John Meeks

Astrological Symbolism in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzivâl

Abstract

Unlike the French Grail romance of Chrétien de Troyes and his successors, Wolfram's Parzivâl is enriched by vivid astrological motives and symbols. Some of these are explicit, others hidden. Wolfram's enigmatic terminology, and his description of how the name of the Grail was first read in the script of the stars, have given rise to much speculation and controversy. Nor is this controversy solely the domain of modern scholars of medieval literature. The thirteenth century "War of the Singers at the Wartburg", a collection of songs and riddles, pivots around the question whether Wolfram was schooled in the science of astrology.

My own view differs from the one given in that source, for it is difficult to imagine how a work so deeply permeated by references to the planets and their influences could have been written without some corresponding knowledge. In conclusion I shall attempt to show that the astrological references, far from being a mere intellectual ballast, significantly enhance and deepen the poetic narrative.

Biography

John Meeks holds an M.A. in German Literature from the University of Western Ontario. After teaching for eleven years at Emerson College in England, he worked as an upper school teacher in Switzerland. He is now a freelance lecturer and writer. His areas of special interest and research include astronomy, mythology and the history of consciousness as expressed in music, the visual arts and literature.