“Ulfilas,” ŭl´fĭ-las. (310-381.) The family of Ulfilas were Christians supposed to have been carried away by the Goths. In 341 he became the bishop of these people and soon induced a number of them to leave their warlike life to settle a colony in Mœsia. Here he cultivated the arts of peace, doing much to civilize the people. He introduced an alphabet of twenty-four letters and translated all of the Bible except the book of Kings. This work is the earliest known specimen of the Teutonic language.
“Wolfram von Eschenbach,” fon esh´en-bäk. He lived at the close of the twelfth century. A nobleman by birth and a soldier in the civil wars. He joined the court of Hermann of Thuringia in the castle of Wartburg (where Luther escaped after the Diet of Worms) and was a contestant in the famous musical contest called “The war of the Wartburg.” Leaving here he afterward sang at many other courts, dying in 1225.
“Parzival” or Parcival, par´ci-val.
“Holy Grail.” The chalice said to have been used by Christ at the Last Supper and in which the wine was changed to blood. As the legend runs it fell into the hands of Joseph of Arimathea, by whom it was held for centuries, but finally, at his death, it passed to his descendants, with whom it remained until its possessor sinned; then the cup disappeared. The Knights of the Round-Table sought it, but until Sir Galahad no man was found so pure in heart and life that he could look upon it. Sir Galahad in some romances is called Sir Percival or Parzival. Eisenbach wrote another romance, “Titural,” founded on the same legend.
“Gottfried,” gott´freed; “Tristram and Iseult,” trĭs´tram, is´eult; “Gudrun,” gu´drun.
“Walther von der Vogelweide,” wäl´ter fon der fō´gel-wī´deh. (1165?-1228?) Walter “from the bird meadow.” He lived some time at Wartburg and was a friend of King Philip and of Frederick II. He died on a little estate the latter had given him.
“Sachenspiegel.” Codex of the Saxon law.
“Schwabenspiegel.” Codex of the Swabian law.
“Berthold,” bĕr´tōlt. (1215-1272.) His love for the poor led him to zealous work in their behalf. Through many years he preached in the open air in Germany, Switzerland and Hungary.
“Eckhart,” ĕk´hart. The father of German speculative thought, as Bach calls him, was a Dominician monk who attempted to reform his order but preached so exalted a philosophy that the Pope demanded a recantation. Eckhart never gave this but claimed that his views were entirely orthodox. His prose is among the purest specimens in the German language.