Lutwin's Eva und Adam

16. Eve prays to the Sun

Codex Vindob. 2980, Folio 48r, 145 x 106 mm (including rubric). Placed before l. 1738 and illustrates ll. 1714-1737.

Rubric

How Eve pined for her husband and prayed to the sun and asked it to tell Adam of her suffering etc.

Text

Now it so happened that one night in her suffering she thought of Adam's being in the east. She said: "Who will tell Adam there of my suffering? Hear my complaint, I beg you, stars and sun, and for the sake of the beauty and joy that God gave you, may you tomorrow, the moment you come to the place in the east where you shine, bewail all my sufferings to Adam, my lord, and do not keep secret from him how great my sorrows are. I should feel better, I know well, if I could only see Adam, whatever were to happen afterwards. Dear sun, be now so good, since you are all pure light, and tell my dear husband that I am suffering anguish in my heart which, I think, is his doing. Dear sun, listen to me, for I have no other messenger, bring me soon the man who abandoned me here all on my own. (1714-1737, Translation by Halford, 1984, p. 266)

Analysis

"Eve, lying naked on the ground with a swollen stomach, is praying to the sun. The sun is yellow, has human features, and is drawn in the margin next to the rubric" (Halford, 1980, p. 23.)

Bibliography

Halford, M-B. Illustration and Text in Lutwin's Eva und Adam: Codex Vindob. 2980, Goppinger Arbeiten zur Germanistik, 303; Stuttgart: Kummerle Verlag, 1980.

Halford, M-b. Lutwin's Eva und Adam, Goppingen Arbeiten zur Germanistik, Goppingen: Kummerle Verlag, 1984.