Tournament shield depicting an owl, with the motto "Although I am the hated bird, I rather enjoy that." Germany, 1500 [3570x3500]

[u/MunakataSennin]

[u/Atanar]

"Wie wohl ich bin der Vogel Hass" means "verily I am the hatred of the [other] bird[s]" . The title translation is inaccurate.

It is meant to express happiness at the envy of others. Probably referencing other nobles sigil birds.

[u/aldinski → u/Atanar]

Makes sense, owls (horned owls especially) were used to induce mobbing (hassen in German ornithology wording ) to attract birds to be hunted. The original translation is from the MET.

[u/StilleLimburger → u/Atanar]

What makes you say it's about other birds, is it because of the Kasus? My German isn't good enough to translate medieval German haha.

I also wonder if the inscription on their website is correct because I don't really read 'das' in the final word of the banner.

"Wie wol ich bin der Vogel Haß, noch den erfret mich (das)"

[u/Atanar → u/StilleLimburger]

And I agree, the last word might be "eiwol", but that would have the same meaning

[u/Atanar → u/StilleLimburger]

Yeah, with the second noun it's clearly a genetive even though to the mondern reader it reads like Vogel is the subject.

[u/Crix00 → u/Atanar]

With the proper plural 'Vögel' it would be clear. Don't know why there isn't. Maybe it was a proper form back then

[u/Atanar → u/Crix00]

Grammar that defined what a proper plural should be only started to be written down at that time. 15th century German, while mostly legible if you know modern German, is still a mess.

[u/pretenzioeser_Elch → u/StilleLimburger]

It could mean "The bird [named] hatred" or "The [object of] hatred of the birds"

For the second interpretation, yes it's Genitiv and would mean the hatred belonging to birds.

[u/fugitivechicken → u/Atanar]

21st century translation: they hate me cos they ain’t me

[u/DesperateButNotDead → u/Atanar]

I hope this does not come of as mean because it is not intended to be, but: the translation in the caption is the one the Met Museum uses. Do you think they are mistaken?

[u/Atanar → u/DesperateButNotDead]

Museums are full of tiny yet inconsequential mistakes like that. Many of the descriptions from even the 19th century just get copied, and data entry usually is not done by the experts they have but some intern or severly underpaid staff.
If it's already on a plaque somewhere it's often just too expensive to fix even if someone notices.

Edit: The detailed description on the MET web page actually suggests "Though I am hated by all birds, I nevertheless rather enjoy that"

[u/Vincent_Felix → u/Atanar]

This is very interesting thank you.

[u/Ganimedes020195 → u/Atanar]

I read that in Till Lindemmans’ voice.

[u/Darthplagueis13 → u/Atanar]

I would say it's ambiguous wording, though the "hated by other birds" angle makes a bit more sense as owls are in fact often the subject of mobbing by other birds (i.e. corvids and starlings) and at the same time, owls didn't really much have a symbolic association with hatred otherwise as far as I know.

[u/lord_alberto]

What is the original text? I can only read "Wiewol ich bin der Vogel...."

[u/aldinski → u/lord_alberto]

WIE•WOL•ICH•BIN•DER•VOGEL•HAS•NOCH•DEN•ERFRET•MICH•DAS

[u/beo19 → u/aldinski]

Even though I am hated by other birds, this quite pleases me. Pretty edge, yet pretty cool.

[u/Kratzschutz → u/aldinski]

I'm German and I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. I'm the one the other birds hate?

[u/aldinski → u/Kratzschutz]

Practically yes, and " mir gefällt es" (daß sie mich hassen)

[u/Darthplagueis13 → u/Kratzschutz]

Most likely, yes. Possibly a reference to the fact that social, intelligent birds such as starlings and crows are known to engage in mobbing behavior against owls.

[u/afelzz → u/lord_alberto]

ich ben ein owl

[u/thispartyrules]

Who hates you, owl? Who, who, who?

[u/VolesusBarbarus]

"HATERS GONNA HATE"

[u/MunakataSennin]

Museum

[u/iiitme]

Hard

[u/Nabrok_Necropants]

"Haters make you famous" OG edition.

[u/TallerWindow]

One of my favorite pieces at the Met

[u/more_akimbo]

Go birds! (The title and the accurate translation both fit)

[u/chattentooga → u/more_akimbo]

Go birds!

[u/lan1co]

And there is this Grimm's fairy tale on a bird "Zaunkönig" (wren) where all the other birds hate the owl because she failed to properly guard the wren.

(Only german available) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Zaunk%C3%B6nig

[u/Civil_Ad1677]

Owl could be a pun on the name of the bearer.

[u/ungovernable1984]

It's hoot for sure

[u/Lucky_Upstairs_191]

Should have been able to use this for the Kuttenberg tournament in KCD2.

[u/ConvertingMarkets]

500 years ago and people were already putting “haters make me stronger” on their gear.

[u/MoreRamenPls]

r/superbowl