Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster (20 August 1827 – 7 May 1879) was a Belgian novelist. His work helped start a Belgian literature that was created by Belgians.

Early life and education

He was born in Munich. His father, Augustin De Coster, was born in Liège and worked in the household of the Apostolic Nuncio to Bavaria in Munich, but later returned to Belgium. Charles worked in a bank in Brussels, but in 1850 he began studying at the Free University of Brussels, where he finished his education in 1855. He was one of the founders of the Société des Joyeux, a small literary club, and several members of this group later became well-known writers.

De Coster first published poems in the Revue trimestrielle, a magazine started in 1854. His early stories were written for a publication called Uylenspiegel, which began in 1856. A collection of letters he wrote between 1850 and 1858, titled Lettres à Elisa, was published by Charles Potvin in 1894.

He studied the works of François Rabelais and Michel de Montaigne and learned French from the 16th century. He believed that the customs and language of Flanders could not be accurately described in modern French, so he wrote his most famous works in the older form of the language. His book Légendes flamandes (1856) became more popular because of illustrations by Félicien Rops and other friends. In 1861, he published Contes brabançons in modern French.

Career

His masterpiece, The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak (1867), a story set in the 16th century, was not widely read in Belgium because it did not match the traditional ideas of Belgian nationalism. However, it became popular in other parts of the world. To prepare this prose story called the Gueux, he spent about ten years. The character Uylenspiegel (Eulenspiegel) has been compared to Don Quixote and to Panurge. He represents the type of 16th-century Fleming, and the story of his resurrection from the grave was seen as a symbolic story about the future of his people. His adventures and those of his friend form the main part of a partly historical story filled with lively humor, even though it includes some harsh events. This book was illustrated by Félicien Rops and others.

In 1876, De Coster introduced Xavier Mellery to the island of Marken, asking him to create drawings for the Tour du Monde magazine.

In 1870, De Coster became a professor of general history and French literature at the Belgian Royal Military Academy. However, his works did not earn enough money. Despite his government job, he often had financial problems. He died in May 1878 in Ixelles, Brussels, and was buried there in the Ixelles Cemetery.

The expensive way Uylenspiegel was produced made it available only to a small group of readers. When a new, cheaper edition in modern French appeared in 1893, it was treated as a new book in France and Belgium.

De Coster was a Freemason and a member of the lodge Les Vrais Amis de l'Union et du Progrès Réunis of the Grand Orient of Belgium. He was initiated on January 7, 1858.

Nicolas Eekman created illustrations for The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak in 1946.