Types of Minne in Hartmann von Aue's Erec and Iwein

Abstract

The Arthurian Legends Erec and Iwein, adapted from material by Chrétien de Troyes by Hartmann von Aue discuss, among other things, the issue of minne, the Middle High German term for "love." In this study, I use close reading, language analysis, and the historical-critical method to investigate the various types of minne found in Erec and Iwein. Hartmann uses material from classical antiquity, the Aeneid in particular, as an allegory for the minne between Erec and his wife Enite and as a model for the character Vrou Minne, who appears in both works. I aim to demonstrate that Vrou Minne is modeled on the portrayals of goddesses from antiquity and that she becomes more of a developed figure in Iwein. I also demonstrate that in Erec, the minne is divided into three different types: anderre minne, kreftige minne, and guote minne. Anderre minne constitutes the minne Erec and Enite first experience for each other and is dominated completely by sexual pursuits. Kreftige minne is the sort of minne that men experience for Enite, which overwhelms their senses and leads to their ruin. The ideal type of love that Erec and Enite obtain at the end of the story is the balanced guote minne, which is an integral part of their lives as partners and rulers. Iwein discusses the theme of grôze minne between Iwein and his wife Laudine, which does not undergo the same development as depicted in Erec.