Wittenwiler's "Ring" and the Anonymous Scots Poem "Colkelbie Sow"

Front matter

UNC STUDIES IN THE GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES 18

Wittenwiler’s Ring and the Anonymous Scots Poem Colkelbie Sow

Two Comic-Didactic Works from the Fifteenth Century

Foreword To The Ring Translation

. (What is said here of the Ring translation largely holds for that of “Colkelbie Sow,” which is included in this volume because of certain affinities between the two poems. These affinities are discussed in the exposition following the latter work.)

In speaking of the history of the Swiss Confederacy, Edward Gibbon said that he would like to study it, “but the materials of this history are inaccessible to me, fast locked in the obscurity of an old barbarous German dialect, of which I am totally ignorant, and which I cannot resolve to learn for this sole and peculiar purpose.” Similarly Wittenwiler’s Ring is inaccessible to many people, being locked in the obscurity of this same old barbarous German dialect. This is regrettable, since the Ring is a work of considerable value; and it is the purpose of this translation to unlock it for a larger public.

Goethe once said that translators are like panders who show us half veiled beauties and thereby arouse in us an irresistible desire for the original; and it is hoped that this translation will serve the same purpose. Perhaps a twentieth-century reader will question whether the Ring is really a thing of beauty; but he can certainly not deny that it is a document of immense cultural value, for it would be difficult to find any work that better summarizes the knowledge, tastes, and ideals of its age. As a true child of the fifteenth century, Wittenwiler loved encyclopaedic knowledge; and consequently his work abounds in information of every sort and is a treasure trove for students of medieval literature, history, theology, sociology, law, medicine, warfare, and folklore. Like the theater-director in Goethe’s Faust, he seems to have believed that if you present enough you are bound to have something for everybody.

Among literary genres alone the Ring includes an aubade, a rondeau, a madrigal, country-dances, a yodel, a Mailehen, proverbs, farces, a peasant-tournament, a peasant-wedding, a mock-confession, love-letters, religious allegory, an ars amandi, a memento mori, and a Totenklage. There are also references to popular German heroic epics, courtly Arthurian romances, saints’ legends, biblical stories, beast epics, and fables. In addition, the Ring quotes generously from classic and patristic Latin writers.

The Ring’s value lies not only in the abundance of its subject matter. Because of the ingenuousness of most late-medieval x FOREWORD

writers we can often see the true motivation for what they wrote, whereas this is largely concealed from us in contemporary works. Wittenwiler clearly expresses his intent in his preface; and his work is so long and all-embracing that many of his passages, obscure in themselves, are clarified by parallels elsewhere in the text, especially when the latter paraphrase extant Latin writings. |

Like many other works of its time, the Ring has many passages that strike us today as being in exceedingly poor taste. After first trying to disguise or delete such indelicate passages, I finally decided that any bowdlerization would detract too much - from the poem. Recent editions of Chaucer and Rabelais have passages as vulgar as those in the Ring, and some current novels have even worse. Therefore, instead of falsifying my matter, I shall warn the gentle reader to proceed no further if he is easily offended. As Chaucer says in warning his reader against his vulgar Miller’s tale, “Blameth nat me if that ye chese amys.”’

. The translator is aware of how much the Ring loses in a prose translation, for the original owes much of its merriment to Wittenwiler’s spirited use of rime and meter, which carry the reader along in a more relaxed and less critical frame of mind. However, twentieth-century readers have no palate for such long-winded versification. Besides that, all attempts at rime are a compromise with the matter; and in the case of the Ring the subject matter is clearly more important than the form. To use Wittenwiler’s own words, “Wise matter wants no rime” (v. 3520). As we shall see, most of his matter is wise, regardless of its comical disguise.

My translation is based on a photostatic copy of the only known Ring manuscript, that in the Landesarchiv in Meiningen, Germany. However, in order that it may serve as a key to the standard edition by Edmund Wiessner, I have followed his verse enumeration and have accepted most of his emendations, declining only those which I find unacceptable or unnecessary. Since the manuscript has no punctuation, I have followed English usage and my own interpretation; and therefore this translation differs considerably from Wiessner’s edition in both punctuation and syntax. ‘Typical points in which I deviate from Wiessner and other scholars are summarized in Appendix I.

In many respects Wittenwiler’s syntax is closely related to English, in some instances even closer than to modern German. As a result, it has been possible to translate very directly,

FOREWORD xi sometimes word for word. Because the translation is to serve as a key to the original, I have often translated literally where a looser rendition might be more readable. The only major liberty taken has been in combining many of Wittenwiler’s disjointed clauses into compound sentences by adding the conjunctions implied but not expressed in the text and by changing demonstrative into relative pronouns. Also, I have omitted some of the meaningless rime-fillers when their presence would over-load the English translation.

Sometimes a free translation must be made for better com-

prehension; for example, hailig öl (4010) is rendered freely by “extreme unction” rather than literally by “holy oil;” and the common German word Uberbein, when it appears in a nickname (140), is rendered by “bony bump,” since the exact translation “exostosis” would be impossible in such a context. In two other verses this word is dropped entirely, since the expressions are idiomatic and the word merely refers to a lameness (3724) or to the bruises one will receive (6947). However, in my translation Wittenwiler’s figures of speech are retained, rather than rendered by their English equivalents, wherever their meaning is apparent.

In a few cases I have translated one of Wittenwiler’s words with two English ones, because one would not cover all of its meanings. For example, his word weisshait (4466) is rendered as “prudence” when it appears along with the Christian virtues of justice, fortitude, and temperance; but it is rendered by “wisdom” when he says that Solomon preferred it to wealth (4472). |

The manuscript of the Ring is written continuously, without any subdivisions except for its three major parts. However, for greater convenience in reading it and referring to it, I have divided it into chapters, to which I have arbitrarily added titles.

No doubt my translation has missed Wittenwiler’s meaning in many spots, but I hope it will at least stimulate interest and scholarship -in this peculiar literary and cultural monument so that these obscure passages will eventually be illumined. As Ubelgsmack says in the Ring (4417), I am doing my best but am ready to step back if anyone else can do better.

It is both tedious and confusing to read a detailed introduction to a work before reading the work itself. Therefore, instead of being preceded by an introduction, this translation is followed by an exposition, which is to serve both as an interpretaxii FOREWORD tion of the entire work and as an explanation of various obscure passages. For the latter purpose there is a system of crossreferences relating the verses of the poem to the paragraphs of the exposition in which they are explained.

I first became acquainted with the Ring in Wiessner’s excellent edition, which I have read so many times that I now seem to see the original through his eyes. Also, much of my basic knowledge about the Ring came either directly from his scholarly articles, commentary, and personal letters and conversations, or indirectly from literary or scholarly works suggested in them. To him this volume is respectfully dedicated.

THIS BOOK IS CALLED THE RING

Preface

In praise, service, and honor of the highest Trinity and of Mary, mother and pure maid, and also of all the heavenly host, for the pleasure and joy of the good and for the sorrow and heartfelt pain of the wicked, you shall now hear?®* a book that is called The Ring (It is fitted with a jewel), for it will inform us of the course of the world around us and will well teach us what we should do and leave undone. No finger-ring was ever so good as this, if carefully heeded. In my opinion it should be divided into three separate parts. The first teaches courting, with tilting and jousting, with story-telling and singing,. and with other things too. The second can well tell us how a man should conduct himself in soul and body and toward the world. Consider it the best of all. The third part informs you how you can best fare in battles, war time, assaults, fighting, and combat. Thus the fruit of The Ring lies in courtliness, manly breeding, virtue, and prowess.}% v. 31

Now man has so little constancy that he can not always listen to serious matter without merriment, but rather enjoys great variety. Therefore I have mixed the peasants’ shouting with this teaching so that it will convert us all the more easily; yet they are separated with two colors: the red is common to the serious part, the green shows us village life.!50° But listen to me carefully, if you please! In my opinion he is a peasant who lives wrongly and acts foolishly, not he who wisely supports himself with honest work ;!77 for, in my eyes, the latter is very blessed,17° you should believe me. But, in case you see nothing in this that brings either profit or pleasure, then you may accept it as a fictitious tale, said Henry Wittenwiler.! Echoing merrily in the heart, the story begins thus: v. 54

2 Raised numbers refer to the paragraph in the following exposition in which the passage is discussed.

= PART ONE — THE COURTSHIP THE PEASANT TOURNAMENT

In Grausen® Valley lay a village named Lappenhausen,!% charmingly situated and abundantly supplied with wood and water, in which many asstocratic™ peasants dwelled without Sorrow.

Among them was a youth called Bertschi Triefnas, a hero healthy and proud. On holidays!’ he went about as if he had been carved of wood. Be one straight or be one crooked, be one near or be one far, one had to call him “Squire.” What more should one tell you? He could conduct himself so well that both old and young women crowded close around him; yet there was one particular one in his heart, and that is the truth. V. 74

She was called Metzli Riierenzumph. She was noble, lame, and bent; her teeth and hands were like a coal and her mouth as red as sea sand. Her braid was like a mouse tail; and on her throat hung a goiter that reached down past her belly.. Dear companions, hear how her back was hunched: you could have cast a bell on it! Her little feet were so thick and broad that no wind could hurt her by blowing her over, provided she wished to resist it. Her little cheeks were as rosy as ashes and her breasts as small as lard sacks. Her eyes sparkled like the fog, her breath smelled like sulphur, and her garments clung to her as if her soul had fled. She could conduct herself as well as if she were three years old. Do you want another song? She won such praise everywhere that Triefnas never forgot little Metz but became so devoted to her he almost pined away for her. v. 102

Then began a courting with jousting and tilting. It was on a Sunday 1" that Bertschi was seen coming to the green at Lappenhausen with twelve? handsome companions. They rode as undismayed as if they had been drenched with rain. The first was our Triefnas, a hero like a pitcher ;*! his escutcheon was two pitchforks in a dung heap, with which he was very pleased. The second was called Kuontz of the barn, a hero just like wood moss, on whose shield was painted a dead hare in a field of green. The third was called Knotz, well known in all disgraces, who bore two wooden cherry-hooks as his coat-of-arms. They called the fourth one Squire Troll, as courageous as a butter ball, whose

2 | RING emblem was a rake that did not want to be broken. The fifth was Haintzo with the goat, a donkeyman and chivalrous.“ The pastor had given him his coat-of-arms: three nuts on a grape vine.8s v. 131

The sixth one had the name Twerg, a man highborn upon a mountain, whose coat-of-arms was painted with three flies in a glass.®° The seventh one was called Sir Eisengrein, a real ripsnorter,?® who wore on his snout* nine spoons in one platter. It seems to me the eighth was called Count Burkhart with the bony bump; he had his escutcheon made with two warmly roasted turnips. T’ll christen the ninth for you: he was called Pentza Trinkavil, and what he bore on his shield was oxen hitched to a plow. The tenth lived not without harm: he was called Jackel Grabinsgaden and, because of his ancient lineage, he bore four cow’s milk cheeses on a dryer. Be certain of the eleventh’s name: he was Riiefli Lekdenspiss; he was the village mayor and his arms were eggs. I do not know the last one’s name, but he came riding up to the same circle with a fox-tail.2° I suppose it was the peasants’ scourge, Sir Neidhart, a clever knight who hated all villagers. v. 160

Their crest?! was the best of all: a calf in a stork’s nest,s® They bore it jointly in honor of Damsel Metz. Their helmets were woven like baskets*!= so that no one would smother in them; and beneath them you could see hanging their shields, which were winnowing baskets. Their clothing was of homespun, well padded with hay and straw; and, if they wished to bind their legs, they used tree bark for that purpose. They sat in knightly fashion on rich pack saddles, on asses and field horses.!%! It would have grieved a Jew,!# for you could see them cover their horses with blankets and sacks. Their spears were oven rakes. They swept hither and thither frightfully with their piper Gunterfai, who blew his bagpipe? in two. v. 182

They shouted with one accord, “Hear, you lords both rich and poor! If anyone desires to joust today and break shield and spear in honor of womankind, he should come against us.” But there was no one on the field who dared withstand the heroes; so Triefnas, who never forgot himself,®! said to his companions,

“And even if it costs my life, there must be courting today with jousting and tourneys! If no one dares withstand us, let’s ride against each other.”

They were all pleased with his words and called out to

Gunterfai, “Pipe up, dear minstrel! We will pay you well.” Gunterfai sounded his bagpipe SO that it was heard everywhere. v. 204

They tied on their Heine which were woven with young withes; then they couched their spears and rode against each other. They rode so hard that no one could stay on until help came to him, except for Sir Neidhart, the jolly fellow, who could never be thrown by villagers with crooks. Behold! One could see eleven heroes struggling there on the ground and in the brook, which was to their great discomfort. Triefnas, the very confident man, came to again and saw he had fallen in the grass for Metzi’s sake. He was immensely ashamed of that and said, “This year is too long for me! And even if only this had happened to me, you would see me greatly grieved.” Then his father’s servant came and helped him up; for that was his duty.!68 v. 228

Meanwhile Sir Troll began to wake and shout, “Alack, alas! How hard I’ve been sleeping!” He began aching in his side, so they had to carry him home. Count Burkhart too was none too lazy as he lay on his back: he asked the lords of the council to help him out of the muck. Knotz had been measured such a blow in his belly that his dinner gushed right out of his mouth; and he could neither sing nor talk nor even bewail his pain. However, help would have been given him but that the others were in peril of their lives, since water was pouring down their throats in the bottom of the brook. They were picked up like friends; for why should they be swelled any more? Yet Twerg had drunk till his eyes sank: they had to cure him of that; so they lifted him up by his feet and let the water run from him until he came to. v. 256

Then Pentza Trinkavil said, up ll tell you truly, this is the only time I was ever really cured of thirst.”

Grabinsgaden was washed without lye and ashes. He said, “Tve profited: formerly I was burning, formerly I was stinking; in addition my lice are drowned.” For that he praised God most diligently. Then said Haintzo with the goat, “Your gain is a straw compared to mine, I’m glad to say. Before I came to the brook, I was a wild heathen, and I was of the order of heretics too! Only now have I become a Christian.” v. 274

Behold! That made Kuontz angry. He said, “I think we’ve lost more than we’ve won, for we’ve run into the brook like mice. If you say your lice have drowned, that’s a lie; for I’ve often

4 | RING pulled my pants off and washed them in the brook, but I’ve never ‘seen a louse drown. And you, Haintzo with the goat, I don’t know ‘what you’ve gained. If you’ve become a Christian thus, it is a shameful farce; for, according to what wise priests say, no one can baptize himself in a brook in any sort of way. There must be a distinction between you and the baptizer. Also, the baptizer must speak certain words that you can find in holy scripture: yet all that is nothing if the baptizer doesn’t have the desire to baptize you when he does so. You’ve been faint-hearted in serving God, and that’s why you’ve shed little of your blood in His love. Nor do you burn with ardor in your spirit, I tell you. You’re still a Jew,!* believe me!” v. 306

Eisengrein could not refrain from a speech, which you should hear: “Behold! By God’s plunder! Isn’t it a wonder that Kuontz has become such a good jurist at home on his dung heap? If you'll shut up a minute, I can tell you something for true, without letter or messenger: You have made yourselves ridiculous!”

His message displeased them all, they struck themselves on their foreheads and began to rue their sport. Wow! How loud they shouted, “Now alack, in nommydommy,'3? amen! Alas that we have come together, alas that we have ever jousted! For that we must bear shame and disgrace.” |

Lekdenspiss the undismayed heard their lament, which caused him pain. He jumped forth noisily: “Hear, all you lords, some words that I will tell you. We’ll still have some good sport if you'll follow my instructions. Well still retain our honor if we tie ourselves tightly in our saddles when we fight with the stranger.” u v. 334

All were pleased with the advice except for Kuontz of the barn, who alone said, “I don’t want to joust and break lung and liver. The sooner I’d try to tie myself, the sooner I’d pass out

‚with pain.”

They did not listen to his words; they got on their horses and tied themselves as best they could with withes. Yet Knotz could not stay with them: his riding was of no account, his arse began to pain him however much his heart was set. Thus no more than eight came with all their din onto the field and against the stranger. They called out loud and. shouted hard, “Sir foreign fellow, what do you want? If you wish to joust for wealth and ride for fame, then step right up and wait no more.” v. 356

Sir Neidhart was pleased with their words, even though he did not show it. He answered courteously and said, “I would like to have my comfort and would like to look for peace, if only you would deign to grant it. Even though it is only in sport, it still wouldn’t be right for me to ride against such gentlemen, who are always too noble and strong for me. Even if there were only one of you, I wouldn‘t dare withstand him; so you ought to let me off.”

When they heard his words, their fear was destroyed. They won brave hearts and said, “Listen to the nun, how she speaks and what she says, as scared as a frozen rabbit.”

Count Burkhart stepped in front of the others and said privately to Sir Neidhart, “I don’t know how you do it, but I well see that you stay in your saddle when we fall. This disgraces us all and pains us in our bellies,*! and therefore you must joust some more.” v. 384

“In truth,” said the stranger most courteously, “may God in Heaven know that I’ve resolved to do what I have to do.”

Thereupon one piped as before. “Helmets on, hey!” how loudly they cried. They waited no longer: swiftly they rode together so violently and hard that Count Burkhart fell right back on his horse’s arse. Listen to what else I tell you! One could see his buddy®* bounce out of his breeches; and now a real misery, fear, and pain arose! The ladies were laughing themselves to death.

Count Burkhart got back into his saddle. “So help me, you bitches,” said the man, “you came for adventure, and you’ve seen adventure!” With that he got up and went away. v. 405

Then Lekdenspiss stepped up with his sharp countenance and said, “Sir Stranger, you’re a rascal, it seems to me in my heart, and therefore you must suffer pain.”

The stranger answered him, “Young my lord, what have I done that I should suffer pain? I beg you by God’s grace to let me go my way for the sake of worthy womankind.” He could have done without his sweet words; for now Lekdenspiss really began rebuking him. He couched a long spear and ran forward just like a plow. He struck the stranger so hard that the calf fell at least halfway out of the nest.®9

They all enjoyed that and shouted noisily, “Go home, Ueli with the Nose, and help your wife feed the cow.”’*4 v. 426

Lekspiss called out of his mouth, “I wouldn’t take a hundred pounds for that, but I’ve got to hit him again. He can’t

6 RING | escape me.” He took his spear in hand and ran forward against the stranger and struck him by his saddle bow so hard and violently that the straps left him. Because he could not use them any more, the worthy fellow fell three spans deep in the earth. Behold! Then arose plaints of misery such as you have never heard in all your days! How quickly their former laughing was turned into weeping!

The mayor’s mouth and nose were bleeding, yet the hero called out freely, “Hear me, all my lords, you shouldn’t lament my fall! He didn’t hit me, I knocked myself off.” He was carried away at once. v. 449

Eisengrein, a bold warrior, came running up very quickly and said, “May the Devil take him if I don’t measure him a blow that’ll bowl him over backwards!’ He raised a loud shout, “So help me you vagrant rogue!!!® If you keep that up any more itll make me mad and provoke me greatly.”

Thereupon Sir Neidhart answered him, “So, my dear sir, so? I’ll gladly let the matter drop, if you don’t push it any further. I told you before, please note, that I’d do what I had to do.”

“Not so,” said Sir Eisengrein. “There must be some more fighting. I’ve got to hit you on your bucket®la again, and then may the hangman take you away.” Hereupon they tied on their helmets and Eisengrein grabbed his spear. v. 471

“Up and at him! Up and at him!” the others all shouted loudly, so hot were they against the stranger.

When they wished to come together, the ass under Eisengrein began to cry and flee hither and thither so aimlessly that he could little joust or avenge his injury. His spear fell on the ground and the worthy hero called, “Help me, Lord, and help me quick, or Pll perish on the beast!” |

Then a miller came running up after him: “Sir, do you wish to sell the beast? Pll give you ten shillings on the pound right now.’’}2°

The handsome man answered him, “Just make the ass stand still, and take the saddle along with him. Take him, dear miller, take him!” v. 493

Hagen was caught with the miller’s staff ;2°7 the others were all running after them, in such a hurry were they to reach the ass. They shouted loudly, “There’s nothing to it! Blindfold the ass’s eyes and then he’ll run straight ahead.” Behold! This was done immediately! Hagen was bandaged as if the wolves had flayed him, and thus he sped swiftly against Sir Neidhart’s spear. They fought there in knightly fashion, shields and spears were broken without number. v. 506

The stranger could wait no longer: he struck the ass in its side so hard that it at once stretched out all fours, and Eisengrein lay under it. Behold! A new lamentation arose for the noble gentleman who could defend himself so well! Eisengrein was undaunted: he said, “Your lamentation grieves me. See here, in the name of a mare’s fart! If my horse has fallen, why should I be blamed? Who can hold on to the sky? I’ve injured my right hand, and that hurts me more than the shame.” With that his speech was over, and Eisengrein left there as fast as he could. v. 525

Triefnas began to stir himself. He started curling his lip, fire gleamed from his eyes, and foam burst from his mouth.“ My, how he shook with anger! He had completely lost his color, and his sharp tongue began to stammer. No matter what one said or sang, he would not tolerate the stranger, he only wanted to see him dead. And so he began to stutter, “So, you, you, you whore’s son, so? Ha-, ha-, have you dared do this? You ma-, ma-, may live no longer!”

Sir Neidhart was a Christian man, and therefore he called to Bertschi, “My lor-, lor-, lord, for God’s sake let me, me, me repent be-, be-, before I die.” v. 544

Unfortunately that did not help him. His ridicule hurt — Bertschi, who said, “Don’t pr-, pr-, prate any more.” How quickly he tied on his helmet and took his spear in his hand! He wanted to rush against the man and settle accounts with him; but somehow his horse stumbled on a pea so that its knees sank to the ground as if it had not drunk. Triefnas fell over and over so hard on his head that he moaned and also groaned. He eursed all women pure: “You wenches, sluts, and wicked bitches, may evil Death lay you low because of the agony I suffer just for your favor. To what have you now brought me?” v. 564

But then he thought again of his worthy Lady Metz and hushed, for he was sorry. Thereupon he began another song, “Im a disreputable man if I don’t win the ladies’ favor, even if I should die four times for it.” He began looking up and shouting, “I’ve not received my due. Help me into my saddle again; and then, if I don’t strike him down, say I’m an ass.” Thereupon at least three of them came up and helped the brave man get back on the mare. If he had formerly been tied

8 RING tight, they now tied him three times tighter. They ordered the piper to play again.

“Let go! Let go!” they cried defiantly. They couched their spears and crouched their backs defensively behind their shields and ran so admirably that two oven-rakes fell in pieces. The baker had to pay for that; so he began cursing and scolding about his two oven-rakes. v. 592

Bertschi promised, “Don’t worry, Pll give you hay and straw; bring me two more oven-rakes,” and that was quickly done. "Triefnas said, “Now you'll see whether I can serve the ladies!” and he ran against the stranger again. That provoked Sir Neidhart, who gave the lover such a blow they would never have found him, except that he was so strongly tied that he could in no way get down from the horse. All that brought him disgrace. His bonds made him hang in the mare’s hooves; and, if I tell it rightly, his hair and beard were combed too hard. Moreover, if they had not come to his help, the dragging would have taken his life. Even so, he was about to faint with pain; and now at last he realized what Kuontz had told him when he last took leave of him.??’ v. 617