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The Deeds of Wiprecht

Providential Gloss


In this event, I think, we can discern nothing other than divine providence, which has a care for all. Thus Wiprecht, to whom God’s mercy provided such great things in the future, was miraculously snatched away from the present danger. 'For the sake of your salvation,' he said, 'since we just proved by this test that you are blessed.'

Analysis

This insertion almost certainly originated as a marginal note.  It offers an alternate interpretation of Wiprecht's encounter with the lion, probably alluding to the biblical hero Samson, as well as to Daniel in the lion's den.  The manuscript's scribe-compiler probably made editorial changes to integrate the note with the core text.  Still, this gloss undermines the original moral of the "Lion" text.  While it sought to distance Wiprecht from Henry IV and portray the king as a bad lord, Henry's trick is here understood as well-intentioned, that is, to prove Wiprecht blessed by God.  

This gloss probably dates considerably later than most of the rest of the text, from a time when the politics of Henry IV and Henry V's reign had substantially receded from relevance and Wiprecht himself was remembered as Pegau's founder for spiritual reasons unencumbered by political concerns.