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Card-playing as a Mirror of Society. On Johannes of Rheinfelden's Ludus cartularum moralisatus

Jönsson, Arne LU (2005)
Abstract
Johannes of Rheinfelden’s treatise on card-playing, the Ludus cartularum moralisatus (“the moral meaning of card-playing”) is not only an important source of the history of plays and pastimes but also gives valuable information about late medieval thinking concerning the organization of human society. Johannes writes that the newly introduced cards were something of a revelation for him and that he got very excited when he realised that they could be used as a means of understanding and explaining the world. The treatise was planned and executed on a big scale: his description of the cards, kings, marshalls, queens, maids of honour and artisans becomes his point of departure for a description and an interpretation of the function and... (More)
Johannes of Rheinfelden’s treatise on card-playing, the Ludus cartularum moralisatus (“the moral meaning of card-playing”) is not only an important source of the history of plays and pastimes but also gives valuable information about late medieval thinking concerning the organization of human society. Johannes writes that the newly introduced cards were something of a revelation for him and that he got very excited when he realised that they could be used as a means of understanding and explaining the world. The treatise was planned and executed on a big scale: his description of the cards, kings, marshalls, queens, maids of honour and artisans becomes his point of departure for a description and an interpretation of the function and duties of real courts.

Johannes integrates an enormous wealth of learning from the Bible, the Latin classics, Boethius, St. Isidore and also later authorities such as St. Thomas Aquinas into his system. Some of his views may seem rather self-evident, but he does not shy away from more controversial issues.

Johannes' work is extant in four manuscripts, but has never been printed. An edition is however being prepared. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
interpretation, allegory, card-playing
host publication
Chess and Allegory in the Middle Ages
editor
Ferm, Olle and Honemann, Volker
publisher
Sällskapet Runica et Mediaevalia
ISSN
1103-7989
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
be7bb7dc-a6e5-4296-a0cf-dc9bfac92192 (old id 535175)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:04:48
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:38:34
@inbook{be7bb7dc-a6e5-4296-a0cf-dc9bfac92192,
  abstract     = {{Johannes of Rheinfelden’s treatise on card-playing, the Ludus cartularum moralisatus (“the moral meaning of card-playing”) is not only an important source of the history of plays and pastimes but also gives valuable information about late medieval thinking concerning the organization of human society. Johannes writes that the newly introduced cards were something of a revelation for him and that he got very excited when he realised that they could be used as a means of understanding and explaining the world. The treatise was planned and executed on a big scale: his description of the cards, kings, marshalls, queens, maids of honour and artisans becomes his point of departure for a description and an interpretation of the function and duties of real courts.<br/><br>
	Johannes integrates an enormous wealth of learning from the Bible, the Latin classics, Boethius, St. Isidore and also later authorities such as St. Thomas Aquinas into his system. Some of his views may seem rather self-evident, but he does not shy away from more controversial issues. <br/><br>
Johannes' work is extant in four manuscripts, but has never been printed. An edition is however being prepared.}},
  author       = {{Jönsson, Arne}},
  booktitle    = {{Chess and Allegory in the Middle Ages}},
  editor       = {{Ferm, Olle and Honemann, Volker}},
  issn         = {{1103-7989}},
  keywords     = {{interpretation; allegory; card-playing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Sällskapet Runica et Mediaevalia}},
  title        = {{Card-playing as a Mirror of Society. On Johannes of Rheinfelden's Ludus cartularum moralisatus}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}