NOUUSÆNEAS LUTHERANUS: Canonical Archives and the creation of meaning in Johannes Sascerides' Epicedium in obitum Christiani Tertij (1559).

Using an adapted version of Aleida Assmann's theory of cultural memory, this article explores how the humanist practice of imitating canonical literature contributes to the creation of meaning in Johannes Sascerides' Epicedium in obitum serenissimi et potentissimi Daniæ etc. Regis Christiani Tertij. It is argued that Sascerides uses a combination of Virgil's Aeneid and Biblical allusions to fashion a meaningful memory of King Christian III of Denmark-Norway in which the king is presented as a new Aeneas, his position resting on personal agency and Lutheran piety rather than the divine mandate that normally characterizes Virgil's canonical hero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]