The Leiden Wigalois Manuscript

Jef Jacobs, Barend Verkerk (eds)

Jef Jacobs, Barend Verkerk (eds)

The Leiden Wigalois Manuscript

Introduction and full transcript

"For around 150 years, the richly illustrated Wigalois manuscript from Amelungsborn Abbey in Germany has rested largely unnoticed in the collections of Leiden University Library. Only recently has this unique codex, known as LTK 537, begun to attract the scholarly attention it deserves. This volume offers the first full transcription of the manuscript's Middle High German text, accompanied by an accessible introduction and detailed commentary. In combining textual accuracy with contextual depth, the editors aim to open up this fascinating work to a wider international audience. Commissioned in 1372 by Count Albrecht II of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen, and produced by a Cistercian monk in Amelungsborn Abbey, the manuscript presents an exceptional interplay of text and image. With no fewer than forty-nine vividly coloured miniatures, it stands as a jewel of German Arthurian literature. The story of Wigalois, son of Gawain, unfolds as a continuous sequence of chivalric adventures, culminating in the liberation of a kingdom and a royal marriage. The manuscript’s artistic and rhetorical richness, from its opening Tree of Paradise to its expressive banderoles, reflects the creative collaboration between scribe and illuminator — and the enduring appeal of medieval romance."
Editors

Jef Jacobs

Jef Jacobs was a professor of Medieval and Early Modern German Studies at Leiden University. His main interests are Old and Middle High German language, religious German literature of the Middle Ages, medieval mysticism and German literature of the Baroque.

Barend Verkerk

Barend Verkerk was a teacher of German language and literature. He studied German language and literature at Utrecht University with special interest in Medieval studies and theology.
Title
The Leiden Wigalois Manuscript
Subtitle
Introduction and full transcript
Editors
Price
€ 134,00
ISBN
9789087284947
Format
Hardback
Number of pages
290
Language
English
Publication date
Dimensions
15.6 x 23.4 cm
Categories
History
High Middle Ages
Discipline
History, Art History, and Archaeology
Table of Contents
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Table of Contents;
Preface;
I Introduction;
II The Transcript of the Codex;
Bibliography;
Indices