The Book of One Thousand Proverbs
The Book of One Thousand Proverbs is a volume written by the polymath Ramon Llull, which contains advice, admonitions, and sayings encompassing various aspects of theology, philosophy, morality, social life, and practical life.
Summary
[edit]Ramon Llull wrote the volume in Old Catalan in 1302 whilst at sea, returning from Cyprus.[1][2]
The proverbs are distributed across fifty-two chapters, with the amount of proverbs per chapter ranging from seventeen to twenty-two, averaging twenty. Each chapter is dedicated to a virtue or sin, a moral quality, or a human condition. The structure of the book follows a hierarchical order: About God, the Prince, the Subordinate, the Spouse, the Friend, the Enemy, etc.
The main qualities of Llull's book are its conciseness, its didactic simplicity, and its musicality. The writing is free from the constraints of scholastic medieval embellishments, making it a classic of thought of the High Middle Ages.
References
[edit]- ^ Duràn, Estanislau. Bibliografia de les impressions lul·lianes / Elies Rogent i Estanislau Duran; amb un proemi, addicions i índex de Ramon d'Alòs-Moner. Institut d'Estudis Catalans. p. 315.
- ^ Casassas, Oriol (1999). Una faula i setze històries: excursió pel camp de les ciències humanes sortint del despatx d'un metge. L'Abadia de Montserrat. p. 33. ISBN 978-84-8415-096-1.
