Working on the causa. On a Diagrammatic Reading of the Dispute and the Consultation of King Vergulaht in Book 8 of ›Parzival‹

Abstract

This article deals with the controversial figure of Liddamus in ›Parzival‹ research. Previous studies on the dispute between Liddamus and Kingrimursel preceding King Vergulaht’s consultation have focused in particular on the different moral standpoints of the characters involved in the discussion. The following considerations, however, employ a diagrammatic reading. The contradictory relationship between the various positions is revealed by the motifs of râche, êre, and sippe, which are central to the causa: Kingrimursel’s desire for râche, his efforts to restore his personal êre, and his call for a judicial duel point to a hierarchical-agonistic mode of thinking that ultimately leads to an asymmetrical outcome. In contrast, Liddamus represents a symmetrical or concentric way of thinking based on the idea of the êre of the sippe. This discrepancy also explains Kingrimursel’s exclusion from the subsequent consultation: the symmetrical conversation between the king and his advisors can thus remain unaffected. The interplay of diagrammatic models conveys an irresolvable ambiguity that always precedes the causa.