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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
Gottfried von Strassburg, in his Tristan, substitutes for a description of the knighting of his hero a digression on certain contemporary authors, both of romances and lyrics. This digression has often been called “Gottfried's literary criticism,” but in fact it is a discussion of the various means of literary expression which were available to him for telling the story of a hero whom he believed to be unique and hence set apart from the knights of courtly romance. Gottfried examines both the visual (romance) and aural (lyric) types in a very specific order and finds both wanting, although he sees more potential in musical than in purely verbal forms of poetry. He decide? that the romance, in spite of its deficiencies, is the best available type but only with the proviso that the reader look beneath the surface and not be deceived by the form into thinking that Tristan was a “normal” courtly hero. The literary digression thus proves to be no digression but an integral part of the work, since Gottfried regards it as impossible to think of any story without considering the means by which it is told.
Note 1 in page 992 There have been several articles recently on the literary excursus: Herbert Kolb, “ ‘Der ware Elicon.‘ Zu Gottfrieds Tristan vv. 4862–4907,” DVLG, 41 (1967), 1–26; Hans Fromm, “Tristans Schwertleite,” DVLG, 41 (1967), 33–50; Ingrid Hahn, “Zu Gottfrieds von Strassburg Literaturschau,” ZDA, 96 (1965), 218–36; Louise Gnaedinger, “Musik und Minne im Tristan Gottfrieds von Strassburg,” Wirkendes Wort, Beiheft, 19 (1967). None of these concerns itself specifically with the points raised in this essay.
Note 2 in page 992 “Tristan the Artist in Gottfried's Poem,” PMLA, 77 (1962), 364–72.
Note 3 in page 992 I cite Ranke's text as revised in: Gottfried von Strassburg, Tristan, ed. Gottfried Weber et al. (Darmstadt: Wissen-schaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1967). All translations are my own.
Note 4 in page 999 Homer, Iliad xviii and xix, and Vergil, Aeneid viii.370 ff. and 608 ff. Both in Homer and Vergil the shield offers an opportunity for the poet to comment on society and Homer's highly sophisticated use of it shows that it was already a well-known device. The need to connect the shield of Aeneas with the theme of the greatness of Rome makes Vergil's description appear much more forced. It is made clear in the Aeneid that the provision of arms by a god assures victory. Tristan, of course, receives only the same type of arms as those given to his companions and is thus by implication differentiated from classical heroes. The spiritual values which actually distinguish him from them cannot be expressed, allegorically or otherwise, in terms of arms and clothing. Gottfried thus breaks with the very classical tradition that he has imported into the literary excursus.
