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Works
on Leo, by Western scholars:
Ever since
the publication of Ramusio's text in 1550, Leo has been widely read by
all Europeans. The number of translations of his work (and this within
the first 100 years following its publication) attests to this interest.
Translators were in the habit of writing a brief (sometimes longer) biography
of the author. In addition, scholars interested in his work and/or his
identity have also written books or articles on Leo.After a relative lapse
of interest, there has been a real revival in 'Leo' studies in the past
10 years. Here is a list of works written by Western Scholars (listed
alphabetically):
| Title |
Jean
Leon l'Africain |
| Author |
Berbrugger,
A. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Revue Africaine, #11, Algiers and Paris, June 1858 |
| Comments |
|
| Title |
Une
Societe Archeologique a Fes au XVIeme siecle |
| Author |
Camps,
Gabriel |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Revue de l'Occident musulman et de la Mediterranee, #13-14,
1973, Aix |
| Comments |
In
this article, the author paints a very Occidental picture of Leo,
stressing his christian and western point of view. |
| Title |
Bibliotheca
Arabico-hispana |
| Author |
Casiri |
| Language |
Spanish |
| Publication
information |
Madrid,
1770, p172 seq. |
| Comments |
The
author is a maronite monk who may have learned valuable info on Leo
through his congregation, as Leo's best friedn in Rome was also a
maronite monk ( I owe this hypothesis to Rauchenberger) |
| Title |
Leone
Africo |
| Author |
Codazzi,
Angela |
| Language |
Italian |
| Publication
information |
In
Enciclopedia italiana di scienze, littere et arti, Milan, Rizzoli,
vol.XX, 1933 |
| Comments |
Mrs.
Codazzi's work on Leo was groundbreaking as she discovered the original
manuscript of his Cosmographia in the Vatican Library. |
| Title |
Dell'
Unico manuscritto conosciuto della "Cosmografia dell' Africa"
di Giovanni Leone d'Africano |
| Author |
Codazzi,
Angela |
| Language |
Italian |
| Publication
information |
C.R
Inter. Congress of Geography of Lisboa, 1949, p225-226 |
| Comments |
This
article is cited in R. Mauny's article Note sur les grands voyages.
I have personnaly not seen or read it. |
| Title |
La
Fausse 'plaine des preux' des traducteurs de Leon l'Africain |
| Author |
Colin
G.S. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Hesperis, Rabat, 1956 |
| Comments |
This
short article shows how several levels of translation have led to
many mistakes when compared to Leo's original meaning |
| Title |
Commentaire
sur La vie de Hassan El Wazzan et ses Oeuvres |
| Author |
Colin
G.S. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Hesperis, Rabat, 1956 |
| Comments |
The
author reviews of Mr. Hajoui's book on Leo Africanus, decrying the
many myths and inaccuracies it presents. |
| Title |
Introduction
to Description de l'Afrique |
| Author |
Epaulard,
A. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
Paris,
Maisonneuve, 1956 and 1980 |
| Comments |
Epaulard
studied Leo carefully, writing an exhaustive(though sometimes erroneous)
bio. |
| Title |
Africa |
| Author |
Marmol
Carvajal, Luis de |
| Language |
Spanish |
| Publication
information |
1573 |
| Comments |
Marmol
was one of the first reader's of Leo's text. He traveled to Morocco
and borrowed many of Leo's terms to describe what he saw. |
| Title |
Biobibliographical
studies |
| Author |
Edited
by G.J Martin |
| Language |
English |
| Publication
information |
|
| Comments |
An
analysis of the geographical importance of Leo's work. (see chapter
15) |
| Title |
Leo
Africanus: the Man with many names |
| Author |
Masonen,
P. |
| Language |
English |
| Publication
information |
2001,
in al-Andalus-Magreb |
| Comments |
A wonderful
article: a great place to start you scholarly exploration of Leo Africanus.
You can click on the link above and see the actual article. There
is lasting controversy between Rauchenberger and Masonen as to whether
Leo really did visit Sub-Saharan Africa! |
| Title |
Le
Maroc dans les premieres annees du XVIeme siecle |
| Author |
Massignon,
L. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
Alger,
Jourdan, 1906 |
| Comments |
In
the early 1900s, Massignon visited each of the places in Morocco described
by Leo, making note of the modern name for these places. His book
contributed to introduce Leo Africanus to Moroccan scholars. |
| Title |
Leon
L'Africain |
| Author |
Massignon,
L. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
Alger,
Jourdan, 1906 |
| Comments |
In
the early 1900s, Massignon visited each of the places in Morocco described
by Leo, making note of the modern name for these places. |
| Title |
Note
sur les grands voyages de Leon l'Africain |
| Author |
Mauny,
R. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Hesperis, Rabat, 1954 |
| Comments |
|
| Title |
The
Kingdom of Gaoga of Leo Africanus |
| Author |
Mauny,
R. |
| Language |
English |
| Publication
information |
In
Journal of African Society, London, 1930 |
| Comments |
|
| Title |
The
contents and sources of Ramusio's Navigationi |
| Author |
Parks,
G.B |
| Language |
English |
| Publication
information |
In
Bulletin of New York Public Library, June 1955 |
| Comments |
Contains
a detailed description of all articles in Ramusio's collection of
works, and how these changed with each new edition |
| Title |
Jean
Leon l'Africain, Description de l'Afrique |
| Author |
Pareja |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Al Andalus, 1959 |
| Comments |
|
| Title |
Description
du Maroc |
| Author |
Renou,
E. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
Paris,
1846 |
| Comments |
Renou
traveled through Morocco, identifying the places Leo described. Massignon
holds this work in great estime. |
| Title |
Navigationi
et Viaggi |
| Author |
Ramusio,
G.B. |
| Language |
Italian |
| Publication
information |
Venice,
1550 |
| Comments |
This
is the first biography on Leo. Some of the facts change in the later
editions. |
| Title |
Johannes
Leo der Afrikaner: Seine Beschreibung des Raumes zwichen Nil und Niger
nach dem Urtext |
| Author |
Rauchenberger,
D. |
| Language |
German |
| Publication
information |
Harrassowitz
Publishing House, Orientalia Biblica et Christina 13, 1999 |
| Comments |
The
most comprehensive , complete and accurate existing biography of Leo
Africanus. The Leo biography to be found on this site owes much to
this work. |
| Title |
Introduction
to Description de l'Afrique |
| Author |
Schefer,
C. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Schefer, Charles, Recueil de Voyages et de documents pour servir
a l'histoire de la geographie, Paris, Leroux, 1896 |
| Comments |
In
the Preface, Charles Schefer writes a long biography of Leo, rather
epitomic of the "Renaissance man" myth (click
here for more on this myth). |
| Title |
Evangelica
Syriaca |
| Author |
Widmanstatter,
J.A |
| Language |
Latin |
| Publication
information |
1555 |
| Comments |
In
the Preface to this work, Widmanstatter alludes to Leo and to the
fact that he had returned to Tunis and to Islam after Rome. |
| Title |
Jean
Leon l'Africain: une oeuvre et son lieu |
| Author |
Zhiri,
O. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
In
Nouvelle Revue du XVIeme siecle, #7, Geneve, 1989 |
| Comments |
The
author describes the context in which Leo's work was written. This
was the first of series of books/articles written by Professor Zhiri,
based on her careful doctoral research (including several months spent
working on the original manuscript). |
| Title |
Jean
Leon l'Africain a la Renaissance |
| Author |
Zhiri,
O. |
| Language |
French |
| Publication
information |
Droz,
1991 |
| Comments |
The
author gives a compelling account of the appeal Leo's work had during
the Renaissance. Great bibliography. |
| Title |
To
be Published... |
| Author |
Zemon
Davis, Natalie |
| Language |
English |
| Publication
information |
2003/2004 |
| Comments |
This
long awaited study by one of America's most gifted historians will
be published shortly... |
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