Erec (also Erek, Ereck) is a Middle High German poem written in rhyming couplets by Hartmann von Aue. It is thought to be the earliest of Hartmann's narrative works and dates from around 1185. An adaptation of Chrétien de Troyes' Erec and Enide, it is the first German courtly romance.
Erec tells the story of how Erec, a knight at King Arthur's court, wins the hand of the beautiful Enite, but then through excessive devotion to his wife, neglects his duties as a knight and lord. Realising his error, he sets out from the court on a series of increasingly challenging adventures in which he tests Enite's loyalty and gains insight into the purpose of knighthood.
Unlike Hartmann's later romance Iwein, which survives in 16 complete manuscripts, Erec is preserved in only a single, much later manuscript, the Ambraser Heldenbuch, and a few small fragments. In spite of this limited manuscript tradition, contemporary and later references show that the work was influential.
Contents
Synopsis
The Cloak
After a prologue, the narrative opens with a Pentecost celebration at the court of King Artûs, where a large number of noble guests have gathered. On the third day of the feast, everyone is waiting after morning Mass to start the meal. However, Artûs refuses his guests food because he is hungry for an adventure. Finally, on behalf of his anonymous mistress from the fairy kingdom, who hates all the ladies of the king's court, a young messenger brings a magical cloak to the court, which will fit only a woman who is absolutely faithful to her man.
All the ladies of the court fail the virtue test miserably, to the consternation of the men. Finally, Erec's wife Enite puts on the cloak and it fits her except for a few missing inches on the lower hem, which shows that Enite is almost perfectly virtuous. (Here the episode breaks off, incomplete.)
Two Beauty Contests
(From Chrétien: The Arthurian court is celebrating Easter. Arthur wishes to revive the tradition of hunting the white stag: whoever kills the stag must kiss the most beautiful maiden. The knights set off on the hunt. The Queen follows, with a maidservant, and Erec comes after them.)
Riding with the two ladies, the young, untried knight Erec, son of King Lac, is dishonoured by the dwarf of a wandering knight (Iders) before the eyes of Queen Ginover. Being without armour, Erec cannot immediately challenge the knight, but he chases the group and arrives at the castle of Tulmein. Searching for accommodation, Erec comes across the impoverished nobleman Coralus, who offers him accommodation, and Erec is looked after by Coralus's beautiful daughter Enite. Erec learns of the upcoming sparrowhawk challenge: the sparrowhawk is the prize for the most beautiful lady, whose claim must be defended by her knight. Erec then discovers from Coralus, that the knight he had been chasing was called Iders and had come to defend his lady's claim to the sparrowhawk. Erec decides to participate in the tournament if Coralus can lend him armour, promising to marry Enite in case of victory. In the tournament the next day, Erec defeats Iders.
Erec returns to the Arthurian court with Enite — on the journey the couple fall in love. At court, the white stag having been killed in the hunt, Enite is declared the most beautiful maiden and receives the kiss from Arthur. Erec and Enite are married, and Artûs announces a tournament in Erec's honour, at which he defeats all opponents. The couple return to Karnant, the castle of Erec's father, who renounces rule in favour of his son.
Erec's Adventures
Erec now devotes himself to a life of ease, spending the days in bed with Enite, and neglects his duties as ruler. However, he overhears Enite lamenting the fact that he has become the laughingstock of the court, and decides to leave in secret in order to seek adventure. He takes Enite with him, forbidding her to speak on pain of death.
He has a series of encounters and in each case it is Enite who, contrary to Erec's command, warns him of the approaching danger.
The couple are attacked first by three and then by five robber knights. Erec defeats them all, berates Enite for breaking her silence and makes her lead the captured horses.
A count attempts to seduce Enite away from Erec, but she tricks the count and alerts Erec, who defeats him.
Erec is attacked by the dwarf king Guivrez and wounded, but defeats him and accepts him as a vassal. (There is probably a gap in the text here, since a warning from Enite, later referred to and present in Chrétien's text, is absent.)
Erec encounters the Arthurian court, which is engaged in a hunt. They pressure him to remain with them but he refuses, feeling still unworthy.
Erec hears the cries of a lady, whose husband Cadoc, on his way to Artûs' court, has been taken by two giants. Erec kills the giants and frees Cadoc, asking him to commend Erec to Ginover when he arrives at court.
Severely wounded in his battle with the giants, Erec loses consciousness. After a lengthy lament, believing Erec dead, Enite is about to kill herself with his sword, when Count Oringles is attracted by her cries. When Enite refuses Oringles's entreaties to marry him, he starts to beat her, but her cries rouse Erec, who kills Oringles. Erec and Enite are reconciled and Erec apologises for testing her.
A squire escaping from Oringles's castle goes to tell Guivrez in the neighbouring kingdom how his lord has been slain by a dead man. Guivrez, understanding that this must be Erec, rides with his retainers to assist him. Not recognizing each other, Erec and Guivrez fight. Erec, already weak from his wounds, is defeated, but when Enite begs for his life Guivrez recognizes her. Erec and Enite are invited to stay at Guivrez's castle, Penefric. Guivrez's sisters give Enite a horse, which is described in great detail.
Joie de la Curt
The couple, accompanied by Guivrez, set off in search of Artûs' court but take a wrong turning and arrive at Castle Brandigan. There Erec will undertake a final adventure called Joie de la Curt ("Joy of the Court"): by the castle is an orchard, guarded by the knight Mabonagrin. He has been forced to defend the orchard against all-comers by a reckless vow to a lady, from which he will only be released if he is defeated. So far he has killed 80 challengers, whose heads are displayed on stakes and whose widows are housed in the castle. Erec ignores all the warnings against embarking on this adventure, and fights and defeats Mabonagrin. He is grateful for his defeat, and his lady is revealed as a cousin of Enite's. They leave the orchard together, and Erec and Enite console the widows and offer to take them to Artûs' court, where they are received with acclaim.
Homecoming
Erec and Enite return to Karnant, where they are greeted with joyous celebration. Erec gives thanks to God for his lasting fame. They live with honour to a great age and are rewarded with eternal life.
