The Kalender of Shepherdes, also known as the Kalendar and Compost of Shepherds.[1] was an incunable[1] almanac first published in the 1490s in Paris as the Compost et Kalendrier de Bergiers.[2]

The first English edition was a poor translation into a Scots dialect, published in 1503,[3] but Richard Pynson released an improved translation in 1506 and Wynkyn de Worde produced another in 1508. It continued to be reprinted throughout the 16th Century[4]

There are several different topics covered in different versions of the Kalender; the exact contents vary between editions.[3] They include poetry, health advice, astrological information, calendars, and religious instructions.[3] The latter provides the bulk of the material in the Kalender,[3] and was designed to provide instruction in Christian belief and practice for lay people.[4]

The Kalender is also noteworthy for its vivid woodcut illustrations, including illustrations for an eyewitness account by Lazarus of Hell.[3]

It continued to be a best-seller throughout the sixteenth century.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Kalendar and Compost of Shepherds". Polonsky Foundation Digitization Project. Bodleian Libraries and Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Kalender of Shepherds Miscellany". BibliOdyssey. 22 December 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Driver, Martha (2003). "When is a Miscellany not Miscellaneous? Making Sense of the 'Kalender of Shepherds'". The Yearbook of English Studies. 33: 199–214.
  4. 1 2 3 Duffy, Eamon (2005). The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580 (2 ed.). Yale University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0300108286.
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