Monthly Archives: October 2012

Solution to the German Riddle

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edlle junckffrau radent waß ist daß
zwyernet fünff und eynß me
der fynffzehenst bustab am abc
bedrigt den man und nit me
Two times five = (the Latin numbers) V+V = W
and then add one = (the Latin number) I
the fifteenth letter of the medieval alphabet, where i and j are counted as one letter = P
–>WIP (‘woman’)

Which means: ‘Woman betrays Man and (does) nothing more.’

Go back to the riddle.

A Medieval German Riddle

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At the end of the text by Erhard Wameshafft, we find a short riddle, filling the bottom of the page:
edlle junckffrau radent waß ist daß 
zwyernet fünff und eynß me
der fynffzehenst bustab am abc
bedrigt den man und nit me
‘Noble young lady, guess what is this:
Two times five and then add one,
The fifteenth letter of the alphabet
Betrays men and nothing more.’         –>Solution
It is typical (although the only case in this manuscript) to fill empty space with short texts. This riddle seems to fit exceedingly well, since the previous text was dedicated to a junckfrawe (a young noblewoman or simply a girl), who is also addressed in the heading of the riddle. Is it the same junckfrawe? Do we have preserved here a joking conversation about love (where the presumably spoken answer of the junckfrawe, to which the riddle replies, is missing)? Or just an intelligent scribe adding a fitting text? This riddle will remain…
Go back to Erhard Wameshafft.
Read on to know what we can deduce by the names in this manuscript.

What the Names Tell Us

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All the authors and other individuals named in this manuscript have connections either to the counts of Württemberg or of Königstein-Eppstein, who are themselves related by marriage: Margarethe, sister of Heinrich von Württemberg, named in the Liederbuch, is the wife of Philipp von Eppstein-Königstein, the son of Eberhard III. of Eppstein-Königstein mentioned in Erhard Wameshafft’s ‘Liebe und Glück’. The marriage took place in 1469, Margarethe died only two years later in 1471, so it makes sense to date the mentioning of Heinrich von Württemberg in the ‘Liederbuch’ during the time of courtship or early marriage. This is also a probably date of the Rhenish versions of the works of Hermann von Sachsenheim who was connected to Württemberg, at this time or slightly later. Although we have no written evidence, we now have a time-frame for the production of the individual booklets that fits well with the dating of the watermarks (?).
The question remains why all these separate booklets have been bound together at a later stage. Take a look at some possible answers.

Wameshafft (MHG Original Text)

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Hie mit die red sich fullent
die ich duommer wameshafft
uß schlechttem sin an meinsterschafft (!)
zu küngsteyn uß syennen brach
fyer wochen was ich cranck vnd swach
daß ich das lant mocht bruchen niht
die will maht ich duß nü gedicht
myner genedigen junckfrawen hab ichß geschenckt
dass got des frumm herrn gedenck
vnd behuet sin son das edel bluot
wan sie mich detten alles gut
spis und dranck mit willen gern
got well die dugent rich gewer.

Go back to the information on Wameshafft.

Erhard Wameshafft

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Erhard Wameshafft (or Waneshafft, as he is sometimes spelled) is again, possibly, an aptronym, an ‘Erhard‘ who is hoping against hope in matters of love. We find the name in the text, the ‘I‘ is adressed by one of the allegorical (?) ladies surrounding Lady Love. But this Wameshafft has more to tell about the production of his text:
Here now end the words which I, the dumb Wameshafft, did produce from meager mastery, at Königstein. I was four weeks so ill that I could not roam the lands. While I was ill, I made this new poem and I gave it as a gift to my graceful young lady, that God might remember the Lord and guide his noble son, because they did many good deeds and gave away food and drink willingly; God will reward the virtuous.
(View the original MHG text).
The unnamed lady could have been Anna, daughter of Count Eberhard III. of Eppstein-Königstein. We have only one other attested work by Wameshafft, which was commissioned by the counts of Katzenellnbogen, also from the same middle-rhenisch region.
At the end of the text by Erhard Wameshafft, we find a short riddle. Interested in some medieval mental exercise?
Learn more about the other author, Hermann von Sachsenheim.
Or go directly to the conclusions one can draw from the names in this manuscript.

Hermann von Sachsenheim

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Hermann von Sachsenheim was of noble birth, twice married, and died in 1458. He probably studied law (he was certainly proficient in it), and he was in close contact with the counts of Württemberg: at least once, in 1432, he lent the count a considerable sum (after his second marriage he was, as this shows, quite rich). Together with the notes in the Königsteiner Liederbuch we now have a second clue linking the booklets of the manuscript to the House of Württemberg.
Learn more about the other author, Erhard Warmeshafft.
Or go directly to the conclusions one can draw from the names in this manuscript.

The Book and its Users.

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Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK), Ms.germ.qu. 719

We have three authors named in the manuscript, Hermann von Sachsenheim, Erhard Wameshafft and Schoffthor. The last one remains just a name to us (an aptronym, denoting a writer as foolish as a sheep). But the other two give important clues for the world around the manuscript.

Read about Hermann von Sachsenheim.

Read about Erhard Wameshafft.

Booklets Bound Together

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Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK), Ms.germ.qu. 719
How do we know the booklets (?) existed separately?
Most of the booklets end with empty pages, a clear indication that the book was not written continuously. Thus, for the making of the book as interesting as the texts are the empty pages in the manuscript. Empty are: 60v; 65v-67v; 101v-102v; 181v-185v; 191r-195v. Furthermore, the outer pages of the booklets show signs of use – they not only lay on a shelf, but were read quite frequently before being bound together as a book. Have a look for instance at the stains at the beginning of the 5th booklet:

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK), Ms.germ.qu. 719, fol. 186r.

Go back to the overview of all texts contained in this manuscript.

Content of Ms.germ.qu. 719

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Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK), Ms.germ.qu. 719

This manuscript has been bound together from originally separate booklets (how do we know that?). Here they are:

f. 2r-60r: Hermann von Sachsenheim ‘Der Spiegel‘
f. 61r-65r: Erhard Wameshafft: ‘Liebe und Glück’;f. 65r: Riddle
f. 68r-101r: Schoff thor ‘Warnung an hartherzige Frauen’
f. 103r-181r: Königsteiner Liederbuch (read more)
f. 186r-190v. Prayers and excerpts from the Requiem liturgy in German
f. 196r-200v = Hermann von Sachsenheim: ‘Die Grasmetze’

Even if we do not know who wrote this manuscript and for whom, we can deduce something about the users by taking a closer look at the authors of these texts (clicking on this link will take you along the main path through the exhibition room).

What could have been the reason to put these booklets together? (Clicking on this link will provide a shortcut through the exhibition room, skipping the interpretation of the names in the manuscript.)