Engel und Waldbruder (<1350)
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Maere and Novellas
Engel und Waldbruder (<1350)
Schönbach, A.: Die Legende vom Engel und Waldbruder. (=XII. Mitteilungen aus altdeutschen Handschriften 7). WSB 143, 1901.
EnWb-1:
Prologue: maere about a hermit [Heinrîch] who lives in a distance of forty miles from human dwellings in a forest inhabited by wild beasts. He has not seen a human being for fifty years and lives on roots, leaves, grass and fruit.
Motif References:
P 426.2 Hermit
V 462 Asceticism
EnWb-17:
He prays to God for the opportunity to catch sight of Christ only once and then to die happily; this causes God’s anger.
Motif References:
V 50 Prayer
J 950 Presumption of the lowly
EnWb-27:
God sends him an angel in the disguise of a robber and murderer; he carries two cowls on his shoulder. As the hermit does not instantly open the door to him – he is frightened and begs God for forgiveness –, he breaks it open and sets the hut on fire. The hermit falls at his feet and begs him for mercy. The angel tells him that he recently killed two monks and urges him to come with him. Their names are Gemelîch (angel) and Heinrîch (hermit). They put on the cowls and leave. Heinrîch prays to be saved.
Motif References:
A 165.2.3 Angels as God’s messengers
V 201 God
Q 220 Impiety punished
J 225.0.1 Angel and hermit
V 231 Appearance of angel
V 235 Mortal visited by angel
V 249 Angels – miscellaneous motifs
Q 554 Mysterious visitation as punishment
K 1811.4.2 Angel takes form of certain person
K 1826.1 Disguise as monk
EnWb-83:
They travel for one day (four miles) until they arrive at a castle. They ask for accommodation and are offered food (game, fish, and bread) and wine. Their host has a nice wife and a child of about three years of age.
Motif References:
P 324.1 Host treats guest with food and everything possible
EnWb-121:
The following day, the angel wakes the child’s nurse. When she heats the water to wash the infant, Gemelîch throws him into the boiling water and urges Heinrîch to continue their journey, as he committed a murder.
Motif References:
S 112.1 Boiling to death
S 302 Children murdered
H 599 Other enigmatic statements [acts]
EnWb-143:
The following day, they arrive in a town where they ask again for accommodation at a burgher’s house. They are first driven away by a servant, but then welcomed by his master. They are treated with food and drink; the angel eats very little.
Motif References:
P 320 Hospitality
EnWb-173:
After the meal, the angel steals a golden cup and hides it in his cloak. In the morning, Gemelîch urges Heinrîch to hurry up. In a cave, the angel reveals the theft of the cup to his companion.
Motif References:
K 385 Host robs guest [Guest robs host]
H 599 Other enigmatic statements [acts]
K 2294 Treacherous host
EnWb-217:
On the third day of their journey, they arrive at a town where many rich burghers live. One house is remarkably beautiful: it gleams, is built of marble stones in different sizes, decorated with frescoes; it has glass windows. Many servants go in and out (cooks, cellarers, pages and chamberlains). When they ask the host for accommodation, he expels them as vagabonds and threatens to have them clubbed. They get the permission to stay below the stairs. Only a cellarer has pity on them and brings them food and drink.
Motif References:
W 10 Kindness
W 158 Inhospitality
F 771 Extraordinary castle (house, palace)
EnWb-261:
The fourth morning, the angel gives their inhospitable host the stolen golden cup as reward. They leave and bless the cellarer.
Motif References:
H 594 Inhospitality reproved enigmatically
J 1561 Inhospitality repaid
EnWb-283:
They continue their journey and get accommodation at a rich merchant’s (krâmaere) house. Their host is 70 years of age and married to a young and pious woman. He sends for his scribe to take care of the guests. The scribe is dressed in Rhenish garments, wears white gloves and a sword; his hair is curled. Heinrîch and Gemelîch are treated very generously.
Motif References:
T 121 Unequal marriage
P 320 Hospitality
P 425 Scribe
P 431 Merchant
EnWb-323:
After the meal, the angel talks about God’s mercy. Heinrîch disapproves of this, but their host is much moved. He invites them to stay longer, but the angel refuses: they have to leave the following day; he asks him for an escort.
Motif References:
EnWb-353:
The following morning, the angel wakes up the scribe and asks them to escort them as far as a footbridge. When they arrive at the place, the angel grips the young man by his hair and pushes him into the water. He drowns. Heinrîch is shocked: why does the angel treat those who are good badly and those who act injustly well?
Motif References:
S 131 Murder by drowning
H 599 Other enigmatic statements [acts]
K 926 Victim pushed into water
EnWb-379:
Gemelîch finally reveals his identity: he is an angel, God’s messenger. Heinrîch does not believe him, as he killed two boys and the two monks whose cloaks they wear.
Motif References:
A 165.2.3 Angels as God’s messengers
H 194 (Bm) Recognition only through direct revelation of identity
V 249 Angels – miscellaneous motifs
EnWb-399:
Gemelîch explains his deeds to him: he killed the child, as his parents neglected their worship of God because of excessive love for it. Now, their thoughts are turned to God again, they will have eternal life. He stole the golden cup from the hospitable burgher as this was the only thing he owned that was incorrectly acquired; now, eternal life is granted for him as well. He passed the cup on to the inhospitable man as that one is doomed anyway. He killed the scribe as he was treacherous: he desired the old merchant’s wife, but both his master and his wife are pious and pray for heavenly reward.
Motif References:
J 225.0.1 Angel and hermit
J 225.5 Angel kills man because he loves his child too much [kills child as his parents love him too much]
J 225.4 Angel (Jesus) kills man
J 225.3 Angel takes cup from old man
H 599 Other enigmatic statements [acts]
K 2250.1 Treacherous servant
EnWb-450:
Heinrîch still doubts the angel’s words. Gemelîch says that everything he said is as true as the hermit’s desire to see Christ’s face once before he dies; Heinrîch shall give up this desire. The angel appears to him and tells him that he will make unpleasant experiences in his cell and orders him only to pray for eternal life; then, Christ will appear to him within three years. The angel disappears.
Motif References:
A 182.3 God (angel) speaks to mortal
V 235 Mortal visited by angel
M 301.10 Angels as prophets
M 310 Favorable prophecies
J 950 Presumption of the lowly
D 2188 Magic disappearance
EnWb-475:
Heinrîch falls asleep and is woken up by a voice that tells him that he is at home; he looks about and realizes that he is back in his hut which does not show any signs of the fire that destroyed it. He serves God for another three years. Then he dies.
Motif References:
V 550 (Bm) Voice from heaven
F 966 Voices from heaven (or from the air)
F 1099 Additional marvels
D 1976.1 Transportation during magic sleep
D 2199 Additional magic manifestations
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