German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:05, 11 November 2025

In 1997, Steinmetz produced a parallel-text edition of the German version A text, alongside the Latin text which is assumed to be its source. Steinmetz refers to this version of the narrative as Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus, though it is also referred to as Allegatio septem saptientum, and he suggests the Latin version was composed in the 14th century, and translated into the Bavarian/Bavarian-Austrian dialect sometime early in the 15th century. The German Libellus survives in two manuscripts; Steinmetz uses St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI. 549 as the base text for his edition. Both manuscript witnesses of the Libellus are integrated into the frame of the German Gesta Romanorum, but unlike some of the other Seven Sages/Sieben Weise Meister versions found in the Gesta, this version closely follows the Version A narrative pattern. The exception to this is the inclusion of the story Mercator in place of Puteus, and a slight reordering of the stories (the order of Gaza and Senescalcus, which are usually stories 5 and 7, respectively, is here reversed).

The inclusion of Mercator instead of Puteus is a pattern also replicated in some of the Italian Version A texts, in particular the Italian Prose A and the Storia favolosa di Stefano. The contemporary composition timeframes, and the fact that the Latin Allegatio/Libellus text - the source for the German version - was composed in Northern Italy, we may perhaps hypothesize about the Mercator/Puteus change across all of these text as a signal of shared narrative inheritance.

General Information
Language within Version	German Version A
Narrative / Scholarly Group
Parent Versions	A (Seven Sages)
Child Versions
Author
Title	Allegatio Septem Sapientum (or, Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus)
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages	German Version A
Branch of the tradition	West

Language & Composition
Language of version
Translated into (languages)	Bairisch, Bairisch-Österreichisch
Place of composition
Date of composition	1401 - 1453
Source for date of composition	Steinmetz (1997)

Literature & Editions
Modern research literature	Steinmetz (1997), Gerdes (1992), Gerdes (1989)
Modern Editions	Steinmetz, Der 'Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus' (1997)

Recorded branch of this secondary version
A (Seven Sages) Dutch Version A Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Group U Group V Group W Group X Group Y Group Z Gaelic Version A German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus Italian Version A Italian Prose (V) Libro dei Sette Savj (A) Storia favolosa di Stefano (S) Latin Version A Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus Middle English Version A Midland Version Y Group Northern English Southern English Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare Old Swedish Redaction A Old Swedish Redaction B Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Middle Welsh Version A

Connected prints
No connected prints

Adaptations
Adapted from (version)	Latin Version A
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information	Steinmetz (1997)

Languages in Use
Language of text	German (High and Low German)
Regional or specific language of version	Bairisch

Notes
Note
Notes on motifs

Pattern of embedded stories in this version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator
Arbor – The Tree	1	Empress
Canis – The Faithful Dog	2	First Master
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	3	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	4	Second Master
Senescalcus – The Seneschal	5	Empress
Mercator	6	Third Master
Gaza – The Treasure	7	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	8	Fourth Master
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Fifth Master
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Vidua – The Widow	12	Sixth Master
Roma – Rome Beseiged	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Seventh Master

Connected manuscripts

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 {{Secondary Version
-|Has Description=In 1997, Steinmetz produced [[Steinmetz, Der 'Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus' (1997)|a parallel-text edition]] of the German version A text, alongside the [[Latin Version A|Latin text]] which is assumed to be its source. Steinmetz refers to this version of the narrative as ''Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus'', though it is also referred to as ''Allegatio septem saptientum,'' and he suggests the Latin version was composed in the 14th century, and translated into the Bavarian/Bavarian-Austrian dialect sometime early in the 15th century. The German ''Libellus'' survives in two manuscripts; Steinmetz uses [[St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI. 549]] as the base text for his edition. Both manuscript witnesses of the ''Libellus'' are integrated into the frame of the German ''Gesta Romanorum'', but unlike some of the other ''Seven Sages/Sieben Weise Meister'' versions found in the ''Gesta'', this version closely follows the [[A (Seven Sages)|Version A]] narrative pattern. The exception to this is the inclusion of the story Mercator in place of Puteus, and a slight reordering of the stories (the order of Gaza and Senescalcus, which are usually stories 5 and 7, respectively, is here reversed).
+|Has Description=In 1997, Steinmetz produced [[Steinmetz, Der 'Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus' (1997)|a parallel-text edition]] of the German version A text, alongside the [[Latin Version A|Latin text]] which is assumed to be its source. Steinmetz refers to this version of the narrative as ''Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus'', though it is also referred to as ''Allegatio septem saptientum,'' and he suggests the Latin version was composed in the 14th century, and translated into the Bavarian/Bavarian-Austrian dialect sometime early in the 15th century. The German ''Libellus'' survives in two manuscripts; Steinmetz uses [[St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI. 549]] as the base text for his edition. Both manuscript witnesses of the ''Libellus'' are integrated into the frame of the German ''Gesta Romanorum'', but unlike some of the other ''Seven Sages/Sieben Weise Meister'' versions found in the ''Gesta'', this version closely follows the [[A (Seven Sages)|Version A]] narrative pattern. The exception to this is the inclusion of the story [[Mercator]] in place of [[Puteus]], and a slight reordering of the stories (the order of [[Gaza]] and [[Senescalcus]], which are usually stories 5 and 7, respectively, is here reversed).
+The inclusion of Mercator instead of Puteus is a pattern also replicated in some of the [[Italian Version A]] texts, in particular the [[Italian Prose A]] and the [[Storia favolosa di Stefano]]. The contemporary composition timeframes, and the fact that the Latin ''Allegatio/Libellus'' text - the source for the German version - was composed in Northern Italy, we may perhaps hypothesize about the Mercator/Puteus change across all of these text as a signal of shared narrative inheritance.
 |Has Display Title=German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus
 |Has Language Within Version=German Version A