The Bellum Grammaticale and the Rise of European Literature

By Erik Butler

The now-forgotten genre of the bellum grammaticale flourished in the sixteenth- and seventeenth centuries as a means of satirizing outmoded cultural institutions and promoting new methods of instruction. In light of works written in Renaissance Italy, ancien r?gime France, and baroque Germany (Andrea Guarna's Bellum Grammaticale [1511], Antoine Fureti?re's Nouvelle all?gorique [1658], and Justus Georg Schottelius' Horrendum Bellum Grammaticale [1673]), this study explores early modern representations of language as war. While often playful in form and intent, the texts examined address serious issues of enduring relevance: the relationship between tradition and innovation, the power of language to divide and unite peoples, and canon-formation. Moreover, the author contends, the "language wars" illuminate the shift from a Latin-based understanding of learning to the acceptance of vernacular erudition and the emergence of national literature.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1409401987
• ISBN13: 9781409401988
• Release Date: November 2010
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.2"