''Elckerlijc'' (also known as ''Elckerlyc'') is a morality play from the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

which was written in Dutch somewhere around the year 1470. It was first printed in 1495. The play was extremely successful and may have been the original source for the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

play '' Everyman'', as well as many other translations for other countries. The authorship of ''Elckerlijc'' is attributed to

Peter van Diest Peter van Diest (Latinised as Petrus Diesthemius) was a medieval writer from the Low Countries. The late-15th-century morality play ''Elckerlijc'' is attributed to him. ''Elckerlijc'', which was translated into English to become the famous ''Eve ...

, a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

writer from the Low Countries. Hecastus Goeteborg 1681

The play won the first prize in a theater contest in

Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to: Place names in Europe * London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany Belgium * Province of Bra ...

; it is uncertain whether it won at the

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

Landjuweel in 1496. As a morality play, it stresses the

didactic Didacticism is a philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in literature, art, and design. In art, design, architecture, and landscape, didacticism is an emerging conceptual approach that is driven by the urgent need to ...

message. It uses

allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

of the hero as an "everyman" (a typical human person) and is written in moderately elevated

Rederijker Chambers of rhetoric ( nl, rederijkerskamers) were dramatic societies in the Low Countries. Their members were called Rederijkers (singular Rederijker), from the French word 'rhétoricien', and during the 15th and 16th centuries were mainly inte ...

style. Dutch and English historians argued for decades over whether the English play ''Everyman'' was based on ''Elckerlijc'' (or vice versa). The most convincing evidence that ''Elckerlijc'' was the original was provided by the English historian E.R. Tigg, who showed how many rhymes and literal translations were copied from the Dutch language play into the English ''Everyman''. On the other hand, an English translator should have added a rhyming tag to each of a pair of words that rhyme in Dutch but not in English. The prevalent view is that the Dutch-language version was the original.

Translations and adaptations

* '' Everyman'', in English (16th century) * ''Homulus'', translation in Latin (1536) by Christianus Ischyrius * ''Hecastus'', adaptation in Latin (1536) by Macropedius * '' Jedermann'' (1911), Hugo von Hofmannsthal's German adaptation of '' Everyman'' * '' Elckerlyc'', 1975 film directed by

Jos Stelling Jos Stelling (born 16 July 1945) is a Dutch film director and screenwriter. Career He made his debut as a film director in 1974 with ''Mariken van Nieumegen'', which was selected for the official Cannes competition in 1975. In 1981 he founded t ...

Notes

Sources

External links

Online version of ''Elkerlijc''

15th-century plays 1495 plays Everyman Middle Dutch literature {{15thC-play-stub

Translations and adaptations

Notes

Sources

Further reading

External links