From the erotic scandal to the violent scandalous: The translation of the Fablel into the courtly verse novella Mauritius von Craûn. Intercultural transformations as results of translation strategies

Translating a literary text does not only make it available in another language; translation also reflects on changing cultural, ethical, religious, and philosophical conditions. Comparing the original text with the translated version allows for powerful insights into intercultural relationships and transformations. This article examines how a Middle High German poet rendered the Old French fablel "Du chevalier qui recovra l'amor de sa dame" into the verse narrative Mauritius von Craûn in order to highlight how much the drastic changes in content and structure also reflect fundamental changes in the cultural conditions in the courtly world. As a consequence we can comprehend a more diversified and complex concept of literary translations both in the Middle Ages and today.