PRESS RELEASE: Investigations into the 'Wigalois' Wirnts von Grafenberg

How will my offspring develop without a second parent? What do my genes contribute to the development of my child? Every parent has faced these kinds of questions. In a world of Hartz IV and 1,833,000 single parents throughout Germany, the topic of the family concept and raising children has become more topical. Not only in the present, but also in the past, family relationships are the subject of written sources. In this regard, the motif of the parent-child relationship frequently occurs in medieval literature, for example in Wolfram von Eschenbach's main work "Parzival". Well-known medievalists and historians researched the role of the child in the Middle Ages, above all Philippe Ariès, whose results are considered groundbreaking in this field. Ariès proved that no concepts of childhood existed before the 16th century. Up to the age of seven, the offspring was dependent on their parents, after which the offspring was viewed and treated as an adult without transition. The reason for this lies in the family concept at the time. The production of offspring and the survival of names and possessions replace nurturing and parental affection. The parent-child relationship was therefore based on the teacher-apprentice principle. In his master's thesis, Mathias Donfouet deals with the genealogical structures in Wirnt von Grafenberg's novel 'Wigalois' from the 13th century. The prevailing medieval family principle is taken up several times in this work. In addition to all sorts of family constellations, Wirnt von Grafenberg also makes evaluations of these. The focus of the story is the career of Gawein and his son Wigalois. The father leaves his wife and child to become a Knight of the Round Table. Despite his father's absence, the son grows into a perfect, pious hero. The relationships between the individual family members determine the narrative thread and are described in all clarity. This novel is therefore particularly suitable for literary family research.
What role does parentage play in a child's life and how is the medieval concept of the family reflected in the work? In this master's thesis, these and similar questions for the work of Wirnt von Grafenberg are answered on the basis of philological investigations. Not only the relationships between the family members, but also their representations in the narrative text are highlighted. Furthermore, specific gender roles are addressed and analyzed. In addition to the main plot, other characters appear in the subplot whose family constellations are worked out. Mathias Donfouet contributes new, important findings in this area in particular and gives new research impetus to medieval studies. With his work, the author makes a significant contribution to the culture of the Middle Ages and not only offers a specialist audience a recommended read, but also every reader who has an affinity for Middle High German literature.

Customers Also Love

Placeholder Title

$TBD

This is a description for the upsell opportunity.

Select variant Add to Cart