BOOK I

Introduction, lines 1-66. This introduction, which is confessedly obscure, both in style and thought, appears to have been written _after_ the completion of the poem, and to have been intended by the writer to serve both as a key to the meaning of the poem, and as a defence of his method of treatment. That Wolfram was blamed by his contemporaries, notably by Gottfried von Strassbourg, for his lack of a polished style, and obscurity of thought, we know; and in _Willehalm_ he speaks, in the following words, of the varying judgment passed upon his _Parzival_:--

'Swaz ich von Parzivâl gesprach, des sîn aventiur mich wîste, etzlich man daz prîste: ir was ouch vil, diez smoethen Und baz ir rede wæhten.

and it is evidently to these critics that the first part of the Introduction is addressed.

Lines 1-8 give the key to the whole poem: the contrast between doubt or unsteadfastness, and steadfast faith and truth, as imaged in the contrast between darkness and light, black and white. This idea runs throughout the poem, is worked out symbolically in the character and experiences of the hero, and is shown in a concrete form in the person of his brother Feirefis. The poet notes that many readers have failed, through lack of intelligence, to grasp the meaning of this parable, which is too swift and subtle for their comprehension. A parallel passage will be found in Book V. pp. 137, 138, where the figure employed is different.

The curious lines 15, 16 are explained by Bötticher as allusions to _personal_ assaults made on the poet, which, by reason of the folly of the assailants, missed their mark, and are therefore to be treated with contempt.

Lines 29, 30 contain one of the quaint and homely similes which abound throughout the poem, and refer to the faithless man, _valsch geselleclîcher muot_, whose honour and steadfastness are not sufficiently strong to meet the demands made upon them.

There are three distinct divisions of the Introduction: the first, lines 1-30, is addressed to _men_ only, and draws the contrast between the false and true knight; 31-49 does the same for _women_; while from 49 onwards the poet shows how the tale he is about to tell affects both sexes alike, and gives a slight sketch of the character of the hero. For the rightful understanding of this the lines 61, 62 are of great importance: 'a brave man, yet slowly wise Is he whom I hail my hero' (_er küene, trâctîche wîs, den helt ich alsus grüene_), and should be borne in mind by the student of the poem.

A full and minute discussion of this discussion of this Introduction will be found in Dr. Bötticher's _Das Hohelied von Rittertum_.

Page 5, line 67--'_Now they do to-day as of old-time_.' The word employed here _wälsch_ simply means 'foreign,' but it is evident from the context that France is the country referred to. The _fact_ was probably in the French source, the remarks upon it due to the German poet.

Page 5. line 80--'_Gamuret_.' The origin of this name is doubtful; in Chrêtien we find a King Ban de Gomeret mentioned, and Wolfram may have derived the name from a French source, Heinmel suggests that it comes from Gamor, the son of Anguis, a Saracen prince ruling in Denmark, according to 'Arthur and Merlin;' and that the fact of his being of the race of Anguis suggested to Kiot the possibility of making him an Angevin. In the absence of any definite knowledge as to Wolfram's source it is not possible to do more than _suggest_ possible derivations.

Page 7, lines 136, 137--'_Gylstram and Rankulat_.' With regard to the first-named place, Simrock says it has been identified with 'Gustrate' in the _Gudrun_, and, according to Grimm, this latter is to be coupled with Gailate, 'where the sun hath its setting.' _i.e._ the West. In