Parzival

The narrator—Wolfram von Eschenbach—begins Parzival with a prologue, describing his motivations for writing the story. He sets the stage for his “long tale” (1.3.15), which will not actually begin with Parzival himself, but with his father, Gahmuret.

In the kingdom of Anjou, second-born sons like Gahmuret do not inherit anything. The kingdom is passed to the first-born son. When Gahmuret’s father dies, however, a group of princes gathers to petition Gahmuret’s older brother, Galoes. They ask Galoes to show love to Gahmuret and provide him with resources, men, and land. Galoes agrees to provide Gahmuret with “this and more besides” (1.6.14). Gahmuret decides to leave Anjou with a large retinue, furnished upon him by his brother. He decides to travel to the Middle East, to prove himself “capable” (1.9.14) in the land of Baruch, near modern-day Baghdad. Since the Middle East is not considered to be a “Christian place,” Gahmuret is expected to face many non-Christian foes. These will be part of Gahmuret’s “knightly deeds”(1.11.4).

The Baruch is a ruler in the Middle East. According to local people, “two thirds of the earth or more [are] subject to him” (1.13.10-11). The Baruch agrees to hire Gahmuret, who fights many battles across “heathendom” (1.