Parzival: A Knightly Epic (vol. 2 of 2)Wolfram, von Eschenbach
General
Parzival: A Knightly Epic (vol. 2 of 2)
Wolfram, von Eschenbach
Perceval (Legendary character) -- Romances
Page 141, line 202--'_How shall "Angevin" be thy title?_' The reader
will probably by this time have noticed that, King of Anjou as Parzival
is, he is never called an Angevin, but is invariably referred to as
a 'Waleis,' his mother's country. It is his _mother's_ kingdoms of
which he has been deprived (cf. Book III. pp. 73, 80, 87), and this is
really the first indication we have that he knows himself to be also
lord of Anjou. Gamuret is alluded to, and gives his name as, Gamuret
Angevin; Feirefis, is always Feirefis Angevin; but Parzival, the hero
of the story and the real glory of his house, is not an Angevin but a
'Waleis.' This shows clearly that the _Angevin_ element formed no part
of the original Perceval legend, but that it has been grafted on to a
previously existing Celtic basis.
Page 141, line 205--'_Béalzenan_.' Cf. Book V. p. 147 and Note.
Page 142, line 230--'_As written parchment_.' Ekuba did _not_ say this
in Wolfram's version, cf. Book VI. p. 186, possibly the simile was in
the French source and has been dropped out. It is a curious idea to
occur to a man who, like Wolfram, could not write; and it is also a
curious speech to put into the mouth of one who, like Parzival, had
been brought up in the desert, and deprived of the ordinary training
due to his rank.
Page 143, line 241--'_Blest be Juno_,' _etc._ This ascription of
Latin gods and goddesses to _all_ the non-Christian races was not
unusual in the Middle Ages; Apollo was the god most commonly thus
transferred. It is rather curious though to find the mistake made in
a poem so obviously tinged by Oriental influences as the _Parzival_.
Wolfram, too, seems to have known that the Saracens had other gods, in
_Willehalm_ he names as such Apollo, Mahmet, and Tervigant.
Page 144, line 275--'_When King Eisenhart's life was run_.' Cf. Book I.
p. 28.
Page 144, line 294--'_Till King Ipomidon_.' Cf. Book II. p. 59.
Page 146, line 353--'_From Château Merveil_,' _etc._ Cf. Book XII. p.
53.
Page 147, line 377--'_Saranthasmé_.' Cf. Book XIII. p. 74 and note.
Page 149, line 458--'_Wizsant_.' A haven on the coast of France,
near Boulogne, much frequented at that time. Writers of the period
frequently allude to it.
Page 153, line 583 and _seq._, page 154, line 615 and _seq._ The
list of kings conquered by Feirefis and Parzival contain some very
perplexing names, the originals of which have evidently been corrupted
in process of transmission from one language to another. Bartsch, who
has devoted considerable time to the study of the proper names in the
_Parzival_, has endeavoured, with varying success, to identify the
majority; and the following suggestions are taken from his article on
the subject, already quoted in Appendix B, of vol. i.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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