Das Väterbuch is a Middle High German legendary, or collection of saints' legends, written in verse.[1] It is the oldest work of its type in German.[2] It is a long work of 41,540 lines.[3]
The anonymous poet is probably the same person who wrote Das Passional. He seems to have been a cleric of the Teutonic Order writing for the benefit of its members.[1][2] The Väterbuch was completed around 1280. It is based on and largely translated from Latin sources. The poet cites the Vitae Patrum, but also made use of the Legenda Aurea.[1][3] Like its source material, it mainly covers the lives of the Desert Fathers of Egypt.[1][2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Henry Garland and Mary Garland (eds.), "Väterbuch, Das" and "Passional, Das", in The Oxford Companion to German Literature, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 1997 [online 2005]).
- ^ a b c Marianne Kalinke, "Väterbuch", in Robert E. Bjork (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages (Oxford University Press, 2010).
- ^ a b Leo M. Kaiser, "Das Väterbuch and the Legenda Aurea", Modern Language Notes 68.7 (1953): 473–474. JSTOR 3043658