As a march, an oral narrative was described in middle-high German poetry, and later a kind of report. Since the Mar was spoken orally, it was mostly regarded as unreliable or unbelievable. Between the 13th and 15th century, the concept formed a distinct genre. This was fluctuating, mostly obscene, and a pair of rhymes from four-legged verses. Today the term is used for modern legends as well as for untrue events. The diminutive of Mar, the fairy tale, was already used in the baroque for an untrue, thus fictitious, narrative.
As a march, an oral narrative was described in middle-high German poetry, and later a kind of report. Since the Mar was spoken orally, it was mostly regarded as unreliable or unbelievable. Between the 13th and 15th century, the concept formed a distinct genre. This was fluctuating, mostly obscene, and a pair of rhymes from four-legged verses. Today the term is used for modern legends as well as for untrue events. The diminutive of Mar, the fairy tale, was already used in the Baroque for an untrue, thus fictitious, narrative. The concept derives from the middle-high German mære, which means proclaiming or boasting. From this translation it is already clear what is the fundamental point: namely, the announcement of a message or a message, and therefore a report. Since this was transmitted verbally, but also a narrative, which does not necessarily have to be true. An old proverb sums it up quite well:
The farther the mara flies, the more she lies.
The above example is the core of the genre. On the one hand, the character of the narrative and of the customer comes to bear, and on the other hand the characteristic of the untrue occurrence, which is why the story resembles the lie, the legend, the legend, the fable, and in some respects the anecdote.
In addition to this significance, the Mar is also a happy story and a form of narrative and can, for example, be highlighted in the first strophe of Martin Luther’s Christmas song Vom Himmel. There the term is called twice and means the message that Jesus Christ was born.
Up from the sky, I come here.
I bring you a new new tale,
I bring so much to the good Mar-
Of which I sing’n and want to say.
Hint: In this narrow sense, the term thus describes two things: the message, the message and the message. In the Middle Ages mostly the oral narrative is meant, and in a later meaning the untrue knowledge approximates the fairy tale, also the fairy tale ,
The Mar as a generic concept
In addition to the importance of the message as well as the later meaning of an untrue occurrence, there was also a genre which can be described under this term. This is often referred to as a mare, even if the terms are synonymous, and already arose in the 13th century.
This is a narrative in rhyme pairs formed from four-verse verses. The range is between 200 and 2000 lines and is thus limited. In terms of content, the mise of secular tales, drifting away into vagaries and partly of frivolous and obscene happenings.
This definition can be traced back to Hanns Fischer, the mediavarian poet (studies on the German maritime poetry, Tübingen, 1968), which still divides the Maren into three different types: (1) fluctuating marches, (2) courtly gallant marches, and (3) moral exemplar tales. Mixing forms may occur.
The subjects of such marches are usually of a simple nature: they often deal with unheard-of events, untold coincidences, incredible stories, and thus resemble the story. They also often tell of affairs, stupidities, disasters, and the adventures of ordinary people.
Hans Rosenplüt, Der Stricker, and Heinrich Kaufringer as well as Hans Folz are regarded as important representatives and great fairy tales of the Middle Ages. In addition, the Mären are known by Heinrich dem Teichner, Peter Suchwirt and Konrad von Würzburg. Nevertheless, most Maren are anonymous.
Note: The concept of the species proposed by Fischer is controversial in science, since some Maren may sometimes fail to meet the definition (eg extent), the proposed features being too inaccurate to derive a generic concept. For these reasons, Mediavist Walter Haug suggests that texts of this kind be described as a medieval short story.
Short overview: The most important to the text scene in overview and examples
The term goes back to the middle-high German mære, which can be translated with praise and boast. There are two different things called “mare”. On the one hand, this means a message or a customer, which is usually untrue, and a whole genre in four-verse verses. Today, the term is mostly used for modern myths.
This definition can be traced back to Hanns Fischer, the mediavarian poet (studies on the German maritime poetry, Tübingen, 1968), which still divides the Maren into three different types: (1) fluctuating marches, (2) courtly gallant marches, and (3) moral exemplar tales. Mixing forms may occur.
