Landgraf Ludwig von Thüringen

Landgraf Ludwig von Thüringen, a Middle High German epic poem written by an unnamed priest for Duke Bolko I of Schweidnitz-Jauer, probably c.1300. A clumsily written poem of some 8, 000 lines, it narrates the heroic actions of Ludwig III of Thuringia (d. 1190), elder brother of the well-known patron of literature Landgrave Hermann, on a crusade in the Holy Land. The basis of the poem, which relies, at least in part, on Latin sources, is historical, though it confuses events and persons. The poet was influenced by Ulrich von Etzenbach, and his portrayal of the Saracens as chivalrous warriors recalls Wolfram von Eschenbach.