Walther Von Der Vogelweide - Life History

Life History

For all his fame, Walther's name is not found in contemporary records, with the exception of a solitary mention in the travelling accounts of Bishop Wolfger of Erla of the Passau diocese: "Walthero cantori de Vogelweide pro pellicio v solidos longos"--"To Walther the singer of the Vogelweide five shillings for a fur coat." The main sources of information about him are his own poems and occasional references by contemporary Minnesingers. He was a knight, but probably not a wealthy or landed one. His whole name (in English "Sir Walter of the Bird-Field") suggests that he didn't have a grant of land, since "bird-field" is a general geographic surname like "forest", "hill" or "rivers", not the name of a specific place. He probably was knighted for military bravery and, like a Knight Bachelor of England or samurai in Japan, was initially a retainer in a wealthy, noble household and had rooms in that castle before beginning his travels.