Early Yiddish Epic

by Jerold Frakes

Overview

Unlike most other ancient European, Near Eastern, and Mediterranean civilizations, Jewish culture surprisingly developed no early epic tradition: while the Bible comprises a broad range of literary genres, epic is not among them. Not until the late medieval period, Beginning in the fourteenth century, did an extensive and thriving epic tradition emerge in Yiddish.

Among the few dozen extant early epics, there are several masterpieces, of which ten are translated into English in this volume. Divided between the religious and the secular, the book includes eight epics presented in their entirety, an illustrative excerpt from another epic, and a brief heroic prose tale.These texts have been chosen as the best and the most interesting representatives of the genre in terms of cultural history and literary quality: the pious "epicizing" of biblical narrative, the swashbuckling medieval courtly epic, Arthurian romance, heroic vignettes, intellectual high art, and popular camp.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815633556
Publisher:	Syracuse University Press
Publication date:	07/07/2014
Series:	Judaic Traditions in LIterature, Music, and Art
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	520
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Jerold C. Frakes is professor of English at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction ix

Abbreviations liii

Midrashic Epic

1 Abraham Our Father Avrom ovinu 3

2 Joseph the Righteous Yousefha-tsadik 12

3 Book of Samuel Seyfer Shmuel 15

4 The Binding of Isaac Akeydas Titskhok 149

"Secular" Epic

5 Duke Horant Dukus Horant 159

6 Vidvilt Vidvilt 181

7 Bovo of Antona Bovo d'Antona 238

8 Pariz and Viene Pariz un Viene 317

Appendix A The Book of Kings Seyfer Melokhim (Excerpts) 407

Appendix B Briyo and Zirnro Briyo ve-Zimro 419

Notes 431

Bibliography 453

Editorial Reviews

This valuable book will do much to disseminate knowledge of early Yiddish writing to a wider readership than has hitherto had access to it. . . . Highly Recommended.

Choice

This volume is made up of translations into English of some of the most important of both 'religious' and 'secular' Yiddish epic poems. There is a general introduction that puts the epics in context and in addition, there is a separate introduction and notes for each individual epic. . . .This book should be basic for studies of medieval and early modern Judaism and for work on premodern religious attitudes.

Religious Studies Review

Frakes renders both text and textual history with a considered lucidity that should satisfy the curiosity of the general reader as well as the keen eye of the scholar.

In GEVEB: A Journal of Yiddish Studies

This valuable book will do much to disseminate knowledge of early Yiddish writing to a wider readership than has hitherto had access to it. . . .Highly Recommended.

Choice Reviews

Frakes renders both text and textual history with a considered lucidity that should satisfy the curiosity of the general reader as well as the keen eye of the scholar.

In GEVEB: A Journal of Yiddish Studies - Rachel Wamsley

This valuable book will do much to disseminate knowledge of early Yiddish writing to a wider readership than has hitherto had access to it..Highly Recommended.

CHOICE - H. I. Needler

This volume is made up of translations into English of some of the most important of both ''religious'' and ''secular'' Yiddish epic poems. There is a general introduction that puts the epics in context and in addition, there is a separate introduction and notes for each individual epic..This book should be basic for studies of medieval and early modern Judaism and for work on premodern religious attitudes.

Religious Studies Review - Shaul Stampfer