Pride and prejudice. Proto-racism in Walerian Nekanda Trepka's 'Liber generationis plebeanorum' (c. 1624-1640)

• Published in: The Seventeenth century Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 245 - 261
• Main Author: Arendt, Ada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Durham Routledge 04.03.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: 17th century; class racism; Nobility; Proto-racism; Racism; social mobility; Status; the curse of Ham; Trepka, Walerian Nekanda; usurpation of nobility; Poland

The paper proposes to re-examine Liber generationis plebeanorum (c. 1624-1640), an early modern Polish manuscript devoted to denouncing people from lower social orders successfully passing as noblemen, as an expression of proto-racism, rooted in the biblical legend of the curse of Ham. Based on an o...