A German adaptation of the story of Erec from Chretien de Troyes in a straightforward modern English prose translation. . ( )

Though I have never been able to find it in my heart to like the hero of this book, Erec, I really enjoyed reading this for the second time. The nature of male-female relationships in the European Middle Ages makes Erec appear more chauvinistic than he is and my tendency is, therefore, to view him with scorn. Yet my favorite scene in the narrative is when Enite, upset by the belief that Erec is dead, screams when her "rescuer" tries to force her into matrimony and begins to get violent. Erec, awakened from unconsciousness by her screams, charges into the room in grave clothes, whips a sword off the wall, and starts lopping off heads to avenge Enite. The rest of those attendant scatter in terror. Erec redeems himself considerably by the end of the narrative. Even though I struggle to come to terms with the wide cultural gap between this late 12th century narrative and my 21st century understanding, I find this work well worth reading and will certainly return to it again. ( )

Der Erec ist eine mittelhochdeutsche Verserzählung von Hartmann von Aue und entstand um 1180/90. Er gilt als der erste Artusroman in deutscher Sprache

Middle High German