The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany | Page 5

fourteenth or fifteenth
century on the same subject as Rückert's parable of the man in the well,
which undoubtedly goes back to Buddhistic sources.[24] Besides these
we mention "Vrouwenzuht" (also called "von dem Zornbraten") by a
poet Sibote of the thirteenth century,[25] and Hans von Bühel's
"Diocletianus Leben" (about 1412), the well known story of the seven
wise masters.[26]

The great interest which the East aroused in Europe, especially after the
period of the first crusades, is shown by the great number of poems
which have their scene of action in Oriental lands, especially in India or
Persia, or which introduce persons and things from those countries. To

indulge this fondness for Oriental scenery poets do not hesitate to
violate historical truth. Thus Charlemagne and his paladins are sent to
the Holy Land in the "Pèlerinage de Charlesmagne"[27] and in the
poem called the "Karl Meinet," a German compilation of various
legends about the Frankish hero.[28] Purely Germanic legends like
those of Ortnit-Wolfdietrich and King Rother were orientalized in
much the same manner.[29] As might be expected, it is in the
court-epic and minstrel-poetry (Spielmannsdichtung) where this
Oriental tendency manifests itself most markedly. A typical poem of
this kind is "Herzog Ernst." The hero, a purely German character, is
made to go through a series of marvelous adventures in the East some
of which bear a striking resemblance to those of Sindbad.[30] The later
strophic version (14th century) and the prose-version of the Volksbuch
(probably 15th century) localize some of these adventures definitely in
the _fernen India_.[31] Probably under the influence of this story the
author of the incompleted "Reinfrit von Braunschweig" (about 1300)
was induced to send his hero into Persia, to meet with somewhat
similar experiences.[32] Heinrich von Neustadt likewise lays the scene
of Apollonius' adventures in the golden valley Crysia bordering on
India.[33] In the continuation of the Parzifal-story entitled "Der Jüngere
Titurel," which was written by Albrecht von Scharffenberg (about
1280), the Holy Grail is to be removed from a sinful world and to be
carried to the East to be given to Feirefiz, half brother to Parzifal.[34]
The meeting of Feirefiz with the knights furnishes the poet an
opportunity of bringing in a learned disquisition on Prester John and his
dri India die witen, and finally this mythical monarch offers his crown
to Parzifal, who henceforth is called Priester Johanni. In the poem of
"Lohengrin", of unknown authorship, the knight when about to depart
declares he has come from India where there is a house fairer than that
at Montsalvatsch.[35]
Princes and princesses from India or Persia abound in the poems of the
court-writers and minstrels. Thus in "Solomon und Morolf" Salme is
the daughter of the King of Endian;[36] in Wolfram's "Willehalm"
King Alofel of Persia and King Gorhant from the Ganjes figure in the
battle of Alischanz.[37] In Konrad von Würzburg's "Trojanischer
Krieg" the kings Panfilias of Persia and Achalmus of India are on the

Trojan side.[38] In the same poet's "Partenopier" the Sultan of Persia is
the hero's chief rival.[39] In "Der Jüngere Titurel" Gatschiloe, a
princess from India, becomes bearer of the Grail; similarly in a poem
by Der Pleiaere, Flordibel, who comes to the Knights of the Round
Table to learn courtly manners, reveals herself as a princess from
India.[40] According to a poem of the fourteenth century the father of
St. Christopher is king of Arabia and Persia.[41] Even the folk-epic
"Kudrun" knows of Hilde of India, Hagen's wife.[42]
Again, wonderful things from India are abundant in this class of poetry.
The magic lance which Wigalois receives, when he is about to do battle
with a fire-spitting dragon, is from that land.[43] So also is the magic
ring given to Reinfrit when he sets out on his crusade.[44] Wigamur's
bride Dulceflur wears woven gold from the castle Gramrimort in
India,[45] and in the "Nibelungen" Hagen and Dancwart, when going
to the Isenstein, wear precious stones from that land.[46]
To some poets India and Persia are a sort of Ultima Thule to denote the
furthest limits of the earth, as for instance, when in the "Rolandslied"
Ganelun complains that for the ambition of Roland even Persia is not
too far,[47] or, when in the "Willehalm" King Tybalt, whose daughter
has been carried off, lets his complaint ring out as far as India.[48]
Examples might be multiplied. But they would all prove the same thing.
India and Persia were magic names to conjure with; their languages and
literatures were a book with seven seals to mediæval Europe.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Indica, ch. 10.
[2] Var. Hist. xii. 48.
[3] De Homero, Oratio liii., ed. Dindorf, Lips. 1857, vol. ii. p. 165.
[4] Apollonii Vita, iii. 19 et passim.
[5] See Jackson, Zoroaster, p. 8.

[6] See Benfey, Pantschatantra, Vorrede, p. xxiv and note.
[7]