Süßkind von Trimberg
Encyclopedia
Süßkind von Trimberg is given as the author of six poems in the Codex Manesse
. The poems date to the second half of the 13th century, and if their purported author is historical, he would be the first documented Jewish poet of the German language
.
The town of Trimberg is today part of the Elfershausen
municipality, in Lower Franconia
, Bavaria
, at the time within the Bishopric of Würzburg
.
where his works are preserved, and depicted as wearing a pointed Judenhut
(the headgear which Jews were required to wear by law in the later German Middle Ages).
The portrait shows him before a bishop or a bishop's representative with a bishop's staff, but without his mitre
, seated on a throne, under a flag which is variously said to be the flag of the town of Constance
(whose bishop was closely associated with the codex), of Fulda
(near Frankfurt/Main) or of the archbishop of Cologne.
, Susskind was not a minnesinger, his poems belonging to the more general category of medieval Spruchdichtung.
He sang of the worth of the virtuous wife (III,2), and of the hunger and misery of his children (V,1).
There are possible allusions to Hebrew prayers and benedictions in his texts, as in I,3, where his comparison of the briefness of man's days and his salvation through God correspond to the 33rd benediction said on the eve of the Jewish New Year.
He stated that nobility – and this at the high time of chivalry
, in a collection where every singer of remotely noble descent is portrayed with a coat of arms – is not dependent on birth, but on one’s deeds: “Nobility is not dependent on a piece of paper / Who acts nobly, him will I account noble.”
In one of the last poems in the Codex (V,2) he bitterly complains that he fooled himself with his attempts to be an artist ("Ich var ûf der tôren vart /
mit mîner künste zwâre"), that he is now determined to let his grey beard grow long and henceforth go his way humbly as a Jew, wrapped in a long coat, his hat pulled deep in his face, and won't sing any chivalrous ("hovelîchen") song, since the noblemen ("herren") won't grant him any further support.
The most characteristic of his poems is the Fable of the Wolf",
where a wolf complains about his bad reputation, and argues that he is innocent because he is forced to steal geese to survive, while the false man does much greater damage.
His historicity was controversially debated, his poems were translated into modern German and into Polish.
Gerhardt (1997) is a summary of the history of the modern reception of the Susskind poems.
Codex Manesse
The Codex Manesse, Manesse Codex, or Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift is a Liederhandschrift , the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German Minnesang poetry, written and illustrated between ca. 1304 when the main part was completed, and ca...
. The poems date to the second half of the 13th century, and if their purported author is historical, he would be the first documented Jewish poet of the German language
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...
.
The town of Trimberg is today part of the Elfershausen
Elfershausen
Elfershausen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany.Elfershausen is a market town or municipality that includes the following towns:*Elfershausen*Engenthal*Langendorf*Machtilshausen*Trimberg-History:...
municipality, in Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria , Germany ....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, at the time within the Bishopric of Würzburg
Bishopric of Würzburg
The Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
.
Historicity
There are no other records about his life, and it is uncertain whether Susskind is a historical poet, or whether the poems recorded under his name are from a single author. Alternatively, the Jewish name Süßkind and the corresponding portrait may have been motivated by a motive in (V,2), where the poet proclaims his intention to leave the courtly sphere and live humbly "in the manner of old Jews".Portrait
He is identified as a Jew the Codex ManesseCodex Manesse
The Codex Manesse, Manesse Codex, or Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift is a Liederhandschrift , the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German Minnesang poetry, written and illustrated between ca. 1304 when the main part was completed, and ca...
where his works are preserved, and depicted as wearing a pointed Judenhut
Judenhut
The Jewish hat also known as the Jewish cap, Judenhut or Latin pilleus cornutus , was a cone-shaped pointed hat, often white or yellow, worn by Jews in Medieval Europe and some of the Islamic world...
(the headgear which Jews were required to wear by law in the later German Middle Ages).
The portrait shows him before a bishop or a bishop's representative with a bishop's staff, but without his mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
, seated on a throne, under a flag which is variously said to be the flag of the town of Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
(whose bishop was closely associated with the codex), of Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
(near Frankfurt/Main) or of the archbishop of Cologne.
Poems
While most of the content of Codex Manesse is MinnesangMinnesang
Minnesang was the tradition of lyric and song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century. People who wrote and performed Minnesang are known as Minnesingers . The name derives from the word minne, Middle High German for love which was their main...
, Susskind was not a minnesinger, his poems belonging to the more general category of medieval Spruchdichtung.
He sang of the worth of the virtuous wife (III,2), and of the hunger and misery of his children (V,1).
There are possible allusions to Hebrew prayers and benedictions in his texts, as in I,3, where his comparison of the briefness of man's days and his salvation through God correspond to the 33rd benediction said on the eve of the Jewish New Year.
He stated that nobility – and this at the high time of chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
, in a collection where every singer of remotely noble descent is portrayed with a coat of arms – is not dependent on birth, but on one’s deeds: “Nobility is not dependent on a piece of paper / Who acts nobly, him will I account noble.”
In one of the last poems in the Codex (V,2) he bitterly complains that he fooled himself with his attempts to be an artist ("Ich var ûf der tôren vart /
mit mîner künste zwâre"), that he is now determined to let his grey beard grow long and henceforth go his way humbly as a Jew, wrapped in a long coat, his hat pulled deep in his face, and won't sing any chivalrous ("hovelîchen") song, since the noblemen ("herren") won't grant him any further support.
The most characteristic of his poems is the Fable of the Wolf",
where a wolf complains about his bad reputation, and argues that he is innocent because he is forced to steal geese to survive, while the false man does much greater damage.
Modern reception
As the only Jewish poet of the Codex Manesse, Susskind was the subject of particular attention in scholarship since the 18th century.His historicity was controversially debated, his poems were translated into modern German and into Polish.
Gerhardt (1997) is a summary of the history of the modern reception of the Susskind poems.
External links
- Online-Gesamtkatalog Der Deutschen Bibliothek
- Art of the States: The Resounding Lyre Musical setting of "Wâhebûf und Nichtenvint"
- http://www.fh-augsburg.de/~harsch/germanica/Chronologie/13Jh/Suezkint/sue_intr.html