Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/204

 1 9 2 Journal of A merican Folk-Lore.

to assume the occasional influence of an early source is ordinarily only the self-deception of misapplied ingenuity, as the arguments by which such discovery is supported are apt to be characterized by sophistry. Broad common sense will usually pay attention to the outlines of the plot, as sufficiently indicating the relation, and lay little stress on the citation of minute variations. Learning, when employed to exhibit petty divergencies, is apt to become an organon, not for discovery, but for demonstration ; with adequately minute erudition, any theory whatever can be triumphantly demonstrated.

TRANSLATIONS OF THE PERCEVAL OF CRESTIEN.

For two centuries the work of the trouvere continued to enjoy a European popularity ; during that time, a cultivated reader in any country would have had no difficulty in obtaining access to the romance, while an outline of the situations might easily have fallen within the cognizance of unlettered persons. A Flemish rendering bears date of 1350.

The work of a Norse translator is rendered noteworthy by the freedom used in separating into two tales the two parts of the romance, relating respectively to Perceval (Parceval in the saga) and Gawain (Valver). The renderer chose to complete the former story by adding a brief preface and sequel of his own. In regard to the nature and functions of the dish or grail, he fell into complete confusion, misspelling the word, and also misinterpreting it. His error shows that a foreigner, acquainted only with Crestien's tale, would not be likely to comprehend the term.

THE PARZIVAL OF WOLFRAM.

An unlettered Franconian minstrel produced the most interesting of mediaeval German epic poems. Wolfram of Eschenbach, who could neither read nor write, disclaimed for his work the title of book ; nevertheless, his composition is essentially a product of con- scious art, being indeed characterized by a style of peculiar individ- uality. The poet had a considerable knowledge of contemporary French literature, which he must have acquired by listening to read- ing aloud, while his own poetry must have been dictated in sections to an amanuensis. The task was undertaken in the early years of the thirteenth century ; the character of the introductory part shows that, before giving out any portion of the work, the author had mentally elaborated the entire complicated plot.

That Wolfram could on occasion be a free romancer, and that he possessed sufficient fancy to make up a story on the base of vague suggestions, is shown by the fragments of his Titurel. In these the treatment is as wildly romantic as the theme; in order to recover the

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