Vernacular Literary Theory in the Middle Ages

ThefirsteditionofthisbookappearedinGermanin1985,andsetanagendaforthestudyofmedievalliterarytheory.Ratherthanseeingvernacularwriters'reflectionsontheirart,asfoundinprologues,epiloguesandinterpolationsinliterarytexts,asmerelyderivingfromestablishedLatintraditions,WalterHaugshowsthattheymarkedthegradualemancipationofanindependentvernacularpoeticsthatwenthandinhandwithchangingnarrativeforms.WhilefocusingprimarilyonmedievalGermanwriters,HaugalsotakesintoaccountFrenchliteratureofthesameperiod,andtheprinciplesunderlyinghisargumentareequallyrelevanttomedievalliteratureinEnglishoranyotherEuropeanlanguage.