RECENT SCHOLARSHIP ON RAMON LLULL ‘The Catalan (or rather, Majorcan) writer Ramon Llull (ca. 1282-1316) con: ‘tinues to present many challenges. Most of them stem from the multfirious nature of someone who was a philosopher, theologian, mystic, poet, novel ise, and missionary; who also wrote on medicine, jurisprudence, astronomy, and geometry; and who invented a system which fascinated such figures as Giordano Brano and Leibniz, a system which has been considered a distant precursor of computer science. Moreover, the man wrote some 265 works in Latin and Catalan (and perhaps Occitan), waich have been preserved in some 2000 manuscripts, not only in those languages, but also in medieval transla- tions into French, Castilian, and Italian, Fifty years ago, the predominant image of Llull was that of thatthe pazer ‘pacriag of Catalan culture, a great literary figure and mystic, an impetuous, eccentric personage, rather out of touch with the real world, whose semi logical system, the “Art,” was a somewhat embarrassing curiosity. Ina way, it ‘was natural with a figure who was revived asa symbol of Catalan nationalism, and whose Catalan works had been splendidly edited in 21 volumes between 1906 and 1950 (see ORL in the bibliography), and whose novels, poetry, and mystical works had appeared concurrently in the series Els Noses Class, As a result, his Catalan works, intended for a nore popular audience, were well known and appreciated, whereas his Latin works, intended for a more learned audience, and dealing with what editors of tie ime felt were “rier” subjects, were relatively unknown. To understand what this implies, we must realize that, of his 265 works, only some 57 are preserved in Catalan, and of these, ‘only 20 are preserved Uniquely in Catalan while the remaining 37 are found in both Catalan and Latin, Moreover, since most of the works that Llull him- self claimed to be essential to understanding his message were written in ‘Latin, the image of Llull asa predominantly Catalan author presented a seri ‘ous imbalance. 377378 Romance Philly, vl. 54 Spring 2001 Some of his Latin works, to be sure, had been published, but practically none since the eighteenth century, and in editions available only in the best European libraries. Moreover, the number of genuine Latin works published between the first edition in Venice of 1480 and 1950 amounted to about one- thied of those extant. This situation was changed dramatically by Friedrich Stegmalle in the 1950s. He began by founding the Raimundus-Lallus-Insticut in the Univer: sity of Freiburg in Germany, and by colleting microflns of Lll manuscript fom an enormous lst of European and American libraries, In 1959 he and his team of collaborators began the publication ofthe critical edition ofthe Latin works, which by now has riched twenty-four volumes (see ROL in the bibliography, as well a a brief history of the edition in Dominguez 1988— 1989), Stegmiller also made an unusual decision: since the only previous col- lected edition, that published in Mainz in the eighteenth century (Salzinger 1721-1742), had printed many of the early works, and since most ofthe best known and already published Catalan works also dated from the frst part of Liul's carer, he decided to tart with the end of lulls production and work backwards. Asa result, he began to fil the largest gaps in our knowledge of Lul’s output. Furthermore, in 1965 he aranged for the publication of photographic reprint of the above-mentioned Mainz edition ‘Ten years ago this reviewer nanaged to get under way a continuation of the Catalan edition (Nova Each de ler Obver de Rasnon Llull 1991-), which so fir has reached a much more modest four volumes, to edit works ether previously unpublished oF lacking a crtical edition in Catalan. To this we ‘must add four more recent critical editions in Els Notes Css! as wll five by Josep Peramau in Arsin de Tests Catalans Ansc:> The result i that beeween these different series, there are very few of Llul’s works no longer available in print, and an increasing proportion of them have now been pub- lished in eitical editions. Concurrently, many more texts have become available in new spate of twansations, making Lill increasingly acessible toa non-Catalan readership, and broadening the narrow, romantic view of such predecessors a Allison Peers. The country that was leader inthis field was France, with the ground: breaking anthology of Sala-Moliss (1967), followed by many editions (of ‘medieval Fench versions) and translations (into modern French) by Armand 1, Two ete by GretScib (1972 ard 1980), and two edited by Albert Soler (2988 and 2, Beaman 1982, 1983 (which, in adtion to che work mensoned in dhe te, ako contains pelea of Delocationeangloranin Latin), 1985, an 1990. One should sls mention tha the Palma publisher, Miguel Fon, ha seed repoblshing OR, wth cht woes {ofr basing appeazed At the same ime, he has eepubished the mandardbibboprphce ‘sed by specs: Rogent and Durin 1927 and Brammer 1976.Recent Schalarhip om Raton Lal! 379 Llinards.* Bonner 1985¢ was an attempt to bring to an English-speaking pub: lic a representative cross-section of Lhul’sinterests—fiom mysticism to med- jcine—all centered on the Arc. In Germany, three bilingual editions (Hidsle ‘and Buchel 1985 [sce Lohr, ed. 1985], Hésle and Hiésle 1998, and Fidora 1999) have appeared, as well as translations by Erika Lorenz (1985, 1988), Gret Schib (1998), and Theodor Pindl (1998), making an excellent overview available in that country. Since those of Batllori 1981 and Garcias Palow 1978, the only Spanish translation of any importance seems to be that of Ballesta 1991. Traly has produced two exceptionally interesting translations ‘with notes (Obertello 1991 and Mistici Prancescani 1997). The medieval Oc- citan version of the Doctrina pueril has been edited in Marinoni 1997. One should also mention the Hungarian translation of Balizs and Kélmin 1994.* In addition to the older problem of the availability of texts, another bar- tier that has been overcome isthe idea of Lill as a “Catalan author.” That he was a superb writer in Catalan, and was on: of the principle figures to give shape to the literary language, nobody who reads his great novels, Blaguerna or Felix, could doubt. Nor should it be forgotten that he was indeed one of the first Europeans to use a vernacular to write works on theology, philoso- phy, and logic * But we can now see how instrumental was his choice of lan- ‘guage: he used Catalan to reach a lay audience who could understand it,” but he or his later followers also had his works translated into Occitan, French, Traian, and Castilian if that could spread hismessage. When it was a question, of reaching a more learned audience, Latin was, of course, the choice. But there was no necessary restriction of one language to one type of work, or even to any single work. Giving, as an example, the approximate number of medieval manuscripts* of some of his best known “Catalan” works, the figures are given below: 8. The etons are Linas 1966, 1960, 1970, and 1971. Bis principal modem ansatons {re Llinaes 1988, 1989 (with Rene Prev), 1981, 1992, and 1993. To test one should Sa he tranasion ofthe Parc in Scola 1991, 44 Translated ino Caan in Bonner 1989. A shored erson ofthe orginal anthology was published in Bonner and Boasee 1995, thane uaplaton ofthe Book ofthe Ler and fhe Beed by Bre Bonne, 5, Some rlable eandatons have now appeared onthe web, In Engi there hp/ ore ‘roca cons/AthensPcthenon 4872, with basal draw figures of the Are and REOSE tv Brallan welusce-hup.// wen geocencom /athens Form /5284/ testsiital and inp, worwicarocorts com estos hn, offing (ost he same) Poeraguea exsitions long with oterLalan xs 6, An eaclent aid tothe andentanding and sed) of his Catalan vocabulary appeared in alors Mates 1982 “1985. 7, neh thirteenth cenary, because of Catan milary, commercial, and dynastic expansion, the language was understood na lrg part ofthe western Mediterranean, and its [iyo Ocala mace rable inthe southern think presenr-dey ance. See Boner 1985, 1:8 and the bibiogaphy ced there. 8, Tis doc not inde mentary manuscript, ss the case for example ofthe Decrina puri