SOURCE: Thomas, J. W. Introduction to Eilhart von Oberge's Tristrant, translated by J. W. Thomas, pp. 1-46. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1978.

In the following excerpt, Thomas encapsulates the manuscript tradition of Eilhart's Tristant and summarizes what is known of the poet's life. The critic continues by examining structure, style, narrative technique, and the theme of fate in the poem.

Author and Text

Composed some time between 1170 and 1190, the Tristrant of Eilhart von Oberge is the earliest complete account of the tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde and the version which, according to many scholars, most closely resembles the lost original.¹ As such, it is an invaluable reference point for all studies of the medieval Tristan material: its origins, as well as its widespread literary exploitation during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. However, Eilhart's epic poem is also important in its own right and was popular in...