Middle Low German thieves’ tales: Ambivalent narratives and cultural adaptations

Abstract

The article deals with the medieval reception of a story originating in the Histories of Herodotus about an Egyptian thief who wins recognition from the pharaoh for his skill. It focuses on late medieval Middle Low German texts (an exemplum from the Historia septem Sapientium and the Deif van Brugghe), in which the ancient narrative was not only translated into the vernacular but also adapted to explore contemporary cultural concerns. For example, a narrative of failing knights thematizes the rejection of the idea of chivalry, and a narrative of a thief's steep social ascent through assimilating behavior reveals ambivalent attitudes toward the hegemonic courtly culture. Inasmuch as the narratives were primarily translated in Middle Low German, they reflect cultural peculiarities of the North German cultural area that are rarely considered in recent medievalist research.Cunning and theft on a grand scale-this is how one could summarize the content of a story about a fictitious Egyptian great king as told by Herodotus in the second book of his Histories. In it, the Pharaoh Rhampsenit has a treasure house built for his countless riches in order to protect them. However, the master builder of the work has a secret entrance constructed in order to steal from the king. On his deathbed, the master builder tells his sons about the secret access, and consequently they also commit theft. When the theft is finally discovered, a criminal prosecution immediately begins in the narrative. One of the thieving sons is apprehended. In order to prevent his own capture, the other son kills his imprisoned brother by decapitating him. In the further course of Herodotus's narrative, the aim is to identify and punish the latest thief. What follows is a back and forth of cunning and counter-cunning, with the thief triumphing in the end. The ultimate twist in this story of norm-breaking is that the thief's masterful competence finds recognition and admiration from the pharaoh.Horodotus's tale of a master thief inspired a wide and repeated reception. A medieval Latin reception began in the German-speaking regions already in the 14th