Gaston Paris
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Bruno Paulin Gaston Paris (; 9 August 1839 – 5 March 1903) was a French literary historian,
philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...
, and scholar specialized in
Romance studies Romance studies or Romance philology ( an, filolochía romanica; ca, filologia romànica; french: romanistique; eo, latinida filologio; it, filologia romanza; pt, filologia românica; ro, romanistică; es, filología románica) is an acade ...
and
medieval French literature Medieval French literature is, for the purpose of this article, Medieval literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle French) during the period from the eleventh century to the end of the fifteenth century. The ...
. He was nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
in 1901, 1902, and 1903.


Biography

Gaston Paris was born under the
July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 F ...
at Avenay (
Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...
), the son of
Paulin Paris Alexis Paulin Paris (25 March 180013 February 1881) was a French scholar and author. Life Paris was born at Avenay ( Marne). He studied classics in Reims and law in Paris. He published in 1824 an ''Apologie pour l'école romantique'' (''In De ...
(1800–1881), an important French scholar of
medieval French literature Medieval French literature is, for the purpose of this article, Medieval literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle French) during the period from the eleventh century to the end of the fifteenth century. The ...
. In his childhood, Gaston learned to appreciate
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
romances as poems and stories, and this early impulse for the study of Romance literature was placed on a solid basis by courses of study at the
University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...
(1856), in the
German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...
, and at the
École Nationale des Chartes The École Nationale des Chartes (, literally National School of Charters) is a French ''grande école'' and a constituent college of Université PSL, specialising in the historical sciences. It was founded in 1821, and was located initially at ...
, at the time under the rule of the
Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Empire, Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the French Second Republic, Second and the French Third Republic ...
. Paris taught French grammar in a private school, later succeeding his father as professor of
medieval French literature Medieval French literature is, for the purpose of this article, Medieval literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle French) during the period from the eleventh century to the end of the fifteenth century. The ...
at the
Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...
in 1872; in 1876 he was admitted to the
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions ( epig ...
, and in 1896 to the
Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
; in 1895 he was appointed director of the
Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...
. He won a reputation as a renowned scholar of Romance literature throughout Europe. In Bonn he had learnt the scientific methods of exact research, but besides being an accurate philologist he was a
literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
of great acumen and breadth of view, and brought a singularly clear mind to bear on his favourite study of medieval French literature. His '' Vie de saint Alexis'' (1872) broke new ground and provided a model for future editors of medieval texts. It included the original text and the variations of it dating from the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. He contributed largely to the ''
Histoire littéraire de la France ''Histoire littéraire de la France'' is an enormous history of French literature initiated in 1733 by Dom Rivet and the Benedictines of St. Maur. It was abandoned in 1763 after the publication of volume XII. In 1814, members of the Académie d ...
'', and with Paul Meyer published ''Romania'', an
academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...
devoted to the study of Romance literature. In 1877 Gaston Paris was invited to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
for the 400th anniversary of the Upsala University, where he was made an honorary doctor. Before returning home he also visited Kristiania (
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
) to take part in a celebration of the
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
philosopher
Marcus Jacob Monrad Marcus Jacob Monrad (19 January 1816 – 30 December 1897) was a Norwegian philosopher, a university professor for more than 40 years. He was born in Nøtterøy to parish priest Peder Monrad and Severine Elisabeth Ambroe, and grew up in Mo i ...
. At the
University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
Gaston Paris also held a lecture about the two folktale collectors,
Asbjørnsen and Moe ''Norwegian Folktales'' ( no, Norske folkeeventyr) is a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. It is also known as ''Asbjørnsen and Moe'', after the collectors. Asbjørnsen and Moe Asbjà ...
, which he believed to be, besides the
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
, the best re-tellers of the genre. He received the German Order
Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
(civil class) in August 1902. Paris died in
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
in 1903.


Works

*
Histoire poétique de Charlemagne
' (1865) *''Les Plus anciens monuments de la langue française'' (1875) *''Manuel d'ancien Français'' (1888) *''Mystère de la passion by Arnoul Gréban'' (1878), in collaboration with
Gaston Raynaud Gaston Raynaud (14 April 1850, Paris – 28 July 1911, Boulogne-Billancourt) was a French philologist and librarian .Lelong EugèneGaston Raynaud (1850-1911) In: Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes. 1911, tome 72. pp. 427-436. Biography Raynaud ...
*''Deux rédactions du roman des sept sages de Rome'' (1876) *a translation of the ''Grammaire des langues romanes'' (1874–1878) of
Friedrich Diez Friedrich Christian Diez (15 March 179429 May 1876) was a German philologist. The two works on which his fame rests are the ''Grammar of the Romance Languages'' (published 1836–1844), and the ''Etymological Dictionary of the Romance Languages'' ...
, in collaboration with MM. Brachet and Morel-Fatio. *''La Poésie du Moyen Âge'' (1885 and 1895) *''Penseurs et poètes'' (1897) *''Poèmes et légendes du moyen âge'' (1900) *''François Villon'' (1901), an admirable monograph contributed to the "Grands Écrivains Français" series *''Legendes du Moyen Âge'' (1903). * Summary of medieval French literature forms a volume of the ''Temple Primers''. Paris endeared himself to a wide circle of scholars outside his own country by his unfailing urbanity and generosity. In France, he trained a band of disciples at the École des Chartes and the
Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...
who continued the traditions of exact research that he established. Among them were Leopold Pannier; Marius Sepet, the author of ''Le Drame chrétien au Moyen Âge'' (1878) and ''Origines catholiques du théâtre moderne'' (1901); Charles Joret;
Alfred Morel-Fatio Alfred Paul Victor Morel-Fatio (9 January 1850 in Strasbourg, France – 10 October 1924 in Versailles, France) was the leading French Hispanist of his time, educated at École des chartes, Paris. From 1875 to 1880 he was attaché of the departme ...
;
Gaston Raynaud Gaston Raynaud (14 April 1850, Paris – 28 July 1911, Boulogne-Billancourt) was a French philologist and librarian .Lelong EugèneGaston Raynaud (1850-1911) In: Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes. 1911, tome 72. pp. 427-436. Biography Raynaud ...
, who was responsible for various volumes of the excellent editions published by the
Société des anciens textes français Société des anciens textes français (SATF) is a learned society founded in Paris in 1875 with the purpose of publishing all kinds of medieval documents written either in langue d'oïl or langue d'oc (''Bulletin de la SATF'', 1 (1875), p. 1) ...
;
Arsène Darmesteter Arsène Darmesteter (5 January 1846, Château-Salins, Moselle16 November 1888, Paris) was a distinguished French philologist and man of letters. Biography He studied under Gaston Paris at the École pratique des hautes études, and became profess ...
; and others.


References

Attribution: *


Further reading

*"Hommage à Gaston Paris" (1903), the opening lecture of his successor,
Joseph Bédier Joseph Bédier (28 January 1864 – 29 August 1938) was a French writer and scholar and historian of medieval France. Biography Bédier was born in Paris, France, to Adolphe Bédier, a lawyer of Breton origin, and spent his childhood in Réunion. ...
, in the chair of medieval literature at the College de France; *A. Thomas, ''Essais de philologie française'' (1897); *
W. P. Ker William Paton Ker, FBA (30 August 1855 – 17 July 1923), was a Scottish literary scholar and essayist. Life Born in Glasgow in 1855, Ker studied at Glasgow Academy, the University of Glasgow, and Balliol College, Oxford. He was appointed ...
, in the ''Fortnightly Review'' (July 1904); *M. Croiset, ''Notice sur Gaston Paris'' (1904); *J. Bédier et M. Roques, ''Bibliographie des travaux de Gaston Paris'' (1904). {{DEFAULTSORT:Paris, Gaston 1839 births 1903 deaths 19th-century French historians 19th-century French male writers 19th-century French non-fiction writers 20th-century French historians 20th-century French male writers 20th-century French non-fiction writers Collège de France faculty École Nationale des Chartes alumni École pratique des hautes études faculty French expatriates in Germany French expatriates in Norway French expatriates in Sweden French literary critics French medievalists French philologists Literary critics of French Literary historians Medieval French literature Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Members of the Académie Française Members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences People from Marne (department) People of the French Third Republic People of the July Monarchy Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Romance philologists University of Bonn alumni