Wigalois is a courtly romance of the Arthurian cycle set down in Middle High German verse by Wirnt von Grafenberg. The title character Wigalois becomes a knight of the Round Table, but he remains not knowing he is the son of Sir Gawain (here Gawein) whom he meets, having spent an upbringing entirely in the care of his mother's royal family, in the otherworldly kingdom, which became undiscoverable to Gawain once he left. The work, written between 1204 and 1220, enjoyed enormous popularity in the Middle Ages, and was printed in (chapbook) format into the early modern period.
The young hero accepts his first adventure and main quest when a female messenger arrives in court (with a dwarf), seeking help for her mistress. The damsel is angered that such an untested novice had been recruited, until the young hero proves his prowess through five side-quest adventures: dispatching a tally of four knights and two giants in the process. The group reaches the castle of Roimunt, which is where the messenger's master, the widowed Queen abides, her husband killed and the rest of the kingdom of Korntin overrun by the heathen lord Roaz of Glois, in league with the devil. Wigalois's quest is now clarified as one of eradicating Roaz and restoring the kingdom, upon which the champion will be recognized as the king, taking princess Larie in marriage (the couple are already in love with each other the first they meet). Wigalois, endowed with a scripted paper amulet for his sword and strength-restoring bread, enters Korntin castle guided by a mysterious beast—a crowned deer-leopard hybrid— who turns out to be the slain King Lar, who reveals to Wigalois his parentage, supplying him with more magic items (protective flower and angel's spear) to first defeat a dragon. Wigalois vanquishes the dragon but is gravely wounded, and a fisherman and his wife rob his armor. He continues on and faces more adversaries, a monstrous forest woman and a powerful heathen dwarf Karrioz. He enters Glois castle after his prayer causes the bladed water-wheel to stop rotating at the gate, and he kills a centaur, two guards, and finally Roaz himself. Wigalois marries Larie in the presence of the Arthurian knights and many guests. There is a further adventure that Wigalois takes up jointly with his father Gawain, avenging the murder of King Amire of Libia (who had been a wedding guest,); the king was murdered by Lion of Namur, who was enamored of the queen; the murder is avenged by Gawein (though Wigalois also took part, since the widowed queen was also second cousin to his bride Larie). Father, son and bride visit Arthur's court, though news arrives during the trip that Wigalois's mother Florie has died. After spending their years back in Korntin, the Wigalois couple have a son, whose fame was also renowned according to the author.
Etymology The name Wigalois is explained in the work as meaning Guy of Wales, and possibly adapted from Old French , though it may also be a (possibly deliberate) corruption of the name Guinglain[s] for Gawain's son in Old French literature.
Dates and composition Wigalois written c. 1204–1220 in 11,708 lines of rhymed couplets. There have survived 13 complete manuscripts and 28 fragments, the earliest of which date to .
The work was probably written under the patronage of the Princes of Andechs-Merania (Berthold IV of Andechs, d. 1204 and his son Otto, d. 1234). The work is written under the pretense that it was a tale told to him by a squire.
A strophic revision under the title Wigelis by dating to 1455 only survived in fragments. Appendix: Later, a prose redaction Wigoleis vom Rade appeared (composed 1472–1483, first printed 1493 in Volksbuch/chapbook format by in Augsburg). This has been adapted into Danish as (1656) and then secondhand into Icelandic as (from the Danish, 1656–1683, another version in 18th century ms.) Just a few years after the 1493 prose appeared, another strophic retelling Floreis und Wigoleis was composed by Ulrich Füetrer and added to his Buch der Abenteuer.
A Yiddish rendition Viduvilt/Widuwilt (also called Artushof) was also composed in the 16th century, extant in three manuscripts. This was later translated sloppily into High German, and became the basis of a satirical prose Vom König Artus und von dem bildschönen Ritter Wieduwilt. Ein Ammenmärchen (pub. Leipzig, 1786).
Manuscripts The oldest fragments have been dated to 1220–30, and are written in the Austro-Bavarian dialect. Of particular interest are the only two fully illustrated manuscripts known to have survived: (Amelungsborn, 1372, now in the Leiden University Library collection, LTK 537), which contains 47 miniature paintings of scenes from the work, and Manuscript k (1420–1430, Baden State Library, codex Donaueschingen 71), with 31 images by the illuminators of 's workshop in Hagenau, Alsace or perhaps more likely, the so-called Alsatian workshop of 1418.
The complete manuscripts are as follows:Codices and their sigla as given in
A: Köln, Historical Archive of the City of Cologne, Best. 7020 (W*) 6Microfilm (black&white) of A Paper, first half of 13th century
L: Bremen, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, msb 0042 Paper, 1356Digital copy of L
C: Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod. HB XIII 5 Illuminated parchment, . Scribe at Amelungsborn Abbey is possibly the illuminator.Digital copy of C Commissioned in 1372 by Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (1361–1385).; , B: Leiden, Leiden University Library, LTK 537 Illuminated parchment, 1372Digital copy of B
k: (Formerly) Karlsruhe, Badische Landesbibliothek, Cod. Don. 71 Illuminated parchment, .Digital copy of k
l: Schwerin, Landesbibliothek Paper, Digital copy of l
N: Hamburg, , Cod. germ. 6 Paper, 1451Digital copy of N
U: Dresden, SLUB, Mscr. M 219 Paper, Digital copy of U
Z: London, British Library, MS Add. 19554 Paper, 1468
M: Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 2970 Paper, second half of 15th centuryDigital copy of M
V: Křivoklát (Czechia), Castle Library Cod. I b 18 Paper, 1481
W: Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, mgo 483 Paper, last quarter of 15th century
S: Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 2881 Paper, 15th/16th century.
Plotline and structure
Prologue Some―but not all―versions of Wigalois contain a prologue (vv. 1-144) in which the author asks his readers for leniency with the work, and by their goodwill tor recognize him more as a novice rather than a master far experienced in his craft. (modern German translation) The first 13 lines of the 144 verses of prologue are:
Prehistory There follows a "Prehistory" portion (vv. 145–1219), vv. 145–1219. Summary, where the titular hero (Wigalois, Gwigalois, etc.) is not yet born, but the circumstances of his conception is elaborated. (Wigalois was fathered by Gawein on Florie, the royal niece, while staying in King Joram's realm:
A mysterious knight (actually King Joram, who is to become the title hero's grandfather) had shown up in Arthur's Court at Karidol/Caridoel offering Queen Ginovere (Guinevere) a magic belt, but being refused, he challenges all the knights to combat, offering the belt as prize. Joram defeats everyone, including Gawain. However, Joram concedes he was only able to defeat Gawain by using the magic stone-encrusted belt, which he refrained from using against the other opponents, thus Gawain is deemed champion despite defeat., quoting vv. 613–617 and vv. 562–570. Gawain is taken back as prisoner to the realm of King Joram, who now discloses his identity and offers his niece Florie's hand in marriage. After several months, Gawain yearns to see his companions and sneaks off to Caridoel, but the trip back takes six months, despite it only being a 12 day's journey to the realm with Joram guiding. Gawain tries to find his way back to his pregnant wife, but eventually gives up. The unborn child of course, is Wigalois.
Otherworld Due to its unreachability by outsiders, Wigalois's birthplace is characterized as Otherworldly realm or even "fairyland" by some, but it has been emphasized tha Florie is not a fay,, n14. citing Funcke (1985) but a princess of Syria.(Wigalois recalling his mother in a flashback into the past), vv. 5815–7, noted by and
Fortuna and the Wheel When Joram had appeared incognito at Arthur's court, he identified himself as ambassador of / (Fortuna, Lady Luck) quoting vv. 268–278. The kingdom is under the protection of Fortuna, and its fortress displays an artwork replica of the Wheel of Fortune (). Wigalois is "The Knight of the Wheel of Fortune", title of translation.(,, title of edition.). Later in his first adventure, Wigalois is equipped with the shield-crest depicting the Wheel ("coal-black shield that was embossed in the middle with a golden wheel, the device by which he wished to be known"). Cf. images at top for the miniature paintings from mss. k and B.
Magic belt Joram's magic belt ("Fortuna's belt") was passed on to Gawein, Gawein forgets the belt when he leaves his wife's kingdom, and when Wigalois comes of age and decides to leave, his mother gives him the same belt as memento of his father.
Main narrative 's edition (1926) provideds a detailed summary of the work with line numbers.Detailed summary and verse line ranges are taken from ,
Later commentators giving briefer summaries have divided the work into four narrative blocks or phases (though their demarcations are somewhat different), e.g., translator J. W. Thomas (1977), Ingeborg Henderson (1986), (1993), and James H. Brown (2015). citing and
The author takes pains to describe the heraldic coat of arms of various characters, and these are illustrated by the miniature painters as well.
Boyhood to knighthood The first narrative phase tells of the protagonist's parental history ( above, vv. 145–1219), his fatherless upbringing (vv. 1220–1272), taking his departure from home at age 20 in search of his father () and n63 "motif of the search for the father", citing (1963) , p. 135 and Schiessl, Ute (1968) "", p. 63; also index gives Vatersuche at vv. 1597–1600, 4793–4813 taking the heirloom magic belt (vv. 1273–1410),This is where Part 1 ends for , the ekphrasis object being the magic belt. his arrival and training as squire at Arthur's court and sitting on the stone of virtue proving his merit (vv. 1411–1563), receiving the accolade of knighthood in a solemn ceremony (vv. 1622–1716), his accepting the first adventure as a Knight of the Round, and leaving the court to accomplish it (vv. 1717–1883).Vorgeschichte ends and at v. 1220 "Wigalois's story" begins. Summary,
When the maiden (Nereja) arrives as messenger to Arthur's court, seeking help (vv. 1717–1769) for her mistress (Queen Amena, mother of Princess Larie). Wigalois volunteers to take up the adventure and King Arthur reluctantly consents (vv. 1770–1811). The choice of the inexperienced knight enrages Nereja, who bolts off (vv. 1770–1811). Wigalois is suited up in full panoply, including the golden wheel-blazoned shield and likewise crested helm, pieces he chose because they reminded him of his homeland. He now leaves to pursue Nereja (vv. 1812–1883).End of Part 1, SchiewerPart 2 already ends here in 's analysis, with the ekphrasis items being stone of virtue (vv. 1477–1529) and the heraldic device of the golden wheel (on the shield and helm). Thus the adventure-filled journey (which is the meat of Part 2 in Schiewer's analysis) is unaccounted by Brown, whose Part 3 begins (as with Schiewer), with the main quest against Roaz the usurper.
Side-quest filled journey