Martin Ludwig Jedemin Rhesa ( lt, Martynas Liudvikas Gediminas Rėza; 9 January 1776 – 30 August 1840) was a Lutheran pastor and a professor at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...
in
East Prussia. He is best remembered as publisher of Lithuanian texts. He was the last prominent prominent advocate of the
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 mill ...
in
Lithuania Minor
Lithuania Minor ( lt, Mažoji Lietuva; german: Kleinlitauen; pl, Litwa Mniejsza; russian: Ма́лая Литва́), or Prussian Lithuania ( lt, Prūsų Lietuva; german: Preußisch-Litauen, pl, Litwa Pruska), is a historical ethnographic re ...
.
Orphaned at an early age, Rhesa was taken in by his distant relatives. Though interested in
linguistics
Linguistics is the science, scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure ...
, he studied theology at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...
as it provided a more secure employment after graduation. He became a
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
of the and participated in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, including the
French invasion of Russia and the
Battle of Leipzig. In 1816, he resigned from the chaplaincy devoting the rest of his life to academics. He received doctorates in philosophy (1807) and theology (1819). In 1810, he became leader of the
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 mill ...
seminar at the University of Königsberg. He revived the seminar and led it until his death, becoming an authority on the Lithuanian language.
Rhesa initiated a new revision to the 1755
Bible translation into Lithuanian which was published in 1816 and 1824. He worked diligently to correct translation errors and to improve the purity of the Lithuanian language (by, for example, replacing
Germanisms with Lithuanian equivalents). Rhesa was the first to publish secular Lithuanian texts in
Lithuania Minor
Lithuania Minor ( lt, Mažoji Lietuva; german: Kleinlitauen; pl, Litwa Mniejsza; russian: Ма́лая Литва́), or Prussian Lithuania ( lt, Prūsų Lietuva; german: Preußisch-Litauen, pl, Litwa Pruska), is a historical ethnographic re ...
, most important of which were the Lithuanian epic poem ''
The Seasons'' by
Kristijonas Donelaitis
Kristijonas Donelaitis ( la, Christian Donalitius; 1 January 1714 – 18 February 1780) was a Prussian Lithuanian poet and Lutheran pastor. He lived and worked in Lithuania Minor, a territory in the Kingdom of Prussia, that had a sizable Lithuani ...
(1818) and a collection of 85
Lithuanian folk songs and their translations to German (1825). The collection became popular in western Europe and is considered the first study of
Lithuanian folklore. These two publications were meant to showcase "creativity, richness and originality of spiritual culture" of the Lithuanian nation.
Rhesa compiled an unfinished German–Lithuanian dictionary. He also published texts in German, including two poetry collections (1809 and 1825) and impressions from his travels during the Napoleonic Wars (1814).
Biography
Early life and education
Rhesa was born on 9 January 1776 in the village of (Karwaiten) on the
Curonian Spit
The Curonian (Courish) Spit ( lt, Kuršių nerija; russian: Ку́ршская коса́ (Kurshskaya kosa); german: Kurische Nehrung, ; lv, Kuršu kāpas) is a long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Balti ...
in the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
. The village was buried under the dunes in 1797. Rhesa's family lived in
Lithuania Minor
Lithuania Minor ( lt, Mažoji Lietuva; german: Kleinlitauen; pl, Litwa Mniejsza; russian: Ма́лая Литва́), or Prussian Lithuania ( lt, Prūsų Lietuva; german: Preußisch-Litauen, pl, Litwa Pruska), is a historical ethnographic re ...
since at least the 16th century and included teachers and publishers. The family is likely of
Curonian origin, but Rhesa considered himself to be a Lithuanian. His father owned an inn in Karvaičiai and guarded the coast. Youngest of eight children, Rhesa was orphaned at the age of 6 and was taken in by distant relatives – first, by a fisherman in then by a postman in Rossitten (now
Rybachy).
In 1785, Rhesa moved to live with his cousin-in-law Christian David Wittich who at the time was priest in Kaukehmen (now ). Wittich recognized Rhesa's academic interests and taught him
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and other subjects. In 1791–1794, Rhesa studied at a school in
Löbenicht View of Löbenicht from the Pregel, including its church and gymnasium, as well as the nearby Propsteikirche
Löbenicht ( lt, Lyvenikė; pl, Lipnik) was a quarter of central Königsberg, Germany. During the Middle Ages it was the weakest of ...
(a quarter of central
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...
now
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
). To earn a living, Rhesa worked as a tutor. He completed his education in three years (usually, it took four years to graduate). In March 1795, he enrolled at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...
to study theology. He attended lectures by
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
,
Christian Jakob Kraus
Christian Jakob Kraus (; 27 July 1753 – 25 August 1807) was a German comparative and historical linguist.
Biography
A native of Osterode (East Prussia), Kraus studied at the universities of Königsberg and Göttingen. In 1782 he became a pr ...
, and was particularly close with professor . Upon theirs deaths, Rhesa composed poems in their memory. Rhesa was interested in linguistics and attended lectures on the
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 mill ...
, but theology was more practical as it provided more secure employment after graduation.
Military chaplain
Rhesa graduated in 1799 and worked as a tutor for a few months. In August 1800, he was ordained as a
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
of the at
Fort Friedrichsburg. In 1806, he joined the
Masonic lodge
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
Under Three Crowns and was its member until his death. In 1807, Rhesa completed his dissertation on the moral explanation of the holy texts based on teachings of
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
, received doctorate in philosophy, and was invited to teach at the university as a ''
privatdozent''. In 1811, he was elected a true member of the .
He continued to work as a military chaplain and in 1811 was promoted to chaplain of a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
B ...
. With his units participated in the
French invasion of Russia and retreat to France. He was at the
Battle of Leipzig. During these travels, Rhesa visited
Lithuania proper and searched for academic contacts. He became acquainted with who later unsuccessfully attempted to recruit Rhesa to teach at the
University of Dorpat
The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...
. Rhesa was able to visit London and obtain 200
pounds sterling
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
from the
British and Foreign Bible Society for the
Bible translation into Lithuanian. He returned to Königsberg in 1816 and resigned from the chaplaincy devoting the rest of his life to academics.
Leader of the Lithuanian language seminar
In 1810, after publishing a treatise on the
Christianization of Lithuania
The Christianization of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos krikštas) occurred in 1387, initiated by King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło and his cousin Vytautas the Great. It signified the official adoption of Christianity b ...
, Rhesa became an extraordinary professor and director of the Lithuanian language seminar at the university. Earlier in 1809, the university considered shutting down the seminar due to lack of funds, but Rhesa was successful in defending the seminar. On several occasions, Rhesa defended the Lithuanian language against
Germanization
Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In ling ...
arguing that language is the greatest treasure bestowed by God upon a nation and the it expresses nation's spirit and character. He even suggested introducing Lithuanian language classes in gymnasiums in Tilsit (now
Sovetsk Sovetsk (russian: Сове́тск) is the name of several urban localities in Russia.
*Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, formerly Tilsit
* Sovetsk, Kirov Oblast, a town in Sovetsky District of Kirov Oblast;
* Sovetsk, T ...
), Gumbinnen (now
Gusev), Insterburg (now
Chernyakhovsk
Chernyakhovsk (russian: Черняхо́вск) – known prior to 1946 by its German name of (Old Prussian: Instrāpils, lt, Įsrutis; pl, Wystruć) – is a town in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, where it is the administrative center of C ...
).
As the leader of the Lithuanian language seminar, Rhesa revived it and expanded its Lithuanian library. He separated students into two groups, one for beginners and another for more advanced students. The university set the number of students at 12, but the actual numbers was often double that. Rhesa later added the third group for advanced students which he taught without receiving compensation from the university. He long sought to hire a permanent lecturer for the seminar and to introduce Lithuanian language lessons at the so that the university would not have teach the basics. However, that was achieved only after his death. During Rhesa's life, the university grew suspicious of the growing popularity of the seminar. Rhesa was ordered to return it to its roots – abandon academic aspirations and focus on teaching future priests how to communicate with their parishioners who spoke Lithuanian.
Rhesa was considered an authority on the Lithuanian language. In 1830–1831, he was visited by
Jurgis Pliateris and
Simonas Stanevičius. Russian philologist arrived to Königsberg to learn Lithuanian from Rhesa in 1839. In 1837, Rhesa employed
Friedrich Kurschat
Friedrich Kurschat ( lt, Frydrichas Kuršaitis; 1806–1884) was a Prussian Lithuanian linguist and professor at the University of Königsberg. He studied the Lithuanian language and published its grammar in 1876 in which he was the first to desc ...
, another Prussian Lithuanian, as his assistant. After Rhesa's death Kurschat became the leader the Lithuanian language seminar.
University professor
In April 1819, he defended his thesis on sources and origin of the first three
canonical gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
, received doctorate in theology, and became an ordinary professor. He taught old oriental languages and theology. In 1825, he delivered a lecture to the on the poetry of
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux (; 1 November 1636 – 13 March 1711), often known simply as Boileau (, ), was a French poet and critic. He did much to reform the prevailing form of French poetry, in the same way that Blaise Pascal did to reform the ...
(1636–1711) and his poem '.
Intermittently, Rhesa served as dean of the theology faculty (1819, 1821–1823, 1825–1832, 1840) and as prorector of the university (1820/21, 1824/25, 1830/31 winter semesters). Since
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
was heir to the Prussian throne, prorector was an acting rector. In 1829, he became
consistorial councilor of the
Evangelical Church in Prussia
The Prussian Union of Churches (known under multiple other names) was a major Protestant church body which emerged in 1817 from a series of decrees by Frederick William III of Prussia that united both Lutheran and Reformed denominations in Pru ...
. Rhesa was awarded three Prussian state medals – medal for distinction in battle (1814), gold medal for merits for publishing the Lithuanian Bible (1818), and
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
(4th class, 1840).
He lived a simple, disciplined life. As a professor, he was strict and thus not liked by his students.
Death, memory, and legacy
Rhesa died on 30 September 1840 and was buried near the
Brandenburg Gate in
Kneiphof
Coat of arms of Kneiphof
Postcard of Kneiphöfsche Langgasse
Reconstruction of Kneiphof in Kaliningrad's museum
Kneiphof (russian: Кнайпхоф; pl, Knipawa; lt, Knypava) was a quarter of central Königsberg (Kaliningrad). During the ...
. His tombstone depicted an open Bible with a Lithuanian inscription ''Tai esti visas Šventas Raštas'' (That is the entire holy scripture). The other side has inscriptions referencing his three main publications: collection of Lithuanian folk songs, epic poem ''
The Seasons'', and poetry collection ''Prutena''. The grave was destroyed at the end of World War II. As he remained unmarried and without children, he left his money for the construction of a student dormitory, known as Rhesianum, which was completed in 1854. Rhesa also left personal library of about 3,000 books (among them 65 books and two periodicals in the Lithuanian language). Many of these books were acquired by historian
Friedrich Wilhelm Schubert who published the first biography of Rhesa in 1855. Rhesa's manuscripts ended up at the
Prussian State Archive Königsberg. In 1945, some of the materials were brought to Lithuania and are now stored at the
Vrublevskis' Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
In 1975, to commemorate his 200th birth anniversary, a wooden sculpture by sculptor was erected near the former location of his native Karvaičiai village. Sculptor erected a stone sculpture in Rhesa's memory in
Juodkrantė
Juodkrantė (literally: ''Black Shore'', Kursenieki: ''Šatnūrta'' or ''Šatnūrte'', German: ''Schwarzort'') is a Lithuanian seaside resort village located on the Curonian Spit with a permanent population of about 720 people. A part of Neringa ...
in 1994. In 2005, on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the founding of
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...
, the
Lithuanian Ministry of Culture gifted a sculpture by Sakalauskas to
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
. In 2009, during the celebrations of the millennium of Lithuania, a symbolic Tree of Unity was unveiled in
Vingis Park
Vingis Park ( lt, Vingio parkas) is the largest park in Vilnius, Lithuania, covering . It is located in a curve of the Neris River, hence its Lithuanian name: 'vingis' means "bend", "curve"; the same meaning has the historical Polish name of the ...
in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
. A hundred names of most prominent Lithuanians, including Rhesa, were inscribed on the monument.
In 2007, a culture center named after Rhesa was opened in
Juodkrantė
Juodkrantė (literally: ''Black Shore'', Kursenieki: ''Šatnūrta'' or ''Šatnūrte'', German: ''Schwarzort'') is a Lithuanian seaside resort village located on the Curonian Spit with a permanent population of about 720 people. A part of Neringa ...
. In 2008,
Neringa Municipality
Neringa () or Neringa Municipality ( lt, Neringos savivaldybė) is a municipality of Klaipėda County in westernmost Lithuania, comprising several villages in the Curonian Spit. In terms of population, it is the smallest municipality of the coun ...
established an award named after Rhesa for scientific, educational, or cultural achievements benefiting the
Curonian Spit
The Curonian (Courish) Spit ( lt, Kuršių nerija; russian: Ку́ршская коса́ (Kurshskaya kosa); german: Kurische Nehrung, ; lv, Kuršu kāpas) is a long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Balti ...
. The award ceremony is held annually on Rhesa's birthday.
Albinas Jovaišas published the first monograph about Rhesa in 1969. Since 2009, the
Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore has been working on collecting and publishing all works by Rhesa. Five volumes edited by Liucija Citavičiūtė were published by 2020.
Seimas
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (), is the unicameral parliament of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendme ...
(Lithuanian parliament) declared 2016 to be the year of Rhesa.
Works
Lithuanian Bible
In 1809, Rhesa established contacts with
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (, also , ; ; 22 June 1767 – 8 April 1835) was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was named afte ...
, Prussian Minister of Education, who promised to support a new revision to the 1755
Bible translation into Lithuanian. The same year, Rhesa organized an editorial committee of local priests to review and revise the Lithuanian bible. Rhesa was the only university professor fluent in Lithuanian, thus most of the work was done by him. The war interrupted the efforts, but the bible was published in 1816 and 1824. In connection with this work, Rhesa published two philological studies in German: about the history of Bible translations into Lithuanian (1816) and with critical remarks on the translations (two parts in 1816 and 1824).
Rhesa was concerned with correcting various translation errors that misunderstood and twisted the original Biblical texts. To that end he critically reviewed the German
Luther Bible
The Luther Bible (german: Lutherbibel) is a German language Bible translation from Latin sources by Martin Luther. The New Testament was first published in September 1522, and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments with Apocry ...
, compared it with the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
'' Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...
, Latin
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
, and consulted their translations into Syrian, Arabic, and other old languages. He also had various books on
Biblical criticism by more than 150 authors. He was further concerned with the purity of the Lithuanian language – he worked to remove
Germanisms and replace them with Lithuanian equivalents. He was less successful in identifying and removing Slavic loanwords. To find suitable Lithuanian words, Rhesa utilized the manuscript of the Lithuanian bible by
Jonas Bretkūnas.
Lithuanian secular texts
While many religious texts in Lithuanian were published in
Lithuania Minor
Lithuania Minor ( lt, Mažoji Lietuva; german: Kleinlitauen; pl, Litwa Mniejsza; russian: Ма́лая Литва́), or Prussian Lithuania ( lt, Prūsų Lietuva; german: Preußisch-Litauen, pl, Litwa Pruska), is a historical ethnographic re ...
with government's assistance, Rhesa was the first to publish secular Lithuanian texts.
''The Seasons''
After about a decade of work, Rhesa published the Lithuanian epic poem ''
The Seasons'' (german: Das Jahr, lt, Metai) by
Kristijonas Donelaitis
Kristijonas Donelaitis ( la, Christian Donalitius; 1 January 1714 – 18 February 1780) was a Prussian Lithuanian poet and Lutheran pastor. He lived and worked in Lithuania Minor, a territory in the Kingdom of Prussia, that had a sizable Lithuani ...
and its translation to German in 1818. It was Rhesa who decided to title the poem ''The Seasons'' and start it with the part about spring. Rhesa's publication was more aimed at the educated German-speaking public than at academic study. As such, he freely edited the text, deleting 469 lines and adding a few new ones based on surviving letters and other drafts. He also added or modified words to strengthen the
dactylic hexameter
Dactylic hexameter (also known as heroic hexameter and the meter of epic) is a form of meter or rhythmic scheme frequently used in Ancient Greek and Latin poetry. The scheme of the hexameter is usually as follows (writing – for a long syllable ...
.
The publication started with a dedication (23-line German poem) to
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (, also , ; ; 22 June 1767 – 8 April 1835) was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was named afte ...
who had encouraged Rhesa to publish ''The Seasons''. As an introduction, Rhesa added a study in German of the poem which discussed poem's genre and goals, artistic and educational value, verse and accentuation as well as difficulties translating it to German. Rhesa emphasized poem's originality and argued that it was not inspired by other German or classical works. He praised poem's linguistic richness, its strong Lithuanian character, and focus on the life and culture of Lithuanian
serfs. Rhesa also included the first biography of Donelaitis. At the end, Rhesa added 82 comments to explain Lithuanian customs and traditions, for example he described the preparation of certain dishes, making of
bast shoe
Bast shoes are shoes made primarily from bast — fiber taken from the bark of trees such as linden. They are a kind of basket, woven and fitted to the shape of a foot. Bast shoes are a traditional footwear of the forest areas of Northern E ...
s, or use of a crooked staff known as ''
krivulė''.
Lithuanian folk songs
=Content
=
In 1825, Rhesa published a collection of 85
Lithuanian folk songs and their translations to German titled ''Dainos oder Litthauische Volkslieder''. It was the first published book of Lithuanian songs. The publication also included seven melodies, a study of Lithuanian folk songs by Rhesa, and detailed philological and other notes at the end. The book was dedicated to
Karl vom Stein zum Altenstein, Minister of Education. A new edition of the songs was published by
Friedrich Kurschat
Friedrich Kurschat ( lt, Frydrichas Kuršaitis; 1806–1884) was a Prussian Lithuanian linguist and professor at the University of Königsberg. He studied the Lithuanian language and published its grammar in 1876 in which he was the first to desc ...
in 1843. Other editions were published in two volumes in 1935–1937 by
Mykolas Biržiška
Mykolas Biržiška (; ; 24 August 1882, in Viekšniai – 24 August 1962, in Los Angeles), a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuan ...
and in 1958–1964.
The introductory study of the folk songs was an expanded and reworked version of his 1809 introduction to his poetry collection ''Prutena'' and his 1818 article published in '. In his study on the folk songs, Rhesa divided them into three main genres (songs, hymns, and archaic laments (''rauda'')) and identified their main characteristics. According to Rhesa, Lithuanian songs are natural and simple. They express tender and sincere feelings, not deep philosophical truths. They use plentiful
diminutives which charm the listener but make the songs particularly hard to translate. While many songs are love songs, the word "love" is essentially missing. The feelings of love are expressed as gentle melancholy of the pure heart longing for the beloved. According to Rhesa, the songs are deeply virtuous and have no indecent references. Some songs have preserved remnants of the ancient
Lithuanian mythology
Lithuanian mythology ( lt, Lietuvių mitologija) is the mythology of Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-Europeans, ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. ...
and contain references to pagan gods
Perkūnas
Perkūnas ( lt, Perkūnas, lv, Pērkons, Old Prussian: ''Perkūns'', ''Perkunos'', Yotvingian: ''Parkuns'', Latgalian: ''Pārkiuņs'') was the common Baltic god of thunder, and the second most important deity in the Baltic pantheon after Di ...
,
Žemyna
Žemyna (also Žemynėlė or Žemelė) (from lt, žemė – ''earth'') is the goddess of the earth in Lithuanian religion. She is usually regarded as mother goddess and one of the chief Lithuanian gods similar to Latvian Zemes māte. Žemyna ...
, etc. He then described the common
metre
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...
(
iamb,
trochee
In English poetic metre and modern linguistics, a trochee () is a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one. But in Latin and Ancient Greek poetic metre, a trochee is a heavy syllable followed by a light one ( ...
,
amphibrach
An amphibrach () is a metrical foot used in Latin and Greek prosody. It consists of a long syllable between two short syllables. The word comes from the Greek ἀμφίβραχυς, ''amphíbrakhys'', "short on both sides".
In English accent ...
, or mixed), melody (which is difficult to record), and
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
(not an essential feature of Lithuanian songs).
Rhesa claimed that he worked on this publication for 15 years. He wanted to visit
Lithuania proper to collect songs there, but was unable. Therefore, the publication includes only ten songs from Lithuania proper, all of them reprinted from '. To get more interesting songs, Rhesa published an appeal to friends of the Lithuanian language to send him song samples. Songs from
Lithuania Minor
Lithuania Minor ( lt, Mažoji Lietuva; german: Kleinlitauen; pl, Litwa Mniejsza; russian: Ма́лая Литва́), or Prussian Lithuania ( lt, Prūsų Lietuva; german: Preußisch-Litauen, pl, Litwa Pruska), is a historical ethnographic re ...
were contributed by nine priests and officials. Rhesa had more helpers and collected more songs (about 200) than what was published. 145 of the unpublished songs were collected and published in 1964. Since the collection also included 56 melodies composed by Vytautas Paltanavičius, it became very popular among folk assembles.
=Reception
=
In 1820, Rhesa sent a manuscript with 89 songs to
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
hoping to get his critique, support, or recommendation, but Goethe never replied. He did, however, publish a favorable review of ''Dainos'' in '. Goethe also wrote a second review, but it was only published posthumously in 1833. His review became instrumental in popularizing Lithuanian songs in western Europe. In total, at least nine reviews of ''Dainos'', including by
Jacob Grimm in ' and
Franciszek Siarczyński, were published in various German and Polish journals.
Songs from the collection were translated to Czech by
František Čelakovský
František Ladislav Čelakovský (7 March 1799 Strakonice - 5 August 1852 Prague) was a Czech poet, translator, linguist, and literary critic. He was a major figure in the Czech " national revival". His most notable works are ''Ohlas písní rus ...
, Polish by
Kazimierz Brodziński
Kazimierz Brodziński (8 March 1791 in Królówka – 10 October 1835 in Dresden) was an important Polish Romantic poet.
Life
He was born in Królówka near Bochnia. He came from the low nobility. He was a student at schools in Tarnów, w ...
, ,
Antoni Edward Odyniec
Antoni Edward Odyniec (25 January 1804 – 15 January 1885) was a Polish Romanticism, Polish Romantic-era poet who penned the celebrated "Song of the Filaret Association, Filaretes".
Said to be an imitator of his friend Adam Mickiewicz, Odyniec ma ...
, , Russian by (published by
Adam Kirkor in 1854), English by Uriah Katzenelenbogen (19 songs published in 1935). Selected songs were republished in various other collections, including by
Simonas Daukantas
Simonas Daukantas ( pl, Szymon Dowkont; 28 October 1793 – 6 December 1864) was a Lithuanian/Samogitian historian, writer, and ethnographer. One of the pioneers of the Lithuanian National Revival, he is credited as the author of the first book o ...
,
Georg Heinrich Ferdinand Nesselmann Georg Heinrich Ferdinand Nesselmann (February 14, 1811 in Fürstenau, near Tiegenhof, West Prussia (now Kmiecin, within Nowy Dwór Gdański) – January 7, 1881 in Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now ...
,
Nikolai Berg
Nikolai Vasilyevich Berg (russian: Никола́й Васи́льевич Берг, , Moscow, Russian Empire, - , Warsaw, Poland) was a Russian poet, journalist, translator and historian.
Biography
Nikolai Berg was born in Moscow. His father came ...
, , .
Rhesa's study on the folk songs became highly influential and his main ideas were repeated by various authors, including by
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...
,
Kazimierz Brodziński
Kazimierz Brodziński (8 March 1791 in Królówka – 10 October 1835 in Dresden) was an important Polish Romantic poet.
Life
He was born in Królówka near Bochnia. He came from the low nobility. He was a student at schools in Tarnów, w ...
,
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (28 July 1812 – 19 March 1887) was a Polish writer, publisher, historian, journalist, scholar, painter, and author who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews, which makes him the ...
, , .
The songs from Rhesa's collection inspired several artists to create Lithuanian-themed works, including poet
Julius Zeyer
Julius Zeyer (26 April 1841 – 29 January 1901) was a Czech prose writer, poet, and playwright.
Personal life
Zeyer was born on 26 April 1841 in Prague. His mother, Elisabeth Eleonora (née Weisseles), came from a German Jewish-turned-Catholic ...
, composer
Antonín Dvořák (song for male choir), writer
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Jordan
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Jordan, sometimes shortened to Wilhelm Jordan (8 February 1819 in Insterburg in East Prussia, now in Russia25 June 1904 in Frankfurt am Main), was a German writer and politician.
Life
Jordan was the son of the pastor Char ...
(about 30 song-inspired texts), poet
Adelbert von Chamisso
Adelbert von Chamisso (; 30 January 178121 August 1838) was a German poet and botanist, author of ''Peter Schlemihl'', a famous story about a man who sold his shadow. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso (or Chamissot) de Bonc ...
(five poems), author
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (28 July 1812 – 19 March 1887) was a Polish writer, publisher, historian, journalist, scholar, painter, and author who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews, which makes him the ...
(borrowed elements for epic poem ').
The songs were also used by researchers in other fields. For example,
Friedrich Kurschat
Friedrich Kurschat ( lt, Frydrichas Kuršaitis; 1806–1884) was a Prussian Lithuanian linguist and professor at the University of Königsberg. He studied the Lithuanian language and published its grammar in 1876 in which he was the first to desc ...
and
August Schleicher
August Schleicher (; 19 February 1821 – 6 December 1868) was a German linguist. His great work was ''A Compendium of the Comparative Grammar of the Indo-European Languages'' in which he attempted to reconstruct the Proto-Indo-European languag ...
used the collection in their linguistic studies of the Lithuanian language. Historian
Teodor Narbutt
Teodor Narbutt ( lt, Teodoras Narbutas; 8 November 1784 – 27 November 1864) was a Polish–Lithuanian romantic historian and military engineer in service of the Russian Empire. He is best remembered as the author of a nine-volume Polish-langu ...
used the songs to describe the
Lithuanian mythology
Lithuanian mythology ( lt, Lietuvių mitologija) is the mythology of Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-Europeans, ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. ...
in his multi-volume
history of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to settlements founded many thousands of years ago, but the first written record of the name for the country dates back to 1009 AD. Lithuanians, one of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands an ...
. Later authors, starting with
Aleksander Brückner
Aleksander Brückner (; 29 January 1856 – 24 May 1939) was a Polish scholar of Slavic languages and literatures (Slavistics), philologist, lexicographer and historian of literature. He is among the most notable Slavicists of the late 19th ...
, expressed doubts whether songs with mythological elements are truly authentic. Albinas Jovaišas suspected that as many as 30 songs had mythological elements artificially inserted by Rhesa when he edited the texts.
Other Lithuanian texts
In addition to manuscripts by Donelaitis, Rhesa also owned Lithuanian texts by and
Adam Friedrich Schimmelpfennig. In 1980, researchers discovered a published copy of Mielcke's 332-line Lithuanian poem ''Pilkainis''. The copy is missing publisher's information, but it is believed that the publication was prepared and published by Rhesa around 1820–1825.
In 1824, Rhesa published a 70-page collection of 96
fable
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that illustrat ...
s by
Aesop
Aesop ( or ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales c ...
and
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (4 July 171513 December 1769) was a German poet, one of the forerunners of the golden age of German literature that was ushered in by Lessing.
Biography
Gellert was born at Hainichen in Saxony, at the foot of th ...
translated into Lithuanian and six Lithuanian fables by
Kristijonas Donelaitis
Kristijonas Donelaitis ( la, Christian Donalitius; 1 January 1714 – 18 February 1780) was a Prussian Lithuanian poet and Lutheran pastor. He lived and worked in Lithuania Minor, a territory in the Kingdom of Prussia, that had a sizable Lithuani ...
. Rhesa added a Lithuanian introduction which is one of a few original Lithuanian texts authored by him. Unlike other publications, the collection of fables was intended for less educated villagers, therefore the introduction briefly and simply explained was fables are and described biography of Aesop. Donelaitis' fables likely served as an inspiration to the six fables of
Simonas Stanevičius published in 1829 (the publication also included Donelaitis' texts).
In 1811, he wrote a history of the 100-year old Lithuanian language seminar at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...
in German. The work remained unpublished until a Lithuanian translation was prepared and published in 2003. The work was accompanied by a 81-line Lithuanian poem in
dactylic hexameter
Dactylic hexameter (also known as heroic hexameter and the meter of epic) is a form of meter or rhythmic scheme frequently used in Ancient Greek and Latin poetry. The scheme of the hexameter is usually as follows (writing – for a long syllable ...
which was published in 1824. It is a
panegyric thanking for teaching Lithuanian language, criticizing the pope, and praising
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
, Duke
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Alber ...
, and King
Frederick William I. Another Lithuanian panegyric by Rhesa was published in 1816 and 1818. His poem praising King
Frederick William III of Prussia, Tsar
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
The son o ...
, Emperor
Francis I of Austria
Francis II (german: Franz II.; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor (from 1792 to 1806) and the founder and Emperor of the Austrian Empire, from 1804 to 1835. He assumed the title of Emperor of Austria in response ...
for their victory over Napoleon was included in an ornate publication with poems in 43 languages celebrating the victory.
Rhesa had more Lithuanian texts which remained unpublished, including numerous Lithuanian folk songs and
proverb
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
s. He compiled an unfinished German–Lithuanian dictionary of spoken language based on Donelaitis' texts and Lithuanian folklore. Surviving records show that he drafted content for the letters B, D, G, I, J. It is known that Rhesa wrote at least two Lithuanian poems, one dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Lithuanian language seminar at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...
and another praising the victory of the coalition against the
First French Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...
. Rhesa also attempted to recruit to write a
history of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to settlements founded many thousands of years ago, but the first written record of the name for the country dates back to 1009 AD. Lithuanians, one of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands an ...
in Lithuanian.
German publications
Poetry
Rhesa wrote poetry from at least 1797. The first six poems were published in 1799. Rhesa published two volumes of ''Prutena, oder preussische Volkslieder'' (Prutena, or Prussian Folk Songs), a collection of 61 Germans poems in 1809 and 41 poems in 1825. The poems often feature elements from the
history of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to settlements founded many thousands of years ago, but the first written record of the name for the country dates back to 1009 AD. Lithuanians, one of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands an ...
,
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...
, or folklore. Rhesa did not distinguish
Prussian Lithuanians
The Prussian Lithuanians, or Lietuvininkai (singular: ''Lietuvininkas'', plural: ''Lietuvininkai''), are Lithuanians, originally Lithuanian language speakers, who formerly inhabited a territory in northeastern East Prussia called Prussian Lithuan ...
from
Lithuanians and thus wrote about all Lithuanians. He idealized history, portrayed
Old Prussians
Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians or simply Prussians ( Old Prussian: ''prūsai''; german: Pruzzen or ''Prußen''; la, Pruteni; lv, prūši; lt, prūsai; pl, Prusowie; csb, Prësowié) were an indigenous tribe among the Baltic peoples that ...
as noble people who valued freedom more than life. At the same time, Rhesa expressed loyalty to the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
. For example, he praised Prussian commander
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt (; 21 December 1742 – 12 September 1819), ''Graf'' (count), later elevated to ''Fürst'' (sovereign prince) von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal). He earne ...
and
Louise, Queen of Prussia. He also lovingly described everyday village people and serene scenes of nature. One of his poems, a sentimental elegy, describes his native village which was buried by shifting sand dunes. Some of his poems are love stories, for example
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
, Grand Duke
Vytautas
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
and
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
, a young warrior who was killed in the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
, a young fisherman.
His poetry reflected
classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthet ...
and many of his poems are
idylls (his favorite was Ancient Greek poet
Theocritus
Theocritus (; grc-gre, Θεόκριτος, ''Theokritos''; born c. 300 BC, died after 260 BC) was a Greek poet from Sicily and the creator of Ancient Greek pastoral poetry.
Life
Little is known of Theocritus beyond what can be inferred from h ...
). However, he was also influenced by
romantic poetry
Romantic poetry is the poetry of the Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. It involved a reaction against prevailing Enlightenment ideas of the 18t ...
and
sentimentalism. A few of his poems are
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s. A few poems borrowed elements from
Lithuanian folk songs, but overall elements from the
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
are dominant. ''Prutena's'' title alluded to folk songs perhaps following the example of the poems by
Ossian. The collection includes 22 poems that are described as Lithuanian folk songs, but only six are authentic songs, others are imitations. Rhesa's poetry reflects his values – quiet resignation to the greater power or destiny. Life's purpose is to add a little crumb to the greatness built by others. His poetry lacks imagination, depth of feeling, originality both in depiction and in expression.
Other German texts
In 1814, Rhesa published his diary from the military travels through
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
,
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
,
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
,
Bohemia,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1813–1814. He focused not on military movements, but on different cultures, national identities, art. He searched for people's soul (''Volksseele'') as described by
Johann Gottfried Herder. A Lithuanian translation was published in 2000.
Rhesa was tasked with continuing a
biographical dictionary
A biographical dictionary is a type of encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information. Many attempt to cover the major personalities of a country (with limitations, such as living persons only, in ''Who's Who'', or deceased people onl ...
, first published by in 1777, of all priests in western Prussia. It was published in two volumes in 1834. Rhesa also wrote a 1,074-page manuscript on the history of the Catholic Church. It was used for his lectures and was revised as late as 1839. He also left a 672-page manuscript on the
Gospels of Matthew and
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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*
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*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rheza, Ludwig
1776 births
1840 deaths
Balticists
Lithuania Minor
19th-century Lutheran clergy
German military chaplains
German male poets
Lithuanian folk-song collectors
People from the Kingdom of Prussia
People from East Prussia
University of Königsberg alumni
Academic staff of the University of Königsberg
Translators of the Bible into Lithuanian