Jacob van Maerlant

Jacob van Maerlant
Jacob van Maerlant
    Jacob van Maerlant
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Jacob van Maerlant
    The greatest Flemish poet of the Middle Ages, b. about 1235; d. after 1291. Of his life little is known. His name he seems to have derived front Maerlant on the island of Voorne, where he lived for some time employed as a sexton, whence his surname "de Coster". Later he resided at Damme, near Bruges, where, according to tradition, he held the position of town-clerk. Maerlant's earliest works were chivalrous romances, such as were in vogue at that time in courtly circles, and were adapted from French or Latin sources. Such are "Alexanders Geesten" (written c. 1257), from the Latin of Gauthier de Chastillon; "Historie van den Grale" and "Merlijns Boeck" from the French of Robert de Borron: the "Roman van Torec", from a lost French original; and the "Historie van Troyen" (ab. 1264), from the French of Benoit de Sainte More. But this kind of literature was little to his taste, which inclined to the didactic and useful. So he turned his back on the lying romances, as he called these works in his "Rijmbijbel", and devoted his talent to poems of a didactic and moralizing character. Among the most note-worthy of these poems are "Heimlicheit der Heimlicheden", a treatise on politics, adapted from the pseudo-Aristotelean "Secreta Secretorum"; "Der Naturen Bloeme" a versified natural history based on the "De natura rerum" of Thomas of Cantimpre, and the famous "Rijmbijbel", a rhymed Biblical history, translated from the "Scholastica" of Petrus Comestor, with a continuation "Die Wrake van Jherusalem", adapted from the history of Josephus. He also translated a "Life of St. Francis" (Leven van St. Franciscus) from the Latin of Bonaventure. Maerlant's most extensive work is the "Spiegel Historiael", a rhymed chronicle of the world, translated from the "Speculum historiale" of Vincent of Beauvais. It is dedicated to Count Floris V and was begun in 1283, but was left unfinished at the poet's death. Continuations were given by Philip Utenbroeke and Lodewijc van Velthem, a Brabant priest.
    Maerlant is also the author of a number of strophic poems, which date from different periods of his life. Of these the best known is the "Wapene Martijn" (Alas! Martin) so called from the opening words. It is a dialogue on the course of events held between the poet himself and a character named Martin. Altogether there are three parts, of which the above-mentioned is the first. The other two parts are known as "Dander Martijn" (the second Martin) and "Derden Martijin" (third Martin).
    Other poems of this kind are "Van ons Heren wonden", a traslation of the hymn "Salve mea! o patrona"; "Die Clausule van der Bible", an allegorical poem in praise of the Blessed Virgin; the "Disputacie van onser Vrouwen ende van den helighen Cruce", which bewails the sad situation of the Holy Land. Maerlant's last poem "Van den Lande van Oversee" was written after the fall of Acre (1291) and is a stirring summons to a crusade against the infidels, with bitter complaints about abuses in the Church. The "Geesten" were edited by Franck (Gröningen, 1882); the "Heimlicheit, etc.", by Clarisse (Dordrecht, 1838) and by Kausler (1844); "Der Naturen Bloeme" by Verwijs (Gröningen, 1878); the "Rijmbijbel" by David (Brussels, 1858-69), the life of St. Francis by J. Tideman (Leyden, 1848); the "Spiegel Historiael" by de Vries and Verwijs (Leyden, 1857-63). Complete editions of the strophic poems were given by E. Verwijs (Gröningen, 1880) and by J. Franck and J. Verdam (Gröningen, 1898).
    SERRURE, Jacob van Maelant en zijne werken (2nd ed., Ghent, 1867); TE WINKEL, Maerlants werken beschouwd als Spievel van de 13. eeuw (2nd ed. Ghent, 1892): JONCKBLOT, Geschichte der Niederlandischen Literatur, German tr. by BERG, I (Leipsig, 1870), 215-253; TE WINKEL, Geschichte der niederlandischen Literatur in PAUL, Grundriss der germanischen Philologie II (2nd ed., Strasburg, 1902), pp. 437-40.
    ARTHUR F.J. REMY
    Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • Jacob van Maerlant — Jacob van Maerlant. Jacob van Maerlant (born between 1230 1240 near Bruges died c. 1288 1300 in Damme) was the greatest Flemish poet of the thirteenth century and one of the most important Middle Dutch authors during the Middle Ages.[1] …   Wikipedia

  • Jacob van Maerlant — in einer Handschrift des 14. Jahrhunderts …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jacob van Maerlant — Jacques van Maerlant Statue de Jacques van Maerlant à Damme Jacques van Maerlant, en néerlandais Jacob van Maerlant, (ca 1230 Damme, ca1240) est un écrivain flamand d expression moyen néerlandaise, considéré comme l un des pères de la littérature …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Maerlant, Jacob van — • Flemish poet of the Middle Ages, b. about 1235; d. after 1291 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Jacques van Maerlant — Statue de Jacques van Maerlant à Damme Jacques van Maerlant, en néerlandais Jacob van Maerlant, (entre 1230 et 1240 à Bruges entre 1288 et 1300 à Damme) est un écrivain flamand d expression moyen néerlandaise, considéré comme l un des pères de la …   Wikipédia en Français

  • MAERLANT, Jacob van — (c. 1230–c. 1300)    Poet. Van Maerlant was the author of moralistic didactic poems, many of which are adaptations of French originals in the vernacular (medieval Dutch), such as the Roman de Troje. He seems to have introduced the genre of the… …   Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands

  • Maerlant, Jacob van — ▪ Dutch poet born 1225, Vrije van Brugge [Damme?] died 1291, Damme       pioneer of the didactic poetry that flourished in the Netherlands in the 14th century.       The details of Maerlant s life are disputed, but he was probably sexton at… …   Universalium

  • Maerlant — (spr. mār ), Jacob van, der bedeutendste niederländ. Dichter des 13. Jahrh., geb. um 1235 in Bruxambacht (Westflandern), gest. in Damme zvischen 1291 und 1300, war anfangs Küster in Maerlant (jetzt ein Teil von Brielle auf der Insel Oostvoorne);… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Maerlant —   [ maːrlɑnt], Jacob van, niederländischer Dichter, * vermutlich auf der Insel Voorne um 1235, ✝ Damme oder Brügge nach 1291; war wahrscheinlich Küster in Maerlant (bei Brielle); arbeitete auch nach seiner Übersiedlung nach Flandern meist für… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Jan van Beers — (February 22, 1821 – November 14, 1888), Flemish poet, usually called the elder to distinguish him from his son, Jan van Beers, the well known painter, was born at Antwerp.He was essentially a Netherlander, though politically a Belgian,… …   Wikipedia

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