i recently got reminded of my past. no, not being a scion of this immortal poet of german literature who brought us the "parzival", the "willehalm" and "titurel" plus some few beautiful minnesang poems, but of my own efforts in university to translate, understand, analyse and discover the very few remnants we still possess of the literature from the 12th century.

so, here is a portrait of wolfram from the Cod. Pal. germ. 848, the so called "Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift (Codex Manesse)" which has been produced around 1304 in zürich, ordered by one of the wealthiest family from the area and collecting the works of then already famous, but dead poets.

i post this to remind myself that i, when i write poems, am in the tradition of these great artists, not reaching their powerful language, but adding my own little stones to the collection of weighted words that make a language great. being a decendant of this culture that produced as much greatness as it caused atrocities, i feel comfortable that there is a long tradition of things i can believe to be good; that i can relate to those who before me have created beauty and wisdom. as everything, i believe, is not invented by us newcomers, but just altered and adjusted with each new generation that faces the same experiences.

i love tradition as much as i find it necessary to rebel against it.






note: the picture is taken from the wikicommons, so don't worry about copyright & shit.

"i post this to remind myself..." don't be so selfish like irresponsible poets with no social conscience who are writing for their own pleasure :/) and allow me to use your post as a reminder how much i miss from the universal history of our universal culture lyency · 2009-11-30: 09:15

It is obviously easier to love and foster traditions that are there to preserve and promote such timely pursuits like beauty, romance, love, pain, wisdom. as i believe these havent changed since centuries, these are what we stay alive for, also today. poetry is one of these traditions, the evidence of life... a wonderful magnifier, that makes things grow in our memory and in our imagination when all what lies in our heart is there to encourage it. you dont rebel agains tradition: when you write poems it is your rebellion against being what you are. longimanus · 2009-12-01: 08:04

Thank you, Michael, for reminding us culture and universal mytic poems... To rebel against something, maybe before we have to be involved ;-) ????? · 2009-12-02: 11:43

Heidelberg..i think i've been here.. Fastlove · 2009-12-17: 01:10

Tagged: wolframvoneschenbach german tradition literature history past rebellion subtext