The works of Francis Rabelais, François Rabelais, 1844 (first published 1532-64)
The creativity and playfulness in Rabelais’ masterpieces Pantagruel and Gargantua made the act of writing into a game in itself (and of translation – the original was in French). The evocative vocabulary in Gargantua’s implausibly long list of games ignites the reader’s imagination and could inspire hundreds of interpretations.
Activity
Scroll through these pages and choose a game’s title from the lists. Imagine the rules and write them out or draw a picture of people playing it.
Send your image or description to gallery@theportico.org.uk and we’ll upload a selection to the gallery below.
Try playing your new game with friends and family and let us know how you get on via Twitter (@ThePortico), Facebook (@ThePorticoLibrary) or Instagram (@PorticoLibrary).
Here are some of your games:
