White Book of Sarnen [SEP] language of work or name
White Book of Sarnen
The White Book of Sarnen () is a collection of medieval manuscripts compiled in the late 15th century by Hans Schriber, state secretary ("Landschreiber") in the canton of Obwalden. This volume, 258 pages in length, was given its name because of the white parchment in which it is bound. The White Book of Sarnen contains the earliest surviving reference to the Swiss national hero William Tell.
Composition and Structure.
The "White Book of Sarnen" was composed in 1474 by
" contains the earliest of any surviving William Tell tales, it did not contribute much to the popularity of the William Tell legend, as only a small number of people, such as the two chroniclers Petermann Etterlin and Aegidius Tschudi, had access to this document.
The only surviving copy of the "White Book of Sarnen", which was long believed to be lost, was only accidentally discovered in 1856. However, researchers tend to disagree on whether or not the "White Book of Sarnen", which is preserved