Burkhart von Hohenfels

(early 13th century)

   This poet is mentioned in numerous historical documents between 1212 and 1242 as a member of a south German family of lower nobility (ministeriales) from the area of Lake Constance. He seems to have been in the service of Emperor Frederick II (1216) first and then of King Henry VII between 1222 and 1228. The famous manuscript Grosse Heidelberger Liederhandschrift (Manessische Liederhandschrift) contains a fictional portrait of the poet (fol. 110r) who is conversing with a courtly lady and passes a manuscript scroll to her. Burkhart composed 18 COURTLY LOVE songs that are characterized by highly unusual imagery and motifs derived from hunting, falconry, bird-snaring, bestiary, warfare, and feudalism. In four dance songs the poet specifically reflects the influence of NEIDHART by adapting and also modifying the summer and winter motifs. But Burkhart does not allow the peasant theme to enter his poetry, as Neidhart does. The experience of winter only means that the courtly dance has to take place indoors (song no. I). If birds could properly perceive the beauty and virtues of his lady, they would declare her the mistress of the entire summer (no. III). In no. V, the poet describes his symbolic attempt to escape the snares of love by fleeing into a foreign country because his lady denies him her favor, but then he consigns himself to the noble power of her virtues and courtly honor. Burkhart here also envisions what he would do if he were a woman and were wooed by a lover, namely, open his heart and give the gift of love to him. As Neidhart does, the poet also has two young women discuss with each other the meaning of love in its social context (no. VII), but again without Neidhart’s aggressive and satirical tone.

   Burkhart obviously enjoyed developing innovative nature images to reflect upon love (no. XI), and he also created a remarkable woman’s song (no. XIII) where the female voice ponders how she can pursue a virtuous life and at the same time follow her heart’s desires. In no. XII the poet describes the effect of love in terms of personal bondage (“nu bin ich eigen,” 4, 5). His lady’s love is so powerful that it chases all other thoughts out of his heart, but if only once he could be allowed to enter her heart chamber, all his worries and doubts would disappear (no. XVI). Subsequently Burkhart describes his innermost feelings of love as a desire to enter a feudal contract with his lady (no. XVII). Finally, the poet states that no falcon returned faster to his master than his thoughts of love would fly to his lady (no. XVIII).

   Bibliography

   ■ Goldin, Frederick, ed. and trans. German and Italian Lyrics of the Middle Ages: An Anthology and History. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Press, 1973.

   ■ Kornrumpf, Gisela, ed. Texte, 2nd ed. Vol. 1, Deutsche Liederdichter des 13 Jahrhunderts, edited by Carl von Kraus, 33–51. Tübïngen, Germany: Niemeyer, 1978.

   ■ Sayce, Olive. The Medieval German Lyric 1150–1300: The Development of Its Themes and Forms in Their European Context. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982, 299–302.

   ■ Worstbrock, Franz Joseph. “Verdeckte Schichten und Typen im deutschen Minnesang um 1210–1230.” In Fragen der Liedinterpretation, edited by Hedda Ragotzky, Gisela Vollmann-Profe, and Gerhard Wolf, 75–90. Stuttgart, Germany: S. Hirzel, 2001.

   Albrecht Classen