KvWE-217: An independent and virtuous lord living in Burgundy has ten sons. One of them, Engelhard, surpasses his brothers in good qualities. Reluctant to live on his parents, he wants to leave home to go into the service of king Fruote of Denmark, famous for his munificence.

Motif References:

P 10 Kings [King’s famous court]
W 11.2 Munificent monarch
Z 71.16.2 Formulistic number: ten
J 146.2 (Li) The educated youth
P 251.6 Several brothers

KvWE-320: Having failed in dissuading their son from his plans, his parents prepare the journey. Engelhard receives three apples from his father to offer to those he meets: if the man eats all of them, avoid him; if he shares, make friends with him. His father reminds him to be faithful. Engelhard leaves.

Motif References:

P 233 Father and son
H 1558.0.1.1 Apple test of worthiness for friendship. Father gives son three apples to offer to those he meets. If the man eats all, avoid him; if he divides, make friends with him.

KvWE-391: Engelhard meets a youth, who fails in the apple test, as does the second one he comes upon. Engelhard and the third one seem to be absolutely alike, apart from their horses and their clothes. The third one (Dietrich) offers some herbs to Engelhard and proposes to be his companion on their journey. Dietrich passes the apple test, and they vow friendship to each other. The youths continue their way to the court of Denmark. Their outward appearance is alike but Engelhard surpasses his companion in beauty and education.

Motif References:

P 311 Sworn brethren
F 577.1 Friends identical in appearance
H 1558.0.1.1 Apple test of worthiness for friendship. Father gives son three apples to offer to those he meets. If the man eats all, avoid him; if he divides, make friends with him.

KvWE-636: Engelhard and Dietrich are welcomed at the Danish court. Their likeness attracts attention. The king’s fame throughout many countries (Bohemia, Hungary, Russia, Prussia, and among the Franks and the Saxons) is given as the motivation for their journey, and the king grants their request to stay two or three years for further education. They are accepted as members of the king’s court. Possessing a wide range of skills, such as reading and writing, music and singing, dancing, sports, and playing chess, they are very popular, and their skills are taken as proof of their noble descent.

Motif References:

P 10 Kings [King’s famous court]
P 90 Royalty and nobility - miscellaneous
J 146.2 (Li) The educated youth

KvWE-785: Their true friendship becomes evident in their compliance with one another, and in their reluctance to separate – just as the salamander never wants to leave fire, the element in which he lives. Looking absolutely alike, they can only be identified by their clothes.

Motif References:

H 111 Identification by garment
P 310 Friendship
F 577.1 Friends identical in appearance
B 768.2 Salamander subsists on fire

KvWE-852: The king’s beautiful and virtuous daughter Engeltrût has come to the age of love and marriage. She keeps thinking about the virtues of men and prefers the well educated. Engelhard and Dietrich therefore are highly esteemed by the princess. She often looks at them; her heart obeys her eyes; and finally she falls in love with them both. Love thus proves inconsistent by telling Engeltrût to love two men equally, although this cannot be thought of. In her case however, love cannot be held responsible for Engeltrût’s embarrassment, the two candidates being absolutely alike. If her eyes fail in telling one from the other, how could her heart be able to do so? Engeltrût therefore asks God to give her some evidence.

Motif References:

T 0 Love
T 10 Falling in love
T 31.1 Lovers’ meeting: Hero in service of lady’s father
T 91.6 Noble and lowly in love
T 92.1 The triangle plot and its solutions

KvWE-1153: Struggling to find some difference between Engelhard and Dietrich, she tries their names. Engelhard’s name turns out to be her favorite, reminding her of the angels as well as of her own name. Therefore she decides to love only Engelhard. From this time on she does not care for Dietrich whatsoever. Engelhard and Dietrich faithfully serve the king and are completely unaware of Engeltrût’s embarrassment.

Motif References:

T 3 Omens in love affairs

KvWE-1268: A messenger asking to meet Dietrich arrives at court and is allowed to see him after the royal dinner. In the meantime the courtiers inform him of the striking alikeness of Engelhard and Dietrich, who can only be told from one another by their clothes the king has given them – Engelhard, wearing yellow (or green) clothes; Dietrich, dark ones. The messenger meets Dietrich. He has been sent by the duchess of Brâbant, Dietrich’s mother, to inform him of his father’s death. Dietrich will have to return home to claim his inheritance; otherwise another duke is to be chosen. The messenger carries a letter as proof.

Motif References:

P 14.15.2 Court messenger
P 17.0.2 Son succeeds father as king
H 111 Identification by garment
F 577.1 Friends identical in appearance

KvWE-1379: Dietrich grieves for his father’s death and even more for the imminent separation from his friend. He wants Engelhard to come and share everything with him, but Engelhard refuses and persuades his friend to leave and claim his inheritance. Engelhard is grateful because Dietrich has become his true friend, although he was never his equal by birth, but he could not possibly leave the king’s service: it would be dishonorable and unwise to leave such a good and munificent king. He prefers to be dubbed a knight by the king, although Dietrich offers dubbing as well. Engelhard vows that if ever he leaves the king’s court, he will join Dietrich. And so they part. Dietrich takes his leave from the king, who bestows on him clothes, horses, and three pages. Dietrich is welcomed in his duchy.

Motif References:

P 310 Friendship

KvWE-1662: From now on, Engelhard is even more loved at the king’s court. His position, however, has aroused the envy of Richard of England, the son of the king’s sister, who from the beginning has been the enemy of Engelhard and Dietrich. Although he is quite aware of Richard’s hatred, Engelhard never does anything about it.

Motif References:

W 181 Jealousy
J 810 Policy in dealing with the great

KvWE-1696: Engeltrût’s grief caused by her love for Engelhard is mistaken for grief about her mother’s death. The king tries to console his daughter by making Engelhard her attendant. He is to show her a good time through reading, writing, harping, singing, dancing and sports. Engeltrût disguises her joy: Being a female, she is bound to timidity in public, but not in private. Engelhard falls in love with her, but not being her equal, he would never dare to declare his love. Engeltrût, however, as a woman, cannot think of declaring her love for him.

Motif References:

T 24 The symptoms of love

KvWE-1966: Engelhard is driven to distraction by his love. One day while serving Engeltrût at the table, he drops a knife, turns pale, and nearly swoons. Only Engeltrût is aware of his grief, and when she asks him about the incident, he finally declares his love, well aware of not being her equal. Engeltrût gives him hope by maintaining that his virtues would make him the equal of even an empress. At the same time, although having provoked his declaration of love, she blames him for his audacity, and he promises silence. Engeltrût, however, is only acting according to custom and is not serious. Engelhard falls in love with her but because of not being her equal he does not dare to declare his love. Engeltrût being a woman cannot think of declaring her love for him.

Motif References:

T 26 Attention distracted by sight of beloved
T 31.1 Lovers’ meeting: Hero in service of lady’s father
T 57 Declaration of love

KvWE-2172: Engelhard, unaware of the truth, falls love-sick out of despair. He neither eats nor drinks; he turns pale and weak. Lamenting his situation, he compares Engeltrût to a siren, whose beautiful voice entices ships, only to let them go down with men and grain: her beautiful words have let him go down in pain. Although Engeltrût is in deep sorrow because of Engelhard’s sickness, she does not dare to show her grief. According to custom, females have to be timid and modest.

Motif References:

T 24.1 Love-sickness

KvWE-2224: Engeltrût most of all at the court is grieving for his sickness, but cannot dare to show it: females have to be timid and modest. But as there seems to be no hope for his cure, she finally visits him, and again he declares his deep love. Engeltrût is eager to help him on condition that their love is kept secret – otherwise they both would be dishonored. She reveals her plan. Engelhard will have to become a knight (at the sides of Richard who is about to be dubbed a knight) and joust in a tournament afterwards. She then would marry him. They kiss, and Engelhard is cured.

Motif References:

T 55.1 Princess declares her love for lowly hero
T 91.6 Noble and lowly in love

KvWE-2410: The king consents to making Engelhard a knight. There is a great feast of dubbing at the king’s court. Richard, Engelhard, and thirty pages obtain knighthood. When Engelhard leaves for the tournament in Normandy, he receives a blanket and battle-dress from his beloved.

Motif References:

P 53 (Bm) Obtaining knighthood

KvWE-2474: Engelhard takes part in vesperîe. His first opponent is Benîvel of Scotland, who is fighting in the service of his lady. His coat of arms – two blue lions with one head on golden ground, golden eagle on blue ground – is to be seen on his shield, as well as on his battle-dress and his blanket. On his helmet, he is wearing a white hat and two peacock feathers. Engelhard’s coat of arms is golden leaves, life-like birds on blue ground, and wild animals on red ground. His horse has a green stripe from head to tail with golden letters referring to his lady: friunt, got lâze dich behaben / heil unde ganzer saelden kraft / ûf minne und ûf die ritterschaft. His helmet is only decorated with one golden streak, indicating that he is fighting in the service of a noble lady. Nobody knows him, but they all are wondering.

Motif References:

P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
P 91 (Li) Heraldic figures and symbols - coat-of-arms
H 331.2 Suitor contest: tournament
P 561 Tournaments

KvWE-2583: Jousting starts. Engelhard’s battle-cry is “schoener roeselehter munt!” Engelhard defeats his adversary and retreats. The next morning the tournament continues. The jousters are compared to angels; they carry white, red and blue shields, their banners are decorated with birds and all kinds of animals. There are 2000 knights present who are jousting either in the service of their ladies or in order to obtain goods. Two parties of a 1000 knights each are to fight one another. King Wahsmuot of Scotland (crown on his helmet, gold as his color) is the leader of the first one. Engelhard joins the party of the other, king Hertnît of Riuzen, and excels in fighting. His page takes charge of the horses Engelhard obtains in fighting.

Motif References:

P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
P 561 Tournaments

KvWE-2738: Engelhard comes upon a knight who earns his living in tournaments. His coat of arms shows a golden lion on green ground. The knight has caught the bridle of the king of Riuzen’s horse and is about to capture the king. His page tries to obtain the horse and armor (decorated with gold) by constant blows. Engelhard overcomes the knight. As soon as he gets to know, however, that spoils are the knight’s living, he returns the horse and the battle-dress. Engelhard is only fighting for honor, not for goods. He is called the lady’s knight. Because of his exploits, the king of Riuzen wins the tournament.

Motif References:

P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
P 59.1 (Bm) Impecunious knight
H 1561.1 Tests of valor: tournament

KvWE-2880: Engelhard returns to Denmark, where Engeltrût has already learnt of his exploits. He reminds her of her promise to marry him, and they arrange love-tryst in her private garden the following evening. Engeltrût is a very beautiful woman of red and white complexion, as it should be. She has brown curly hair and white teeth. She is wearing precious clothes to meet her lover. She embraces Engelhard, but their happiness is not to last.

Motif References:

T 35 Lovers’ rendezvous
F 575.1 Remarkably beautiful woman

KvWE-3192: The secret love of Engeltrût and Engelhard is detected: Richard is about to train a sparrow-hawk, which happens to escape into Engeltrût’s garden. By accident Engelhard has forgotten to lock the door, and so Richard, looking for his bird, surprises the lovers. Neither Engelhard nor his beloved know what to do, since Engelhard refuses to flee. They finally decide to deny everything.

Motif References:

T 470 Illicit sexual relations – miscellaneous motifs
T 475 Unknown (clandestine) paramour

KvWE-3474: Richard accuses the lovers out of hatred for Engelhard. He envies the high position of the low-born hero. A social climber in his opinion will always return bad service for good favor. At the king’s order, Engelhard is made captive and has to appear at the royal law court. If he is found guilty, he will be executed. His counselors advise the king to verify the accusation in order to exclude any slander. Nobody can think of Engelhard as being guilty.

Motif References:

P 90 Royalty and nobility - miscellaneous
U 121 Like parent, like child
Q 256 Punishment for clandestine lover of princess [for princess and her clandestine lover]
P 510 Law courts

KvWE-3676: Engelhard shows no fear at the royal law-court, nor does he change color as the king accuses him of having dared to woo his daughter although he is not her equal. She as well will be punished and disinherited. Engelhard defends himself by saying that he never would have dared to woo Engeltrût. He claims to have been slandered and declares his innocence.

Motif References:

Q 256 Punishment for clandestine lover of princess [for princess and her clandestine lover]
J 1160 Clever pleading

KvWE-3805: Richard, questioned by the king, insists on his accusations. Engelhard accuses Richard of slandering him and Engeltrût out of hatred, but out of respect for Richard’s much higher rank and for his royal parentage, he will say no more. Richard tries to prove his accusation by the loss of his bird, a point which Engelhard refuses. Had he been about to meet the princess, he certainly would have locked the door, and even if he had forgotten about it, he easily could have fled after discovery. This is to prove his innocence. Richard insists upon judicial combat, and Engelhard accepts. At the king’s order, the combat will be fought six weeks thereafter and will definitely close this case.

Motif References:

Z 71.12 Formulistic number: forty [Forty days’ limit]
H 218 Trial by combat
J 810 Policy in dealing with the great
J 1151 Testimony of witness cleverly discredited

KvWE-4122: Engelhard, afraid of being doomed in combat because of his guilt, decides to visit Dietrich. He therefore leaves court on pretext of doing penance in a monastery nearby, after having given an oath to return in time. Engelhard comes to Brabant, the home of Dietrich and his wife. He presents himself at night at Dietrich’s castle, has the guard secretly inform his friend, and asks him for help. Engelhard tells the story of his love for Engeltrût and its outcome. Being guilty, he cannot dare to fight in judicial combat. Dietrich proposes change of identities. Engelhard is to stay at Dietrich’s castle, while he himself will pass off as Engelhard in combat. Dietrich insists that Engelhard must lie at his wife’s side, and he informs Engelhard of the court’s customs. They change clothes, and Dietrich leaves for Denmark. Engelhard, pretending to do penance for six weeks, puts a sword of chastity between himself and Dietrich’s wife. He arouses no suspicion whatsoever at Dietrich’s court. Dietrich comes to Denmark and is taken for Engelhard.

Motif References:

K 3 Substitute in contest
H 195 (Bm) Failure to recognize
P 319 Deeds of friendship - miscellaneous
T 351 Sword of chastity
K 528 Substitute in ordeal
K 1831.0.1 Disguise by changing name
K 1840 Deception by substitution

KvWE-4662: A field of combat in front of the king is cleared for judicial combat. Dietrich is wearing white clothes; Richard, plain black ones without any ornaments. They both are convinced of their just cause. Dietrich and Richard join in furious combat. They behave like hungry lions, and are more eager to fight than a salamander is to reach fire. Richard wounds his adversary, but Dietrich cuts off Richard’s arm. As he is about to kill him, the king puts an end to the combat in order to save his nephew’s life. Richard’s mutilation will be the permanent sign of his dishonor due to his envy and hatred.

Motif References:

Z 142 Symbolic color: white
Z 143 Symbolic color: black
H 218 Trial by combat
Q 301 Jealousy punished

KvWE-4976: The king offers his daughter to Dietrich / Engelhard, and they marry. Dietrich puts a sword of chastity between him and Engeltrût. Pretending to go on a pilgrimage, he leaves court soon after. At night he comes to Brâbant; the friends change identities; and Engelhard returns home. He and Engeltrût live happily from then on. After the king’s death, Engelhard inherits the kingdom. Two children are born. At his wife’s question about the sword of chastity, Engelhard tells her the truth. Dietrich also reveals the truth to his wife. Engelhard and Dietrich appreciate each other’s faithfulness. Engelhard has his father and brothers come to court and makes them dukes and counts.

Motif References:

P 17 Succession to the throne
T 121.3 Princess marries courtier
L 161 Lowly hero marries princess
H 195 (Bm) Failure to recognize
P 319 Deeds of friendship - miscellaneous
T 351 Sword of chastity
K 1915 The false bridegroom (substituted bridegroom)

KvWE-5136: Dietrich, however, is soon after taken ill by leprosy. He loses his hair, beard and eyebrows; his eyes turn yellow; his skin becomes red; his voice, hoarse; his hands and feet, deformed. He suffers horribly. Courtiers and people are in grief. Everyone, even his own wife, avoids him. No doctor is able to help him: there is no cure. Dietrich, too ill to rule his duchy, retires to a little house built for him on a beautiful island in the river nearby. He is given clothes of a clear color. Friends, relatives, and vassals accompany him as he retires to his island, where he lives alone. Servants leave food etc. for him. All his happiness has turned to grief and pain. One day as he lies asleep beneath his beautiful fountain, well guarded against the sun as he should be because of his illness, God sends an angel in Dietrich’s dream to reveal a remedy for his illness: he would be cured by bathing in the blood of his friend’s children. Dietrich wakes and thinks he would rather die than accept such a sacrifice. The love and care of his people and family, however, diminishes: nobody comes to see him; he does not get as much food as before.

Motif References:

V 235 Mortal visited by angel
F 872.3 Bath of blood
F 955.1 Blood (-bath) as cure for leprosy
D 1003 Magic blood - human
D 1500.1.7.3 Magic healing blood
D 1502.4.2.1 Blood of children (innocent maidens) as cure for leprosy
D 1810.8 Magic knowledge from dream
D 2161.1.1 Magic cure of leprosy

KvWE-5623: Dietrich therefore decides to leave for Denmark by ship. As soon as he has come to Engelhard’s castle, he sends a messenger to his friend. Engelhard is not afraid of his friend’s illness and invites him to stay. Dietrich tells his story and says that everybody has forgotten about him. He asks for a little house, which Engelhard orders to be built. Engelhard has him well looked after, and he does not avoid him. Dietrich, asked if he could be cured, at first is reluctant to answer. Engelhard says that Dietrich will no longer be his friend, if he does not tell him everything; so Dietrich tells him about his dream, but he insists that he never could accept such a sacrifice.

Motif References:

P 319 Deeds of friendship - miscellaneous
F 872.3 Bath of blood
F 955.1 Blood (-bath) as cure for leprosy
D 1003 Magic blood - human
D 1500.1.7.3 Magic healing blood
D 1502.4.2.1 Blood of children (innocent maidens) as cure for leprosy
D 2161.1.1 Magic cure of leprosy

KvWE-6107: Engelhard, concerned by his friend’s misery, finally decides to sacrifice his children, whose salvation will be certain. God’s orders have to be obeyed, and at the same time he thus could prove his gratitude for his friend’s faithfulness. Engelhard is about to kill his children by beheading, but already having swooned three times, he only manages to do so by God’s help. As he offers his children’s blood caught in two vessels to his friend, Dietrich swoons. By his children’s blood, Engelhard cures Dietrich.

KvWE-6362: Engelhard returns to his castle and asks for his children, who are brought in by their nurse: God has worked a miracle by calling them back to life. Only one red streak has been left around their necks as a permanent sign. There is great joy because of this miracle.

Motif References:

E 121.2 Resuscitation by Christ [God]

KvWE-6440: Dietrich leaves for Brâbant, where everybody is happy about his cure and his return. All of them live happily ever after. God has rewarded their faithful friendship by doing a miracle.

Motif References:

Miscellaneous Romances

Konrad von Würzburg: Engelhard (<1260) Gereke, P. (ed.): Konrad von Würzburg, Engelhard. 2nd ed. revised by I. Reiffenstein (=ATB 17) Tübingen 1963.

Konrad von Würzburg: Engelhard (<1260)
Gereke, P. (ed.): Konrad von Würzburg, Engelhard. 2nd ed. revised by I. Reiffenstein (=ATB 17) Tübingen 1963.