'Tong breect been': The Sins of the Tongue in Middle Dutch Pastoral Literature

Abstract

This article concerns perceptions of harmful speech labelled as ‘sins of the tongue’ in three Middle Dutch religious didactic writings about the capital sins. These perceptions connect to a broader European tendency of interest in and fear of the wicked ways of the tongue – metonym of human speech. I use notions of modern language theory to analyse perceptions of the sins of the tongue. The analysis reveals the following outcomes: According to Middle Dutch ecclesiastical textual sources about the sins of the tongue, harmful speech was often seen as the result of an untamed tongue. Because of its grave potential danger to the face (reputation) and grace (salvation) of the speakers, recipients, and the subjects of the words, the tongue had to be controlled.