A vernacular archive of early modern disability: Martin Luther's figurative uses of deafness

Abstract

AbstractThis essay charts a key moment in the premodern cultural history of disability by mapping out how Martin Luther talked about deafness in his vernacular works. It employs a simple keyword search methodology to the digitized version of the Weimarer Ausgabe, compiling all references to taub and Taubheit. Also included are references to taubstumm and stumm, reflecting premodern tendencies to blur distinctions between deafness and mutism. Analysis reveals several patterns: (1) Luther rarely said anything about living deaf people but instead used deafness figuratively to serve theological or polemical points. (2) His figurative uses of deafness can be divided into eight categories of mostly negative representations. (3) Luther was more prone to make positive or neutral associations with deafness earlier in his career, but over time, this gave way to an overwhelmingly negative picture. (4) Comparison with a sample of Luther's Latin works suggests that similar patterns prevail across the entirety of the Weimarer Ausgabe.