Anna Bijns

Anna Bijns or Anna Byns (1493 in Antwerp – 1575 in Antwerp) was a Flemish poet who wrote in the Dutch language. She was an educator and the administrator of a primary school in Antwerp until the age of 80. Even while as a woman she was denied membership of a local chamber of rhetoric, she was able to publish her works and find widespread recognition for her literary talent among her contemporaries. She is the first author in Dutch-language literature who mainly owed her success to the recently invented printing press. Her works were reprinted multiple times during her lifetime. In the religious conflicts of her time she chose the side of the Catholic Church and expressed in her poems sharp criticism of the teachings of Martin Luther. She is also known for her verses criticising the institution of marriage.

Life She was the eldest child of Jan Bijns Lambertsz. Bijns and Lijsbeth Vooch. Her father was a stocking maker and a member of a local Chamber of rhetoric. This was a society of lovers of literature common in the Low Countries, which organised poetry recitations and staged theatre performances. Her father is known to have composed at least one refrain, which has been preserved. It is likely her father who awakened Anna's interest in poetry.

After Anna's birth her parents had two more children: a daughter Margriete born in 1495 and a son Maarten born in 1497. Her father died in 1516. A year later her sister got married. She and her brother claimed their father's inheritance. Widow Bijns then had to sell the family home and the shop's inventory. Afterwards, the remaining family members settled in a house called "De Patiencie" in the Keizerstraat, which the mother had purchased from her part of the inheritance. In that house, Anna's brother Maarten started a school. Anna helped with the school in addition to caring for her mother. After the death of their mother in 1530, brother and sister continued to live together. She was forced to leave for a smaller house, "Het Roosterken", opposite her old address, which was provided to her by the chaplain of the Cathedral of Antwerp. There, at the age of 43, she started her own school and became a member of the local teachers' guild.

In the 17th century there were numerous reprints of the published works of Anna Bijns sometimes with slightly different titles. Some of her refrains were included in other publications or printed on separate sheets. There were also printed sheets of her works that were not included in her three printed books. Refereinen (Refrains), A. Bogaers e.a. ed. (Rotterdam 1875). Nieuwe refereinen van Anna Bijns (New Refrains), W.J.A. Jonckbloet e.a. ed. (Gent 1886). Onuitgegeven gedichten (Unpublished poems), A. Soens, ed. Leuvensche Bijdragen 4 (1902) 199-368. Schoon ende suverlijc boecxken, L. Roose ed. 2 delen (Leuven 1987) [facsimile editie]. ’t Is al vrouwenwerk (It is all the work of women). Refreinen, H. Pleij ed. (Amsterdam 1987). A few poems by Anna Bijns translated into English by Kristiaan Arcke (p 160) in Women's Writing from the Low Countries 1200-1875: A Bilingual Anthology on Google books, by Lia van Gemert, Hermina Joldersma, Olga van Marion, Dieuwke van der Poel, Riek Schenkerveld-van der Dussen,