Jan Utenhove
Encyclopedia
Jan Utenhove was a writer from the Low Countries
best known for his translations into the Dutch language
of the Psalms
and the New Testament
.
; he belonged to the Van der Gracht branch. His relation Karel Utenhove, who worked as amanuensis
to Erasmus, was from other other branch (Van Markegen). He was acquainted with John Laski, with whom Karel had travelled to Italy in 1525; and became a Protestant.
Utenhove left Flanders in 1544; a morality play, written by him in 1532, was ill-received when performed in 1543. From this time, he had a peripatetic existence, and would travel all over Europe
. In the summer of 1548 Utenhove came to England from Strasbourg
in advance of Laski, and co-operated with him in the organisation of the strangers' churches in London and Canterbury. It was on his recommendation that Valérand Poullain
of Lille
was brought over from Strasbourg as pastor of the French-speaking Protestant exiles at Canterbury
. Poullain organised an offshoot from this community at Glastonbury
, under the patronage of Lord Protector Somerset. To Glastonbury Utenhove sent Flemish and Walloon
weavers, who introduced the manufacture of broadcloth and blankets in the west of England. John Hooper employed Utenhove on a mission to Heinrich Bullinger
in Switzerland
, in April 1549. He left England with Laski in 1553.
He lived in Strasbourg, Emden
and Poland
, where he met and married his wife, Anna. From 1559, at the accession of Elizabeth I of England
, Utenhove once more took up residence in London, where he remained until his death in 1566. He took a leading part in affairs as ‘first elder’ of the Dutch church. He died in London in 1565, leaving a widow (Anna de Grutere de Lannoy) and three children.
, which were published in 1566 as De Psalmen Davids ("The Psalms of David
"). That same year saw the publication of his translation of the New Testament, Het Nieuwe Testament na der Griekscher waerheyt in Nederlandsche sprake grondlick end trauwelick overghezett ("The New Testament
Translated
Thoroughly and Faithfully into the Dutch Tongue
According to the Original Greek
") at the request of the church community of Emden.
He also wrote ‘Simplex et Fidelis Narratio de … Belgarum aliorumque Peregrinorum in Anglia Ecclesia,’ Basle, 1560. Laski's London ‘Catechismus’ (distinct from the Emden one) is known in the Flemish version by Utenhove, printed at London in 1551.
His translation of the New Testament is important for Dutch literary history as it is the first complete translation of any Bible part into Dutch, and as it borrows significantly from the eastern Low Saxon
dialects of Dutch, it is also one of the first literary documents from that part of the Low Countries. His attempt to translate the Greek text as literally as possible and highbrow
choice of vocabulary, however, prevented widespread acceptance of the translation.
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
best known for his translations into the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
of the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
and the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Life
Utenhove was born into a Flemish patrician family in GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
; he belonged to the Van der Gracht branch. His relation Karel Utenhove, who worked as amanuensis
Amanuensis
Amanuensis is a Latin word adopted in various languages, including English, for certain persons performing a function by hand, either writing down the words of another or performing manual labour...
to Erasmus, was from other other branch (Van Markegen). He was acquainted with John Laski, with whom Karel had travelled to Italy in 1525; and became a Protestant.
Utenhove left Flanders in 1544; a morality play, written by him in 1532, was ill-received when performed in 1543. From this time, he had a peripatetic existence, and would travel all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In the summer of 1548 Utenhove came to England from Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in advance of Laski, and co-operated with him in the organisation of the strangers' churches in London and Canterbury. It was on his recommendation that Valérand Poullain
Valérand Poullain
Valérand Poullain was a French Calvinist minister. In a troubled career as minister, he brought a congregation of Flemish or Walloon weavers to South-west England around 1548.-Life:...
of Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
was brought over from Strasbourg as pastor of the French-speaking Protestant exiles at Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
. Poullain organised an offshoot from this community at Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
, under the patronage of Lord Protector Somerset. To Glastonbury Utenhove sent Flemish and Walloon
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
weavers, who introduced the manufacture of broadcloth and blankets in the west of England. John Hooper employed Utenhove on a mission to Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in April 1549. He left England with Laski in 1553.
He lived in Strasbourg, Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where he met and married his wife, Anna. From 1559, at the accession of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, Utenhove once more took up residence in London, where he remained until his death in 1566. He took a leading part in affairs as ‘first elder’ of the Dutch church. He died in London in 1565, leaving a widow (Anna de Grutere de Lannoy) and three children.
Works
During his stay in London, where he played an important role in the local Dutch church community, Utenhove translated the PsalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, which were published in 1566 as De Psalmen Davids ("The Psalms of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
"). That same year saw the publication of his translation of the New Testament, Het Nieuwe Testament na der Griekscher waerheyt in Nederlandsche sprake grondlick end trauwelick overghezett ("The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
Translated
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
Thoroughly and Faithfully into the Dutch Tongue
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
According to the Original Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
") at the request of the church community of Emden.
He also wrote ‘Simplex et Fidelis Narratio de … Belgarum aliorumque Peregrinorum in Anglia Ecclesia,’ Basle, 1560. Laski's London ‘Catechismus’ (distinct from the Emden one) is known in the Flemish version by Utenhove, printed at London in 1551.
His translation of the New Testament is important for Dutch literary history as it is the first complete translation of any Bible part into Dutch, and as it borrows significantly from the eastern Low Saxon
Dutch Low Saxon
Dutch Low Saxon is a group of Low Saxon, i.e. West Low German dialects spoken in the northeastern Netherlands. In comparison, the remainder of the Netherlands speak a collection of Low Franconian dialects.The class "Dutch Low Saxon" is not unanimous...
dialects of Dutch, it is also one of the first literary documents from that part of the Low Countries. His attempt to translate the Greek text as literally as possible and highbrow
Highbrow
Used colloquially as a noun or adjective, highbrow is synonymous with intellectual; as an adjective, it also means elite, and generally carries a connotation of high culture. The word draws its metonymy from the pseudoscience of phrenology, and was originally simply a physical descriptor...
choice of vocabulary, however, prevented widespread acceptance of the translation.