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Reconfigurations of Mythology in Sixteenth-Century Lutheran Collections of Aesopic Fables

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Author

Editor

  • Elisabeth Wåghäll Nivre

Summary, in English

In the ancient corpus of Aesopic fables gods and semi-gods from Greek and Roman mythology often appear. Most commonly Zeus is called upon by fable characters such as the donkey, the snake, and the turtle, all of them pleading for a better destiny. Frequent main characters, rather often promoting their own interests in the fable fictions, are also Hera, Herakles, Apollo, and Hermes. The high esteem in which Martin Luther held the Aesopic genre’s capacity for religious and moral edification directly encouraged the publication of three collections of Aesopic fables in German during the Reformation epoch: Etliche fabel Esopi verteutscht (1534) by Erasmus Alberus, Esopus/ Gantz New gemacht (1548) by Burkard Waldis, and Hundert Fabeln aus Esopo (1571) by Nathan Chytraeus. In compliance with their actively confessional ambition, one might assume that these vernacular volumes of Aesopic fables consequently eliminated all elements of Heathen mythology. This is, however, only partially true. In these overtly Lutheranized fable collections, classical mythology was marginalized and yet simultaneously preserved. The chapter investigates the different strategies – theological, ethical, figurative, narrative et cetera – according to which this paradoxical, yet hierarchical coexistence of Christianity and mythology was made both possible and plausible.

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

465-479

Publication/Series

Allusions and Reflections. Greek and Roman Mythology in Renaissance Europe

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Topic

  • Languages and Literature

Keywords

  • Burkard Waldis (1490-1557)
  • Erasmus Alberus (1500-1553)
  • Lutheran Reformation
  • classical mythology
  • Aesopic fables
  • christianisation
  • demythologisation
  • Nathan Chytraeus (1543-98)

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 1-4438-7454-X