Barbara Boock wrote:
>
> 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
Thanks. Now we won't have to search for what was obviously later myth in
Song of Roland/ Orlando and other legends and myths of Charlemagne's
time.
Bruce Olson
--
My website: www.erols.com/olsonw <A
href="http://www.erols.com/olsonw"> Click </a>
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