The Germanic Hero: Politics and Pragmatism in Early Medieval Poetry

The Germanic Hero: Politics and Pragmatism in Early Medieval Poetry

by Brian Murdoch (Author)

Synopsis

In this study, the author looks at the role the warrior-hero plays within a set of predetermined political and social constraints. The hero if not a sword-wielding barbarian, bent only upon establishing his own fame; such fame-seekers (including some famous medieval literary figures) might even fall outside the definition of the Germanic hero, the real value of whose deeds are given meaning only within the political construct. Individual prowess is not enough. The hero must conquer the blows of fate because he is committed to the conquest of chaos, and over all to the need for social stability. Even the warrior-hero's concern with his reputation is usually expressed negatively: that the wrong songs are not sung about him. The author discusses works in Old English, Old and Middle High German, Old Norse, Latin and Old French, deliberately going beyond what is normally thought of as heroic poetry to include the German so-called minstrel epic and a work by a writer who is normally classified as a late medieval chivalric poet, Konrad von Wurzburg, the comparison of which with Beowulf allows us to span half a millennium.

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Quantity

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 188
Publisher: Hambledon Continuum
Published: 01 Jul 1996

ISBN 10: 1852851430
ISBN 13: 9781852851439

Media Reviews
He provides the reader with Ariadne's thread through the various ages and stages of Germanic heroic literature. -- Choice

He provides the reader with Ariadne's thread through the various ages and stages of Germanic heroic literature. Choice
He provides the reader with Ariadne's thread through the various ages and stages of Germanic heroic literature. --Choice