Medieval translation as 'certamen': The Germanic versions of ''Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion''

The phenomenon of medieval translation has been discussed many times, resulting in the conflicting premises that either medieval translation was not as faithful to the original as its modern counterpart, or that medieval translators were excessively literal. These points of view are informed by the modern tradition and tend to ignore two very important points: (1) medieval translation is rooted in a strong educational tradition, and (2) considerable disagreement exists today over exactly what constitutes a translation.This dissertation analyzes the phenomenon of medieval translation from the point of view of Western classical traditions, in particular those affecting education. It becomes clear that medieval academic disciplines were based solidly on the classical authorities of Greece and Rome. The development of these disciplines, most importantly grammar and rhetoric, are of great significance in this study, because they taught students how to treat received texts.In order to illustrate the practice of medieval translation, the following Germanic versions of Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion will be compared to the Old French original of Chretian de Troyes: (1) Iwein (Middle High German, Hartmann von Aue c.1200); (2) Ivens saga (Old Norse, Anonymous c.1250); (3) Ywain and Gawain (Middle English, Anonymous c.1350); (4) Herr Ivan Lejonriddaren (Old Swedish, Anonymous 1302). In the course of the analysis the focus is not on individual words or lines, but on the episodes which constituted the basic units of the work. This wider perspective illustrates the rhetorical devices used by the author, in particular amplification and abbreviation. Conclusions will be drawn concerning the author/translator's view of his original, his relationship to the audience for whom the work is intended, and lastly, his perception of his own role as transmitter.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio