Thanks to the printing press, books became more affordable, even for people who might not know Latin.
Thanks to the printing press, books became more affordable, even for people who might not know Latin.
The Renaissance in Europe was characterized by an interest in Greco-Roman humanist ideas. It also witnessed the development of vernacular literature in many European languages.
One reason for the lack of general literature in African languages is the historical legacy of colonization, where the emphasis was placed on European languages. This led to a devaluation of African languages in education and literature. Additionally, the limited resources and infrastructure for publishing in African languages contribute to the lack of availability of literature in these languages.
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is considered one of the first monumental literary compositions in a European vernacular language. Written in the early 14th century, it is an epic poem that is widely regarded as a masterpiece of world literature.
The clash between traditional African and European cultures
traditional African culture; European culture
Vernacular pertains to language. In particular, if something is in the vernacular, it is in a localized dialect. For example, in the 16th century, the bible was translated into the vernacular, meaning it was translated from Latin into other, local European languages such as English and German.
Colonialism during the 19th and 20th centuries.
traditional African culture; European culture
When European settlers came to America, there was no Native American 'literature' as we know literature today. There were only oral histories, traditions and elders. Since the Native People's languages and the European people's languages were different, there was no ability to share 'literature' of any kind. Realize, too, that European settlers viewed the Americas as a 'free and open landscape' where they could settle and claim their new lives, regardless of what they found on the land, including Native American peoples.
The Renaissance focused on Latin and vernacular literature. Politics was now based on the conventions of diplomacy. Science began to rely heavily on observation.
vernacular