Few stories were as widely known during the Middle Ages as the account of Iwein and Laudine, which appeared in French, Welsh, English, Norse, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, and two German variants. The older German version, that by the Swabian nobleman Hartmann von Aue, won instant popularity and became a model of form, style, and language for the many courtly epics which his countrymen composed up to the beginning of the modern period. In recent years, his Iwein has enjoyed a remarkable revival among medieval scholars as traditional interpretations have been challenged by new ones.
Hartmann von Aue († vermutlich zwischen 1210 und 1220) gilt neben Wolfram von Eschenbach und Gottfried von Straßburg als der bedeutendste Epiker der sogenannten mittelhochdeutschen Klassik um 1200. Gemeinsam mit Heinrich von Veldeke steht er am Beginn des aus Frankreich übernommenen höfischen Romans. Von ihm sind die Verserzählungen Erec, Gregorius oder Der gute Sünder, Der arme Heinrich, Iwein, ein unter dem Namen Klagebüchlein bekanntes allegorisches Streitgespräch sowie einige Minne- und Kreuzlieder überliefert.
Bester Artusroman, allein schon wegen des Löwen. Außerdem ist Iwein eine absolute Ikone. Ich könnte auch jederzeit wahnsinnig werden und im Wald leben.
Mein liebster Artusroman so far. Iwein hat echt eine Aufgabe nach der anderen bewältigen müssen und war mir echt sympathischer als so manch anderer Held des mittelalterlichen Romans. Jedenfalls konnte ich es schnell durchlesen und fand es also wohl sehr spannend. Super. Sehr angenehme Lektüre. Wenn der Parzival nur vom gleichen Schlag wäre...
iwein war so real dafür dass er sich innerhalb von einer sekunde unsterblich in jemanden verliebt und dann (nachdem er das einfach wieder vergessen hat???) komplett verrückt wird und mehrerer jahre im wald lebt. würde ich auch machen wenn ich ein ritter wär und man sowas noch machen könnte tbh. außerdem war ich einfach ein riesiger fan von lunete und laudine <333
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Gut, für alle, die ne verwirrende Storyline mögen. Der Löwe war sehr stark. Bin aber Team Lunete. Man kann ne Hausarbeit drüber schreiben ohne es gelesen zu haben... hab ich gehört :)
Hartmann’s final known work was another adaptation of one of Chrétien de Troyes’ Arthurian epics. This time it is Iwein, the Knight with the Lion. Unlike his adaptation of Erec, this one seems more of a straight translation with little if any new content, but some apparent alterations. He follows his earlier practice of toning down the violence and intensity of battle, and emphasizing knightly virtues.
He streamlines some of the story, skipping over details, hurrying certain scenes, and stripping it of some of its magic and charm. It still has a glorious poetic rhythm, a grand sense of adventure and chivalry, and a fast moving plot that shows the dynamic arc of Iwein’s saga. It is the journey from a knight setting out to avenge his cousin, to becoming the lord of a realm, then losing everything and setting out on a series of conquests and battles and service to those in need before reclaiming his love, his joy, and his glory. It is still a fantastic story told artfully.
It is sometimes hard to tell, with translations, where the author ends and the translator begins. This is the third work of Hartmann Von Aue I’ve read, and each was by a different translator. I think now I can see through each translation to Hartmann’s voice and style, but this may be an illusion. The commonalities in all should reveal the true author, and Hartmann was evidently a master of his poetry.
Iwein’s story is an interesting contrast to Erec’s. Erec achieves honor and renown and a wife, and through excessive devotion to his wife his reputation is lost, his fame lessened, and he is seen as a has-been whose best days are past. He wants to reclaim this lost glory and so sets forth, with his wife, on a sequence of adventures that re-establish his fame.
Iwein’s tale begins similarly, winning a wife through heroic deeds. In this case, he defeats a knight who is guardian of a land that is dramatically affected by the wetting of a stone over a spring. In defeating this knight, Iwein marries the widow and becomes lord of the land. Sir Gawain advises Iwein not to let marriage and love soften him and rob him of the life of glory and adventure that is his, and so Iwein travels with King Arthur’s men to participate in tournaments in distant countries. But he stays too long, enraging his wife, who casts him out upon his return, banishing him from her land and her love. He has lost everything and goes mad, living in the woods as a wild man.
Erec lost his honor by being too devoted to love and avoiding adventure, and Iwein lost his love and lands by being too devoted to maintaining his honor. Both lose something through an imbalance of priorities and attention, and both seek to correct this and achieve mastery, moderation, and of course valor and mighty deeds.
Iwein’s madness is treated and he sets out as a new man, one with nothing to lose, questing and adventuring and aiding those in need. This questing has him facing off against a dragon and befriending a lion, who will stay by his side through all his tribulations. He battles bastard counts, defends the honor of a prisoner who had once helped him achieve all the happiness he has lost, and defends the rights of those unable to fight for themselves.
While pursing one quest he often finds himself pulled into another, and time becomes a precious thing he has too little of. In his side quests he encounters murderous giants on more than one occasion, or frees imprisoned women from a distant land forced into labor. His exploration has him meeting people in all sorts of circumstances, some which he can address and others he cannot. Through aiding others he establishes a reputation as a nameless knight, the Knight with the Lion, whose deeds are known far and wide.
Familiar Arthurian motifs abound here. Anonymous combat between warriors who think they are strangers but are not; healing ointments concocted by the now-dead sorceress sister of Arthur, Feimorgan; love and hate and other polarizing emotions dueling it out in the hearts of impassioned individuals, pulling them in opposite directions; the pangs of loss and the joys of fame; nature’s furious, untamable, and unknowable power; a boundless sense of adventure for the sake of adventure, but also for the betterment of the self and one’s lot.
Hartmann von Aue transformed Middle High German literature into a unique, mythical form. Arthurian lore gave him a subject to share with a new audience and to adapt in his own way, focusing on the things he valued most. It is thought he was himself a knight, a warrior-poet, a participant in the Crusades. His experience certainly seems to have colored his writing. His reading also colored his writing, as he took influence from literature spawned all across the continent. Though his Arthurian works are derived from French and Welsh source material, he gives them qualities that are a signature of his world and interests. Even through a translation almost 900 years later, authenticity and medieval mystery remains. If one has read Chrétien’s version of this story, Hartmann’s isn’t vital, or quite as great. But it’s still worth reading for anyone interested in this body of literature and its evolutions, transformations, and adaptations.
ich kann mir nicht vorstellen das die Welt wirklich annähernd mal so war. Ich habe kein interresse in dieser Welt zu leben und ich bin ehrlich habe auch kein Interesse von ihr zu lesen
Okay aber die Bewertungen hier zu dem Buch sind so stark +punkt dafür
2,75⭐️ had to read it for uni, wouldn't normally read these kinds of stories but it was alright (side note: he had more chemistry with his friend than his wife)
Based on the version of Chrétien de Troyes Hartmann von Aue tells the story of Iwein, a young knight who has to learn how to act knightly, find a balance between love and responsibility and seeking adventures all the time. It's utterly ridiculous from time to time, but it is a great story, with lots of magical elements and interesting characters.
Spannend, Lustig, relatable wie er durchdreht, sympathische Charaktere, cooler Löwe, gay moments mit Gawein? was will man mehr? Hätte mir gewünscht er würde mit Lunete enden :(
Note: As with the translation of Erec, I didn't actually read J.W. Thomas' translation, but his is likely to be good, in my experience.
Iwein is a translation/reinterpretation of Chrétien de Troyes' Yvain, with a significant amount of lines added, though the plot is more or less the same. The tone seems to me very much like that of Chrétien, and unless you have a scholarly interest in comparing them, I suggest that you just read one or the other. I don't think there's much between them -- I think perhaps I prefer Hartmann, but possibly because I've just read Hartmann's work, and it's been a while since I've read Chrétien's. In any case, Hartmann is a good writer; certainly not less skilled than Chrétien, though perhaps not so innovative.
I thought that this was an incredibly interesting book that had a lot of magical components. It was a great medieval literature read. I definitely recommend this book!
This week, I finished reading *Iwein* by Hartmann von Aue, written around 1190, and I’m pleased to say that it’s rekindled my enthusiasm for Arthurian romances. To give a quick rundown: when Celtic tribes left Britain and settled in what is now Brittany, France, they brought with them the tales of King Arthur. These stories caught the attention of French scholars, particularly Chrétien de Troyes, who essentially created an entire genre with his romances. He’s like the George Lucas or Akira Toriyama of Arthurian literature. This cultural exchange led to a fascinating blend of the old Celtic warrior ideals with the emerging Christian chivalric values. King Arthur, originally a conquering warlord, was transformed into the epitome of a noble, just, and wise ruler—a king who, through sheer authority, drives the narrative forward. Arthur often remains in the background, with the focus on the knights of his court, who typically seek glory, lose it through their mistakes, fall into despair, and eventually redeem themselves by returning to Arthur’s court. One of the first German authors to bring this narrative to the German-speaking world was Hartmann von Aue, and his *Iwein* became the blueprint for many later Arthurian romances.
Despite this, I had been hesitant to read *Iwein* for a long time. While it’s a solid work that ticks all the boxes for an Arthurian romance, it doesn’t reach the ambitious heights of Wolfram’s *Parzival* or Gottfried’s *Tristan and Isolde*. This is also reflected in the language, which, while more straightforward and easier to follow, lacks the complexity of those other works. However, now that I’ve read it, I have to revise my opinion somewhat. What stands out in *Iwein* is how closely it adheres to the original Celtic sources: there are giants, a magical fountain, a half-human, half-animal creature, a lion fighting a dragon, and a ring that grants temporary invisibility. The blend of fantasy and fiction is particularly interesting because medieval romances often claimed to be recounting historical events, not inventing stories—and the authors frequently reflect on this process by either naming their sources or invoking the "minne" as a muse-like figure who reveals the story to them, much like Ovid did. This is further complicated by the fact that *Iwein* is a thoroughly Christian novel: God is often a guiding force in the background, directing, supporting, and protecting the characters on their journey. God is mentioned alongside *minne* as the most powerful force within the narrative, creating a fascinating dualistic worldview within the text. While *Tristan* focuses more on the God-*minne* relationship, *Iwein* emphasizes the contrast between the Christian and Celtic worlds.
Another thing I noticed in *Iwein* is how much of the classical hero’s journey was already present in medieval narratives (and even earlier, though less formalized). The so-called "double plot" structure describes how a hero must undertake two journeys: the first to achieve glory and honor, and the second, more difficult one, to regain these after losing them. During this second journey, the hero must serve others and help those in need, rather than seeking glory for himself. In *Iwein*, this is particularly interesting because it’s not entirely clear why he experiences his downfall. On the surface, it’s because he neglects his wife, prioritizing knightly honor over love, unlike *Parzival*. On the other hand, it could be argued that his true transgression was the scheme he devised earlier, where he pursued and killed a fleeing knight, only to win the knight’s wife through trickery. However, this is complicated by the fact that the characters are generally more cunning and less idealized than one might expect. This starts with Iwein, who even at the end uses a trick to win back his wife, and extends to the Arthurian court, where Arthur is deceived into giving a blank check to a stranger, who then demands Arthur’s wife. The entire court chases after the stranger, losing one by one. Despite his authority, Arthur fails to convince the older sister to give the younger her share and resorts to trickery once again. I was surprised by how often cunning was a driving force in the plot and how rarely it was negatively portrayed, despite technically violating chivalric values.
I also appreciated the way Ywain and Gawain are paralleled throughout the story: first, as they pursue knightly honor together, which leads to Ywain’s downfall; then, as they embark on parallel adventures; and finally, when they unknowingly fight each other at the end, with the narrative making it clear that both are too noble and powerful to defeat the other until they eventually recognize each other. While it was difficult to connect with the individual characters—since all except Kay lacked depth (and Kay’s characterization boiled down to being a troublemaker)—Hartmann still managed to make me care about Ywain, especially when he was willing to give his life to atone for his sins against Lunete. However, the fact that he ultimately wins back his wife by deliberately devastating her land and trapping her in a rhetorical corner weakens this somewhat, leaving me uncertain about how altruistic or selfish he is supposed to be. Nonetheless, his dynamic with Lunete carried much of the plot. Perhaps this ambiguity is meant to convey Ywain’s complexity, elevating him above a mere idealized portrayal. While the individual adventures were varied, they often relied on the lion coming to Ywain’s aid after initially being barred from the fight—this made the lion a cool character, but the twist became somewhat predictable (though I found the dialogue between the two giants amusing, where they decided not to fight Ywain if the lion joined in because it would make the fight "too fair").
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed reading *Iwein*. Not only am I now interested in exploring more of Hartmann’s works, as his characters are more complex than I initially thought, but I’m also eager to delve deeper into Arthurian romances themselves. Hopefully, I’ll soon get around to reading Chrétien de Troyes’s original works so I can fully understand how this genre began.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Iwein war der zweite Artus Roman, den ich meinem Deutsch Lehrer zu liebe gelesen habe. Dieser hier fand ich aber deutlich schlechter als den ersten (Erec). Abgesehen davon dass das ganze Buch natürlich ziemlich sexistisch ist, war es nicht besonders spannend. Außerdem fand ich Iwein ziemlich unsympathisch. Ich dachte er liebt Laudine so sehr, wieso vergisst er sie dann komplett und versucht nicht mal seinen Fehler gerade zu biegen? Sie wäre ohne ihn wirklich besser dran gewesen und außerdem hatte ich das Gefühl das er sowieso mehr auf Gawein stand 😉Alles in allem war das Buch einfach anstrengend zu lesen und für mich zu unstrukturiert.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ich musste das Buch für die Uni lesen und erst musste ich laut aufstöhnen als ich diese Aufgabe erhalten habe. Jedoch sind die Artusromane, vor allem dieser hier, auch für den Privatlesenden ein Entertainment Genuss. Teilweise habe ich ganz vergessen, dass ich das Buch nur für die Uni lesen sollte. Es ist erstaunlich, dass die Entstehungszeit so lange her ist und dennoch aktuelle Themen zu finden sind. Je nach übersetzungsform ist die Sprache jedoch etwas sperrig. die ambivalente Wichtigkeit von beruflichen- (Ritter) und Liebesverpflichtungen ist auch heute noch Aktuell, wo es doch immer wichtiger wird eine work- Life Balance aufzubauen
Besser als ich es in Erinnerung hatte. Hatte es langatmiger und langweiliger in Erinnerung, aber es war eigentlich ganz flüssig zu lesen und interessant.
Honestly one of the funniest I've read. I love von Aue's versions so I may be a bit biased but it's so utterly ridiculous that it's already great again