In 1517 Martin Luther posted his attack on the Catholic Church that started the Protestant Reformation. In 1454 Gutenberg had printed the first Bible and so it became available in quantity to the people. The bible became available in German and English in 1522 and 1525 so the catholic priests lost control over the sacred writings. The Catholic Church held total religious control and great secular wealth and power for over a thousand years but now it was under serious attack. People were rising to point out the craziness and corruption of the existing political and social order and the established institutions and authorities, controlled by the church, were fighting against the upheaval. Therefore the authorities attacked all such writings as heretical In 16 century, French society was confused very much like that, and Francis Rabelais had lived then. Before 'The first book' was published, 'The second book, Pantagruel' was published in 1532, and Rabelais made the first step as a novelist. 'The first book, Gargantua' was published in 1534, it was written about Gargantua who was father of Pantagruel. There was the legend about a giant man, Gargantua at the middle ages of Europe already. It isn't wrong to say that Rabelais recomposed the legend that everyone had known already with characters in it. Although Rabelais took characters from the legend, his story had become much better than the original legend. Rabelais laughed every official authority and the stiffening value sense of Europe society of the middle ages in that story. After 'The second book' was published, Paris University Sorbonne theology department and the high court of Paris decided it was heresy, and registered it to the list of burning up. Then, its author Rabelaise had to defect. 'The first book' was published in 1534, 'The third book' was published in 1546, and 'The fourth book' was published in 1552. Just after each book was published, it was stopped publishing. Actually, Etienne Dolet was just a translator of books that were written by Luther and Erasmus, but he was killed burning as a heretic in 1546. Rabelais was a dangerous person clearly as the author of the profane and paganism books. Thus, of course Rabelais had to defect in order to survive. After 'The fourth book' was published, there was a rumor that Rabelais was jailled. Rabelaise hasn't been heard since 1553, and he could have died then. A rumor said that he was buried in the cemetery of Saint Paul church, but nobody knows the fact about it. After Rabelais died, 'The fifth book' was published in 1562. However, it is the accorded opinion of historians that 'The fifth book' was written by other author. As I mentioned before, 'The first book' is the story about Gargantua who is king of the giant men, and he is father of Pantagruel who is the hero of this long story 'Gargantua and Pantagruel'. Gargantua spends every day eating, drinking, fucking, and vomiting. Then, Pantagruel has been born. 'The second book' is written about Pantagruel from childhood to younger days. Pantagruel finds a homeless Panurge in 'The second book'. Panurge followed to Pantagruel, because he was hungry. Although Panurge has great intelligence and culture, he is a very indiscreet person. Panurge shows that he has every insensitivity of human. There is a civil trial in 'The second book', and Pantagruel judges it. I had read that scene at least five times, but I couldn't catch what the problem meant. I think that Rabelais might have shown that trial was an absurdity matter. But it might be my excuse. Panurge shows his individual debt philosophy in 'The third book'. He believes the multiplex debt is good. Rabelais made Panurge show that the multiplex debt had been the society problem of France already in 16century. It is interesting very much, because it is a current issue of Japan. In the second half of 'The third book', Panurge has a problem about his own marriage. Panurge wants to marry, but he doesn't want his wife to be unfaithful. He thinks that if he married, his wife could be unfaithful. It is just a possibility. However, he wants to avoid even its possibility. He should marry, or he shouldn't marry, that is his problem. After Panurge appeared on the story, its hero Pantagruel has become just an expositor. Rabelais looks to have forgotten that Pantagruel was a giant man like his father. At the ending of 'The third book', Pantagruel's company departs to the sea in order to get the divine message about the final solution of Panurge's marriage problem. 'The fourth book' is written about that voyage. They drop by a lot of islands, and spend a good time with native people there, but sometimes they have a trouble. When they meet a storm, Panurge is in a panic and loses himself. He looks disgraceful very much, and he is like the most obsequious man then. In the meantime, Rabelais looks to have forgotten the purpose of their voyage. Because 'The fourth book' has finished at the half of the voyage. Pantagruel's company finds the island of their final destination at last in 'The fifth book' that was suspected to be written by other author. Panurge receives a message from the Goddess-Bottle there. The divine message is the word 'trinc' that means 'drink'. It might be the most suitable word for the Goddess-Bottle. I have no idea how the word 'drink' solves Panurge's marriage problem. But it might not have been wrong to say that that word solved every problem that was caused by difference of the value sense, because drinking has been one of the most fundamental actions of human. However, if it was the conclusion of the great heroic legend story about giant men, I should say that Rabelais was a real indiscreet person. It might have been right to stop publishing of his works. Then, 'The fifth book' finishes at the scene that Pantagruel's company is going to go back home, because they has accomplished the purpose of the voyage getting the divine message for Panurge. As I mentioned before, the possibility that 'The fifth book' was written by other author is strong. There were much writing about excreta from 'The first book' to 'The fourth book', but it becomes fewer in 'The fifth book', and the force of writing about it is weaker than before. But I think that it isn't a big deal, because it doesn't change that the writing is indiscreet and insensitive. I will show you how indiscreet 'Gargantua and Pantagruel' is. For example, Rabelais described one person like the following; His groin, like a minced pie. His genitals, like a joiner's planer. His arse-hole, like a crystal looking glass. His armpits, like a chequer. His paps, like a hornpipe. The perineum, like a flageolet. Terrible..... but interesting. At 'The fourth book', there is a scene the following; He then threw us on the deck whole handfuls of frozen words, which seemed to us like your rough sugar-plums, of many colours, like those used in heraldry; some words gules (this means also jests and merry sayings), some vert, some azure, some black, some or (this means also fair words); and when we had somewhat warmed them between our hands, they melted like snow, and we really heard them, but could not understand them, for it was a barbarous gibberish. I think that the description is beautiful enough to say that this story is great one, even if it would be indiscreet and disgraceful. Unless my e-mail friend David had recommended me to read it, I couldn't have known it forever. This story 'Gargantua and Pantagruel' is a great long story that is too difficult and too ironic to say that it is just interesting. After Rabelais had died in 1553, France rushed to the civil war. In this story, Rabelais loved even a foolish person like Panurge, and I think that it isn't wrong to say that it is an ultimate love. Although Rabelais couldn't get an ultimate love from others finally, it might have been the wall saying the tolerant spirit that every religion couldn't get over. Thank you my friend, David. (2001,7,1)
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