Rabelais

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1. Where in France is Rabelais's birthplace traditionally situated? Chinon Bordeaux Paris Clermont- Ferrand

2. We first find Rabelais as a member of a religious community at Puy Saint-Martin near Fontenay-le- Comte. What - at that time - rather traditionalistic religious order is he a member of there? Franciscan Dominican Benedictine Canon of St. Augustine

3. Rabelais was not very happy with the intellectual climate at Fontenay. When his superiors take away his Greek books, he decides to leave the convent. What does he become now? He becomes a protestant and follows his friend Pierre Lamy to Basle He joins the Benedictine Abbey of Maillezais, which was quite near to Fontenay He declares himself an atheist and goes to Paris He begins a career as a veterinary doctor

4. Somewhat later, in 1531, we hear of Rabelais as having become Bachelor of Medicine. What was the famous French University that specialised in medicine? Orleans Bordeaux Montpellier Lyon

5. When in 1532 Rabelais published his first book 'Pantagruel King of the Dipsodes', he used a pen name. That seems to have been a wise strategy as in October 1533 the Sorbonne censored the book for 'obscenity'.What pseudonym had Rabelais used? Etienne Dolet Merlin Coccaie Geoffroy d' Estissac Alcofribas Nasier

6. When young Pantagruel grows up, he goes to Paris for his studies and meets a wonderful character who answers to all his questions in the most diverse languages: German,Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Greek, Latin,etc. Later this 'scholar' becomes Pantagruel's companion in most of his travels. What is his name? Gargamelle Badebec Panurge Grandgousier

7. Exaggeration is a characteristic of all Rabelais' works.An example: at every meal Pantagruel's dad, Gargantua drinks the milk of 17,913 cows.When the Parisians are behaving like paparazzi and keep following him, he finds a rather carnivalesque solution. What is it? He grabs 67,343 Parisians in his right hand and throws them in one fling way over to the other side He kicks some 151,423 of them into the Seine He climbs on a churchtower and from there he pees them over, drowning some 260,418 of them He pulls down one of the bridges across the Seine and wades through the river , leaving behind all h

8. In 1542 Rabelais published a second volume in which we are told the life-story of Pantagruel's father, Gargantua, an equally formidable giant. What is special about his birth? Gargantua is born like Pallas Athena , from his mother's skull and armed not with a shield and spear His mother was still a virgin when she gave birth to him Gargantua was born from the ear of his mother He has been in his mother's womb for 12 months

9. The education of Gargantua is a very important aspect of the book. He does not get the ancient medieval type of education in which learning by heart of meaningless things predominated, but a fairly rigorous study-schedule in which no time is wasted to give the student a 'universal' education. Who is Gargantua's teacher? Friar John Picrochole Pornocrate Ponocrate

10. As a reward for his role in defeating Picrochole, Friar John is allowed to establish an abbey completely to his own taste.The description of this so-called 'Abbey of Theleme' is a corner-stone of Rabelais' real theological and philosophic thinking. The ground-rule in that abbey was an adaptation of a line from St. Augustine which for Rabelais summarizes what true religion comes down to. What was the famous motto? Per aspra ad astra. - The road tot he top is not always an easy one. Ora et labora.- Pray and work hard. Ama et fac quod vis. - Love and do what you like. Nulla dies sine linea.- Do your daily writing..