Disquisition on the Celebrated Poetic Book Theuerdanck

I.

Who the Book Theuerdanck is / and what its Name means.

The book called Theuerdanck, which we wish to bring to your attention, kind reader, explains in German metrical verse the arduous labors and overcome dangers of Maximilian I, the August Emperor. It is distinguished by this title: The Adventures and a portion of the Stories of the Praiseworthy, Valiant, and Highly Renowned Hero and Knight, Theuerdanck. original: Die Geuerlicheiten und eins teils der Geschichten des löblichen streitbaren und hochberümbten Helds und Ritters Tewrdannckhs. Among the common people, it is known by the simpler name The Theuerdanck, which it also bears in the privilege A legal document granting exclusive printing rights. granted by Maximilian to the printer. This fictional name is used to honor Maximilian throughout the work. Just as poets of old were accustomed to naming their poems after the illustrious persons whose fates they set forth, and just as even today the writers of romances have presented Arminius, Octavia, and Argenis These were popular Baroque "romans à clef," or novels where fictional characters represented real political figures. to the public light, so also for the same reason this book was titled Theuerdanck. We must, however, declare here what this name signifies regarding its etymology, because we observe that its genuine meaning is hidden from some. It should be known, therefore, that Maximilian was distinguished by the name Theuerdanck in this poem because from his earliest age he turned all his care and thought toward difficult matters and aspired to perform the greatest deeds. The Pfintzingiana Key original: Clavis Pfintzingiana; a guide or "key" written by Melchior Pfinzing, the emperor's chaplain, to explain the allegorical characters in the poem. declares this in these words:

He is called Theuerdanck for this reason: that from his youth he directed all his thoughts toward noble deeds. original German: Ist darum Tewrdannckh genannt / daß er von Jugend auff all sein Gedancken nach theuerlichen Sachen gericht.

Therefore, those monstrous words—Caraegrates, or Carigratius, or even Rarigratius—only provoke laughter. These were concocted with misguided diligence by VINCENTIUS PLACCIUS A 17th-century German scholar known for cataloging anonymous works. in his Theater of Anonymous Authors, chapter 11, page 478, while he was striving to express the German word in Latin. From the authentic interpretation provided by the author himself, it is clear how absurd it is to wish to pretend that the name meant "Dear Thanks" or "Rare..."