- Ruodlieb
"Ruodlieb" is a romance in Latin verse by an unknown German
poet who flourished about1030 . He was almost certainly amonk of theBavaria nabbey ofTegernsee .The poem is one of the earliest German romances of knightly adventure, and its vivid picture of
feudal manners gives it a certain value as an historical document. The poet was probably an eyewitness of the episode (II.4231-5221) which represents the meeting of theEmperor Henry II withRobert II of France on the banks of theMaas in1023 . "Ruodlieb" was left unfinished, and furthermore the manuscript was cut up and used for binding books, so that the fragments were only gradually discovered (from1807 onwards) and pieced together.The framework of the story is borrowed from a popular "märchen" of the youth who takes service away from home, and is paid in wise saws instead of current coin. He receives at the same time a loaf, with instructions not to cut it until he is once more at home. This contains the coins. The
proverb s, usually three in number, were increased in "Ruodlieb" to twelve, each of which was the starting-point of an episode by which the hero was made to appreciate its value.For examples of the three-proverb tale see
*
William Bottrell , "Traditions and Hearthside Stories" (Penzance, 2nd series, 1873)
*Cuthbert Bede , "The White Wife..." (London, 1868)
*K. V. Killinger , "Erin" (Stuttgart and Tübingen, 1849),and others in the French romance of the "
Saint Graal ", in the "Gesta Romanorum " (the three proverbs bought byDomitian ) and the old French "Dit des trois pommes".The standard edition of "Ruodlieb" is by
Friedrich Seiler (Halle, 1882). There is a version byMoritz Heyne (Leipzig, 1897), and a full analysis of the contents is given byRudolf Koegel , "Geschichte der deutschen Literatur bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters" (Strassburg, 1894-97, ii. pp. 342-412).References
*"Waltharius and Ruodlieb" tr. Dennis M. Kratz. New York: Garland, 1984.
*"The Ruodlieb," ed. & tr. C. W. Grocock, Warminster --- Chicago 1985.
*1911External links
* [http://www.diplomanach.fh-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lspost11/Ruodlieb/ruo_frag.html Ruodlieb] , latin fulltext at [http://www.fh-augsburg.de/~harsch/augustana.html "Bibliotheca Augustana."]
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