- Mr. Spooky
- Jul 1, 2003
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I was allowed this account on the condition that I never post.
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He had an epic beard!
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Jan 28, 2013 22:59
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- Mr. Spooky
- Jul 1, 2003
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I was allowed this account on the condition that I never post.
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This is more related to the culture: how much of a role did superstitions and folklore actually play in medieval life? There's a perception that diseases = possessions/demons/spirits, etc., and of course there's tons of documents with "monsters" (large fish) and such from the time. Is there any way of knowing how much stock was put into these?
Not as much as you might think. A text entitled Liber Monstrorum de Diversis Generibus, a bestiary found in in Cotton Vitellius A.xv (the Beowulf-manuscript), written sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries, contains the following passage in its preface:
(translated from the Latin, obviously)
Liber Monstrorum de Diversis Generibus posted:
...I should have thought that those lies were urepeatable to anyone, if the gust of your request had not cast me from the high poop quivering amongst the monsters of the deep. For I compare this task with the dark sea, since there is no clear way of testing whether that rumour which has spread throughout the world with the gilded speech of marvellous report is true or steeped in lies; of which things the writings of the poets and philosophers, which always foster lies, expound the greatest part. Only some things in the marvels themselves are believed to be true, and there are countless things which if anyone could take winged flight to explore, they would prove that, although they should be concocted in speech and rumour, where now there is said to lie a golden city and gem-strewn shores, one would see there rocks and a stony city, if at all. And first I will discuss those things which are in some part to be trusted, and then let each judge for himself the following material, because throughout these monster-filled caverns I shall paint a little picture of a sea-girl or siren, which if it has a head of reason is followed by all kinds of shaggy and scaly tales [ut sit capite rationis quod tamen diuersorum generum hispidae squamosaeque sequentuur fabulae].
So...yeah. Not so much. Also, the pun at the end is awesome.
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Feb 13, 2013 22:01
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Jan 28, 2013 22:59
