Cyril Edwards

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Cyril Edwards
MA, D.Phil
Medieval German Literature
Institutions
Notable works
  • The Beginnings of German Literature
  • Translations of Middle High German narrative works

Cyril William Edwards (8 August 1947 – 15 July 2019)

translator. Teaching in London and Oxford, he published extensively on the medieval German lyric and Old High German literature, and translated four of the major Middle High German
verse narratives.

Life

Cyril Edwards was born in

Wirral, and Edith Mary Edwards (née Purchase).[2][1]
From
Oxford, graduating in 1970 with a degree in German from Jesus College.[1] He went on to do research, completing a doctoral thesis on Konrad von Würzburg under Ruth Harvey in 1975.[1][3]

In 1976 he took up a Lectureship in German at

Medieval German Literature and History of the German Language.[4]
At Goldsmiths he was responsible for organizing three conferences devoted to Interdisciplinary Medieval Studies, which brought together historians, literary scholars and linguists.[5]

He published over 30 journal articles and book chapters, with a particular focus on

Arthurian Romance.[6] A number of his papers on Old High German literature were collected in the volume The Beginnings of German Literature: comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to Old High German.[7]

A characteristic feature of his scholarship was a concern with examining the original manuscripts of medieval texts, which led to visits to a wide range of libraries and archives in continental Europe.

housebook (Cod. 264)[12] held by the Kremsmünster Abbey.)[13]

In 1994, "despite his record of committed and successful teaching and his internationally recognised distinction in research",[14] Goldsmiths made him redundant on "thematic grounds", a move which gave rise to protests from colleagues in the UK and overseas.[1]

Relocating to Abingdon in 1995, he became a lecturer in German at

Erec and Iwein. Both the Parzival and the Nibelungenlied translations were published in the Oxford World's Classics
series.

His interests and expertise went beyond the medieval: at Oxford he also taught

German Cinema,[15] and he contributed the article on Theodor Fontane to the Dictionary of National Biography.[16] His later publications include two cook books and a book of poems. He was also a tiddlywinks player of some standing, representing both Oxford University and England,[17] and at one point ranked 11th in the world.[18]

Cyril Edwards died of a heart attack, aged 71, on 15 July 2019 in Abingdon. Professor Nigel Palmer wrote, "Cyril was a remarkable figure, a lovable eccentric, a fine scholar with a wide range of cultural interests who had a difficult career. His translations have played an important part in keeping interest in medieval German literature alive in the English-speaking world."[19]

Publications

Medieval literature

Books

  • Edwards, Cyril W. (1975). Aims and Methods of Characterization in the Secular Epics of Konrad von Wurzburg. With Special Reference to 'Engelhard' and 'Partonopier und Meliur' (PhD). Oxford University.
  • ——— (2002). The Beginnings of German Literature. Woodbridge, Suffolk; Rochester New York: Camden House.
    ISBN 1-57113-235-X
    .

Selected articles

Translations

Middle High German literature

Modern works

Other works

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Flood, John (2019). "Cyril Edwards 1947–2019". Friends Newsletter. London: Friends of Germanic Studies at the IMLR: 41–43.
  2. ^ Edwards 2004, p. ix.
  3. ^ Edwards 1975.
  4. ^ Flood, John L., ed. (1988). Handbook of Germanists in Great Britain and Ireland. Bonn: DAAD. p. 89.
  5. doi:10.1093/fmls/XXV.4.289
    .
  6. ^ a b "Publications "Edwards, Cyril W."". Regesta Imperii. Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  7. ^ Edwards 2002.
  8. ^ Edwards 2002, p. xii.
  9. ^ "Kremsmünster, Stiftsbibl., Cod. 248". Marburger Repertorium. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  10. ^ Edwards 1986.
  11. ISBN 978-3777604480
    .
  12. ^ "Kremsmünster, Stiftsbibl., Cod. 264". Marburger Repertorium. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  13. ^ Miller, Tim (27 July 2018). "Cyril Edwards (Interview)". Human Pages. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  14. ^ Palmer, N.F.; Reed, T.J. (28 April 1995). "Letter: German at Goldsmiths College". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Dr C Edwards". Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. Oxford University. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  16. ^ Edwards 2007.
  17. ^ "Home Page". English Tiddlywinks Association. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  18. ^ Barrie, Patrick. "Tiddlywinks World Ratings: Player Profile: Cyril Edwards (RIP)". English Tiddlywinks Association. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  19. ^ Laehnemann, Henrike. "Cyril Edwards". JISCMail. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
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