Amor Inordinata in Hartmann's "Gregorius"

Abstract

HARTMANN'S Gregorius is concerned largely with the vicissitudes of a man who is the product of an incestual relationship between brother and sister.' These, it is made absolutely clear, begin at the very moment of his birth and are the direct result of it. How, then, does the poet intend this highly abnormal sexual relationship to be viewed, and what inferences can be drawn from it with regard to the hero's own guilt and atonement? In recent years a number of attempts have been made to interpret the poem and in particular to assess the guilt of Gregorius himself, but no clear agreement has been reached.2 It is possible, however, that a reexamination of the case, starting from the parents' incest, which has such dire consequences, may lead to a better understanding of the poet's intentions. In his description of the events leading up to the conception of Gregorius, Hartmann gives special prominence to the fraternal love of his father for his mother while they are still only brother and sister. On his death-bed their father laments the fact that he has not made adequate provision for his daughter. He frankly confesses that this was unviterlich getan (242) and in his belated compassion for her he commends her to his son's love and care, with the injunction that his brotherly love must compensate her for his own lack of fatherly love (262). The intentional contrast of unvdterltch and bruoderltchen concentrates attention on the bond of family union, the need for love and affection between those of the same flesh and blood. In this case the need is particularly great, since an imbalance must be rectified: the daughter has been unfairly treated and is all the more deserving of the love and compassion, the caritas, of her brother. The father having fallen short in this respect, the brother should make up, or atone, for his failure. This he does in full measure: