Middle Low German thieves’ tales: Ambivalent narratives and cultural adaptations

Abstract

AbstractThe article deals with the medieval reception of a story originating in the Histories of Herodotus about an Egyptian thief who wins recognition from the pharaoh for his skill. It focuses on late medieval Middle Low German texts (an exemplum from the Historia septem Sapientium and the Deif van Brugghe), in which the ancient narrative was not only translated into the vernacular but also adapted to explore contemporary cultural concerns. For example, a narrative of failing knights thematizes the rejection of the idea of chivalry, and a narrative of a thief's steep social ascent through assimilating behavior reveals ambivalent attitudes toward the hegemonic courtly culture. Inasmuch as the narratives were primarily translated in Middle Low German, they reflect cultural peculiarities of the North German cultural area that are rarely considered in recent medievalist research.