Een Bloemhof
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Author | Vreederijk Waarmond (Adriaan Koerbagh) |
|---|---|
| Original title | Een Bloemhof van allerley lieflykheyd sonder verdriet geplant door Vreederyk Waarmond, ondersoeker der waarheyd, tot nut en dienst van al die geen der nut en dienst uyt trekken wil : of een vertaaling en uytlegging van al de Hebreusche, Grieksche, Latijnse, Franse, en andere vreemde bastaart-woorden en wijsen van spreeken, die ('t welk te beklaagen is) so inde Godsgeleertheyd, regtsgeleertheyd, geneeskonst, als in andere konsten en weetenschappen, en ook in het dagelijks gebruyk van spreeken, inde Nederduytse taal gebruykt worden, gedaen door Adr. Koerbagh |
| Language | Dutch |
| Genre | Dictionary |
| Published | Amsterdam |
| Publisher | The author |
Publication date | 1668 |
| Publication place | Dutch Republic |
Een Bloemhof [əm ˈblumɦɔf] is a dictionary published in 1668 and written by Adriaan Koerbagh under his own name (the ‘pseudonym’ Vreederijk Waarmond being part of the book’s subtitle). Its full title was Een Bloemhof van allerley Lieflijkheyd sonder verdriet (A Flower Garden of All Kinds of Loveliness without Sorrow). The book sparked controversy in Amsterdam (where it was published) because of its articles defining political and religious terms, even though they comprise only a small portion of the overall dictionary. The book also offers laymen explanations for technical jargon and foreign terms, covering topics such as medicine and law.[1]
The dictionary espoused ideas associated with the radical Enlightenment and was condemned as heretical by Dutch Reformed Church authorities. In Een Bloemhof, Koerbagh criticizes the Christian concept of Trinity and questions the divinity of Jesus. The dictionary's entry on Jesus claims that Jesus Christ was a mortal man who had an unnamed father.[2]
The entry on heretics and heresy lambastes the clergy for exploiting the idea of heresy to manipulate secular rulers into handing over their power to the Church.[1] Koerbagh rejected stories of supernatural phenomena as myths meant to fool the ignorant, believing "nothing can happen against or above Nature." He was skeptical of the existence of miracles, angels, demons, and magic.[2]