Wolfram von Eschenbach, Titurel (<1217/1220)
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Matière de Bretagne
Wolfram von Eschenbach, Titurel (<1217/1220)
Bartsch, Karl (ed.): Parzival und Titurel. 4. Aufl. bearb.v. Marta Marti. (=Dt. Klassiker d. Mittelalters 9-11) Leipzig 1932
WvETi-1:
(I, 1-12) In his old age the strong Titurel, who has been a valiant and skillful fighter all his life, has to give up fighting as well as he leaves ladies’ service. But in his children his virtues, love and faithfulness, live on. Once an angel brought the Holy Grail to him and told him how to take care of it. Titurel was the first man ever to guard it. The Grail’s master has to live in chastity. Now in his old age the king gives the Grail and its crown to his son Frimutel. The latter has five children who live with him at the Grail castle at Muntsalvatsche: his sons Anfortas and Trevrizent, his virtuous daughters Schoysiane, Herzelöude and Urrepanse de Schoye. All the knights and ladies of the Grail are in grief when Titurel abdicates. He was the leader of the knights of the Grail (templeise) who often fought in the Grail’s service.
Motif References:
P 16.1.4 Father abdicates in favor of son
P 17.0.2 Son succeeds father as king
C 100 Sex tabu.
F 184 Otherworld king
V 235 Mortal visited by angel
T 300 Chastity and celibacy
V 450 Religious orders
D 1310 Magic object gives supernatural information.
WvETi-13:
(I, 13-25) Two of Frimutel’s daughters leave Muntsalvatsche: Beautiful Schoysiane marries Kiot of Katelangen, who is a valiant knight. His brother, king Tampunteire, attends his splendid wedding-feast. Kiot is a good king, valorous and munificent, and a ladies’ knight in tournaments. His wife Schoysiane dies giving birth to a daughter. The queen is embalmed and buried. Many lords and kings come to her funeral. The king, who has his lands from his brother Tampunteire of Pelrapeire, leaves his kingdom to his daughter. He wants to give up knighthood. He and his brother, Duke Manfilot, who leaves knighthood and ladies’ service, both retire from the world. Kiot’s daughter is called Sigune. Her mother Schoysiane has been the first woman to carry the Grail. Tampunteire has Sigune reared with his daughter Kondwiramurs.
Motif References:
P 12 Character of kings
P 16.1 King (prince) retires from world (becomes hermit [monk, pilgrim], swineherd [beggar])
P 17 Succession to the throne
P 18 Marriage of kings
T 211.5 Man becomes a hermit after his wife’s death [Becoming hermit after partner’s death]
P 251 Brothers [Half-brothers]
P 271 Foster father
P 274 Foster sister
P 683 (Bm) Embalming
WvETi-26:
(I, 26-29, 32, 35, 37; A1, 32-36) Kastis, who has married beautiful Herzelöude at Muntsalvatsche, dies without making her his true wife – she marries Gahmuret later on. Kastis leaves her his kingdoms Kanvoleiz and Kingrivals. When Tampunteire dies five years later and beautiful Kardeis is king of Brubarz, the girls have to part. Queen Herzelöude, who is praised above all women, has Sigune brought to her which makes Kondwiramurs very sad. Virtuous Sigune is reared at her aunt’s court. Later on Herzelöude will be the prize of a tournament at Kanvoleiz. Sigune now has become a young lady. In the meantime Gahmuret has left Belacane, won Herzelöude by fighting after having given up his service for the French lady.
Motif References:
T 68 Princess offered as prize
T 165.9 (Li) Widow and maid
P 272 Foster mother
WvETi-38:
(I, 38-46) Now the story of the maiden’s love will be told: The queen of France, Anphlise, reared a noble boy and when Gahmuret became a knight she let him have the boy. He went with him to heathen lands to the caliph Ahkarine and went back with him to Waleis later on. His grandfather was Gurnamanz of Graharz, a valiant fighter, and his father was Gurzgri, who lost his life at Joie de la Court. His mother was Mahaute, the sister of Ehkunat, a rich count, named after the strong city of Berbester. The boy’s name is Schionatulander. Sigune is of higher rank than this noble squire, for her mother has come from the Grail’s land. All who are serving the Grail earn the highest praise and are blessed in this world and the other. Wherever a kin of the Grail’s family lives, falsehood is driven away: therefore Kanvoleiz is called the capital city of faithfulness. The love-story of the two children begins in this town.
Motif References:
T 23 (Bm) Childhood sweethearts
P 50.3 (Ha) Page
WvETi-47:
(I, 47-73; A1, 53) Gahmuret raises them both in his quarters. In his childhood Schionatulander falls in love with Sigune. No one can withstand Love. Although they are in love with one another their courtesy teaches them to keep their love secret. Schionatulander has been Gahmuret’s messenger to his lady Anphlise and therefore has some idea of love already. He has also learnt from Gahmuret’s eloquence. Schionatulander asks his foster sister to show mercy on him. She says that she is an orphan among strangers and he should find a lady of higher rank to court. He replies that he does not want her kingdoms but only her love. She says she knows nothing about love and its character, if it is a male or a female. Schionatulander replies that love is with everybody, young or old, aiming with bow and arrow without ever missing its aim. She says that she likes to see him and is sad when he is away. Schionatulander takes this as proof that she already knows about love. They discuss the character of Love, which combines joy and sorrow and cannot be avoided. Sigune tells him that he must earn her love by serving her. He promises to do so.
Motif References:
T 0 Love
T 23 (Bm) Childhood sweethearts
T 50 Wooing
P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
P 274.1 Love between foster sister and foster brother
WvETi-73:
(I, 73-82; A1 81-82) Sigune and Schionatulander promise friendship to each other at the time when Pompeius and Ipomidon start a war against Baldac. Gahmuret sets out in secrecy only with his coat of arms to take part in that war. He has the crown of three lands. Love brings him death and he is killed by Ipomidon. Schionatulander leaves with him. There is true love between him and Sigune which Parzival learnt later on when he met Sigune on the lime tree. Without anyone noticing Gahmuret leaves with a small retinue. On his shield his coat of arms displays not the panther but a black anchor, as the symbol of an errant knight (recke). He takes his leave from Herzelöude who gives him a white chemise she has worn on her skin as a love-token. Then he sets out for Sevilla (Sibilje).
Motif References:
P 50 Noblemen (knights) [rules of chivalry]
T 59 (Bm) Love tokens
P 91 (Li) Heraldic figures and symbols - coat-of-arms
Z 150 Other symbols
P 550.1 (Li) Battle. War
WvETi-83:
(I, 83-107) Schionatulander suffers from love-sickness, he neither jousts nor fights in tournaments, he can only think about love. Although Schionatulander keeps his grief secret, Gahmuret is aware of his nephew’s sorrow. Schionatulander loses his radiance from sorrow and seeks solitude. Gahmuret who is an expert in love affairs and wants to help him asks his page about his trouble. The boy tells him that he is in love with Sigune, and Gahmuret does not oppose his love for his niece. Sigune is as beautiful a woman as her mother was and Schionatulander should serve her well. Gahmuret will speak for him in order to obtain the consent of her aunt Herzelöude.
Motif References:
T 24.1 Love-sickness
WvETi-108:
(I, 108-131; A1, 120, 125) In the meantime Sigune is suffering from love too and Herzelöude gets aware of it. She asks her about her sorrow and the girl tells her about her longing which drove away all her joy. She is burning from love like the salamander in the mountain of Agremuntin. Herzelöude who thinks Schionatulander too young to think about love thinks this might have been arranged by Anphlise to have her revenge on her. The French queen has reared the boy and she might have advised him to harm Sigune. But if this is not the case Herzelöude will not oppose her niece’s love. She advises Sigune to care for herself and for her beauty for the sake of her lover. Joy and pain come from love. Love and good luck are Schionatulander’s heritage from his mother Mahaute and her aunt Schoette. He is to earn high prize. Sigune is happy that Herzelöude agrees with her love.
Motif References:
T 0 Love
T 24.1 Love-sickness
WvETi-132:
(II, 132-153; A2, 137-166) When Schionatulander and Sigune dwell in the forest they hear a bracket bark, which is pursuing some wounded game. Schionatulander who is a very fast runner – only Trevrizent was faster – wants to catch the dog. The game runs towards the youth. The bracket has a precious necklace from Arabian band ornamented with shining jewels. His costly leash is very long and made from a silk band of four colors (green, yellow, red and brown), above are rings with pearls, separated by four leaves of four colors, which form an inscription. The inscription is made out of emeralds, bound to each other by rubies, diamonds, chrysolith and granat. All this is fixed to a ground of green samit with jewels of various colors. The text has been composed by a lady. The dog’s name is Gardeviaz, which means take care of the track. Sigune starts reading the text of the necklace but not what is written on the lead: It says that only he who watches the trail will obtain the prize. The dog and its lead have been given as a love-token to the lord by a queen from Kanadic. Her sister was Florie, who promised her love to the Breton knight Ilinot. She reared him until he became a knight and he died in her service without ever being rewarded. Florie died from grief for his death and left her crown to her young sister Clauditte. The lords insisted that she should choose a husband and so she had a court at Beuframunde. She took the Duke Ehkunaver of the wild flower (Ehcunat de Salvasch florie) as her husband with whom she had been in love already for a long time. She sent him her letter with this dog into the wilderness. The inscription also says that the lady will act as a woman should.
Motif References:
P 28 Marriage of queen
T 41 Communication of lovers
P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
T 59 (Bm) Love tokens
T 211.9.1 Wife dies of grief for death of husband
B 291.2.2 Dog as messenger
F 826 Extraordinary jewels
F 843 Extraordinary rope
F 883 Extraordinary writings (book, letter)
F 1041.1.2 Death from grief for death of lover or relative
WvETi-154:
(II, 154-170; (A1, 174)) In the meantime while Sigune is reading the inscription Schionatulander is fishing with a rod. Unfortunately, when she wants to continue reading the text on the lead which is bound to the tent pole, it gets loose. The dog escapes and continues hunting the game. Schionatulander hears the dog barking in the forest, he tries to catch it but it escapes and the knight returns to the tent. The thorny thicket has wounded his bare feet and the lead did harm to the lady’s hands when it got loose. When she tells him of the strange inscription he says she should forget about the story. Yet she insists and orders him to find the lead, for only then can he obtain her love. A1, 174: The bracket’s forehead is white, he has long ears and a red fur. The game which he chases is wounded by a golden arrow.
Motif References:
P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
H 355 Suitor test: finding an extraordinary object
H 1332 Quest for marvelous parts or possessions of animals.
WvETi-207:
(A4, 207-229) Schionatulander would prefer to be assigned the adventure of King Arthur at Floritschanz, where there will be jousting and fighting. He is sure that Arthur will invite them soon. But Sigune insists – she wants to finish reading the inscription. And if he wants her love he would have to bring it to her. Her kingdom of Katelange will be his reward. And if she had more possessions she would give them to Schionatulander if only he brought her the lead. Schionatulander says he prefers her to any riches of the world, even if he would be offered to be the king of the Grail. He will seek the lead for her. She once again promises him her love’s reward. Sigune gives him a band from precious silk as token of her love. They part. Schionatulander has precious armor: a costly shield, a helmet with the crown, which means that he is traveling in love’s service. Sigune puts his armor on him and blesses him. The name of his horse is Trakune.
Motif References:
P 52.2 (Li) Knight in service of a lady
T 59 (Bm) Love tokens
Q 112.0.1 Kingdom as reward
Z 150 Other symbols
H 355 Suitor test: finding an extraordinary object
H 1332 Quest for marvelous parts or possessions of animals.
WvETi-230:
(A4, 230-238) Schionatulander follows the bracket but loses the track and gets lost in the wild forest. The knight could have easily caught the dog when he first pursued it through the thicket for the dog caught itself by the long lead on a thorn. Due to the wind he can no more hear the dog’s barking and has to go back. King Teanglis of Teseac, who is out hunting in the forest, finds the dog and the lead, he reads the inscription and thinks it has been sent out for the sake of adventure. He puts the lead again around the dog’s neck and follows the dog to find the adventure.
Motif References:
H 1222 Prince a-hunting enters on quest
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