King Arthur in German Literature

German 240 / English 304

Professor Michael Resler Spring Semester 2010 Office: Lyons Hall 201C M W F 12 - 1 o’clock Telephone: 552-3744; E-mail: [email protected] Lyons Hall 207 Web: www2.bc.edu/~resler Office hours: •M W F 11 - 12 o’clock •and by appointment

Texts: Chrétien de Troyes. Erec and Enide. In Arthurian Romances. Trans. D. D. R. Owen. Everyman Classics. London: Dent, 1987. Joseph and Frances Gies. Life in a Medieval Castle. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Trans. Michael Resler. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987. ------. Iwein: The Knight with the Lion. Trans. J. W. Thomas. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1979. ------. Iwein by Hartmann von Aue. Trans. Michael Resler. Unpublished work in progress. Der Stricker. Daniel of the Blossoming Valley. Trans. Michael Resler. New York & London: Garland, 1990. Wolfram von Eschenbach. Parzival. Trans. A. T. Hatto. The Penguin Classics. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980.

Course Schedule:

W Jan. 20 Introduction Lecture: The High Middle Ages

F Jan. 22 Lecture: Did King Arthur really exist? Reading: “Early Arthurian Documents” (Xerox); Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 3-11 (“Historical and Cultural Back- ground”)

German Studies Department Web-Site: http://www.bc.edu/germanic 2

M Jan. 25 Lecture/Discussion: Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain Reading: Geoffrey of Monmouth, excerpts from History of the Kings of Britain (Xerox); Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp. 57- 100; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 15-18 (“Arthurian Romance”)

W Jan. 27 Lecture/Discussion: Wace, Roman de Brut Reading: Wace, excerpts from Roman de Brut (Xerox); Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp. 100-140

F Jan. 29 Lecture: Who was Hartmann von Aue? Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec I Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp. 141-181; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 11-15 (“Hartmann von Aue”) and pp. 36-42 (“The Chivalric Ethic”)

M Feb. 1 Lecture: Problems with the Erec text Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec II Reading: Reread all of Erec; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 18f. (“Prob- lems with the Text”) and pp. 44-47 (“Joy and Sorrow”)

W Feb. 3 Lecture: The narrator in Hartmann’s Erec Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec III Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 1-41 (up to line 3086); Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 24-30 (“The Narrator”)

F Feb. 5 Lecture: Courtly love Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec IV Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 41-65 (up to line 4914); Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 31f. (“Courtly Love”)

M Feb. 8 Lecture: The life and work of Chrétien de Troyes Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide I Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 65-92; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 19-22 (“Hartmann’s Source”)

W Feb. 10 Lecture: Chrétien’s sources for Erec et Enide Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide II Reading: Reread all of Erec et Enide

F Feb. 12 Lecture: Chrétien’s patrons Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide III Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 55-79 (up to last paragraph)

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M Feb. 15 Slide lecture: Medieval castles Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter III Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter III (“The Castle as a House”), pp. 57-74; Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 79-101 (up to second paragraph)

W Feb. 17 Slide lecture: Medieval castles and churches Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter X Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter X (“The Castle at War”), pp. 186-205; Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 101- 123 (up to third paragraph)

F Feb. 19 Lecture: Hartmann’s sources for Iwein Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein I Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 123-149; Thomas, Iwein Introduction, pp. 8-25 (“The Theme of Iwein”)

M Feb. 22 Lecture: The plot line of Arthurian romance Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein II Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 15-69; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 22-24 (“The Structure of Erec”)

W Feb. 24 Lecture: The “other” Hartmann Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein III Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 70-119

F Feb. 26 Lecture: Women in the Middle Ages Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter IV; Hartmann von Aue, Iwein IV Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 120-175; Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter IV (“The Lady”), pp. 75-94; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 33-36 (“The Role of Women”)

M Mar. 1 WINTER VACATION

W Mar. 3 WINTER VACATION

F Mar. 5 WINTER VACATION

M Mar. 8 Lectures: Hartmann’s legacy; Hartmann’s language Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein V Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 176-221

4 W Mar. 10 Review session Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 222-279

F Mar. 12 MID-SEMESTER EXAM

M Mar. 15 Slide lecture: Manuscripts, books and literacy Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapters VI and VII Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter VI (“A Day in the Castle”), pp. 109-124 and Chapter VII (“Hunting as a Way of Life”), pp. 125-146; Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 280-314

W Mar. 17 Slide lecture: Chivalry and the crusades Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapters II (pp. 45-56 only) and IX Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter II (“The Lord of the Castle”), pp. 45-56 only and Chapter IX (“The Making of a Knight”), pp. 166-185; Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 315-365

F Mar. 19 Lecture: Who was Wolfram von Eschenbach? Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival I Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 366-411; Hatto, Foreword to Parzival, pp. 7-13

M Mar. 22 Lecture: Was Wolfram really illiterate? Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival II Reading: Reread Parzival, pp. 15-16

W Mar. 24 TERM PAPER PRESENTATIONS

F Mar. 26 Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival III

M Mar. 29 Lecture: Wolfram’s sources for Parzival Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival IV

W Mar. 31 Slide lecture: In search of Wolfram von Eschenbach

F Apr. 2 EASTER VACATION

M Apr. 5 EASTER VACATION

5 W Apr. 7 Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival V Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 3-35

F Apr. 9 Film: Perceval le Gallois Lecture: Eric Rohmer, Perceval le Gallois Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 35-77

M Apr. 12 Film: Perceval le Gallois Discussion: Eric Rohmer, Perceval le Gallois

W Apr. 14 TERM PAPER due Discussion: Term papers

F Apr. 16 Slide lecture: Literary patronage in the Middle Ages Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter IV (“The Lady”), pp. 86-87 only; der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 78-118

M Apr. 19 PATRIOTS’ DAY

W Apr. 21 Lecture: Der Stricker’s life and work Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley I Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 118-158; Resler, Daniel Introduction, pp. xii-xxii (“The Poet”)

F Apr. 23 Lecture: The “post-classical” Arthurian romance Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley II

M Apr. 26 Lecture: The prologue to Daniel of the Blossoming Valley Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley III Reading: Reread all of Daniel of the Blossoming Valley

W Apr. 28 Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley III and IV

F Apr. 30 Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley IV

M May 3 Film lecture: King Arthur goes to Hollywood (The Lion in Winter, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Excalibur)

W May 5 Review session

Tu May 11 FINAL EXAMINATION at 9 a.m. in Lyons Hall 207