Psalterium universum

This critical edition intends to provide a basis for further research on Eobanus Hessus' "Psalterium universum" popular between its publication in 1537 and the end of the sixteenth century. The introduction aims to show that some of Eobanus' metrical paraphrases incorporated the new theological concepts of the Reformation, adding validity to the genre and providing a fresh impetus for psalm reading. Further topics the introduction deals with include the literary tradition of the Psalter and metrical psalm paraphrases, Eobanus' life, the literary models of the "Psalterium universum", his paraphrasing technique and literary models, intertextual relationships between the "Psalterium universum" and earlier literature and the reception of Eobanus Hessus' paraphrase.