Stricker
Encyclopedia
Der Stricker is the pseudonym
of a 13th-century Middle High German
itinerant poet
whose real name has been lost to history. His name, which means "The Knitter," may indicate he was a commoner; he was likely from Franconia
but later worked in Austria
. His works evince a knowledge of German literature and practical theology, and include both adaptations and works with no known sources.
Der Stricker's oeuvre includes the Arthurian romance Daniel von dem blühenden Tal and the epic Karl, a German
adaptation of the Song of Roland, based directly on Konrad der Pfaffe
's earlier German version but updated for his time. However, he was chiefly a writer of didactic poetry
and exempla
or bispel, and was one of the early pioneers of the genre. These poems dealt not only with the religious and moral matters typical of the form, but also with the praise of women and courtly love
. Many of them focus on episodes from everyday life and make heavy use of burlesque
humor. The best known of these tales is Pfaffe Âmis (Priest Amis), which involves the English
clerk Âmis in the trickster
role. These works show an emphasis on theological concerns, and were popular with priests, who used them to animate their sermons.
Der Stricker was well known to later poets, being mentioned and commended by Rudolf von Ems
in his Alexander
and his Willehalm von Orlens. Der Pleier
wrote his Arthurian romance Garel
as a reaction to Der Stricker's Daniel, the protagonist of which Der Pleier found to be too brutal and cunning for a hero. Where Der Stricker's hero exemplifies the warrior ethos of epic poetry
, Der Pleier's Garel is specifically written as an embodiment of the courtly ideal.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of a 13th-century Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
itinerant poet
Itinerant poet
An itinerant poet or strolling minstrel was a wandering minstrel, bard, or other poet common in medieval Europe but extant today....
whose real name has been lost to history. His name, which means "The Knitter," may indicate he was a commoner; he was likely from Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
but later worked in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. His works evince a knowledge of German literature and practical theology, and include both adaptations and works with no known sources.
Der Stricker's oeuvre includes the Arthurian romance Daniel von dem blühenden Tal and the epic Karl, a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
adaptation of the Song of Roland, based directly on Konrad der Pfaffe
Konrad der Pfaffe
Konrad der Pfaffe, 'Conrad the Priest', was a German Roman Catholic epic poet of the twelfth century, author of the "Rolandslied", a German version of the famous "Chanson de Roland".We know almost nothing concerning his life...
's earlier German version but updated for his time. However, he was chiefly a writer of didactic poetry
Didacticism
Didacticism is an artistic philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in literature and other types of art. The term has its origin in the Ancient Greek word διδακτικός , "related to education/teaching." Originally, signifying learning in a fascinating and intriguing...
and exempla
Exemplum
An exemplum is a moral anecdote, brief or extended, real or fictitious, used to illustrate a point.-Exemplary literature:...
or bispel, and was one of the early pioneers of the genre. These poems dealt not only with the religious and moral matters typical of the form, but also with the praise of women and courtly love
Courtly love
Courtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
. Many of them focus on episodes from everyday life and make heavy use of burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
humor. The best known of these tales is Pfaffe Âmis (Priest Amis), which involves the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
clerk Âmis in the trickster
Trickster
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
role. These works show an emphasis on theological concerns, and were popular with priests, who used them to animate their sermons.
Der Stricker was well known to later poets, being mentioned and commended by Rudolf von Ems
Rudolf von Ems
Rudolf von Ems was a mediaeval Austrian epic poet.-Life:Rudolf von Ems was born in the Vorarlberg in Austria. He took his name from the castle of Hohenems near Bregenz, and was a knight in the service of the Counts of Montfort. His works were written between 1220 and 1254...
in his Alexander
Alexander Romance
Alexander romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. The earliest version is in Greek, dating to the 3rd century. Several late manuscripts attribute the work to Alexander's court historian Callisthenes, but the historical figure died...
and his Willehalm von Orlens. Der Pleier
Der Pleier
Der Pleier is the pen name of a Middle High German poet active between 1240 and 1270 whose real name is unknown. He is the author of three long romances all on Arthurian subjects, the most famous of which is Garel von dem blühenden Tal , but little else is known of him...
wrote his Arthurian romance Garel
Garel
Garel von dem blühenden Tal is a medieval Arthurian romance composed by Der Pleier around 1230-40. It appears to have been written in contradiction to Der Stricker's Daniel von Blumenthal. It consists of 21,310 lines in rhyming couplets; the beginning is missing.After a journey, King Arthur...
as a reaction to Der Stricker's Daniel, the protagonist of which Der Pleier found to be too brutal and cunning for a hero. Where Der Stricker's hero exemplifies the warrior ethos of epic poetry
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
, Der Pleier's Garel is specifically written as an embodiment of the courtly ideal.