Ekkehard (novel)

Ekkehard is an 1855 historical novel by the German writer Joseph Victor von Scheffel.

Plot
The novel is about the 10th-century monk and hymn writer Ekkehard II at the Abbey of Saint Gall. Ekkehard has a romantic affair with a widow who visits the abbey. He has an oak cut down when he learns a woman is using it in pagan ceremonies. When there is a Hun invasion, Ekkehart goes to battle and proves to be a skilled warrior.

Reception
The novel was published in 1855 by Johann Valentin Meidinger Sohn. With the 4th edition in 1873, it turned into a phenomenon, becoming one of Germany's most popular novels of the 19th century. By 1903, it had been printed in 200 editions.

Adaptations

 * Ekkehard, 1878 opera by Johann Joseph Abert to a libretto by Adolf Kröner
 * Ekkehard, 1990 TV miniseries