GHEYN, Joseph-Marie-Martin van den. Ghent 25.5.1854 — Brussels 29.1. 1913. S.J. Belgian scholar of Religion, Ethnology, Sanskrit and Theology. Son of Edouard van den Gheyn, Professor of chemistry, joined Jesuit order in 1871. Studies at Louvain (Leuven) under de Harlez. Interested early in ethnography, primitive folklore and ancient languages, wrote in 1878-86 a series of articles on history of the “Aryan race” (now entirely antiquated), of Central Asia, etc. In 1886 ordained priest, taught at Louvain University. Studied Syriac in Paris. In 1888-97 participated in Bollandist work, editing Greek and Oriental Acts of Saints. Sources differ: according to one he was Professor in Paris in 1888-91 and then at Collège Saint-Michel in Brussels, according to other he was persuaded by Mgr. d’Hulst to teach Sanskrit at Institut Catholique in Paris in 1891-9?. The first date must be correct. According to the RHR 20, 1889, he had just obtained the new chair of Sanskrit at Institut catholique. In 1897-1909 he was Conservateur des manuscrits at Bibliothèque royale in Brussels, in 1909-12 Conservateur-en-chef ibid. In his later years he was often ill and had to retire in 1912. Hon. dr. 1911 Louvain.
Publications: Many of the works listed here appeared first as articles.
– Le nom primitif des Aryas. Brussels 1880; Origines indo-européennes. Le berceau des Aryas. 96 p. Brussels 1881; Les migrations des Aryas. 40 p. Anvers 1882; L’origine européenne des Aryas. 47 p. P. 1889.
– “Remarques sur quelques racines sanscrites de la 8e classe”, Bull. de l’Académie royale de Belgique 3:7, 1884, 21 p.; “Note sur les mots sanscrits composés avec pati”, JRAS 16, 1884, 479-485 (type jāspati, gnāspati, vanaspati).
– “Les langues de l’Asie centrale”, Actes du 6ème Congrès int. des Orientalistes tenu en 1883 à Leide, tome 3, 1885, section 2: Aryenne, 261-287 (I. Les langues du Pamir, 264-273; II. Les dialectes de l’Hindou-kousch, 273-277; III. Le yidghah et le yagnobi, 277-287); Le yidghah et le yagnobi, étude sur deux dialectes de l’Asie centrale. 2+30 p. Brussels 1883.
– Essais de mythologie et de philologie comparée. 431 p. Brussels & P. 1885 (collection of articles); La science des Religions. 55 p. Lyon 1886.
– Le séjour de l’humanité post-diluvienne. 73 p. Brussels 1883; L’origine asiatique de la race noire. 39 p. Brussels 1891; Les populations danubiennes. 291 p. Brussels 1886.
– L’homme préhistorique de la Basse Belgique. 1887.
– Catalogue des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque royale. 1-8. Brussels 1900-1909.
– Album belge de paléographie. 68 p. Brussels 1908; and other works.
Sources: M. Coens, Biogr. Nat. Belg. 37 (Suppl. 9), 1971-72, 327-333; Dict. biogr. des sciences, des lettres et des arts en Belg. 2, 193? with photo; Wikipedia with photo (see also French version).
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