Llibre de les dones

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Title page of the incunabula edition of the Llibre de les Dones by Francesc Eiximenis , which was printed in Barcelona in 1495.

The Llibre de les Dones , or Book of Women is a literary work that able to switch between 1387 and 1392 by Francesc Eiximenis on Catalan in Valencia was written. The book was dedicated to Sanxa Ximenes d'Arenós (Countess of Prades ).

There have been discrepancies with regard to the date of the essay, as other scholars (including Martí de Barcelona , OFM Cap) date this work to the year 1396. Nonetheless, Curt Wittlin considers that the publication date should be between 1387 and 1392 for two reasons. First, this book dealt with topics that should appear in other, non-written books (or subsequent volumes) of the Lo Crestià . One could even argue that Eiximenis used these already prepared materials for this book. Second, there are many references to angels in this book . As Wittlin skilfully pointed out, this can only be explained because Eiximenis was very sure to refer to the essay from his other book, the Llibre dels àngels (Book of Angels). This book had to do with angels and was written in 1392.

Structure and content

The book contains three hundred and ninety-six sections, and consists of five articles following a general introduction. These five sections correspond to the different situations women face : child , single , married , widow and nun .

Education of women according to the medieval worldview

The first sections are a kind of educational book for women that would be similar to other books of the time. Perhaps other similar books influenced it. For example, one can cite the Dominican Vincent de Beauvais' book De eruditione filiorum nobilium (On the literacy of the sons of the nobles). This book was written around 1250, and throughout the Middle Ages established the basic guidelines for the education of women.

Unwritten volumes by Lo Crestià

The following part is a brief treatise on theology . This section is dedicated to the nuns and is also the longest. In this part Eiximenis collects a lot of materials that should be used for other books by Lo Crestià . But they are shown schematically. So this part is about the theological virtues (and the Cinquè or volume five should deal with them), the cardinal virtues (and the Sisè or volume six should deal with them), and the Ten Commandments (and the Setè or volume 7 should deal with them) deal with it).

Other topics scattered throughout the book correspond to topics from Lo Crestià that other subsequent volumes that have not appeared should deal with. For example, we can cite here the following: marriage and penance (and the Desè or tenth volume should deal with sacraments ), religious vows and contemplation (and the onzè or 11th volume should deal with clergy ), or the other sections dealing with eschatology (and the Tretzè or volume thirteenth should deal with eschatology and the end times ).

In this part there are also many topics that appear in the Terç (third volume of Lo Crestià). Among other things, these can be cited: mortal sin and the five senses .

Translations into Spanish

Various translations of this book into Spanish have been made. This Spanish version was used for the upbringing of the four daughters of the Catholic kings .

There was also an adaptation by an unknown author with a few changes and also an adaptation written in Spanish. This adaptation was published in 1542 and it is known as the Carro de las Donas .

Digital editions

Incunabula

  • [3] Edition in the Biblioteca Digital Hispánica (Hispanic digital library) of the incunabula edition printed by Joan Rosembach ( Barcelona , May 8, 1495).

Old editions

Modern editions

The Llibre de les Dones on all digitized works

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ This thesis is supported by the researcher of Eiximenis Curt Wittlin . He claims in the introduction to the edition of the Llibre de les dones (Barcelona. Curial Edicions Catalanes. 1981, p. XIV., In Catalan)
  2. ↑ Vide Brines, Lluís . Biografia documentada de Francesc Eiximenis . Valencia. T-Ink Factoría de Color. 2018. Pp. 162 pp. (in Catalan)
  3. ↑ Cantavella, Rosanna. “Lectura i cultura de la dona a l'edat mitjana: opinions d'autors en català”. Caplletra , 3rd Autumn 1988, p. 114. (in Catalan)
  4. ↑ Llibre de les dones . Barcelona. Curial Edicions Catalanes. 1981, pp. XIV-XV. Introduction by Curt Wittlin. (in Catalan)
  5. ^ Psalterium alias Laudatorium Papae Benedicto XIII dedicatum . Toronto. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. 1988, p. 7. Introduction by Curt Wittlin . (in English)
  6. ^ Meseguer, Juan. OFM El traductor del Carro de las donas, de Francisco Eximénez, familiar y biógrafo de Adriano VI . Hispania, XIX. 1959. p. 236. (in Spanish)
  7. ^ This edition is also available on the website Memòria Digital de Catalunya (digital memory of Catalonia ) [1] . It is also available on the Biblioteca Virtual Joan Lluís Vives page ( Joan Lluís Vives virtual library) [2] (in Catalan)