Anonymous work
Encyclopedia
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
or literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, that have an anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecords of which no natural person is identified as author."
In the case of very old works, the author's name may simply be lost over the course of history. In such cases the author is often referred to as Anonymus, the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
form of "anonymous
Anonymous
- People :* Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an anonymous, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author* Anonymous IV, a 13th century English student of medieval music theory whose works are a major source for modern scholars of that era...
". In the case of works where the creator's name is kept secret, the author's reasons may vary from fear of persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
to protection of his or her reputation. In 2007, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
published an article by an anonymous author describing the use of national security letters by the FBI. In this case, the author, who would have preferred to be named, was legally prohibited from disclosing his or her identity.