Rudolf von Ems - Life, Works, Editions of works

Poet, born in Hohenems, Vorarlberg. He served the Herren (Lords) von Montfort, dying on an Italian campaign. While his learned epics Willehalm von Orlens (after 1235) and Alexander (c.1245) were in the courtly tradition of Gottfried von Straßburg and Wolfram von Eschenbach, other works proved innovatory: Der guote Gêrhart (1215–25) features for the first time - in the figure of a Cologne merchant - a member of the bourgeoisie as exemplary epic hero, and the Legende Barlaam und Josaphat (c.1225) presents an episode from the life of Buddha in Christian terms. His Weltchronik (1250–4), undertaken at the wish of Konrad IV, remained unfinished, but served as a model for many later chronicles.

Rudolf von Ems (b.

Life

Rudolf von Ems took his name from the castle of Hohenems near Bregenz, now in Austria, and was a knight in the service of the Counts of Montfort. His works were written between 1220 and1254.

He was one of the most learned and also most productive poets of his time, although not all his works are preserved. He has also adopted Gottfried's technique of making literary excursuses in which he names works of contemporaries and of his own.

Works

Of his surviving works, the tale Der gute Gerhard (Gerhard the Good) is the oldest and also the best, a beautiful depiction of Christian humility, probably based on a Latin source.

This was followed by Barlaam and Josaphat, dating from approximately 1225 - 1230, taken from a Latin translation of a Greek version of the story of the conversion of an Indian prince to Christianity (a story which is believed in fact to be that of the Buddha, at many removes); and by Wilhelm von Orlens, the story of the childhood love of Willehalm and Amelie, who are among the most famous lovers of the Middle Ages.

His Alexanderroman (Romance of Alexander), written about 1240, is a fragment. Rudolf's sources for this work were principally the Historia de preliis and the Historiae Alexandri Magni of Curtius Rufus.

The Chronicle of the World (Weltchronik) is Rudolf's last work, dedicated to King Conrad IV. As early as the 13th century this work was combined in many manuscripts with the Christherre-Chronik.

A further work, Eustachius, is lost.

Editions of works

Anon, 1967. Rudolf von Ems: Weltchronik. Aus der Wernigeroder Handschrift herausgegeben von Gustav Ehrismann. Rudolf von Ems, Der guote Gêrhart. Rudolf von Ems, Alexander.