Three song variants in search of a performer: hartmann’s wê, war umbe trûren wir

Abstract

We, war umbe truren wir appears as Song No. 18 in the Reclam edition of the songs of Hartmann von Aue (edited by Ernst von Reusner), although its authenticity has long been doubted.2 It appears in the two major manuscripts Band C under Hartmann's name as a song of 5 stanzas, in MS E it is attributed to Reinmar and consists of 4 stanzas, in MS m it has 3 stanzas and appears under Walther von der Vogelweide. Reusner makes no definitive comment on the question of authenticity. Yet by basing his edition on the texts appearing in the latest edition of Des Minnesangs Friihling,3 he clearly subscribes to the principles of "New Philology": we should accept what the manuscripts have to offer as genuine records of medieval literary works and should not expect to be able to reduce any variations to a single "authentic" origina.