The Forest in Medieval German Literature: Ecocritical Readings from a Historical Perspective

Cultural and literary historys are always somehow determined by natural history. The role of the forest in medieval German literature proves to be of supreme importance since the protagonists constantly find themselves in the dense realm of woods. Some of the woods challenge the characters existentially, while others provide shelter and protection to the protagonists. Pursuing an ecocritical reading, this monograph examines critical passages in some of the most important works in medieval German literature where protagonists operate in the forest and find themselves either in a conflictual situation or in a refuge. The natural environment of the fest, as presented by medieval German authors, offers new perspectives which will make the reading of this important corpus of premodern literature most relevant once again for the postmodern world. Both our current concerns with the forest as the green lungs of the entire environment and our past fascination with the forest in texts such as fairy tales connect us directly with the observations about the forest by medieval German poets. The special angle pursued in this study will allow us to reread some of the most important Middle High German narratives from a fresh perspective, shedding significant light on the hidden messages conveyed by the poets in their quest for meaning in human existence.