The Textual Transmission of Ovid’s Metamorphoses during the Medieval Age: the Example of Germany

The aim of the paper is to investigate the rescript of the episode of Narcissus and Echo written by Ovid (Ov. Met. 3.339–510) in the work published in 1545 by Jörg Wickram; this text is a remake of the corrupted work made by Albrecht von Halberstadt, dating back to a period between the late twelfth and early 13th century. Furthermore, the accurate investigation of the German texts compared to the Latin one stressed the following differences: - type of metra; - exegetical inserts and omissions; - tendency to moralization. Regarding the metra, the transposition from Latin hexameters to octosyllabic verses implies that Wickram’s text surpassed the original work, because the vulgarizer deletes some episodes or expands others. Concerning the exegetical insertions and omissions, complex surnames and epithets derived from geographical or divine names are often simplified by the German author, who probably did not understand the Latin model; on the other hand, we ought not to forget that Wickram worked for an audience lacking erudite background. Referring to the tendency to moralization, the author often omits the use of expressions that are clearly bound to the erotic sphere and does not give space to the physical dimension of love. In addition, he does not remark the ephebic nature of Narcissus’ sexuality, which attracts both males and females. In conclusion, Wickram’s "Metamorphoses" represented a rescript of Narcissus and Echo’s episode, rather than a property translation; Wickram paid little attention to the style of the original text, focusing mainly on the transmission of the structure of the episode, rather than trying to reproduce the Latin wordplays. The differences introduced by the German author could have been produced by a lack of direct examination of ancient sources, but the understanding of the Latin text would have bene possible for Wickram thanks to the presence of a glossed manuscript and to the help of a school teacher who probably simplified the translation of Ovid’s "Metamorphoses".