Teofilo Folengo (8 November 1491 – 9 December 1544) was an Italian poet, who wrote in Latin under several nom de plumes.
- Teofilo Folengo was born in Mantua, an Italian city surrounded by lakes on three sides.
- As a young man, around 1516, the poet entered the Benedictine order, living in monasteries of Brescia, Padova (Padua) and Nantua naturally.
- By 1525 Teofilo, as he was known, left the monastery and lived hermit before being readmitted and living as part of the Benedictine order for the rest of his life.
- Teofilo Folengo wrote poetry under the nom de plumes of Merlino Coccajo ( Merlinus Cocaius in Latin).
- His poems were written in a mixture of language, using bilingual puns, and hybrid words; a style called Macaronic.
- His first, and most known work is the macaronic narrative poem Baldus, which he wrote as Merlin Cocai.
- The masterpiece has lots of humor, satire, and fantasy elements to it.
- Baldus follows French royal, and ruffian, named Baldo who gets into fights with government authorities, pirates, demons, and even shepherds. His companions include giants, magicians, and even a centaur.
- The poem was heavily and frequently censured, but it was so popular that it went through several editions and even expanded by its author.
- We know of four versions of Baldus published in 1517, 1521, 1539-40, and 1552.
Zohar – Man of la Book
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Sources:
Teofilo Folengo: Italian author | Britannica
