Dear Bruce Olson,
you are perfectly right. None of the daughters of Charlemagne was called
"Emma". In Elisabeth Frenzel: Stoffe der Weltliteratur. Stuttgart, Kröner,
1963. p.143-145 is a description of the story. She reports that the real
persons were called Berta and Angilbert. Angilberts name was exchanged for
that of the prominent Eginhard and the name of his wife Emma was taken for
that of Bertha. The earliest version of the story is in: Chronicon
Laurishamense written at the end of the 12th century. There is to be found
the detail with the snow and her suggestion to carry him away. The emperor
watches the scene and asks his knights what to do in this case. They advise
to kill the offender, but he prefers to make him his son-in-law.
In German there is no ballad about the story but a broadside published by
Littfas in Berlin round 1800. There is a copy in British Museum 11521 cc.
28. Unfortunately, we have only the title and the second part of the story.
The song begins: "Grosse Thaten edler Seelen zu erhoehn ist Harfners
Pflicht..."
It is not a folk ballad at all. Folks didn't like it. I think they despised
it as "schmalzy". There is a parody-version in "Musenklaenge aus
Deutschlands Leierkasten" 1848 where the lovers are called "Eduard and
Kunigunde". The story is shown in a cartoon. Unfortunately, they omitted
the scene with the snow. While climbing down the wall, Eduard(Eginhard) is
even carrying Kunigunde(Emma). They spoiled everything!
The tune of the Eginhard-Emma-Song became famous: she was used for the
Rinaldo-Rinaldini-Song, which is still popular.
Yours Barbara Boock, librarian, Deutsches Volksliedarchiv, Silberbachstr.
13, D-79100 Freiburg
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