New philology (medieval studies)
New philology is a movement in medieval studies that questions the traditional method of reconstructing an original text from many manuscripts (the Lachmann approach). Instead of trying to restore one perfect version, it emphasizes editing and studying the texts in the form in which they actually occur, including their variants. In English-speaking circles, this approach is sometimes called New Medievalism.
A key turning point was Bernard Cerquiglini’s 1989 book Éloge de la variante (In Praise of the Variant), which criticized modern, overly tidy editorial practices for medieval texts. In the English-speaking world, a 1990 issue of Speculum edited by Stephen G. Nichols helped promote the idea. In the German-speaking world, the 1994 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft symposium Der unfeste Text (the variable text) advanced the movement, with scholars like Joachim Bumke examining how 13th‑century courtly epics were transmitted and edited. An influential statement of the movement’s ideas appeared in 2010 in the context of Old Norse literature by Matthew Driscoll.
New philology is often seen as part of postmodern approaches to history and authorship, and as a reaction against 19th‑century nationalist notions. It also faces criticism for moving too far in rejecting emendations, with some arguing that editorial intervention can be valuable.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:01 (CET).