ABSTRACT
The conscious appropriation and unique combination of elements from diverse intellectual spheres underlies Gottfried’s use of animal lore and imagery as well. Isolde is described as bird, specifically a falcon, in two passages: the scene in which she appears with her mother before the Irish court and in the account of the effects of the love potion. A. T. Hatto seems to overlook lines 1096465, which describe the effect of Isolde’s appearance on the men at court. The image of Isolde’s ensnarement in the lime tree of love recalls the same image used in the story of Tristan’s parents in connection with Tristan’s father, Riwalin. The boar, understood as the symbol of bravery and inconquerability in battle, is relativized, however, even at this stage: the shield with the boar is mentioned only in conjunction with the helmet and its emblem of love, which clearly anticipates the next phase of Tristan’s life.
