Baldus

poem by Folengo

Also known as: “Le maccheronee”

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June 18, 2026

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Baldus is a satirical poem written by Teofilo Folengo under the pseudonym Merlin Cocai. It was published in multiple versions starting in 1517. The poem is written in macaronics, a style that humorously blends Latin and Italian. Baldus narrates the adventures of a rustic hero named Baldus, who is a descendant of the epic hero Roland's cousin, Rinaldo. Folengo's work is known for its satire, humor, and fantasy, and it popularized the macaronic verse form.

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Teofilo Folengo
…various forms, Folengo’s masterpiece is Baldus, a poem in macaronic hexameters, published under the pseudonym Merlin Cocai. Four versions of Baldus are known, published in 1517, 1521, 1539–40, and 1552 (modern edition, Le maccheronee, 1927–28). Written with a rich vein of satire, humour, and fantasy, Folengo’s poem narrates the adventures…
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…various forms, Folengo’s masterpiece is Baldus, a poem in macaronic hexameters, published under the pseudonym Merlin Cocai. Four versions of Baldus are known, published in 1517, 1521, 1539–40, and 1552 (modern edition, Le maccheronee, 1927–28). Written with a rich vein of satire, humour, and fantasy, Folengo’s poem narrates the adventures…
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Italian literature
Poetry
…poem in 20 books called Baldus (1517). The tendency to parody, ridiculing the impractical excesses of humanist literature, was present in both fidenziana and macaronic verse.
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…poem in 20 books called Baldus (1517). The tendency to parody, ridiculing the impractical excesses of humanist literature, was present in both fidenziana and macaronic verse.
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macaronic
epic of chivalry, Baldus (1517; Le maccheronee, 1927–28). He described the macaronic as the literary equivalent of the Italian dish, which, in its 16th-century form, was a crude mixture of flour, butter, and cheese. The Baldus soon found imitators in Italy and France, and some macaronics were even…
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epic of chivalry, Baldus (1517; Le maccheronee, 1927–28). He described the macaronic as the literary equivalent of the Italian dish, which, in its 16th-century form, was a crude mixture of flour, butter, and cheese. The Baldus soon found imitators in Italy and France, and some macaronics were even…
Read More