Thomasin von Zirclaere

The noble Cerclaria dynasty from Cividale was among the ministeriales in the Patria del Friuli (Patriarchate of Aquileia), an ecclesiastical Imperial State in Italy.

The title wälsch/welsch (walhaz) refers to himself, as his mother tongue was Italian (or Friulian) and he apologizes in advance for any linguistic inadequacies.

The poem has about 14,750 lines and is written in the Middle High German language with distinct Bavarian elements.

The text is aimed at young nobles lecturing on courtesy, courtly love (minne), and chivalry, based on contemporary scholastic works on ethics, philosophy, and the liberal arts.

The adoption of (Bavarian) Middle High German by a non-native speaker is a valuable contemporary source for linguistic researchers.