The BURIED Book Club discussion

At some point several years back, the book "The Ring" by "Heinrich Wittenweiler" entered my conscious awareness (or at least I became consciously aware of it's existence, though not its contents), and became a MUST READ BOOK for me. I happily found, and purchased an English translation of the book. I unhappily received a German translation of the book, as it turns out there was no English version to purchase. I was hornswaggled!

I returned the book, rather than learn German. So sue me.

I don't remember why I got attracted to the book. I have since discovered that the author's name has also been written as "Wittenwiler," and perhaps that's the more common/standard form. But here's the Wikipedia description:

Heinrich Wittenwiler was a late medieval Alemannic poet (lived roughly 1370 – 1420). He is the author of a satirical poem entitled The Ring (ca. 1410). He may be identical to an advocate to the bishop of Konstanz, mentioned in 1395. Heinrich may be of the family of the former rulers of Wittenwil in the Thurgau, who became destitute and abandoned their castle in 1339. Throughout the early 15th century, most bearers of the name lived in the Toggenburg, probably including one of the scribes of the Cgm 558.

The Ring is a poem of 9699 lines, preserved in a single manuscript, apparently an autograph of Wittenwiler's. Each line is marked with either red or green ink. Wittenwiler in the prologue (verse 40f.) explains that the red line marks "serious" material, while the green marks törpelleben (lit. "village life", in the sense of "rusticity, peasantry, buffoonery"), but the actual division between 'red' and 'green' material is far from straightforward. The protagonists are Bertschi Triefnas and Mätzli Rüerenzumph, two peasant lovers of Lappenhausen, a fictitious village in the Black Forest. The handsome Bertschi woos the ugly Mätzli with knightly pretensions. The wedding involves a "peasant tournament" and escalates into wild brawling, leading to a war between villages and the destruction of Lappenhausen.

A recent Amazon search turns up a 1956 English edition, strangely packaged with an anonymous Scottish Poem within the same volume:

"Wittenwilers Ring And The Anonymous Scots Poem Colkelbie Sow"

I'm tempted to buy it, though I also fear it will turn out to be either a German version, or the original, or an academic study of the work without the complete text, or some other kind of fiendish trap.

Nice.

The middle high german is available online :: http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/ger...

http://www.abebooks.com/Wittenwilers-...

Might be the real possibilizer for anglo-readers::
http://www.abebooks.com/Wittenwilers-...

For the first time in my experience Amazon sent me an email to let me know that they can't find the book that I've ordered from them (The Ring/Colkelbie Sow). They've asked my permission to extend the search with a later delivery than expected. Maybe I'll be waiting until October or...

Strange that the English editions are so scarce.
The Cambridge History of German Literature called that poem a "burlesque epic".

That looks like a fun history to explore.

The more difficult it becomes for me to get this book, the more I expect it to be great. That's probably nutty of me. Anyway, Amazon gave up, and sent me a message that they couldn't locate an available copy, and that they were sorry that it took so long to determine the unavailability. Meanwhile, on Amazon's site I immediately located another copy and ordered it. We'll see how my third attempt to order the book will turn out. Apparently this used copy has markings inside the book and is otherwise poor in quality. Good news: it costs a penny. Less Good News, it'll still cost $17 to ship, but hey, that's cheaper than a book... if I get it.

Just for fun, I ordered Ray La Fontaine's Tirant Lo Blanc at the same time. Meanwhile, I estimate another month of waiting for Nivardus' Ysengrimus.

I WILL get these books, dagnabit!

Zadignose wrote: "The more difficult it becomes for me to get this book, the more I expect it to be great. That's probably nutty of me. Anyway, Amazon gave up, and sent me a message that they couldn't locate an avai..."

Do you usually go through Amazondotcom? You might also try Amazon Germany or Amazon UK. I order through Amazon France because I get free shipping. I realize in SK things are different, but maybe the European affiliates might have different access/options for you.

I think you're quite probably right. Time to change me ways.

Heinrich Wittenwiler. Wittenwiler's Ring and Colkelbie Sow: Two Comic-Didactic Works From the 15Th Century.

Received. Read. Thoroughly enjoyed. Endorsed. Here's the review, which I will redundantly take over to the Exhumed thread as well:

See Review Here.

This was one hell of a good read - review is here - and is well worth tracking down.