Walter of Châtillon

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Walter von Châtillon (Latin: Gualterus de Castellione , Walterus ab Insulis ; French Gautier de Châtillon ; * around 1135 in Lille or Ronchin near Lille; † around 1190, according to other information: 1201) was a French writer and theologian of the 12th century. Century who wrote in Latin.

The philologist Walter Berschin asserted: “Walter was the most versatile, most formally skilful, most classical and most emphatic of the poets of the Latin classical period in France in the XII. Century. "

Life

Walter von Châtillon studied in Reims with Stephan von Beauvais and in Paris. He wrote, probably during his student years, a number of Latin poems in the style of the Goliards , which found their way into the Carmina Burana collection . In contrast, during his lifetime he was more famous for the Alexandreis , a long Latin epic about Alexander the Great , dedicated to Archbishop William of Reims . The work, written in hexameters , is full of anachronisms - the crucifixion of Jesus already took place in Alexander's time. The Alexandreis was popular and influential in Walter's time. Matthew of Vendôme and Alain de Lille borrowed from it and Arrigo da Settimello copied it. A line from it is sometimes quoted: Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim. ("It falls into the clutches of the Scylla who wants to avoid the Charybdis.")

Many poems written in his style or addressing his subjects have been attributed to Walter for no sufficient reason. For example, he was not the author of the satirical Apocalypse of Golias , which was once considered his work. In addition to his poems, Walter wrote a dialogue in which he attacks Judaism and a treatise on the Trinity . It is possible that the moral dogma philosophorum originated from him.

Work editions

literature

Web links

Individual notes

  1. ^ Walter Berschin : Introduction, in: Walter von Châtillon: Alexandreis , Schneider, Heidelberg 1990, ISBN 3-7953-0771-6 , p. 11.
personal data
SURNAME Walter of Châtillon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gualterus de Castellione (Latin); Walterus from Insulis; Gautier de Châtillon (French); Walter of Lille
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French writer and theologian
DATE OF BIRTH around 1135
PLACE OF BIRTH Lille or Ronchin near Lille
DATE OF DEATH around 1190 or 1201