Well he certainly had a way with words.
A major figure in the 16th century Protestant reformation, Martin Luther is famous among those who have read his works for being a bit – how shall we say? – colorful in his language. Here are 29 of his most over-the-top insults.
[See also: 27 Delightfully Terrible Christian Puns to Annoy the Heck Out of Your Friends With]
[See also: QUIZ: Modernist Church or Communist Building?]
All insults and citations come courtesy of the Lutheran Insulter.
1) “You are the worst rascal of all the rascals on earth!”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 341 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
2) “In lying fashion you ignore what even children know.”
From Against Latomus, pg. 145 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
3) “I would not smell the foul odor of your name.”
From Concerning the Ministry, pg. 17 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
4) “You people are more stupid than a block of wood.”
From Against Latomus, pg. 242 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
5) “Your writings and head are disordered and mixed up, so that it is exceedingly annoying to read and difficult to remember what you write.”
From Against the Heavenly Prophets, pg. 146 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
6) “What pig sties could compare in goings-on with you?”
From Infiltrating and Clandestine Preachers, pg. 388 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
7) “May God punish you, I say, you shameless, barefaced liar, devil’s mouthpiece, who dares to spit out, before God, before all the angels, before the dear sun, before all the world, your devil’s filth.”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 349 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
8) “We leave you to your own devices, for nothing properly suits you except hypocrisy, flattery, and lies.”
From Against Latomus, pg. 143 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
9) “Take care, you evil and wrathful spirits. God may ordain that in swallowing you may choke to death.”
From Against the Heavenly Prophets, pg. 111 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
10) “You seem to me to be a real masterpiece of the devil’s art.”
From A Sermon on Keeping Children in School, pg. 217 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 46
11) “For you are an excellent person, as skillful, clever, and versed in Holy Scripture as a cow in a walnut tree or a sow on a harp.”
From Against Hanswurst, pg. 219 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
12) “I am tired of the pestilent voice of your sirens.”
From Explanations of the Ninety-Five Theses, pg. 204 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 31
13) “Dear God, what an utterly shameless, blasphemous lying-mouth you are!”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 300 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
14) “As for the signs of your peculiar priesthood, we are willing to let you boast of these mean things, for we know it would be quite easy to shave, anoint, and clothe in a long robe even a pig or a block of wood.”
From Concerning the Ministry, pg. 34 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
15) “A natural donkey, which carries sacks to the mill and eats thistles, can judge you – indeed, all creatures can! For a donkey knows it is a donkey and not a cow. A stone knows it is a stone; water is water, and so on through all the creatures. But you mad asses do not know you are asses.”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 360 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
16) “You vulgar boor, blockhead, and lout, you ass to cap all asses, screaming your heehaws.”
From Against Hanswurst, pg. 212 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
17) “You are a crude ass, and an ass you will remain!”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 281 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
18) “Blind moles!”
From Against Latomus, pg. 176 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
19) “Even if the Antichrist appears, what greater evil can he do than what you have done and do daily?”
From Why the Books of Pope Were Burned, pg. 393 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 31
20) “You sophistic worms, grasshoppers, locusts, frogs and lice!”
From Against Latomus, pg. 150 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
21) “You are a brothel-keeper and the devil’s daughter in hell.”
From On the Councils and the Church, pg. 160 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
22) “You are desperate, thorough arch-rascals, murderers, traitors, liars, the very scum of all the most evil people on earth. You are full of all the worst devils in hell – full, full, and so full that you can do nothing but vomit, throw, and blow out devils!”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 277 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
23) “You say, “What comes out of our mouth must be kept!” I hear it – which mouth do you mean? The one from which the farts come? (You can keep that yourself!)”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 281 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
24) “You are like a magician who conjures gulden into the mouths of silly people, but when they open their mouths they have horse dirt in them.”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 264 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
25) “The reward of such flattery is what your crass stupidity deserves. Therefore, we shall turn from you, a sevenfold stupid and blasphemous wise person.”
From Against Latomus, pg. 145 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
26) “I had not supposed or expected your arrogant spirit to seek such a ridiculous and childish reason for lying; you should have better reasons.”
From Against Hanswurst, pg. 186 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
27) “Everyone can see that such a sentence must have been blown into you by all the existing devils with one breath.”
From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 285 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
28) “The devil rides you.”
From Against the Heavenly Prophets, pg. 157 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 40
29) “You have set out to rub your scabby, scurvy head against honor.”
From Against Hanswurst, pg. 185 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 41
Not enough? See more of Luther’s insults over at the Lutheran Insulter.
[See also: 3 Beautiful Celebrities Who Gave It All Up to Become Nuns]
[See also: 19 Haunting Photos of Abandoned Churches Around the World]