Material Narratology: Rhythm and voice in the Vorau Manuscript 276

The Vorau manuscript 276 is considered one of the most important sources for German-language literature of the 12th century. In scholarly research, it is generally interpreted within a salvational perspective as a paradigmatic case of a conceptual compilation manuscript.

The project strives to differentiate this thesis and focuses less on content than on narrative specifics and their relation to the material design and structuring of the manuscript, using the categories of voice and rhythm as examples. Particular attention will be given to elements that resist a salvational conception in the sense of a more or less continuous narrative about the lives of great rulers: female voices and non-narrative passages. The project will support two doctoral positions for four years.