Einblicke in den Alltag des 14. jahrhunderts. Die fabeln des Ulrich Bonerius: Der edelstein

The fables of the Swiss Dominican scholar Ulrich Bonerius were important matters of interest in the early days of German philology at the end of the 18th century, before fading into oblivion again. Yet, they can be counted among the scholarly masterpieces that the 14th century bequeathed to us. In addition to providing great literary entertainment, they are now essential sources for interdisciplinary research on the political, ethical and moral discourse of the late Middle Ages as well as the history of mentalities and of emotions. This article aims to analyse Bonerius’ fables from the point of view of the history of everyday life and, in particular, to identify in their ‘Sitz im Leben’ one of the reasons for their major success up to the beginning of the 16th century.