and J in research.

A The Kleine Heidelberger Liederhandschrift , originated around 1275.
C The Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift (or Mannesische Liederhandschrift), originated around 1300 to 1340.
J The Jenaer Liederhandschrift, originated in the middle of the 14th century.

The tradition of the song and the chant ran parallel in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the manuscripts A and C * both minstrels and verse poets are represented. In handwriting A, another type of tradition shines through, as in the Romance chansonnier: the author's name is repeated before each stanza or song. Handwriting J is a pure chant manuscript and also differs in its traditional form, a role, from A and C. This indicates an early differentiation between the genres of minstrelsong and chant poetry. Perhaps, because of their way of life as travelers, it was easier for the song poets to take scrolls with them than bound works.

Problems with the transmission of Middle High German poetry

There are various factors that can be responsible for the fact that the form of the texts originally intended by the poet is no longer preserved. Medieval scribes are probably responsible for a relatively large part of the text changes. Often when copying from a template (or from memory) whole stanzas were forgotten and added elsewhere. Occasionally the scribes also tried to touch up areas that were already faded, which sometimes created completely new contexts of meaning (and no longer corresponded to the original), which cannot be verified in texts that have only been preserved in a single manuscript. Furthermore, the medieval collectors (who were probably only rarely identical with the scribes) arbitrarily compiled the material available to them, so that the stanzas were also changed here. The singers, who sang their songs on new occasions, often changed the sequence of stanzas, the scope and even the wording of the verses they knew. It cannot be ruled out that the poets themselves, some of whom were identical with the singers, changed their songs and left several versions behind.

Attribution to the author in the traditional manuscripts

The stanzas handed down in the manuscripts can be divided into two main groups. Each of these groups forms its own tone (tone = several sayings of the same or similar type). Only the first group can be ascribed to Spervogel with great probability, since the most recent manuscript J (which is independent of A and C) contains only stanzas of the same metric type. The second note comprises 28 stanzas and is only available in manuscripts A and C. Researchers do not agree on the name of the author of the second tone, but he is usually called Herger .

The manuscripts also contain four stanzas that are attributed to the young sparrow . In addition, three individual stanzas , whose structure and age differ, and a five-stanza Neidhart song as well as two stanzas of a song by Leuthold von Seven .

Common template * AC

The close relationship between the texts in handwriting A and handwriting C suggest that a common template, handwriting * AC, once existed. This source (never found) could then have been the model for stanzas 1–11 in manuscripts A and C. Also for 15 stanzas by Herger (12–26 in A and C), seven insert stanzas (27–33 in A and C) and another 13 stanzas by Herger (41–53 in A and 34–46 in C). However, the origin of the stanzas, which have only survived in A or only in C, is not clear. This refers to seven further inset stanzas (34–40 in A), seven proverbs that are ascribed to Herger (47–53 in C) and a single stanza at the end of manuscript C, which is ascribed to the “young sparrow” (54 in C ). They could either all have existed in the * AC template or have been added later. In any case, it is certain that between the original * AC and the manuscript A, as well as between * AC and C, several levels of transmission must have existed.

The melody tradition

For a long time, melodies were passed on orally, this is supported by the many song manuscripts without notes. However, compared to the Minnelied, there are relatively many and early traditions of the associated melodies for the song poetry. One of the most important sources is the above mentioned Jenaer Liederhandschrift (handwriting J), which provides melodies for most of the notes. In total, J has passed down 75 melodies, 65 of which are also passed down exclusively in J. There are parallel traditions to the ten others. There are also melodies that have only survived in the Kolmar song manuscript ( hereinafter referred to as “t”). This includes the first tone of the "young sparrow". In addition, melodies to sayings by Spervogel have been handed down in t and in J, but here under the name “young Stolle”.

Content of the sperm sound

The content of the eleven stanzas of the Spervogelton should be reproduced and interpreted in the order in which they can be found in “Des Minnesang's Spring”.

Verse 1 (20,1-1AC)
In the first stanza gave the speaker I the Council that one who in vremeden land acquired by great deeds a good reputation, rather no longer should return home when he is not at home the same muot owns. He compares the person to a lazy donkey trying to run with a fast horse. A good gentleman should be careful about praise in his home country.

Verse 2 (20,9 - 2AC, 12J)
In this verse a comparison is made. The “young dogs” and the “red habech” can be left in danger without hesitation (the young dogs to the bear and the hawk to the heron), to these “one should not give one's love to”. But whom one should honor and love is God (verse five: mit rehten triuwen minnen got ). In addition, one should accept and follow the advice of a wise man. Here the poet recommends his services and his teaching.

Verse 3 (20.17–3AC)
The beginning of this verse has a content-related relationship to the previous saying. Thank you for those who seek advice and follow it. The poet even mentions his (supposed) name in verse three: Spervogel. In this verse, the speaking ego tries to emphasize the importance of teaching. This verse also praises the Lord to whom this song was obviously supposed to be recited. The gentleman sung about here (who, as the poet probably hopes, follows the advice of a wise man) would increase his honor more and more, even if he lived a thousand years.

Verse 4 (20, 25–4AC)
This verse doesn't seem quite right. The text speaks of heroes who must have experienced great suffering and loss. The poet admonishes not to despair and it seems as if he wanted to cheer up the people concerned. This saying could be addressed to crusaders who have had a failed crusade and lost all their belongings. In the fifth line the poet points out that veigez guot (nhd .: good for sale) has been lost. This could be an allusion to the fact that this good is not so important because there are higher goods than the material ones. The stanza could possibly refer to the crusade against the Albigensians, in which German knights were also involved. The saying could have been composed to cheer up the crusaders returning home in late 1212 / early 1213. The last verse points to this: the umbe suln we do not despair. ez is still trying baz , which puts the prospect of another fight in the room. However, this theory is supported by very little evidence and the real motivation for the saying could be very different. In any case, the content and form of the saying do not fit into the context of the other sayings in this tone.

Verse 5 (21,5–5AC, 10J)
The fifth verse deals with the poet's complaint about the lack of money. The last verse of this stanza deals with the appreciation (which could be expressed in terms of money) that is not shown to the poet. The metaphors borrowed (nhd .: "light"; in the hand of a strange man) and blindness ( daz vröit the blind seldom. ) Can be interpreted as intellectual metaphors . An interpretative translation suggestion would be "The stupid is not happy about the light of the clever".

Verse 6 (21, 13–6CAJ)
This saying begins with the disappointment that arises when one tries with hope and great effort to achieve a goal and finally realizes that one has been chasing an illusion. In this stanza the speaker-ego expresses the suspicion that, as a servant, it was mistaken in its master. This is made clear in verse five and serving an evil one . If you serve someone evil , it's like looking for a friend in him, even though he isn't one. In this stanza it sounds like it, so the servant would regret not having paid more attention to which master he signed up beforehand.

Verse 7 (21: 21-7AC)
The seventh verse begins with the charge that the servant's services are not adequately recognized. In verse two, the speaker-ego complains that it has to share a key ( miteslüzzel ) with another who is considered unfaithful. This key could be for a chest in which the poet could keep his personal belongings. However, it could just as easily be a metaphor. The poet describes in the following verses that he has a disadvantage in sharing a key with this other person, since this is considered unfaithful and his own reputation suffers as well. The situation of the poet or servant becomes more and more desperate and he no longer sees how he can save himself from this situation. In the last verse of the stanza, the speaker-ego expresses the desperate realization that only God can help him, otherwise he would perish.

Verse 8 (21.29–8AC)
This verse can be easily divided into three sections. In the first part (consisting of the first two verses) the poet explains that the success of a poet depends less on his art and skill, and more on luck and favor. In the middle part, the speaker-ego addresses itself directly to the gentleman. He blames his young age for lacking virtues (verse three: tump = inexperienced). An old man, on the other hand, would behave more exemplary (verse five: zuht , here: exemplary, grâwe : old man). In the last part of the stanza, the poet emphasizes that a good feeling is important for the conclusion of a business between two people (here: poet and patron). However, if the trade causes damage, one can no longer feel related to one another ( sô pity the mâge part ). This statement can be understood as a hidden threat from the poet. The poet wants to be treated kindly, otherwise the ways of the poet and the patron will separate. The poet's mood is generally bitter, and he seems to understand that there must be a break.

Verse 9 (22.1-9 AC)
In this verse the poet exhorted the men, a decent ( biderben ) man thirty years to keep in service because the poet could make the men in the future good services. The speaker self is trying to convince the gentleman that he is of great value to him. The Lord apparently threatened to fire the poet. In the last verse of the stanza, the poet tries to emphasize that he is not concerned with his own good but with the good of the Lord ( jô enrede I ez niht dur mînen vromen ).

Verse 10 (22.9 - 10 AC, 9J)
In verse ten, the speaker-ego complains that poverty robs him of his wits and wits ( so we you, armout! ). This stanza follows on very well with the previous one, in which the master threatened the servant with expulsion. The servant is dismissed and poor. He has to look for a new employer.

Verse 11 (22,17–11CA)
This verse, treated here as the last, represents a ray of hope for the speaker-ego. In the first verse, he greets a “new patron” with the words Sô wol dir, host . However, it could also be that the poet has regained the old man's favor (more on this approach below).

style

The style of Spervogel generally has a rather impersonal character compared to the style of Herger or Walther von der Vogelweide . There are hardly any proper names mentioned and he rarely uses the salutation “you”. The sayings are more of an intellectual character, feelings are hardly expressed, but only hinted at. The poet seems to identify with the role of counselor and sees himself less as an individual. It is often unclear whether he is speaking from his own experience or from a "strange one whom he only faces as a spectator". The poet often uses the form of the priamel. He strings together apparently incoherent things and then at the end creates a connection that is mostly of a moral nature - he consciously strives for “spirit and effect”. Spervogel only uses one stanza form ; the triple pair rhyme (aa, bb, cc).

Arrangement of the stanzas

It is questionable whether Spervogel's stanzas were actually passed down in the order they originally intended. Reinhard Bleck carried out an extensive investigation and came to the conclusion that the various sayings in the sound of the bird were originally a song with 23 stanzas, the order of which has been lost in the tradition. He reconstructed the following stanzas:

verse A. C. J
1 - - 13Y
2 11A 11C -
3 1A 1C -
4th 5A 5C 10Y
5 - - 11Y
6th 2A 2C 12Y
7th 3A 3C -
8th - - 7Y
9 - - 1y
10 - 49C 3Y
11 - - 2Y
12 9A 9C -
13 8A 8C -
14th - 53C 5Y
15th - 51C 4Y
16 - 52C -
17th 6A 6C 6Y
18th 7A 7C -
19th 10A 10C -
20th - 48C -
21st - 50C 8Y
22nd - 47C -
23 4A 4C -

The links between the stanzas, as reconstructed by Bleck, are differently pronounced. However, this is common with songs. With eight out of twenty-two stanza transitions, the end of the stanza is bracketed with the beginning of the following stanza (3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, 20-21) . In some stanzas, word material from previous stanzas is repeated (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 8-9, 17-18, 20-21). In a number of other stanza transitions, only one to three words are repeated. In the transitions 4/5 and 15/16 the connection can be found in the content.

Analysis of Spervogel's song

In this sequence, newly reconstructed by Bleck, the content of the song can be divided into three parts: introduction ( initium ), main part ( medium ) and conclusion ( finis ). As usual for the time around 1200, the word " gruz " appears in the opening verse of the song . The greeting at the beginning of a song or at least the use of the words " gruoz / grüezen " can be found in a number of songs from this period. In the introduction (1-7) the host is generally praised as the host. The third stanza speaks of a certain host, but he is not named. In addition, the speaker-ego introduces itself as a "teacher of wisdom and virtue". In the middle part (stanzas 8-18) various social relationships are discussed. The speaker ego speaks of employment relationships and lack of wages for the work performed. In the final part, the speaker-ego deals with the personal situation of the poet. Both complaints and the hope that the situation will improve are formulated. The personal addressee in Spervogel's song seems to be his own (former) employer. Since the audience apparently knew who this person was, the name is not given. Perhaps Spervogel wrote this song to change the mind of an employer who wanted to fire him. According to Bleck, the fact that the song has been handed down speaks for the fact that the singer was successful with his project, because if it had not been successful, the song would probably have been lost.

Dating and localization

When dating Middle High German singing sayings, there is the problem that the sayings were considered for a long time on their own and were therefore dated individually. Often handwritten traditions can only be dated well if the text deals with historical events and / or persons known in documents, but here too there is the problem that proverbs were written long after an event took place, which is bad can be checked. Since Spervogel's stanzas that have been handed down do not contain any patronage stanzas, it is not possible to date them using the employer. The reason for this could be that these stanzas have not survived. Perhaps Spervogel's song never contained patronage stanzas. In addition to the dating problem, the lack of a patron's name also poses a problem with localization. The exact description of the Rhine in stanza 20 indicates that Spervogel comes from the Upper Rhine area and the traditional context also speaks for it: The Spervogel's sayings are passed down together with those of Herger, who are believed to come from the Upper Rhine area. However, this can hardly be interpreted as evidence.

Spervogel's identity

The name Spervogel is documented as a gender name, but there is no documented person with the name Spervogel who could be the singer or a close relative of him. The poets were despised by aristocratic minstrels for various reasons. One reason for this was certainly that poetry, which for the nobility was more of an artistic secondary occupation, became a regular occupation for the poets. Some scholars argue that song poets like Spervogel were ministerials; Sons of the landed gentry or from middle-class circles who went into court service, but this has not been proven. There is also speculation that a poet dispute between Spervogel and Walther von der Vogelweide revealed that Spervogel's actual name was Wîcman .

genus

The sayings handed down under the name Spervogel belong to the oldest layer of courtly poetry and are assigned to the genre Sangspruchdichtung. The song poetry is a sub-genre of court lyric poetry. Originally, singing verses were single-verse, metrically-musically equivalent texts. It is assumed that chants were the further development of vernacular poetry and therefore had no Roman or Latin origin. It was only Walther von der Vogelweide who established the cannon shape (1st tunnel, 2nd tunnel, swan song) for the song poetry and thus approximated it to minnesong. This explains why later chants can only be understood with the inclusion of Romance literature, but are not essentially derived from it. The subject area of ​​the song poetry is large: social or ecclesiastical norms, criticism of the rulers (or praise of rulers), lament for the dead, current political events and sometimes minne are among the main topics. The song poets try to answer the fundamental question of how man should live. The criticism of the rulers became the only means of exerting pressure on the poets, as they could use their sayings to conduct political propaganda - rulers appreciate their praise and fear ridicule. In general, the position of the song poets was rather bad, since they were traveling professional poets and thus homeless (which went hand in hand with lawlessness). The poets were therefore heavily dependent on clients and patrons, and that fueled competition among the poets.

literature

  • S. Anholt: The so-called Spervogelsprüche and their position in the older poetry. Dissertation Utrecht, Amsterdam 1937
  • R. Bleck: Middle High German Bittlieder. Volume I, Kümmerle, Göppingen 2010, ISBN 3-87452-936-3
  • J. Bumke: Court culture - literature and society in the high Middle Ages. 12th edition, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-423-30170-1
  • H. Brunner: The old masters - studies on the tradition and reception of the Middle High German song poets in the late Middle Ages and in the early modern period. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Munich 1975, ISBN 3-406-05184-7
  • K. Franz: Studies on the sociology of the poet in Germany in the late 13th century. Kümmerle, Göppingen 1974, ISBN 3-87452-222-9
  • B. Hennig: Small Middle High German Dictionary. 4th edition, Niemeyer, Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-484-10696-4
  • M. Liechtenhan: Herger's groups of stanzas in the judgment of research. Bouvier, Bonn 1980, ISBN 3-416-01555-X
  • J. Meier: Contributions to the explanation and criticism of Middle High German poems. In: Hermann Paul and Wilhelm Braune (Hrsg.): Contributions to the history of the German language and literature. Volume 15, 1891, pp. 307-336.
  • H. Moser and H. Tervooren: The Minnesang's Spring. 38th edition, Hirzel, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-7776-0448-8
  • W. Scherer: German Studies I - Session Reports of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Vienna 1870
  • Gustav Roethe:  Spervogel . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 35, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1893, pp. 139-144.
  • H. Tervooren: Sangspruchdichtung. Metzler, Stuttgart and Weimar 1995, ISBN 3-476-10293-9

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 7
  2. ↑ Tervooren 1995, p. 15
  3. ↑ Tervooren 1995, p. 15
  4. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 4
  5. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 4
  6. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 5
  7. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 5
  8. ↑ cf. Liechtenhan 1980, p. 7f.
  9. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 8
  10. ↑ Liechtenhan 1980, p. 12
  11. ↑ cf. Liechtenhan 1980, p. 12f.
  12. ↑ Tervooren 1995, p. 17
  13. ↑ Tervooren 1995, p. 17
  14. ↑ Brunner 1975, p. 190
  15. ↑ Brunner 1975, p. 193
  16. ↑ Moser / Tervooren 1988, pp. 38-40
  17. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 79
  18. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 60
  19. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  20. ↑ Anholt 1937, pp. 70f.
  21. ↑ cf. Anholt 1937, p. 80
  22. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  23. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 72
  24. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 72
  25. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  26. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 83
  27. ↑ cf. Anholt 1937, p. 53
  28. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  29. ↑ cf. Anholt 1937, p. 54
  30. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 55
  31. ↑ Meier 1891, p. 317
  32. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  33. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 57
  34. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 75
  35. ↑ Scherer 1870, pp. 290f.
  36. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  37. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 77
  38. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 80
  39. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 79
  40. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 79
  41. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 49
  42. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 50
  43. ↑ Anholt 1937, p. 50
  44. ↑ Roethe 1893, p. 142
  45. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 82
  46. ↑ cf. Bleck 2000, p. 82
  47. ↑ Bleck 2010, p. 82
  48. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 88
  49. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 89
  50. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 20
  51. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 20
  52. ↑ cf. Bleck 2000, p. 88
  53. ↑ Bleck 2000, p. 89
  54. ↑ Franz 1974, p. 160
  55. ^ Naumann after Franz 1974, p. 160
  56. ↑ Salomon Anholt: The so-called Spervogelsprüche and their position in the older poetry. Dissertation Utrecht, Amsterdam 1937, p. XV, p. 97. - Rejected: Burghart Wachinger: Sängerkrieg. Investigations into the poetry of the 13th century. Habil-Schr. Tübingen, Munich 1973, p. 102
  57. ↑ Bumke 2008, p. 617
  58. ↑ cf. Bumke 2008, p. 133
  59. ↑ cf. Bumke 2008, p. 691
  60. ↑ Bumke 2008, p. 692