Editing Wolfram von Eschenbach (section)

===''Titurel'' and ''Willehalm''===

Wolfram is the author of two other narrative works: the fragmentary ''[[Titurel]]'' and the unfinished ''[[Willehalm]]''. These were both composed after ''Parzival'', and ''Titurel'' mentions the death of Hermann I, which dates it firmly after 1217. ''Titurel'' consists of two fragments, which tell the story of Schionatulander and Sigune (lovers that were already depicted in ''Parzival''). The first fragment deals with the birth of love between the main characters. The second fragment is quite different. Schionatulander and Sigune are alone in a forest, when their peace is suddenly disturbed by a mysterious dog, whose leash contains a story written in rubies. Sigune is eager to read the story, but the dog runs off. Schionatulander sets off to find him, but, as we already know from ''Parzival'', he dies in the attempt.

''Willehalm'', an unfinished poem based on the [[Old French]] [[chanson de geste]], ''[[Aliscans]]'', was a significant work, and has been preserved in 78 manuscripts. It is set against the backdrop of the religious wars between the Christians and the [[Saracen]]s. The eponymous hero Willehalm kidnaps a Saracen princess, converts her to Christianity and marries her. The Saracen king raises an army to rescue his daughter. The poem has many of the distinguishing features of medieval literature: the victory of the Christians over a much larger Saracen army, the touching death of the young knight Vivian, Willehalm's nephew and the works mirror of chivalric courage and spiritual purity.