Vielle, Christophe
[UCL]
The recent rediscovery in Italy of manuscripts containing lost works of Father Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681-1732) allows to better understand the pioneering scholarly linguistic achievements of this Jesuit missionary, both in Malayāḷam and Sanskrit. However, ‘Father Ernst’ is also famous in Kerala for his poetical contributions to the devotional literature of St. Thomas Christians, who remember him under the name of Arnos Padiri (Mal. arṇṇōsŭ pātiri, from the Portuguese Ernesto Padre) and who adapted the music style of the Chaldeo-Syrian liturgy for singing his popular religious epic known as the ‘New Hymn’ (Puttaṉ pāna). Moreover, less known letters by Hanxleden, esp. one written in 1715, bear testimony of his knowledge of Syriac language and his interest in Syriac manuscripts, providing also noteworthy details on the role he played in the history of Malabar Christianity in the beginning of the 18th century.
Bibliographic reference |
Vielle, Christophe. Johann Ernst Hanxleden s.j. (1681-1732) and St. Thomas Christians: from Malayāḷam poetry to Syriac liturgy and philology. In: The Harp: A Review of Syriac,Oriental and Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 30, no. 1, p. 69-122 (2016) |
Permanent URL |
http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/181500 |