The Performative Function of the Socialized Body: Falling to One’s Knees in Hartmann’s Iwein and Erec

Non-verbal gestures fulfill a significant role in the narration of courtly romance. In their performative function, they reflect the relationships of characters on a ceremonial as well as on an emotional level. This article examines the negotiation of such display of emotive behavior in the process of cross-cultural translation by comparing the act of genuflection in Chrétien’s Yvain and Erec with their German rewritings.