"Salman und Morolf": An English translation with introduction

The authorship, genre, style and content of the "Spielmann" epics have always set them apart from other Middle High German (MHG) works. It has still not been successfully determined when they were first composed or by whom, but one can be fairly certain from their style and content that these epics were meant to entertain and amuse, rather than to depict great turning points or resolutions of moral struggles or to present great insights or ideas of universal interest. The main goal of this dissertation is to provide an English translation of the MHG epic poem Salman und Morolf and, by means of a brief discussion of the "Spielmann" genre, the sources of the Salman und Morolf plot, possible date of composition, and various motifs found in the work, to provide a foundation for a better understanding of Salman und Morolf. This English version of Salman und Morolf is not a line by line translation of the original, nor is it presented in the original's stanza form. Rather, it is a prose rendition in a style familiar to today's reader yet faithful to the original's content. The original's short, choppy lines, repeated words and phrases, mechanical rhyme and limited vocabulary make for difficult imitation of style as well as reading in a translation. By recasting the work in prose, the plot, entertainment value, character development, and glimpses of the author's world can still be presented, consistent with the original. The translation's chapter divisions are based on breaks in the plot and are not present in the MHG version.