Editing Freidank

'''Freidank''' (''Vrîdanc'') was a [[Middle High German]] [[didactic poetry|didactic poet]] of the early 13th century. He is the author of ''Bescheidenheit'' ("practical wisdom, correct judgement, discretion"<ref>Matthias Lexer, ''Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch'' (Leipzig, 1872&ndash;1878), [http://woerterbuchnetz.de/cgi-bin/WBNetz/wbgui_py?sigle=Lexer&mode=Vernetzung&lemid=LB01552#XLB01552 s.v. "bescheidenheit"].</ref>), a collection of rhyming [[aphorism]]s in 53 thematic divisions, extending to some  4,700 verses. The work was extremely popular in the German Middle Ages and is transmitted in numerous manuscripts, as well as in a Latin translation (''Fridangi Discretio'').

==Life==
Nothing about Freidank's life is known with certainty, such hypotheses as there are based on the language and content of his work ''Bescheidenheit''.
He would have been born in the later 12th century, and was likely of [[Duchy of Swabia|Swabia]]n origin.

''Freidank'' (''Vrîdanc'', ''Vrîgedanc'')  literally translates to "free thought"; passages in Freidank's poetry allude to the freedom of thought, and  the name may be an assumed epithet,<ref>Grimm, ''Vridankes Bescheidenheit'' (1834), [https://books.google.com/books?id=XIE6AAAAcAAJ&pg=PR40 40f.]</ref>  although ''Freidank'' (''Fridanc, Fridangus'') is also recorded as a German family name in the later medieval period; one ''Bernhard Freidank'' is mentioned in Helbling's ''[[Lucidarius]]'' (but it has been argued that this may in fact be a reference to the poet himself.<ref>
Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen, ''Germania'', Volume 4 (1841), [https://books.google.com/books?id=nQZJAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA194  194&ndash;210].</ref>).
[[Wilhelm Grimm]] (1834) argued that the author is ''Vrîdanc'' is a pseudonym and that the author of ''Bescheidenheit'' is [[Walter von der Vogelweide]]. This hypothesis was immediately rejected by the majority of scholars; according to [[Karl Bartsch|Bartsch]] (1878), the only German philologist convinced by Grimm's idea was [[Wilhelm Wackernagel|Wackernagel]].<ref>Karl Bartsch, [https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Freidank "Freidank"]  in: ''[[Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie]]'' vol. 7 (1878), 336–338.</ref>

Based on the contents of ''Bescheidenheit'',  its author was educated in writing and proper speech, and it is likely that he was a cleric by education.
It seems likely that in 1228–1229 he was involved in the [[Sixth Crusade]] of the [[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]] emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], as the section about [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] seems to refer to this period.<ref>no. 46 in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=QHgHAAAAQAAJ&dq=freidank+bescheidenheit+von+akers&pg=PA154 W. Grimm edition]; P. 157 line 9 (''Der bû den man ze Jaffe tuot'') refers to the fortifications of [[Jaffa]] built by [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] in 1228/29.</ref>

Freidank may have died in 1233, if he was the ''magister Fridancus'' whose death was reported in the annals of the [[Cistercian]] monastery at [[Kaisheim Abbey|Kaisheim]]. 
The chronicler [[Hartmann Schedel]] claimed to have seen a monument with Freidank's epitaph in Venetian [[Treviso]] in 1465. Gion (1870) argued that the Freidank buried in Treviso died in the 1380s and is not to be confused with the author of the ''Bescheidenheit''.<ref>J. Guion, ''Zeitschrift für deutsche Philologie'' (ZfdPh) 2 (1870), 172ff., cited after Bezzenberger (1872) p. 21.</ref>

==''Bescheidenheit''==
The didactic poem ''Bescheidenheit'' was composed in the early 13th century, between about 1215 and 1230. It is a collection of rhyming [[aphorism]]s in 53 thematic divisions and about 4,700 verses which encapsulate the folk wisdom and experience of the period.  
Critical editions of the work were published by [[Wilhelm Grimm]] (1834, second edition 1860) and by H. E. Bezzenberger (1872, reprinted 1962).

Due to its linguistic elegance, the work was very popular throughout the late medieval period and well into the [[German Renaissance]].
It has been transmitted in numerous manuscripts and also in a [[Middle Latin|Latin]] translation (''"Fridangi Discretio"'') and was quoted by contemporary authors, including [[Hugo von Trimberg]] and [[Rudolf von Ems]]. 
Manuscript editions gave way seamlessly to printed editions ([[Sebastian Brant]], 1508). 
Some quotes have survived as proverbs still current in [[Modern German]]. 
The name of Freidank became a standard authority for wise sayings, and was often invoked as the author of gnomic sayings.<ref>Bezzenberger (1872), 242&ndash;244. E.g. [[Hans Sachs]] (1558) attributes a saying to Freidank that is not actually found in any known text of ''Bescheidenheit'',  "Freidank spricht 'schweigen ist gar gut, reden besser, wer im recht thut.'"</ref>

Grimm divided the work into 54 sections or chapters, as follows:
1. {{lang|gmh|von gote}} ([[God in Christianity|God]]),
1b. {{lang|gmh|von dem avê Marjâ}} ([[Hail Mary]]),
2. {{lang|gmh|von der messe}} ([[Catholic mass|mass]]),
3. {{lang|gmh|von der sele}} (the [[soul]]),
4. {{lang|gmh|von dem menschen}} ([[Human|Man]]),
5. {{lang|gmh|von den juden}} ([[Jews in the Middle Ages|Jews]]),
6. {{lang|gmh|von den ketzern}} ([[heresy|heretics]]),
7. {{lang|gmh|von wuocher}} ([[usury]]),
8. {{lang|gmh|von hôchverte}} ([[pride]]),
9. {{lang|gmh|von der werlde}} (the [[world]]),
10. {{lang|gmh| von sünden}} ([[sins]]),
11. {{lang|gmh|von dem rîchen und armen}} (rich and poor),
12. {{lang|gmh|von triuwe und untriuwe}} ([[Good faith|faith/truth]] and faithlessness/untruth),
13. {{lang|gmh|von dieben}} ([[theft|thieves]]),
14. {{lang|gmh|von spile}} ([[entertainment|play, sport]]),
15. {{lang|gmh|von dieneste}} ([[fealty|service]]),
16. {{lang|gmh|von rehte und unrehte}} ([[Morality|right and wrong]]),
17. {{lang|gmh|von dem alter}} (age),
18. {{lang|gmh|von edele unde tugende}}' ([[nobility]] and  [[virtue]]),
19. {{lang|gmh|von blinden}} (the [[blindness|blind]]),
20. {{lang|gmh|von dem honege}} ([[honey]]),
21. {{lang|gmh|von gewinne und guote}} ([[property|profit and possessions]]),
22. {{lang|gmh|von sorgen}} ([[sorrow (emotion)|sorrow]]),
23. {{lang|gmh|von arzâten unde siechen}} ([[medicine|leeches and the sick]]),
24. {{lang|gmh|von nîde}} ([[envy]]),
25. {{lang|gmh|von lobe}} ([[praise]]),
26. {{lang|gmh|von scheltenne}} ([[scold]]ing),
27. {{lang|gmh|von gesellen}} ([[Friendship|fellowship]]),
28. {{lang|gmh|von zorne}} ([[wrath]]),
29. {{lang|gmh|von dem himelrîche und der helle}} ([[heaven]] and [[hell]]),
30. {{lang|gmh|von den pfaffen}} ([[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priests, clerics]]),
31. {{lang|gmh|von künegen und fürsten}} ([[king]]s and [[Princes of the Holy Roman Empire|princes]]),
32. {{lang|gmh|von den wîsen unde tôren}} (the [[wisdom|wise]] and fools),
33. {{lang|gmh|von milten und von kargen}} (the [[generosity|generous]] and the avaricious),
34. {{lang|gmh|von der 'ere}} ([[honour]]),
35. {{lang|gmh|von trunkenheite}} ([[alcoholism|inebriation]]),
36. {{lang|gmh|von friunden}} ([[friendship|friends]]),
37. {{lang|gmh|von minne und wiben}} ([[courtly love|love]] and women),
38. {{lang|gmh|von erkantnisse}} ([[epistemology|insight]]),
39. {{lang|gmh|von dem hunger}} ([[hunger]]),
40. {{lang|gmh|von wâne}} ([[insanity|madness]]),  
41. {{lang|gmh|von guote und übele}} ([[good and evil]]),
42. {{lang|gmh|von unkünde}} (the unknown),
43. {{lang|gmh|von tieren}} ([[animal|beasts]]),
44. {{lang|gmh|von schatze und pfenninge}} ([[wealth]] and [[money]]),
45. {{lang|gmh|von Rôme}} ([[Rome]]), 
46. {{lang|gmh|von Âkers}} ([[Acre, Israel|Acre]]),
47. {{lang|gmh|von der zungen}} ([[language]]),
48. {{lang|gmh|von liegenne unde triegenne}} ([[lie]]s and deceptions),
49. {{lang|gmh|von dem Endekriste}} (the [[Antichrist]]),
50. {{lang|gmh|von den zehen geboten}} ([[the Ten Commandments]]),
51. {{lang|gmh|von dem tôde}} ([[death]]),  
52. {{lang|gmh|von dem jungesten tage}} (the [[Last Judgment]]),
53. {{lang|gmh|ein gebet}} (a prayer).

==See also==
*[[Goliard]]
*''[[Der Renner]]''

==Editions==
* W. Grimm, [https://books.google.com/books?id=QHgHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP6 ''Vridankes Bescheidenheit''] (1834; 2nd ed. 1860).
*H. E. Bezzenberger, [http://brittlebooks.library.illinois.edu/brittlebooks_open/Books2008-02/bezzehe0001frides/ Fridankes ''Bescheidenheit''] (1872).

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Freidank |short=x}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Wikiquotelang|de|Freidank}}
* {{Internet Archive author}}
*{{DNB portal|118535188|TYP=}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:12th-century births]]
[[Category:13th-century deaths]]
[[Category:Christians of the Fifth Crusade]]
[[Category:Christians of the Sixth Crusade]]
[[Category:Medieval writers about the Crusades]]
[[Category:13th-century German poets]]
[[Category:German male poets]]