The Old High German Edition of the Physiologus.

So far, a so-called 'fragment' in prose has become known from Old High German adaptations of the Physiologus, based on manuscript Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 223223 (formerly Cod. Phil, 244) ... Furthermore, a prose edition from the beginning of the 12th century, published successively by Graff, by Hoffmann and by Massmann, based on Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 2721 (formerly cod. Theol. 653); Finally, a metrical treatment of the material, which Karajan published based on a manuscript from the 12th century, which formerly belonged to the Milstat monastery in Carnthia and then came into the possession of the 'Association for the history and regional studies of Carnthia in Klagenfurt'.The writings mentioned cannot be given the same importance for German linguistic and literary history as for French [such as]. the Bestiaire of Philippe de Thaon, written in 1125 and the Bestiaire Divin of Guillaume, Clerc de Normandy, written in eight syllables in 1211, in which the transformations which the Norman dialect underwent on English soil are recorded, are for us as monuments of ours The native German language is at least of importance and are in any case older than their French counterparts. As with those, however, the question of what model they were based on is particularly important, both for its own sake and with regard to the history of Physiologus, which is still to be written; Because their answer sheds new light on the sources of our earliest literature and at the same time adds another link to the long series of Physiologus editorials that runs through the Christian world of the Middle Ages. — In the sense indicated, our Old High German editors have not yet experienced a coherent investigation. The purpose of this work is to fill this gap. - [Author]

Includes a transcription of the text with commentary.

Language: German