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TheWomanTranslatorintheMiddleAges
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Indubitably,thethemeofthecuriousandthewonderfulplaysadecisive
roleintwootherlate-medievaltranslationsmadebywomen.Weremain
inGermany,inthesouth-westandthesouth-eastborderlands.Theseare
thewomenfromthehigheststrataofthesociety:countessElisabethvon
Nassau-Saarbrücken(ca.1397–1456)andEleanorofScotland,Archdu-
chessofAustria(1433–1480).
ElisabethwasadaughterofPrinceFrederickofLorraineandMargaret
ofVaudémontandJoinville,borninVézelisenearNancy,innorth-eastern
France.Herwell-educatedmotherinstilledinherakeenpassionforlate-
medievalchansonsdegeste,epicpoetryofheroicdeeds.In1412,around
theageoffifteen,ElisabethmarriedCountPhilippIofNassau-Saarbrück-
en.Theyhadthreedaughtersandtwosons.Afterherhusband’sdeath,be-
tweentheyears1429–1442,Elisabethruledinthenameofherjuvenile
son(alsonamedPhilipp).Shediedon17thJanuary,1456,andwasburied
intheCollegiateChurchofSt.Arnual,todaylocatedinSaarbrücken.She
isrememberedbytheinscriptiononthestatelytomberectedinthecentre
ofthechurch.
Elisabethseemstohavebeenpredestinedtoactasaliaisonbetweenthe
FrenchandGermancultures.Herfamilywaswell-connected.Reportedly,
whenElisabethwasachild,hermothertranslatedLoherundMaller(Lo-
hieretMallart)fromLatintoFrench,whichherdaughtertranslatedlater
fromFrenchtoGerman.Evenif,assomescholarsassume,themother’s
contributionwasinfactlesssubstantialandlimitedtocollectinganony-
mous13th-and14th-centurymanuscriptsofFrenchpoems(eitherforher-
selforforherdaughter),itdoesnotdiminishtheinspirationalroleofthe
family.ElisabethherselfbequeathedtoherdaughterMargaretacollection
ofbooks,unfortunatelynotknowntous.
TherearespeculationswhetherElisabethcouldalreadyspeakGerman
whenshejoinedherhusband.Ontheonehand,itisratherdoubtful,buton
theotherhand,herhusband,despitevariousconnectionswithneighbour-
ingFrenchterritories,wasnotveryfluentinFrench.Thisissuemattersif
wewanttoanswerthequestiontowhatextentthefourtranslationsattrib-
utedtoElisabethareauthentic.
AllofthemareproseversionsofFrenchchivalricpoemsthematically
relatedtothefigureandtimesofCharlemagne,hissuccessorsandhisen-
emies.Chronologically,thefirstofElisabeth’stalesisHerpin.Theaction
beginsatthecourtofCharlemagne.Breakingtheking’sorder,PrinceHer-
pindeBourgeskillsPrinceClarius,hisenemyandslanderer.Forthisdeed
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