Elckerlijc
Elckerlijc or Elckerlyc (full title: Den Spyeghel der Salicheyt van Elckerlijc - Hoe dat elckerlijc mensche worth ghedaecht Gode rekeninghe te doen ) is a so-called morality in Dutch from the 15th century.
history
The piece is attributed to the Carthusian Peter van Diest (also Petrus Dorlandus) (around 1454–1507), vicar of the Zelem monastery near Diest . In 2004, Herman Brinkman claimed that Jan Casus from Antwerp, a member of the De Violieren Chamber of Retorists , was the author.
One incomplete copy of each of the three oldest editions has survived. The first edition was printed in Delft in 1495 by Christiaen Snellaert. The title page and three other pages are missing here. The second edition (Antwerp, Govaert Bac) probably dates from 1501. The last sheet is missing. The third edition (Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, from around 1525) is fairly complete. There is also a manuscript from the end of the 16th century, with a modernized text that probably goes back to a lost version. The first modern print is from 1892 (H. Logeman). In the 1960s it was mainly R. Vos who studied and edited Elckerlijc. In 1998 an edition was published together with Mariken van Nieumeghen in one volume, with a version in modern language by Willem Wilmink .
Elckerlijc was a particularly popular and successful play in the Middle Ages. According to the title page, it won first prize at a meeting of the Brabant Chamber of Rhetorics, called the Landjuweel . No other sources are known for this.
Translations
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Hecastus_Goeteborg_1681.jpg/170px-Hecastus_Goeteborg_1681.jpg)
There is an English translation from the early 16th century called Everyman . Dutch and English language historians have argued for decades whether the English Everyman is based on Elckerlijc , or vice versa. The most convincing proof that Elckerlijc was the original came from the English historian ER Tigg. He showed how many rhymes and literary figures were transferred from Dutch to English Everyman . In addition, the English translator translated freely where words probably rhymed in Dutch, but not in English. There is ultimately no definitive evidence, but it is widely believed that the Dutch Elckerlijc is indeed the original.
In 1539 the rector of the St. Jerome School in Utrecht, Georgius Macropedius (1487–1558), published a Latin version called Hecastus . The play was performed in 1538 in Utrecht by the students of the Jeronimos School. This work was later translated and performed several times, especially in the German Empire. Homolus or the sins loin is the toid is the name of a version by the Cologne printer Jaspar van Gennep (around 1500–1564). Hugo von Hofmannsthal processed the Elckerlijc theme in 1911 to Jedermann , known from the Salzburg Festival . Also Everyman by Philip Roth is inspired by it. A modern German-language edition with the original Dutch text of 'Elckerlijc' was published in 2013 (Münster, Agenda Verlag).
content
God laments the corruption of men. He calls death to him. Elckerlijc (the name means “everyone”, “everyone”) has to give an account of his life.
Elkerlijc is commissioned to go on a pilgrimage . He learns that he has to die. Elckerlijc tries in vain to bribe death, but he is not given any reprieve. He is allowed to take a traveling companion with him on his pilgrimage.
He then asks several journeymen to accompany him, but Gheselscap (the “society”, his friends), Maghe en Neve (“friends”, “relatives”) and Tgoet (“the estate”, the property, the money and the goods ) refuse when they find out what the destination of the trip is. The Duecht ("virtue") is too weak for the trip, but her sister Kennisse ("self-knowledge") brings Elckerlijc to the Biechte ("confession"). Elckerlijc repents, whereby Duecht regains his strength. Accompanied by Schoonheyt ("Beauty"), Cracht ("Strength"), Vroetscap ("Wisdom") and Vijf Sinnen (the "five senses") he begins the journey.
Elckerlijc makes his will and receives the last sacraments . Arrived at the final destination (the open grave), the companions let Elckerlijc down; only Duecht and Kennisse accompany him to heaven. Elckerlijc dies. Kennisse says that Duecht will report to God. An angel leads Elckerlijc's soul to heaven. In the Na-prologhe (literally: "post-prologue") morality is put into words: people should appear pure before God.
meaning
The story takes place in the mind. The topic: Everyone has to die, only virtue stays with you. The motifs: pilgrimage, sin and repentance / contemplation, material welfare (compared to spiritual decay), death motif, mirror motif, forgiveness, catholic.
Quote
A quote from the beginning of the piece:
- God spreect
- Gaet hene tot Elckerlijc ghereet
- At the end of the day hem van mijnen tweghen said
- Dat hi een pelgrimagie may go
- The no-one else is linked
- End of that hi rekeninghe come doen mi
- Special vertrec: dats mijn ghebot.
- God speaks
- Go to Elckerlijc immediately
- And tell him about me right away
- That he has to go on a pilgrimage
- That nobody in the world can leave
- And that he should give me an account
- Without delay: this is my command.
Web links
- Text by Elkerlijc (Dutch)
- History of literature from 1300 to 1500 (Dutch)
- Explanation and full text with comments (Dutch)
- English translation of the Hecastus version: CC Love, Macropedius' Hecastus. A morality play on the Everyman theme , Toronto 1992.