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A Survey of Recent Scholarship in German (2)

2002; Scriptoriun Press; Volume: 12; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/art.2002.0043

1934-1539

Hartwig Mayer,

Linguistics and language evolution

The Round Table A Survey of Recent Scholarship in German (2) HARTWIG MAYER This is a follow up to my earlier survey of research on Arthurian literature written in German for colleagues who do not read German scholarly prose with ease.1 It covers the years 1993/94 to 2000/2001. Much work is still done on the 'classical' Arthurian texts (Chrétien de Troyes/ Hartmann von Aue: Erec et EnidelErec, YvainlIwein, Chrétien de Troyes/Wolfram von Eschenbach: PercevaitParzival), with Wolfram of Eschenbach's Parzival once again receiving the lion's share. However, the shift towards research on 'postclassical' Arthurian texts (Ulrich von Zazikhoven, Lanzelet; Heinrich von dem Türlin, Diu Crâne; Der Stricker, Daniel von dem Blühenden Tal; Der Pleier, Garel von dem Blühenden Tal; Prose LanceUt) continues.2 The major research topic during recent years has been the question offictionality, of the relationship between fiction and history in literary texts, and with it the question ofthe role ofthe author/narrator and ofnarration in general. These issues are frequently discussed in the context of the orality/literacy debate. Surprisingly missing—if one thinks of the North American scene—are gender studies. A new approach looks at the Arthurian (and other medieval) texts from the point ofview ofmedia theory. The two names to be mentioned here are Horst Wenzel and Haiko Wandhoff. In 1995 Wenzel published a major study in which he tried to reconstruct the production ofvernacular German literary culture as an integral part ofa culture of remembrancewhich realizes itselfstill to a large degree in immediate personal contact with the carriers ofthe culture.3 In 1996 Haiko Wandhoff's 'media historical study of courtly literature'appeared.4 In this highly theoretical study, he argues for multiserisory communication with special emphasis on the visual dimension of oral recital. Both books are not easy to read. However, Wenzel as well as Wandhoff also demonstrate their approach in articles which are more easily accesible.5 In this context, I would also like to draw attention to two articles by Barbara Haupt as they cover similar ground. In one article she analyzes different types of literary memoria as 'cultural remembrances' (J. Assmann), paying special attention to the prologue ofChrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide. In a second article she investigates from the same point of view examples of ekphrasis in the work of Chrétien de Troyes.7 ARTHURIANA 12.1 (lOOî) 141 14^ARTHURIANA My survey is divided into two parts: first, work done on fictionality and secondly, work done on everything else. In both parts I shall first look at Habilitationsschriften and published doctoral dissertations and then at articles. In research on fictionality, I begin with three dissertations. Gertrud Grünkorn sets up a set ofcriteria for fictionality based on speech-act theory that also draws on medieval Latin poetictheory.8 Matthias Meyer's study is less theoretical. He analyzes several thirteenth-century texts to see what creates fictionality.9 Both Grünkorn and Meyer had already published articles in which they use the same approaches.10 Brigitte Burrichter discusses the issue offictionality mainly in reference to Geoffrey ofMonmouth and Chrétien de Troyes." A summary and critique ofBurrichter and Grünkorn is contained in an article by Fritz Peter Knapp.11 Knapp has recently also published a collection ofseven previously published articles on fictionality in different kinds oftexts together with an afterword in which he briefly summarizes the state of research on this topic.'3 I now turn to articles on fictionality. Joerg O. Fichte investigates the status of historiography in the rhetorical system of the schools and shows the unclear borderline between fiction and history.14 Peter Kern argues that one cannot speak ofa uniform model offictionality in the classical and postclassical Arthurian novel. He points out different aesthetic procedures which make the denial ofthe making conscious offictionality subject to play with the illusion ofreality.15 Günter Butzer analyzes the problems of texts between orality and literacy. He comes to the conclusion that the transition from orality to literacy has far-reaching consequences for the structures of knowledge as well as for the modes in which these texts are proliferated.16 Walter...