#medieval latin

[medievalistsnet]

A Guide to Teaching and Learning Medieval Latin

Teachers and students of Medieval Latin often struggle to find the same range of learning materials available for Classical Latin. In this guide, Brigid Ehrmantraut highlights textbooks, anthologies, apps, and online resources that can help learners at every level engage more directly with medieval texts.

Read here

[baudouinette]

My (fictional) coat of Arms for Baldwin IV

I’ve procrastinated for far too long on posting these, because I am too obsessive about correctness, but imma explain the design and choices briefly, so that you do not take this as something *correct*. However, I think it is fair to not apply heraldic conventions and rules here, as they did not formally exist in his time. For example, technically the white (argent) and gold (or) should not go together, according to the rules, but again, these were not in place then. And the combo looks great so who cares.

I wanted to post them for heraldry day the other day, but it was all too hectic. You’ve seen it already as my pfp before, both in white and blue versions. :3

This first one is let’s say, the artistic, freeform emblem I have made for fun. The background is of a relief from Ani, Armenia—I simply really liked how it looked as a texture on this, even though of course, not something correct for heraldry. This and the lions are to represent his Armenian blood on both sides. However, these lions are Cilician, and I wanted to use something more from Armenia itself, like the leopard (Ani has a leopard), but could not find an adequate symbol that would fit this design. These lions do not fit it either, it is too crowded and random, but it was for fun :) They could be added outside, holding the shield, but hm….

It’s a design I made for him (and other Frankish Crusader kings) back in high school, but now done better, and not just on my notebook. Really simple ofc, just swapping the four crosses for fleurs de Lis 💛⚜️ I use it for some of my AUs/stories, like the others I have made for example for the Royal Lazarites!

He would use this as signet in HCW, for example, in letters, along with the cross of the Kingdom. But this is just as a fictional headcanon of mine ofc, to add some custom pizzazz 😅

I have many and more variations, including with flat colors, but for now I will post these.

Please do not use without permission 🛡️

[hobbitofgallifrey-art]

Brown hyena sketch with Latin text from the medieval Bestiary. Inspired by catching up with David Attenborough's Kingdom. My translation:

Concerning the Hyena. The animal which is called Hyena lives in the sepulchres of the dead, feeding on the bodies. It's nature is that it is sometimes male, sometimes female, and therefore it is an unclean animal.

Solinus reports many wonders about it; firstly, that it prowls around shepherds' sheep folds, and circles houses during the night. Continually listening it learns language, so that it is able to speak in imitation of human voices, in order to attack any man enticed out at night by the guile of its summons.

[latinare]

anon from before here. can we have a bunch of words to describe gory injuries with we love gory injuries give it up for Gory injuries woo yeay

I'd have to go hunting in my dictionary for specific words, but here's a lovely passage about Corineus fighting Gauls:

Sed et confestim irruens in caeteros, bipennem rotans, stragem acerrimam facit, et nunc hac nunc illac discurrens ictus recipere diffugit, nec hostes prosternere quiescit: huic brachium cum manu amputat: illi scapulas a corpore separat: alii caput uno ictu truncat: alteri crura a summo dissecat. Omnes in illum solum, et ipse solus in omnes irruebat. Quod Brutus aspiciens, motus amore viri, accurrit cum una turma ut ei auxilium subvectaret. Tunc oritur clamor inter diversas gentes, tunc crebri ictus inferuntur, tunc in utraque parte fit caedes durissima.

Now running headlong against the others, whirling his axe, he made bitter havoc indeed, and dodged blows by darting now this way, now that. Nor did he rest from cutting down the enemy: he swiped off one man's arm with the hand attached, clove another's shoulders from his trunk, took off another's head with a single blow, and split yet another's legs from his body. The lot of them were fighting against him alone, and he alone against all of them. Brutus, seeing this, was moved with love for the man and ran to back him up with a force of his own. Now a great shout went up between the two peoples, now the blows fell thick and fast, now cruel massacre was inflicted on both sides.

-Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae (translation mine)

[yvanspijk]

Cipher and zero are etymological doublets: they both stem from Arabic ṣifr, which means 'empty, 0'. Ṣifr was borrowed into Medieval Latin two times: as cifra and zephirum. The descendants of cifra later lost their meaning '0' to those of zephirum. Here's how.

[rogue-driv3r]

Medieval latin was basically like internet english today: widely used, slangs, fucked up grammar, and heavily influenced by local languages

[gailyinthedark]

My friend Mr Monmouth breaking the fourth wall to let us know talking birds aren't trustworthy. (Also featured: a contrary-to-fact subjunctive in the wild! Huzzah!)

[eugaenia]

Let's just appreciate the way Lynda L. Coon in her "Dark Age Bodies: Gender and Monastic Practice in the Early Medieval West (2011)" wrote about Alcuin of York's passion for giving bird nicknames to his fellow friends and disciples at the Carolingian court.

Lynda L. Coon, Dark Age Bodies: Gender and Monastic Practice in the Early Medieval West, Philadelphia - Oxford 2011, p. 16

Like I'd never thought I'd read about Alcuin being the master of boy-birds, but here we are.