Teofilo Folengo (redirected from Merlino Cocajo)

Folengo, Teofilo 

(pen name, Merlin Cocai). Born Nov. 8, 1496, in Mantua; died Dec. 9, 1544, in Santa Croce di Campese. Italian writer.

Folengo’s main work, the narrative poem Baldus (first version, 1517), written in macaronic Latin, satirized feudal chivalry, the church, monasticism, and other medieval institutions. The poem reflects the viewpoint of the peasantry and consequently expresses a profoundly popular spirit. In Folengo’s works, macaronic Latin lost its purely parodic character and became an individualized type of poetic language. Baldus was an influence on Rabelais.

WORKS

Opere italiane, vols 1–3. Edited by U. Renda. Bari, 1911–14.

REFERENCES

Gaspari, A. Istoriia ital’ians koi literatury, vol. 2. Moscow, 1897.
De Sanctis, F. Istoriia ital’ians koi literatury, vol. 2. Moscow, 1964.
Croce, B. Poeti e scrittori del pieno e del tardo Rinascimento, vol. 1. Bari, 1958.
Goffis, C. F. “Bibliografia regionata del Folengo.” Revista di sintesi letteraria, 1934, vol. 1.
Ramat, R. Saggi sul Rinascimento. Florence [1969].
Messedaglia, L. Vita e costume della rinascenza in Merlin Cocai, vols. 1–2. Padua, 1973.

R. I. KHLODOVSKII