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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 January 2025
The Legend of the True Cross included in this volume is written by Heinrich von Freiberg, also widely known for his continuation of the Tristan-romance (late thirteenth century). Because of stylistic imperfections, Heinrich's Kreuzholzlegende is viewed as an early work. The history of the wooden cross on which Christ died belongs among the most popular medieval legends. In fact, it constitutes a logical continuation of the Life of Adam and Eve, the Vita Adae et Evae, which relates the fortunes of the first two human beings after the Fall. Frequently the end of that legend is connected with elements of the legend of the True Cross, resulting in ‘corrupted’ texts. The Life of Adam and Eve, originally handed down in a Latin text, is represented in Middle High German literature in various forms, especially in the several chronicles (Christherre-Chronik, Heinrich von München's Weltchronik), by an otherwise unknown poet calling himself ‘Lutwin’, in a translation of the Latin source by Hans Folz and in the late medieval drama.
Heinrich's version of the legend of the True Cross has come down in only one (paper) manuscript: Vienna (ÖNB) Cod. 2885, fol. 196b-205c.
The Legenda aurea devotes two chapters to the legend of the Holy Cross: the ‘Finding of the Cross’ (‘Invention’) and the ‘Elevating of the Cross’ (‘Exaltation’) by the emperor Heraclius. The chapter on the finding of the Cross in the Legenda not only includes the history of the origin and provenance of the Cross, but also the subsequent history up to the rediscovery of the Cross by the emperor Constantine's mother Helena. Heinrich's version deviates strikingly from the Legenda. First of all, he limits himself to the vicissitudes of the Cross up to Christ's death. Then he relates numerous details which are either lacking in the Legenda aurea or appear there in a different form. These additions and deviations are doubtless owing to Heinrich's source, a Latin prose legend from ca.1220, of which he adopted the substance fairly precisely. The poet states this source, actually, in his introductory prayer calling on God for help with his translation “… sô daz ich bringe ûz latîn/ … in diutsche wort sô süeze” (73-75).
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