Erec

'l'lrc lrnrrrpcc Ercc is cglsiclcred the first example in German of a genre,rlr.t.,rtl1, p<ll.rulrrr iu llrrrucc, tfic courtly rornallce. It survives i1 olly one,,,.,,,,,r.':i1.,i, drrtirblc r() tlrc ci.rrly sixtccnth ccntrlry and already rnissing theol)('nint' r,a,'r.r a,t,l sotttc: scctiotrs llrtcr; in aclclition there are somc earlier

lr,r1',rrrcrlts sttlvivitlg rvhiclr p'rrtl1' lill tlrc glps' sincc it c'leals rvith the exploits,,1 .r lirriglrt Itclt,rrp.irrg to tlic cilclc <ll'I(irtg, Althttr, .llrcc is trl<lrc spccifically,ln Atllluti.ltt t'ottt,lll(c,.1 l).lll'.lli\/('irt rvlriClr Altlrtrl rll)pcllrs) ltolcvcr trlttclt,, tltt, pgiplrcly,.rs tlrc irrspir',rtiorr lirr',tll tt,lro.tspilc to clriv.rlry. IIrrt'tttrrrntr1,,r.,..1 liis n,ur,,rtivc (,n lll(.r,r.rsiorr rvritlctt lry (llrli'ticrr tlc'li'o1'c5 (PcrlrrlPs

ru,rilt,.rr I l(,ii 70), ,rrr,l llrt' srt1rt'tlit i,rl lt',rtlt't ol ltotlr Yc|sirltls rrril',lrl

42 t Guu.,laaN LTTERATURE ()F THr'r Hrcu Mroor.n, Ac;ns

concludc tl-rat Hartmann simply translated his source into German.6Nothing could be further from the truth. Comparative studies over manyycars have consistently demonstrated that Hartmann's work is an adapta-tion of Chr6tien's, rather than a translation. Like most medieval poets hewas obligcd to reproduce the known plot, some basic elements of whichhis audience may well have heard already. But his German public wouldhave had a rather different interpretation of legal, social, and ethicalnuances than Chr6tien's public,T and more important, Hartmann's narra-tive style and his understanding of motivation are so distinctive as to makeof his Erec a new romance.

Hartmann's Erec tells the story of a young knight, the son of a king,who is publicly humiliated near Arthur's court by an unknown knight andhas to ride out in pursuit of the knight in order to repair his damaged rep-utation and recover his honor. In order to engage the unknown knight incombat, the unarmed Erec makes a bargain with an impoverished oldknight: in return for the knight's armor and weapons, Erec will marry theknight's beautiful yoLulg daughter Enite. Inspired by her beaury Erecdcfcats his adversary whose name turns out to be Iders, and he later bringshis bridc-to-bc back to Arthur's court. 1'hey arrive at an opportunerllolrrcllt: Arthnr has huntcd down the white stag and now has to confbr akiss upon thc most bcautiful lady at court. Upon Enite's arrival, the possi-bility of disscnt about which lady is most deserving is gone. Arthur kissesEnitc, and the wcdding of Erec and Enitc and a tournament follow. ErecrctLlms with his wifc to his homeland, becomes king, but then experiencesa crisis as he fhlls into disrepute when he neglects his knightly endeavorsand duties, entirely absorbed as hc is by love for his wife. lVhen he discov-crs the shame into which he has fallen, he takes his wife with him into thewilderness on a series of dangerous challenges that structurally form thesecond cycle of adventures in this romance. Enite, commanded by herhusbancl to remain silent, repeatedly breaks this commandment at the riskof her own life. The adventurous challenges are punctuated by a return toArthur's court in the middle, and the battle against the knight Mabonagrinat the end. In the end, Erec l-ras again proven his valor and reconstitutedhis honor, while Enite has demonstrated her great loyalty to her husband.

The hcro Erec was known to the twelfth century primarily in conncc-tion with tvvo motifs which were already linked in Chr6ticn's version andwhich form the axis around which the narrativc is built: first, Ercc's loss ofwarrior hotror bccause of his infatuation with his wifL Enitc ancl his ovcr-indulgcncc in mrrital c<>mforts; ancl sccond, l'ris clcmi'urc1 that his r,viltrcmaiu silcrrt or.t thcir hrzlrclous journcy, rcgirrcllcss ol:n,hlt shc uright scc<lr hcirr. 'l'hc lirst ol'thcsc r)r()till Ilrrrtrrrrurr irtkrptctl rvitlr littlc rrroclilicir-tiorr; lris lilr:c spcrrtls so rlruclr tirrrc irr bctl rvitlr lris bc.rrrtilirl rvilL'thrtt soci-cty littrls n() l)l('ilsur'('in.tttcrttlirtg ltis t'orrll;rrttl t'r'iticizcs lrirrr lirl lrisirrrlrrlcrrr'c (lris ol'li'rrcc is.rirlt trliJlr'll, li'ittclirr11 ,ru,,ry unc's lcptrt,rtiorr in

Ham'l,raNN voN Aun g +3

bed). His obsession with Enite thus has important consequences forcourtly society, which is deprived of the "sparkle," the "joy" which thegood host should provide: "in schalt diu werlt gar. / sin hof wart allervreuden bar . ." (Everybody criticized him, his court became dcvoid of allpleasure,2988). The criticism is all the more unwelcomc for being com-municated by Enite, a fhct that explains the second motif, Erec's subse-clllcrlt insistence on his wife's silence. Psychologically, it seerns as if thervarrior-hcro associates his fall from grace with the messenger) the wifbr,vho informs him of it, sees the beautiful woman as a problem, as it werc,ar-rd responds by imposing silence and other hardships on hcr. InChr6ticn's version and presumably in the eallier Celtic sourcess the hero'streatment of his wilb is a test designed to establish whether Enite is loyalenough to disregard his command and break her silence when physicaldanger threatens.

Br.rt Hartmann's version presents some minor rnodilications that givethis central scene of the hero's humiliation and departure on his journeyof rehabilitation a different twist. On being informed by Enitc of society'scriticism of him Hartmann's hero gives no indication that he accepts thecriticism, unlike Chr€tien's versiott, in which Erec states: "you (Enide) areright and those who reproach me are right" (2572). Hartmann reinforcesthis image of a hero whose mind is disoriented and unable to face the truthlvhen his narrator tells us that altl-rough Erec might rant and rave about it,l-re is gcnuinely in need of Enite's warnings because his armor restricts hishcaring and his vision (4150-65). Thus, whereas one might accuratelyspcak of the hero "testing" his wife's loyalty in Chrdtien, whose Erec cansce danger fcrr himself but nevertheless waits for his wife to speak (2957),there can be no question of a test in Flartmann when Erec is really unawareof his surroundings. For Hartmann's audience, as for a modern reader,Erec's limited consciousness (and consciencc) no doubt suggests that heis at this point fhr from being in control, and hence a long way fromrehabilitation.

Before analyzing evcnts after this crisis it is worth looking briefly attl-re first third of the work which traces the process by which the heromakes a name for hirnself, as that process gives us an insight into the mindlater shocked into total self:isolation. Although we lack the opening verses<>l Hartrnann's version, whicl-r may well have provided valuable infbrma-tion on the German poet's principles in adapting Chr€tien's narrative forhis own (or his patron's) plrrposes, the plot is intact: the hero suf-fers aslight to l.ris honor and scts out to gain satisfhction by challenging thel<night rcsponsiblc, Iclcrs, whclm hc dcfi::ats in an encounter which estab-lishcs I'lrcc's wirrrior crcclcntirrls. A "lovc intcrest" is already present in theiirlur <lltthc: lrcrrtrtilirl l')rritc, rrt first sinrply thc partncr llcccssary for Erec'sclrrrllcrrg,c to lrlcrs, btrl irr tlrc c()rrrsc oltcvcttts thc <llrjcct <>f his dcsirc andIovc,.rrrtl rr littirrg lrlitlc irr ,r nr,rg,rriliccnt rvctlrling cclcbrrrti<lrt pr<lviclccl by

+ '11 GttttltAn.. Lrtr':rulluntl ()F lHl-l Htcu Mtout't-: Ac;r's

ing Arthur. Durir-rg thc cornbat rvith Iders, ar-rd then in the brilliant vic-

trics in t()Llrniule llts, the crucial interplay betrveen dceds of knightl-roodt-rcl love is ap;larcnt: thc hcro drar,vs strength fi'orn his loving partner,,l-r.>s" r,-rpporiir-rrpircs him to u,in hotlor in combat. Precisell'this inter-:l,rtionsliip is upset in the sr.rbseclucnt crisis, rvhcn Erec loscs honor and

rcstige bccause his love prcyeuts I'rim fiorn testing his q'arrior qualities inorlbrt.

ccrtain fcatures of the plot up to this point merit ftrrthcr comment.rt her first appeilrtncc, thc Lrcautifirl Hnite rvho is later to captirratc alnlost

'ery malc ru[,, ,.., her, is in abject poverqr, fbrcecl b)' circr.rmstallces toct ,rs groorn to Erec's horsc, ho$'cver mtlch the hero may protcst at thr:

n.lpprirpriateness of her servicc. Furthcr, she is virtually exch,rdcd frornti"i,ig,-r.; indeccl, Lulril rhc latcr crisis u4rc1 she must revcal to Erec his loss

,f l-,,r"ro., tirc oniy rvortds trccorclecl her irre "herre, cllz tuot-t ich" (My lord,'ll clo so, 322). ]Lrec, on thc other hancl, irpPcars souetvhat brash, quicko fccl et-r-rbttrr'.1sslttellt (therc erc fhr more rcfbreuccs to his "shanle" thatlhcre lrc i1 chriticl), i-tut rcirctilg in 1 plgsitiyc \\/iu/ to rcirl or Potentialrlights to his honor by pursuir-rg public recogniti<l1 irs ir knight. B)'thc time.,.I.,.u rctLlrlt to his orvt.t cotlrt i1t l(arnant l-re is f€tccl as a;laragcln of\rthuriirn attcl coltt'tlv icicills, possessiug rvisclou, good looks, strellgth and

5cncrosit1,.'fhc srrtrscclttcttt loss <lf his rcputrtign must aPPci.lr all the morclrushing ,,, ,, y.r,r,rg t night used to 'lcclai.u fiom all clllartcrs) but it is sig-

.-rifici'rr-rt thrrt tirr ottcc, lte i'rPpcilrs to feel tlo shlme'-fhc llrlrrrlt()r givcs ils no illklillg 9f his lllotiyati()n, but i1 impgsing

''clisc kutlbcrlichc spirehc" (this bttrcleusot-ue rvhitn, 3I03) of silcucc cln

Ilnitc Ercc sccltts t() try to rcvert to the circttt-nstellces of their first meet-

ing, hcr cluiet lcceptance of his attthoritl', rvhich is thcr-r rcinfbrccd'uvith her

i,rl;rpropii,ttc servicc as gro()ln fbr h<>rscs. Wl-rcther Ercc is rational eu<lngh

u, i-por. thcse hardsl-rip, ,, .,r*. sort of punishtnent, rvro.gly corrclttcl-

ing tliat she is rcspc>nsible ftrr his clisgrirce, or whether he f-eels hcr scxttal-

itii, th. soLrrce rif his probler' l'c1 .ccds to be suppressccl - hc'cc l.ris

insistcncc not only .rn l-r.. silence, bttt also on hcr kccpirlg l.rer clist''rncc

fiom l.rirn bv riding al-rcacl rvhilc traveling and cating anc-l slccping aPilrt -is not clcar. Whatis clear is tl.rirt in spite of raging otttbttrsts olfittstrrltiotr,cuh.ninating in almost dcmented fr-rry ("sin zorn wlrt 916z lrncl ttt'tgctn'rch

/ ttt-tcl r.rnsenfter dan €" [l-ris rrge bcclt.uc e xtre t-ncly clisttrrbing, harshcr

tlrrrr bcfirre, 4263D, his rvill is continurllly th$'rrl'tcc1, ()ll thc otlc hrrtrtl bV

ltnitc's c()tlccnt firr his physicrrl srfctl', lyhicll <x'crt'itlcs llcr o[ligrlti()l] t()

<lbc1, 111,-r'r, lr1cl, ttt11t'c irnlltlltirnt, ll1' cr1c1'11 ,1 lolccs, sttclt rts tllc ttcctl l<t

gi,,.: .,,,.rv..,rrrc ol'tlrc ltOrscs.rrrtl tlrrrs rrllcvi.ltc li,rritc's lrttttlctt (3576 79)')l'lr,,t lir.,c'.,rlrrrsc ol'lris u,ili'"s sl.lti()lr is ct'irlt'tttt'ol ltis orvtl sl.rtt'ol'tlisorit'rtl.tliott is tlt',tr',tlro lioltt lllt'll,lll,ll()l's (()llllll('lll f i'l{rO /l ) tll'rt' rlrr

nt.lll(.t \\lt,rt lr,rr,l,,lrrp lirtitt'rttililrt ttt,ltttt',',ltc r'tti,,1'.,1 lltt'ptolt'rlirtlt ol

t,trttt,\,rlrlr'(l,r,lt'ltltttt,lttttr'),ttt,l rlttt,rlrtlr'rltrtl'r'trltr'tt ((irrrl"'rotltllttlt'"r)'

Hatrlr,qxx voN ALrI,r 'C +5

the latter a concept wl-rich rnay \\,ell have been a novel idca in a society con-ditioned to assuming rvorldly values such as courtlincss could jeopardizeonc's hopes of salvation.

hl thc hands of lrlaster storl' tcllcrs such as Chr6tien, Flartmann, trndtheir follorvers) the courtly romance organizes extcrnal cpisodes of plot inil pattern that illustrates tl're inner rvorld of characters, thcir ps,ycfiologicalstate . It has long beer-r recognizccl, fbr exat.uple, that thc narrative Erec isstrllcturec-l so that the episodes aftcr the hero's crisis follou'a double cycle,u,ith a rcturn to the Arthurian circlc fbrming a sort of axis.e Bcfbrc thatretllnl, Erec's encoLrnter firstly rvith robbers, second u,ith a colult bent onscizing Enite, and thirdly rvith ICng Guivreiz5 reflect e progression fiorncruclc violence (robbers) through misguided aristocratic lovc (the Count)to royal chivalrl,. Lnmediately aftcr being lured into a prcmatlrrc meetingwith tl're Arthuriar-r circle, Ercc's journcy takes hirl through a duplicate,but intensified cycle: pure violcnce in the forrn of giants, misguicled aris-tocratic love leading to marriage by fbrce (Cor,rnt Oringlcs) and a secondcncollntcr r'vith Guivreiz rvhich rcsults in Erec being defcatcd.

Tl're seconcl cycle shor.vs the l-rero graclually regair-ring his arvarcness ofresponsibiliq,, and this turn is clearly marked in Hartmann's l,ersiott itt ltnurnber of rvays: I ) Thc ccntral motif, Erec's insistcncc on his rvifb'ssilcnce, disappears rvithout corlment. 2) In the enc()Llntcr u'ith gilr.rts,hrcc chooses to become involvcd, rather than allorving cvcnts to dictateinr,olvernent, and firrther, he rcsponds to the sound of a rvontan's voice,r.vhereas l-re had previously sought to silence Enite's rvarniugs. 3) Likeu'iscin this first episode of thc nov cycle , the hero rvho had previousll, appearedto shun comrnunication u,ith the outsicle u'orid norv trics to engage in dia-krgue rvith the giants, as an altcrnative to combat. 4) As justification lorltot wanting to join the Arthurian circlc, I-lrec stresses lirst tl"rat hc is cleter-rnined to avoid .qewacb (lcisure, 4978) and secondly that he canuot radi-'rte ryeude) thc mood of joy u,hich life at court dcrnands (5052-67); boththese temrs echo thc cerlicr crisis, r'vhen Erec's dcvotion to leisure l-raddcprived his conrt of plcasure.r0 5) Perhaps most significant of all, Erec'svictory ovcr the gilnts rcveals that he nou' lt'.'rs the support ol that God ofcourtliness who l'ri'rcl prrcviously protectecl Enitc fiom Erec's ou'n ur-rjusti-liccl punishmcnt.

'l'hcsc and ()thcr llui,ulccs iu Hartt.t.rrllltt's tcxt point to subtle changcsin thc hcr'o's sclflrrs'rlrcucss by thc tirne l-re sets ollt ()n the second clcle of.rtlvcr.rlulcs, clrrrrrscs rvhiclr lclci t<l his rccovcry fiom:r death-likc statc iutlrc ()r'inglcs cpisode, in rcsponsc t() thc s()und of lfuite's long-supprcsscclvoicc, lris.trlrrrissiorr ol'rlclL'.rt rrt thc lrirucls ol(iuivrciz, rrncl l.ris rccor.rcilie-tiorr n,itlt lirritt'.rlicr trcggirrl', lrcr lirltiivcncss. Whclcrrs thc tlrst c1'clc hrrclsr'crr lrinr Plrysit.rllt, r,it loliorrs, l)ul lll('llt,rlly tlisolicrrtctl, lltis scrlucncc ofPlrl,sit.rl .rrrtl lrsl,tlrolor'.it,rl st'llr,rtlis P,11,11l1rrit,rllv rlr'tttottslt.ttcs ltis rttot'.tlrr',r,lirrt'rr lr) nt('('l tltt'lin,rl tlr,tllt'ttr'.t'in lris lt'rlrrt l() ltottot, lltt'tottlt'sl

+6 T Gr:Riltax Ltlt-:tl.qrurut o[: THE HtcH MIutlt-E AciEs

r.vith Mrbonagrin, whose isolation from society atld destruction olcourtlyjoy caricature Erec's owrl position earlier. In dcfbating him Erec bccomesthc champion ordaincd by God to restore cor.rrtly joy, demonstrating theworth of the responsible knight in rnaintaining social harmcxry, a mcssageFlartmann no doubt hoped rvould be taken to heart by the unrulier ele-rnents in his audience.