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Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Filologie en Geschiedenis

Publication date: 2010-01-01
Volume: 88
Publisher: Fondation Universitaire

Author:

Vermassen, Valerie

Keywords:

Brabant, historiography, 2003 Language Studies, 2005 Literary Studies

Abstract:

The Nova historia ducum brabantiae and the Tractatulus de laude terrae brabantiae of the Korsendonk canon Johannes Meerhout (1399-1476) In this article, the hypothesis is launched that Johannes Meerhout (1399-1476), a regular canon of the Windesheim priory of Korsendonk is the intellectual author of the Tractatulus de laude terrae brabantiae, a historiographic brabantine work that until now remained anonymous. Moreover, this De laude can be considered as the amplified version of the Nova historia ducum brabantiae, a work which has been already attributed to Meerhout. Through an analysis of three manuscripts we have proven that the Nova historia of Meerhout is integrally conserved and that it was indeed the concept version of the De laude. Meerhout started by collecting genealogical data extracted from several historiographical works. He then wrote a genealogical history of the Brabantine dynasty, intertwined with lives of saints who could be territorially or genealogically linked to Brabant. Finally, a fellow canon of Meerhout, presumably the experienced copyist Walter Vliet, transcribed the Nova historia. In his version, the work received a prologue, additional exempla in the first part and a title, more specifically the Tractatus de laude terrae brabanciae. Thanks to a fortunate text transmission of the three main manuscripts, we can reconstruct the origin, the concept version and the final end result of this genealogical-hagiographical hymn to Brabant.