The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany

Author: Arthur F. J. Remy

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION.

Word Count: 2953 | Released on: 01/12/2017

ning India and Persia-Travellers-Indi

whom the medi?val scholar depended largely for information. All these writers, in so far as they speak of India, deal almost entirely with its physical description, its cities and rivers, its wealth of precious stones and metals, its spices and silks, and in particular its marvels and wonders. Of its religion we hear but little, and as to its literature we have only a few vague statements of Arrian,1 Aelian2 and Dio Chrysostomus.3 When the last mentioned author tells us that the ancient Hindus sang in their own la

the prophet of ancient Iran are not infrequent in classic writers. But their information concerning him is very scanty and inaccurate. To them Zoroaster is simply the great Magian, more renowned for his magic art than for his religiou

and Sicily; and the Mongols ruled for almost two centuries in Russia. All these were factors in the transmission of Oriental influence.6 And, as far as Germany is concerned, we must remember that in the tenth century, owing to the marriage of the emperor Otto II to the Greek princess Theophano, the relations between the German and Byzantine Empires were especially close. Furthermore the Hohenstaufen emperor, Frederick II, it will be remembered, was a friend and patron of the Saracens i

t did come is absolutely certain. The transformation of the Buddha-legend into the Christian legend of Barlaam and Josa

were in active communication with the popes and allowed Western missionaries free access to their realm. A number of these missionaries also came to India or Persia, for instance Giovanni de Montecorvino (1289-1293),8 Odorico da Pordenone (1316-1318),9 Friar Jordanus (1321-1323, and 1330)10 and Giovanni de Marignolli (1347).11 In the fifteenth century Henry III of Castile sent Ruy Gonzales de Clavijo as ambassador to Timur, and towards the end of that century several Venetian

whose book of travel was printed in 1473. Taken prisoner while fighting in Turkish service against Timur at Angora, he remained in the East from 1395 to 1417, and got as far as Pe

s of the countries they describe, have little or nothing to say about the languages or literatures. All that Conti for instance has to

us, and similar works by Nicolaus Donis, Arnaldus de Badeto and others.19 But the great store-house of Oriental marvels on which the medi?val poets drew for material was the Alexander-romance of pseudo-Callisthenes, of which there were a number of Latin versions, the most important being the epitome made by Julius Valerius and the Historia de Preliis written by the archpresbyter Leo in the tenth century. The character of the Oriental lore offered in these writings is best shown by a cursory examination of the work last mentioned.20 There we are introduced to a bewildering array of mirabilia, snakes, hippopotam

ental names and characteristics, and even its Oriental origin was often forgotten. This is the case with the greater part of the fables and stories that can be traced to Eastern sources and have found their way into such works as the Gesta Romanorum, or the writings of Boccaccio, Straparola and Lafontaine. S

or less than the legend of Buddha in Christian garb.22 The well known "Herzmaere" of the same author has likewise been shown to be of Indic origin.23 Then there is a poem of the fourteenth or fifteenth century on the same subject as Rückert's parable of the man in the well, w

instrel-poetry (Spielmannsdichtung) where this Oriental tendency manifests itself most markedly. A typical poem of this kind is "Herzog Ernst." The hero, a purely German character, is made to go through a series of marvelous adventures in the East some of which bear a striking resemblance to those of Sindbad.30 The later strophic version (14th century) and the prose-version of the Volksbuch (probably 15th century) localize some of these adventures definitely in the fernen India.31 Probably under the influence of this story the author of the incompleted "Reinfrit von Braunschweig" (about 1300) was induced to send his hero into Persia, to meet with somewhat similar experiences.32 Heinrich von Neustadt likewise lays the scene of Apollonius' adventures

rzburg's "Trojanischer Krieg" the kings Panfilias of Persia and Achalmus of India are on the Trojan side.38 In the same poet's "Partenopier" the Sultan of Persia is the hero's chief rival.39 In "Der Jüngere Titurel" Gatschiloe, a princess from India, becomes bearer of the Grail; similarly in a poem by Der Pl

-spitting dragon, is from that land.43 So also is the magic ring given to Reinfrit when he sets out on his crusade.44 Wigamur's bride Dulceflur wears woven

e, when in the "Rolandslied" Ganelun complains that for the ambition of Roland even Persia is not too far,47 or, whe

ng. India and Persia were magic names to conjure with; their langua

TNO

ica,

Hist. x

ii., ed. Dindorf, Lips

Vita, iii. 1

son, Zoroa

schatantra, Vorred

tration of oral transmission is the origin of the tradition about Prester John, for which see Catha

vol. i. pp. 165-1

Latin text in app

. Henry Yule, London, 1863

hay, vol. ii

blications of the Hakluyt Societ

8 and note 4; also p. 579. See also Bibl. Asiat. et Afric. par H. Ternaux-Compans, P

ia in the Fifteenth Century, Lond

antel (BLVS. vol. 172) Tübingen, 1885, p. 79:

id. p

ndiens im 15ten Jahrhunderte, Münche

en für die Reisebeschreibung de

lgem. Liter?rgesch., 9 vols., Dresd. u. L

dix to Die Quellen zum Alexander des Rudolf v. Ems

ten Weisen, ed. Wilh. Ludw. Holl

h Langen, Johannes von Damaskus, Gotha

H.E. iii.

Rückert's, Wien, 1877, pp. 311-320. For a translation of the version in the Mahābhārata see Boxberger, Rückert Studien, p. 94 seq. A translation of a Buddhist sutta o

532. See also Hagen, Gesamm

. See art. by Goedeke in Orient

, vol. ii. p. 7 seq., and consult Gaston Paris,

1858 (BLVS. vol. 45), pp. 507 seq. C

sche Heldensage, Leip

tsch, Herzog Ernst, Wie

cit. p. 204 seq.

Tüb. 1871 (BLVS. vol

H.E. iii

H.E. ii. p

ert, Quedlinb. u. Leipz.

5. See also ed. by Hagen u. Büsching i