third quarter of the 13th century, probably around 1260
Language
German
Middle High German
Title
The St. Gall Nibelung manuscript B with the Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs) and “Klage” (lament), “Parzival” and “Willehalm” by Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Stricker’s “Karl der Grosse” (Charlemagne)
This manuscript (also called the “St. Galler Epenhandschrift”)
is written in two columns in a very uniform manner by three
anonymous primary scribes and four secondary scribes; it offers a
fine version of a unique collection of Middle High German heroic
and knightly poetry. It contains “Parzival” (pp. 5−288;
version D) by Wolfram von Eschenbach, the Song of the Nibelungs
(pp. 291−416; version B) with the following lament (pp.
416−451; version B), the poem “Karl der Grosse” (pp.
452−558; version C) by der Stricker, the verse narrative
“Willehalm” (pp. 561−691; version G) by Wolfram von
Eschenbach, as well as five sung gnomic verses by Friedrich von
Sonnenburg (p. 693; version G). Until 1768, when the manuscript was
purchased by the Monastery of St. Gall, this volume certainly also
contained fragments of the epic poems “Die Kindheit Jesu” by
Konrad von Fussesbrunnen and Unser vrouwen hinvart by Konrad von
Heimesfurt. These two works were removed from the manuscript of
epic poems before 1820 and are now held in the Staatsbibliothek
Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (mgf 1021) and the Badische
Landesbibliothek in Karlsruhe (Cod. K 2037), respectively. The
manuscript, illustrated with 78 uniformly executed initials by
unknown artists from the miniature painting school of Padua, was
commissioned by a wealthy client who was interested in Middle High
German epic poems. The first owner known by name was the Swiss
polymath and universal scholar Aegidius Tschudi (1505−1572) from
Glarus, whose estate of manuscripts the Monastery of St. Gall was
able to acquire in 1768.
