Name: "Pantagruel", "Gargentua"

Date:  1500 - 1799

Location:  Europe , Africa

SubjectPolitical/Economic/Social Opinion

MediumLiterature


Artist: Rabelais, François (1494-1553)

Confronting Bodies: The divines of the Sorbonne, French parliament, U.S. Custom Department, South African State.

Date of Action: 1533

Specific Location

Description of Artwork: "Pantagruel" 1533: The story of Pantagruel, the giant, son of Gargentua, their feats, their wars and adventures. The framework of a mock-heroic chivalrous romance, he laughed at many types of sophistry including the legal obsurantism and hermeticism,

Description of Incident: 1533 France: The first of two parts of "Pantagruel", published without the knowledge of the author, were listed on the "Index" of the Sorbonne and on the Official black list of parliament. 1546 France: The Third book of "Pantagruel" was published unde

Results of Incident: 1535 Italy-Rome: A Papal bull absolved Rabelais from ecclesiastical censure. 1552 France: Taking advantage of the King's absence from Paris, the divines of the Sorbonne censored the fourth book on publication. 1554 France: Cardinal de Chatillon persuaded Henry II to raise the ban on the works of Rabelais. 1930 United States: The customs Department lifted the ban on all editions with the exception of those with so-called obscene illustrations, specifically Frank C. Pape's drawings for an edition of the Motteux translation. 1938 South Africa-Johannesburg: All works banned.

Source: Banned Books 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D., by Anne Lyon Haight, and Chandler B. Grannis, R.R. Bowker Co, 1978.



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