W alther von der Vogelweide: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

W alther von der Vogelweide is a famous German composer and poet of the 12th-13th centuries. One of the representatives of the classic minnesang generation. His works are still of great interest to lovers of medieval literature. In this article, you will learn about his biography and work.

Childhood and youth

W alther von der Vogelweide was born in what is now Austria between 1160 and 1170. It is known that he came from a poor family of knights, but at the same time he did not have his own lands. Only at the end of his life he received a small plot from Frederick II.

In his youth he lived at the court of the Austrian Duke Leopold V, where he studied versification. In 1198, his wanderings as a knight begin. Apparently, during these years, W alther von der Vogelweide even reached Palestine.

He earned his livelihood by singing his own songs. During his long journey, he formulated an individual style, favorably differing from most straysingers, many of whom were of the same face. From the German spielmans, he adopted a didactic spruh - this is a genre of medieval poetry, which is a small poem of an edifying nature. At the same time, he dressed him in forms typical of knightly poetry.

Views

It is worth noting that in the field of politics, the views of W alther von der Vogelweide were often transformed. Everything depended directly on who exactly he served at the moment.

For example, in 1198 he glorifies the coronation of Philip of Swabia, King of Germany, but when the monarch weakens, he passes to his rival, Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV. After the overthrow of Otto, he returns to the Hohenstaufen to praise the new Emperor Frederick.

In these intervals, he replaced several other less large and influential feudal lords. At the same time, like the Vagantes, he did not even try to hide the selfishness of his intentions.

At the end of life

Around 1224, W alter settled in his own estate in the Würzburg region. It is known that he seeks to convince the German feudal lords to participate in the campaign against Jerusalem in 1228. Perhaps even accompanying the army to the Tyrol.

W alter von der Vogelweide's poems are known, in which he describes these places where he has not been since childhood. This causes him to compare his entire previous life to a dream.

The hero of this article died after 1228. It is not possible to set an exact date. He was buried in the Würzburg area, where theestate.

There is a legend that the poet bequeathed to his descendants that birds be regularly fed at the place of his burial. The tombstone that was placed on his grave was lost. A new one was erected in 1843. Now the grave is in the Lusama Garden of the Cathedral of St. Kilian.

Creativity

W alther von der Vogelweide's poems give a visual representation of the worldview and ideas of the German society of that time. At that time, it becomes the bearer of nationalist tendencies, large feudal lords, spiritual and secular princes gain influence.

From economic interests, they advocate the religious and political independence of Germany from the papacy. Even W alther's invectives against the Pope have been preserved, which almost word for word repeat the epistles of the German bishops, whose views he expressed. The poet endows them with gall, uses rich images, showing skill as an artist of the word.

Love lyrics

W alther von der Vogelweide's work contains many lyrical works. In them, he combines vagant and courtly poetry. Love for him does not turn into a pointless adoration of abstract femininity. W alter perceives it exclusively as mutual and earthly.

In the dispute between sensual and incorporeal love, the poet finds himself in an intermediate position. At the same time, in his works he replaces the word "madam" with a more honorable one, in his opinion -"woman".

In his works, W alter often depicts his beloved as an unmarried and noble lady or the wife of a lord, as was regularly done in knightly lyrics. Instead, a simple girl appears, which is more typical for the traditions of the vagantes.

In his best works, the hero of this article combines compelling imagery with amazing musical sound.

In total, about two hundred poems by this author have been preserved. Among the minnesingers, he enjoyed great respect. Many of them became his imitators and students. You can even talk about W alter's school, whose followers sought to adopt the individual style and features of his work.

Musical heritage of the poet is almost gone. Among modern researchers, it is believed that only three melodies are reliably known, which were certainly written by him. These are works called "King Frederick's Tone", "Palestine" and "Philip's Second Tone". W alter's authorship of other works of that period seems to be very controversial.