ABSTRACT
The earliest Arthurian romance composed in the literary language of Germany during the high Middle Ages was Hartmann von Aue's Erec (ca. 1185). A free adaptation of Chretien de Troyes' Erec et Enide, Hartmann's tale found much resonance with a German audience eager to hear such tales of knightly adventure. Hartmann, in reworking an already existent story, set the tone for future Arthurian poets in Germany, who for some time were to rely on French models for the basic outlines of their own works as the stories of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table enjoyed considerable popularity.
