Minnesong

The middle high German word minne means “affection”or “affectionate regard.” Similar to jousting, hunting successes, and acts of bravery in war, the Minnesang, or medieval German love lyric, is a form of knightly – that is, male – competition popular among the nobility of the 12th and 13th centuries. In Minnesang, an unattainable woman of high social standing is venerated.

The singer declares and describes his love to her, serenading her in formally rigorous and sometimes very elaborate verses. Real experience was probably not the source of the poetry.

Minnesang was a nonviolent form of contest on the fields of language and singing. As a descendant of the troubadour from the South of France, Minnesang developed its own rich diversity. The most important manuscript on the topic is the Manesse Codex, a compilation of around 6,000 verses by 140 poets. The most well-known today is Walther von der Vogelweide,

who often employed variations in pattern and formula. For example, he also wrote Mädchenlieder, songs which portrayed consummate love from the perspective of a woman.