Book Minute: Medieval Translation Myths

Thanks to translators of the Reformation era, the Bible was finally distributed and accessible to all people. That’s how some tell the story. But what if the reality is more complex? In fact, there are three common myths or exaggerations:.

Myth #1: In order to maintain control, the medieval church forbade all translations into local languages. While it is true that translations were carefully controlled, the church’s primary concern was to stem the tide of false teachings. In some places, there was never a ban on biblical translations.

Myth #2: Specific language translations of the Bible began with Luther and other reformers. In reality, common-language translations began much earlier. A Slavonic translation in the ninth century not only expanded access to the Bible but gave rise to a whole new alphabet. German translations, too, began centuries before the Reformation. In fact, around a dozen translations of the Bible in German had already been printed before Luther’s.

Myth #3: the masses had no access to the Bible prior to the major language translations. Even when local translations were available, most commoners could not read them. Yet Bible stories were paraphrased in poetry and prose, related in sermons and teachings, and depicted in art and public plays. The printing revolution and the Protestant translators had a profound impact on the history of the Bible.But figures like Luther were accelerating, not initiating, a long tradition of making the Bible accessible.

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