Parzival

by Wolfram von Eschenbach

  ITHER OF GAHEVIEZ King of Cucumerlant; Utepandragun’s maternal nephew; husband or lover of Lammire; related to Parzival by blood only through his grandfather (Parzival’s great-great-great-grandfather) Mazadan, though Gahmuret claims him as ‘maternal kinsman’; ‘the Red Knight’ until Parzival assumed that title by slaying him.

  ITONJE Gawan’s youngest sister, wooed unseen and won by Gramoflanz.

  IWAN Count of Nonel, father of a Gral maiden.

  IWAN A knight in Arthur’s suite.

  IWANET A young kinsman of Ginover and squire at Arthur’s court.

  JERNIS Count of Ryl; father of the Gral maiden Ampflise.

  JESCHUTE OF KARNANT Sister of King Erec; wife of Duke Orilus.

  JOFREIT Son of Idœl; maternal Kinsman of Arthur; companion of Gawan.

  JOHN, PRESTER Son of Feirefiz and Repanse de Schoye, Christian priest-king in India.

  KARDEFABLET Duke of Jamor; brother-in-law of Lyppaut.

  KARDEIZ (1) Son of King Tampenteire of Brobarz; brother of Condwiramurs; lost his life for love in unknown circumstances.

  KARDEIZ (2) Son of Parzival and Condwiramurs; twin brother of Loherangrin, inheritor of Parzival’s secular thrones of Brobarz, Anjou, Waleis and Norgals.

  KARNAHKARNANZ LEH CUNS ULTERLEC Count, overlord and rescuer from Meljahkanz of the abducted Imane; the first knight ever seen by Parzival.

  KAYLET OF HOSKURAST King of Spain and of Castile; maternal cousin of Gahmuret; husband of Titurel’s daughter Rischoyde; maternal uncle of Killirjacac; paternal kinsman of Schiltunc.

  KEIE Lord High Steward and Seneschal at Arthur’s court.

  KILLIRJACAC A count of Champagne, Kay let’s maternal nephew.

  KINGRIMURSEL Landgrave and Burgrave of Schanpfanzun (thus his landgraviate rests on inherited tide and not on territory), paternal nephew of Kingrisin; cousin of Vergulaht.

  KINGRISIN King of Ascalun; father of Vergulaht by Flurdamurs, Gahmuret’s sister; paternal uncle of Kingrimursel.

  KYLLICRATES King of Centriun, in Feirefiz’s suite.

  KYOT Duke of Katelangen (Catalonia had Counts of Barcelona); brother of Tampenteire and Manpfilyot; father of Sigune by Schoysiane; paternal uncle of Condwiramurs.

  KYOT LASCHANTIURE, ALIAS ‘THE PROVENÇAL’ Wolfram’s alleged source (see pp. 428ff).

  LAC King of Karnant; father of Erec.

  LAHEDUMAN Count of Muntane; in Poydiconjunz’s army.

  LÄHELIN KING; Brother Of Orilus And Cunneware de Lalant; conqueror of Herzeloyde’s lands of Waleis and Norgals.

  LAHFILIROST Burgrave of Patelamunt in Zazamanc.

  LAMBEKIN Duke of Brabant And Hainault (see P. 419); Brother-In-Law Of Hardiz.

  LAMMIRE A paternal aunt of Parzival, appointed to rule within Styria by her father Gandin of Anjou (see p. 429); wife or mistress of Ither.

  LANZIDANT A count of Greenland; page to Queen Ampflise.

  LASCOYT Count; son of Gurnemanz.

  LAZALIEZ Parzival’S great-great-grandfather and son of mazadan.

  LIADARZ Son of Count Schiolarz; page to Queen Ampflise.

  LIAHTURTELTART Son of the fairies Pansamurs and Beaflurs; page to Queen Ampflise.

  LIAZ A count of Cornwall; son of Tinas; page to Gawan.

  LIAZE Daughter of Gurnemanz; cousin, through the latter’s sister, of Condwiramurs.

  LIDDAMUS Duke; vassal of Vergulaht, and seemingly also a sovereign lord.

  LISAVANDER Burgrave of Beauvais; vassal of Meljanz.

  LISCHOIS GWELLJUS Duke of Gowerzin; in die service of Orgeluse; later marries Gawan’s sister Cundrie; companion of Florant.

  LOHERANGRIN Son of Parzival and Condwiramurs; twin brother of Kardeiz; for a time Duke of Brabant by marriage, as Swan Knight.

  LOT King of Norway; father of Gawan, Beacurs, Surdamur, Cundrie and Itonje by Sangive.

  LYBBEALS OF PRIENLASCORS Gral knight, slain by Lähelin, first owner of Gringuljete.

  LYPPAUT Duke, lord of Bearosche; vassal of Meljanz; father of Obie and Obilot; brother of Marangliez; brother-in-law of Karde-fablet.

  MABONAGRIN Cousin of Clamide and former Lord of Schoydelacurt; slayer of Gurzgri.

  MAHAUTE Sister of Ehkunat; wife of Gurzgri; mother of Gandiluz (and, according to Titurel, also of Schionatulander).

  MALCREATIURE A dwarf; brother of Cundrie la surziere; the gift of Secundille to Anfortas, who gave him to Orgeluse as page.

  MANPFILYOT Brother of Kyot of Katelangen; paternal uncle of Condwiramurs.

  MARANGLIEZ Duke of Brevigariez; brother of Lyppaut.

  MAURIN ‘OF THE HANDSOME THIGHS’ Ginover’s Marshal.

  MAZADAN A fairy, ancestor of the House of Anjou and of Arthur’s line; Parzival’s great-great-great-grandfather; husband of the fairy Terdelaschoye by whom he had Lazaliez (Angevin line) and Brickus (Arthurian line).

  MELJAHKANZ Son of King Poydiconjunz; abductor of Imane. Meljanz King of Liz; maternal nephew of Poydiconjunz; suitor then husband of Obie.

  MIRABEL King of Avendroyn; brother of Schirniel.

  MORHOLT OF IRELAND Imported cyclically from the Tristan, where he is brother to die elder Isold, Queen of Ireland.

  NARANT Count of Ukerlant; father of Bernout de Riviers; fell at Belrepeire.

  NOYT Father of Ider.

  OBIE Elder daughter of Lyppaut; sister of Obilot; this-wooed and, thanks to Obilot and Gawan, won by Meljanz.

  OBILOT A child, younger daughter of Lyppaut; sister of Obie; ‘Lady’ of Gawan in make-believe Lady-Knight-servitor relationship.

  OLIMPIA An eastern queen loved by Feirefiz.

  ORGELUSE Dowager-Duchess through marriage to her first husband Cidegast; loved by Anfortas; wooed and won by Gawan.

  ORILUS Duke of Lalander (=Lalant), brother of Lâhelin and Cunneware; husband of Jeschute; slayer of Schionatulander and Galoes; a ‘Burgundian’.

  PANSAMURS A fairy, husband of Beacurs, father of Liahturteltart

  PARZIVAL The hero of the main action of Parzival, scion of i) the Gral Family and ii) die House of Anjou, i) through his mother Herzeloyde, ii) through his father Gahmuret; King of die Gral and baptizer of his half-brother the infidel potentate Feirefiz (father of Prester John); husband of Condwiramurs, and, by her, father of Loherangrin (Gral) and Kardeiz II (Secular).

  PLIHOFLIHERI A knight slain by Orilus.

  PLIPPALINOT Knight-ferryman near Schastel marveile; father of Bene.

  POMPEIUS King of Niniveh; brother of Ipomidon.

  POYDICONJUNZ King of Gors; father of Meljahkanz; brother-in-law of Schaut; maternal uncle of Meljanz.

  POYTWIN OF PRIENLASCORS A Knight

  PROTHIZILAS A duke; vassal of Belacane.

  RAZALIC A prince in Azagouc.

  REPANSE DE SCHOYE Daughter of Frimutel and Gral-bearer; sister of Anfortas, Trevrizent, Schoysiane and Herzeloyde; later wife to Feirefiz and mother of Préster John.

  RISCHOYDE Sister of Frimutel; wife to Kaylet.

  RITSCHART Count of Navers.

  RIWALIN King of Lohneis (imported cyclically from a version of Tristan, in which he is Tristan’s father).

  SANGIVE Daughter of Utepandragun and Arnive; sister of Arthur; with first husband Lot, to whom she bore Gawan and his brother and sisters; with second husband Florant.

  SCHAFFILOR King of Arragon.

  SCHAUT King of Liz; brother-in-law of Poydiconjunz; father of Meljanz.

  SCHENTEFLURS Son of Gurnemanz; brother of Lascoyt, Gurzgri and Liaze; cousin of Condwiramurs, as whose ally he was slain by Clamide and Kingrun.

  SCHERULES Burgrave of Bearosche under Lyppaut and his Marshal, father of Clauditte (1).

  SCHILTUNC Father-in-law of Vridebrant; paternal kinsman of Kaylet.

  SCHIOLARZ Count of Poitou; father of Liadarz.

  SCHIONATULANDER A prince; knight-servitor of Sigune, in whose service he was slain by Orilus before their love was consummated; according to Titurel son of Gurzgri and Mahaute, with the rank of Dauphin of Graswaldan, and page to Gahmuret.

  SCHIRNIEL King of
Lirivoyn; brother of Mirabel.

  SCHOETTE Gandin’s Queen in Anjou; mother of Galoes and Gahmuret.

  SCHOYSIANE Daughter of Frimutel; sister of Anfortas, Trevrizent, Herzeloyde, Repanse de Schoye; wife of Kyot of Katelangen; died giving birth to Sigune.

  SECUNDILLE Queen of Tribalibot (India); a mistress of Feirefiz.

  SEGRAMORS A King in Arthur’s suite, related through his mother to Ginover.

  SIGUNE Daughter of Kyot of Katelangen and Schoysiane; Parzival’s cousin; ‘Lady’ of Schionatulander who as her knight-servitor was slain by Orilus; to reverence her beloved suitor she became an inclusa. Wolfram created the Titurel fragments in which to elaborate the tragic love-story, see p. II.

  SURDAMUR Daughter of Lot and Sangive; sister of Gawan and Itonje; wife of the Greek Emperor Alexander (see p. 296 and footnote).

  TAMPANIS Chief squire to Gahmuret.

  TAMPENTEIRE King of Brobarz; brother of Kyot of Katalangen and Manpfilyot; brother-in-law of Gurnemanz through his nameless wife, father of Condwiramurs and Kardeiz I.

  TANKANIS Father of Isenhart.

  TAURIAN ‘THE WILD’ Brother of Dodines.

  TERDELASCHOYE A fairy, if not ‘of,’ then closely associated with Mount Feimurgan; wife of Mazadan and ancestress of die house of Anjou and of die Arthurian line. (For reasons best known to himself, Wolfram has reversed die elements of die name of the Widely known Feimurgan/Famorgan
  TINAS Father of Liaz.

  TITUREL First King of the Gral in die known line; father, still sustained by die Gral, of Frimutel, who was slain in chivalry, and of Rischoyde; grandfather of Anfortas; great-grandfather of Parzival.

  TREBUCHET A famous and ingenious smith.

  TREVRIZENT Son of Frimutel; brother of Anfortas, to do penance for whom he renounced chivalry and became a hermit; maternal uncle and second and crucial tutor to Parzival; maternal uncle of the inclusa Sigune.

  TURKENTALS A prince of Waleis or Norgals.

  URJANS A prince of Punturteis; a ravisher.

  UTEPANDRAGUN King of Britain, grandson of Mazadan; son of Brickus; husband of Arnive and father of Arthur and Sangive.

  VERGULAHT King of Ascalun; son of Kingrisin and Flurdamurs; brother of Antikonie; cousin of Kingrimursel; cousin of Parzival.

  VIRGIL ‘OF NAPLES’ Maternal uncle of Clinschor. (The Poet Publius Vergilius Maro was believed in the Middle Ages to have foretold die birth of Christ, to have mastered magic arts and to have made a fool of himself in amorous escapade, though not to die point of losing his manhood like his nephew Clinschor. virgil is thought to have studied Greek in Naples, wrote most of his Georgics there and was buried not far away.)

  VRIDEBRANT King of Scots; son-in-law of Schiltunc.

  A LIST OF WORKS IN ENGLISH FOR FURTHER READING

  Blamires, D., Characterization and Individuality in Wolfram’s ’Parzival’, Cambridge, 1966.

  Gibbs, M. E., Wîplîchez wîbes reht. A study of the women characters in the works of Wolfram von Eschenbach. Duquesne Studies, Philological Series, 15, 1972.

  Green, D. H., and Johnson, L. P., Approaches to Wolfram von Eschenbach. Five essays. Mikro-kosmos, Band 5, Bern-Frankfurt am Main-Las Vegas, 1978.

  Groos, A., ‘Time reference and the Liturgical Calendar in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival’, Deutsche Viertel jahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte, Jg. 49, 1975, pp. 43-65.

  Richey, M. F., Essays on mediœval German poetry, Oxford, 1943. Revised 1969. (Wolfram’s love-lyrics in part translated.)

  Richey, M. F., Gahmuret Anschevin. A contribution to the study of Wolfram von Eschenbach. Oxford, 1923.

  Richey, M. F., Schionatulander and Sigune. An episode from the story of Parzival and the Gral, as related by Wolfram von Eschenbach. London, 1927. Revised edition 1960.

  Richey, M. F., Studies of Wolfram von Eschenbach, London, 1957.

  Sacker, H., An introduction to Wolfram’s ‘Parzival’, Cambridge, 1963.

  Springer, O., Wolfram’s ‘Parzival’, in Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages, a collaborative history edited by R. S. Loomis, Oxford, 1959.

  Weigand, H. J., Wolfram’s ‘Parzival’. Five essays with an introduction, edited by Ursula Hoffmann. New York-London, 1969.

  Excellent articles on themes or aspects of Parzival have been published in English by British, Commonwealth and American scholars in various learned periodicals. They can be found for the years 1945–69 in the standard modern bibliographie raisonnée: Bumke, J., Die Wolfram von Eschenbach Forschung seit 1945, Munich, 1970.

  *See p. 427.

  * In medieval German, ich solde was pronounced i solde in faster speech. Wolfram thus embeds the name of Isolde in his aatt-Tristan polemic.

  † The passage in brackets is a later self-interpolation contra Gottfried von Strassburg, to whose Tristan it alludes, in answer to Gottfried’s polemic in the Literary Excursus of that poem. See Penguin Classics, p. 105.

  * It is a fact that especially green fabrics of silk were exported from North Syria to Western and Central Europe. Achmardi has not been recognized in Arabic, but since Wolfram actually mentions ‘emerald’ it would be rash totally to reject the Arabic az-zumurrudi ’emeraldine’ as the oral source through trade.

  * Quasi vair fils, meaning ‘Pied Son’.

  * A preliminary tournament fought on the eve of a tournament proper.

  * This passage occurs in all manuscripts after the place marked by † below, where it does not belong. It must therefore be a misplaced afterthought, essential as it is as this strand of the tale unwinds.

  *A privilege of close relationship.

  *Life was reckoned from the first quickening in the second half of pregnancy.

  *Wolfram must have attacked his Lady in a love-song which has not survived, see pp. 175 and 438.

  †Reinmar, the favoured poet at the court of Vienna, had done so and had also attracted the shafts of Walther von der Vogelweide for his sally.

  *See p. 10.

  *See p. 412.

  * It was infra dig. both to use missiles on one’s enemies and to be killed by missiles.

  † A play on the French form of the name read as ‘Perce à val’.

  * The earlier events of this story are told in Wolfram’s elegiac poem ‘Titurel’, so miscalled, since its subject is the child-love of Sigune and Schionatulander.

  * Hartmann was the first great poet to introduce Arthurian romances into German literature, in his Erec and Iwein. He was therefore the doyen of medieval German poets ‘at Arthur’s Court’. Aspiring to outshine or at least equal his senior, Wolfram issues this guarded challenge.

  † The heroine of Hartmann’s Erec.

  ‡Tutor to Tristan in the romance of that name.

  *The reference is to the medieval hinge, one arm of which could embrace the whole width of a door, clamping together with its prongs all the planks of which the door was made.

  *The part of the tournament field where those taken prisoner were kept.

  *See p. 81, first footnote.

  *The primary meaning of the ward for ‘knight’ was ‘rider’.

  *A woollen material, red or brown.

  *In the boss of his opponent’s shield.

  *The scene of the culminating episode of Erec.

  *Or : in keeping with their status as guildsmen.

  † Wassertriidingen lies but a few miles from Eschenbach.

  * Those in Wolfram’s audience who knew the Old French source would have been waiting for the heroine’s indiscretion at this point.

  * A reference to Erec, in which Mabonagrin, condemned by a vow, remained in a garden with his lady until at last defeated in battle.

  * The present-day castle of Klein-Amberg lies over two miles to the east of Wolfram’s Eschenbach.

  * There were several castles ‘Wildenberg’ in Germany : on the other hand ‘Wildenberg’ and ‘Munsalvaesche’ (’Wild Mountain’) translate each other. If Wolfram intended Munsalvxsche, the reason for the
greatest fires ever known there is that Saturn was at its most freezing (see pp. 249 and 434). If on the other hand, Wolfram was performing this episode at a Wildenberg, and punning on Munsalvaesche, the castle in question is most likely to have been that of the lords of Durne (Walldiern) in the Odenwald, but now called after its burg - Wildenburg.

  † Doubtless the fireplaces.

  * Wolfram ‘buries’ this sword at the beginning of the ninth chapter, having in the meantime down-graded it in favour of Ither’s sword, for which he had later devised a crucial role in the fifteenth chapter.

  * There is a lost pun here : pips on dice are also intended.

  * In Hartmann’s Iwein, an adaptation of Chrétien’s Yvain, Lunete advises her mistress Laudine to marry her husband Ascalon’s slayer Iwein, which she does within days of the funeral.

  † Despite the obvious allegory (Parzival, too, was shattered by his first blow, in Chapter 6, and pieced together again forever, in Chapter 9), Wolfram discards Trebuchet’s sword before our eyes in favour of Ither’s (pp. 223 and 37off.).

  *The side of a mounted knight not covered by the shield.

  † vilan ’villager’; vil an ’much on’.

  * The reference, whether literary or unliterary, remains obscure.

  * A cloven pole for trapping birds.

  * Orilus’s vizor is down, and Cunneware cannot see her brother’s face. The state of heraldry in the centrifugal Holy Roman Empire of the day was so chaotic that confusion between a senior brother (King Lähelin) and a cadet (Duke Orilus) was possible.