Neidhart von Reuental

Neidhart von Reuental, d. probably before 1246, no written account of his name, which seems to have been chosen in self-irony ("Nithart" or "Neithart" meaning heathen, devil, and "von Riuwental" meaning from the vale of sorrows, metaphorical for life as such). Of his works 56 - 132 songs and 55 tunes have survived in 21 manuscripts, although some are only fragmentary. N. lived in Vienna and probably worked for the court. Is regarded as the most successful poet of the post-classical era. His poetry can be divided into the so-called summer and winter songs. The summer songs, mostly clearly structured round dance songs, deal with courtly love: a knightly bard plays dance music in the village and wins the heart of a peasant girl. In their parody of knightly values and their criticism of the uncouth peasants the summer songs break with the poetic tradition of courtly love. The winter songs contrast verses following the tradition of courtly love poetry with descriptions of wild dance scenes and village peasant life. The social satire characteristic of N.´s work targets the peasantry. It might well reflect the growing tensions between knights and peasants, the former threatened by decline, the latter striving for emancipation. N. tomb (St. Stephen´s Cathedral, Vienna), N. frescoes (Vienna, Tuchlauben).

Edition: H. Fischer (ed.), Die Lieder N., ⁴1984.

Literature: J. Bumke, Ministerialität und Ritterdichtung, 1976; H. Birkhan, N. v. R., 1983; V. F. Spechtler (ed.), Lyrik des ausgehenden 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts, 1984; G. Blaschitz (ed.), N.-Rezeption in Wort und Bild, 2000.