Lion's share

The fable of the lion's share, known under the titles Des lion's share The lion, the fox and the donkey and the lion with other animals on the hunt, is a traditional variations in animal fable of the ancient Greek poet Aesop.

Content

To design the lion's share, there are two different stories. The first is: lion, donkey and fox go hunting together. At the end When the lion asks the Donkey, to divide the spoils among them, he does so very well. Then the lion tears him full of rage and now commands the fox to divide the spoils. The fox leaves the lion then down to few things his share, whereupon the lion grin asks him who had taught him to share so beautiful. " The mishap of the donkey ," replied the fox. After their moral fable was also called docile fox.

Another processing of the subject is: Lion and Donkey go hunting. The donkey is his speed a, the lion 's strength. After a successful hunting the lion says, " The first of the three piles, which I have divided, belongs to me, for I am your king. The second I get as your Jagdkumpan and as for the third, he will cause you great pain if you do not it make you instantly. "By the end of the fable is warned of the Society of the powerful. This version has the ancient Roman fabulist Phaedrus under the title The hunting party in verse rezipiert ( Fables, 1, 5).

Input in language use

From this fable the German phrase " get the lion's share " comes from. " Lion's share " is used here as a synonym for the major portion of something ( profits, goods, etc. ). In addition, the related private law concept of 'Societas leonina to bring this fable in connection. The term for a society in which all bear the risk, but only one can claim the profit goes back to the Roman judge Gaius Cassius Longinus from the 1st century AD.

The tradition of the fable in the Middle Ages

The Latin versions are always important for the medieval vernacular tradition. This is true in its High German versions also for the fable The lion's share. By the 13th century the fable (the hunting party ) narrated in the first version only in Medieval Latin. In the Vienna Codex 2705 is then the first version in Middle High German, yes in a German tradition ever before. Until 1500 are for this fable in the first version under No. 402 15 German -language versions to count. Among these are 6 Middle High German arrangements: A version is available in each case in the Vienna Codex 2705 and in the gem Ulrich Boner; also edits Henry of Mügeln in Nuremberg's prose Aesop, in the Karlsruhe Codex 408 and Esopus Heinrich Steinhöwels. The medieval Latin versions of Romulus tradition that Recensio Gallicana and Recensio vetus and the version of the anonymous Neveleti are the templates of the authors of these texts.

The story did not change significantly compared to the ancient Greek version of Aesop. The number of animals that attract the lion hunting is in the Latin versions, and thus in the later processing of the Middle Ages different: there are 3 animals. According to the four hunting companions are four prey shares when the lion starts to speak. He always takes four arguments as to why it is entitled to all the booty. Always there is the able argument, the argument of his physical strength, the argument of the insert / trouble / Kampfesnot and the threat that the allusion to the dangers of a fight with him. Sometimes the lion also argues with his speed or plays on his increased food demand.

Examples of the direct speech of the Lion: The speech of the lions in the Romulus version of Recensio Gallicana:

" Ego primus tollo ut leo, secunda pars mea est, eo quod sum fortior vobis. tertiam vero mihi defendo, quia plus vobis cucurri. quartam autem qui tetigerit, inimicum me habebit. " ( set 3-5, lines 10-15)

"I lay claim to the first portion, since I am the lion, the second part is on me, because I 'm stronger than you. The third verily I defend because I ran over her. Whoever attacks the fourth, will have me the enemy. "

The speech of the lions in the oldest Middle High German version, in the Vienna Codex:

He said, "the first part of such beings min, I do want the snellest sin. the other part I wil han, I wan to want verzern chan. the third part of which such beings min, I wan iwr all 'm chvnic. swer the Vierden part wil han, the sol rehte to the enstan: he Muoz always have mine var " (V. 13-21 )

He said [ the lion ], " the first part [ of the booty ] shall be my: I am probably the fastest ( all of you ). The other part I want to have, because my appetite is great. The third part is to be mine, I am your king of all. Who always wants to have the fourth part The is this to be quite fond of: The danger threatens from me (fighting and damage). "

In all High German versions of "The Hunting Party " to 1500 there is a secular doctrine. Each of the powerful against the company warned - This is - with two exceptions. In the version in the Vienna Codex about it is:

Ditze such Mercken div armiv diet vnt sol rivet itself gnozen richen the Alze verre: daz gvt nimt ie the herre vnt laet the poor talk dar. he flvcht, the nimt he was chleinen. (V. 23-28)

This is to remember the helpless people And should society The Mighty avoid. The Good Lord always takes the And lets the subjects speak afterwards ( whine ) Flight of, then he takes [ the Mighty ] that not true at all.

In the version Boners, however, is warned of the powerful per se, and in the version of the Karlsruhe Codex those in power are reversed warned of the threat of retaliation of his subjects, should they lose their power.

For the second version: The fable of the fox is not teachable in verses Phaedrus ', hence not preserved in Romulushandschriften and does not come from ancient Latin tradition. As the oldest surviving version of this fable may apply Ysengrimus after THICKNESS and GRUB MÜLLER an episode. This famous animal epic in Middle Latin language was probably in the middle of the 12th century. written. The plant in elegiac couplets is attributed to a master Nivardus. This name is a cleric from Ghent, suspected in Belgium. As a template for the oldest recorded version of the fable of the fox come docile " karol. Animal poems, " Ecbasis Captivi " [ before 1039 ?], " Fecunda ratis " Egberts v. Liege (approx. 1023), " De lupo " [ 1100 ], oral comm. Narrative material " in question.

References and footnotes

• Fable
• Work of Aesop
• Wolf in art and literature
• Fox in art and literature
• Lion in the Art