The anonymous poem Pascon agan Arluth is the oldest complete literary work in the Cornish language, dating from the 14th century. The modern title (it is untitled in the oldest manuscript) means "The Passion of Our Lord", but the poem has also been published as Mount Calvary.[1][2]
The opening lines of Pascon agan Arluth in the 1826 edition
Pascon agan Arluth dates from the 14th century;[note 1] it pre-dates the Ordinalia, a cycle of three verse plays on Biblical themes, and is therefore the earliest complete literary work in Cornish to have survived. The author's name is not known, but he may have been connected with Glasney College, at Penryn.[6] More than a dozen manuscripts of the poem have been found, but all derive from BLHarleian 1782, a mid-15th century manuscript.[3][7]
Analysisedit
The Pascon deals with the last days of Jesus Christ, beginning with the temptation in the wilderness. Though it is in narrative form it also incorporates commentary on the story to explain its meaning. The main source of the poem is the Gospels, but it also draws on later legendary material such as can be found in the Historia scholastica of Petrus Comestor and the Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine.[8] It consists of 259 stanzas, each of four rhyming couplets, and each line having seven syllables, stressed on the first, third, fifth and seventh syllables.[7]
Influenceedit
Pascon agan Arluth was certainly known to the author of Passio Christi, one of the Middle Cornish mystery plays comprising the Ordinalia, as some of the poem's lines are incorporated in it.[9] The modern Cornish poet Ken George was inspired by the Pascon to write Devedhyans Sen Pawl yn Bro Leon ("St. Paul comes to Leon") a poem about the journeys of St. Paul Aurelian, using the same metre as the older poem.[10]
Editions and translationsedit
The Pascon was first edited by Davies Gilbert in 1826 under the title Mount Calvary; or the History of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection, of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;[1] he included an English translation by John Keigwin dating back to 1682.[11] A better edition by Whitley Stokes appeared in 1860–1861, and another by Robert Morton Nance in 1934–1936, both with new English translations. More recently there have been editions by E. G. R. Hooper, by Goulven Pennaod (with English and Breton translations), and by Ray Edwards (with English translation).[12][13]
Notesedit
^Murdoch dates it to the early 14th century, but D. Simon Evans places it in the second half of the century.[3][4] Piotr Stalmaszczyk gives the date as c.1375.[5]
^Piotr Stalmaszczyk (1999). "Cornish Language and Literature: A Brief Introduction" (PDF). Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. 3. University of Łódź: 117–127. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
^Cramsie, John (2015). British Travellers and the Encounter with Britain, 1450–1700. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. p. 434. ISBN9781783270538. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
Murdoch, Brian (2010). "Cornish Literature". In Classen, Albrecht (ed.). Handbook of Medieval Studies: Terms – Methods – Trends. Volume 1. Berlin: De Gruyter. pp. 369–379. ISBN9783110184099. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
Preminger, Alex, ed. (1972) [1965]. Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (1st ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN0691060320. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Pascon Agan Arluth
The 1826 edition by Davies Gilbert, with translation by John Keigwin, at Google Books
The 1826 edition at the Internet Archive
April 12, 2024
pascon, agan, arluth, anonymous, poem, oldest, complete, literary, work, cornish, language, dating, from, 14th, century, modern, title, untitled, oldest, manuscript, means, passion, lord, poem, also, been, published, mount, calvary, opening, lines, 1826, editi. The anonymous poem Pascon agan Arluth is the oldest complete literary work in the Cornish language dating from the 14th century The modern title it is untitled in the oldest manuscript means The Passion of Our Lord but the poem has also been published as Mount Calvary 1 2 The opening lines of Pascon agan Arluth in the 1826 edition Contents 1 Date manuscripts and authorship 2 Analysis 3 Influence 4 Editions and translations 5 Notes 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External linksDate manuscripts and authorship editPascon agan Arluth dates from the 14th century note 1 it pre dates the Ordinalia a cycle of three verse plays on Biblical themes and is therefore the earliest complete literary work in Cornish to have survived The author s name is not known but he may have been connected with Glasney College at Penryn 6 More than a dozen manuscripts of the poem have been found but all derive from BL Harleian 1782 a mid 15th century manuscript 3 7 Analysis editThe Pascon deals with the last days of Jesus Christ beginning with the temptation in the wilderness Though it is in narrative form it also incorporates commentary on the story to explain its meaning The main source of the poem is the Gospels but it also draws on later legendary material such as can be found in the Historia scholastica of Petrus Comestor and the Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine 8 It consists of 259 stanzas each of four rhyming couplets and each line having seven syllables stressed on the first third fifth and seventh syllables 7 Influence editPascon agan Arluth was certainly known to the author of Passio Christi one of the Middle Cornish mystery plays comprising the Ordinalia as some of the poem s lines are incorporated in it 9 The modern Cornish poet Ken George was inspired by the Pascon to write Devedhyans Sen Pawl yn Bro Leon St Paul comes to Leon a poem about the journeys of St Paul Aurelian using the same metre as the older poem 10 Editions and translations editThe Pascon was first edited by Davies Gilbert in 1826 under the title Mount Calvary or the History of the Passion Death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 1 he included an English translation by John Keigwin dating back to 1682 11 A better edition by Whitley Stokes appeared in 1860 1861 and another by Robert Morton Nance in 1934 1936 both with new English translations More recently there have been editions by E G R Hooper by Goulven Pennaod with English and Breton translations and by Ray Edwards with English translation 12 13 Notes edit Murdoch dates it to the early 14th century but D Simon Evans places it in the second half of the century 3 4 Piotr Stalmaszczyk gives the date as c 1375 5 Footnotes edit a b Murdoch 1993 p 19 Murdoch 2010 p 370 a b Murdoch 1993 pp 19 20 D Simon Evans Autumn 1969 The Story of Cornish Studies An Irish Quarterly Review 58 231 293 308 JSTOR 30087876 Retrieved 12 August 2021 Piotr Stalmaszczyk 1999 Cornish Language and Literature A Brief Introduction PDF Acta Universitatis Lodziensis 3 University of Lodz 117 127 Retrieved 12 August 2021 Murdoch 2010 pp 370 376 a b Preminger 1972 p 154 Murdoch 1993 pp 20 24 Greene Roland Cushman Stephen eds 2012 The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry amp Poetics 4th ed Princeton Princeton University Press p 306 ISBN 9780691133348 Retrieved 19 June 2016 Murdoch 1993 p 146 Cramsie John 2015 British Travellers and the Encounter with Britain 1450 1700 Woodbridge The Boydell Press p 434 ISBN 9781783270538 Retrieved 19 June 2016 Murdoch 1993 p 20 COPAC catalogue entry COPAC Research Libraries UK Retrieved 19 June 2016 References editMurdoch Brian 1993 Cornish Literature Cambridge D S Brewer ISBN 0859913643 Retrieved 19 June 2016 Murdoch Brian 2010 Cornish Literature In Classen Albrecht ed Handbook of Medieval Studies Terms Methods Trends Volume 1 Berlin De Gruyter pp 369 379 ISBN 9783110184099 Retrieved 19 June 2016 Preminger Alex ed 1972 1965 Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics 1st ed Princeton Princeton University Press ISBN 0691060320 Retrieved 19 June 2016 External links edit nbsp Cornwall portal nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article Pascon Agan Arluth The 1826 edition by Davies Gilbert with translation by John Keigwin at Google Books The 1826 edition at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pascon agan Arluth amp oldid 1144512923, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
