Rules for the endgame : the world of the Nibelungenlied / Jan-Dirk Müller ; translated by William T. Whobrey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Müller, Jan-Dirk.

Contributor:

Whobrey, William T., 1956-

Series:

Parallax (Baltimore, Md.)

Parallax

Standardized Title:

Spielregeln für den Untergang. English

Language:

English

German

Subjects (All):

Nibelungenlied--Criticism and interpretation.

Nibelungenlied.

Nibelungen.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xv, 562 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.

Summary:

The source of Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle," the "Nibelungenlied" occupies a unique place in medieval literary history. Commonly seen as the paradigmatic example of national epic, its interpretation has long been colored by the later evolution of German cultural tradition. In "Rules for the Endgame" Jan-Dirk M?ller argues that the literary reception of the "Nibelungenlied" was problematic long before the modern era. Here M?ller uncovers the complex and heterogeneous cultural context from which the poem emerged. He challenges scholarly readers to move beyond modern methods of criticism and analysis--specifically, in their expectations of coherence, agreement, and integrity--and to look for other possibilities and methods of interpretation. He recommends a reading that elucidates meaningful linkages, isotopes, and structural recurrences on the epic's different levels and thematic subjects. This groundbreaking interpretation offers a new approach to the reading of medieval literature and revolutionizes the study of the "Nibelungenlied" itself--providing a richer understanding of the work's significance both in its era and for our own.

Contents:

Variations of the legend

Heroic narration and epic composition

Nibelungian society

Nibelungian anthropology

The shrouding of visibility

Spaces

Disrupted rules of interaction

The failure of the courtly alternative

Deconstructing the Nibelungian world.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 523-549) and index.

ISBN:

9780801887024

080188702X

OCLC:

86117806

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description