These images are from the Grammatica figurata of Mathias Ringmann, which was first printed in 1509. This work was an attempt to enliven Donatus' Ars Minor by printing up illustrated card sets for each grammatical rule. Apparently the children would have a card set. The rules are not explained at length, but a few hints are scattered here and there in the work. The final section on "Exclamations" has a sentence on how to figure out which student has won. Each card represented a part of speech, a gender, a case, or a tense, etc. Depending upon the teacher's questions a student would play the appropriate card or cards. It's wacky and interesting even if it's of questionable pedagogical value.
Long believed to be lost, one copy was found and reprinted in 1905, which I have then scanned into the computer. The numbers refer to pages in the original edition (not the reprint), which had the same number for each page on the front and back ("a" refers to the obverse, 'b" the reverse). For each section I give a transcription of the originial, followed by a translation, with supplementary notes in brackets.
Of particular interest are Ringmann's digressions on assorted subjects, from the prevalence of gambling among the German priesthood to the reasons behind his refusal to illustrate full-frontal nudity
(text representation and translation: Ken Mayer)
Title Page: Grammatica Figurata
TITLE PAGE:Octo partes orationis Secundum Donati editionem & regulam Remigii ita imaginibus expressae ut pueri iucundo chartarum ludo faciliora Grammaticae praeludia discere & exercere queant.
Schemata Grammaticas haec designantia partes
Quisque velit vigili mente videre puer.
Commixtum ludo mirabitur utile dulci
Dum discit gracili Grammatica nostra ioco:
TRANSLATION: The Eight Parts of Speech According to the Edition of Donatus and the Rule of Remigius, depicted in pictures so that boys can learn and practice the first steps of Grammar easier with a pleasant game of cards.
Whichever boy would like to see with open mind
These outlines showing the Grammatical parts,
Will wonder at how useful is mixed with a game so kind,
As with a subtle game he learns our Grammatical arts.
Introduction (p. 7a)
Inclyta de doctis arx Rhomam fertur Achivis
Haec eadem rudibus sermo Latinus erit.
Quotque ho(min)es habet arx totidem ipsa oratio partes
Sed cuiusvis sunt acta notanda tibi.
Mons arcem facilis per quem conscendimus ipsam
Quaedam cum normis est elementa suis
The famed citadel is brought to Rome from
the learned Greeks
and that same citadel will be the Latin language for beginners.
And however many people the citadel has, speech has the same number
of parts.
But pay attention to the doings of each person.
The easy mountain, by which we accend to the citadel itself,
Is the sundry elements with their rules.
This is the first illustration of the Grammatica and it provides an overview of its method. Each of the Eight parts of speech are represented as a figure. The King in the upper right is the Verb, the Queen beside him is the Adverb. The Jester in the window below them is the Interjection. The Monk below is the Participle. The traveler pouring water is the Preposition. The preacher, bell ringer
About this edition
Grammatica figurata des Mathias Ringmann (Philesius
Vogesigena) in Faksimiledruck.
AUTHOR: Ringmann, Matthias, 1482?-1511.
PUBLISHED: Strassburg, Heitz, 1905.
SERIES: Drucke und Holzschnitte des XV. und XVI. Jahrhunderts in
getreuer Nachbildung, Vol. 11
ORIGINAL TITLE: Grammatica figvrata. Octo partes orationis /
secvndum Donati editionem & regulam Remigij ita imaginibus
expressae vt pueri iucudo chartarum ludo faciliora Gramaticae
praeludia discere & exercere queant ... (St. Die, 1509)
OTHER AUTHORS: Wieser, Franz, Ritter von, 1848-1923.
OCLC NUMBER: 14985726
UT Call Number: 830.8 D84 NO.11 PCL Stacks