>The story concerns John Scotus Erigena (d.877), and is--if I recall
>correctly: notes are not at hand--a very late story, recounted, I think, by
>William of Malmesbury (?). The story would then date from around the time
>that Erigena's reputation as a heretic, a pantheist, was becoming
>formalized, and his teachings rejected. Not a very credible story in any
>case...but in the age of the ball-point...
>
>Gary Dickson
>University of Edinburgh
>
>
A medieval pen made of metal for writing on wax would probably do it better
than a modern ball-point. The procedure as appropriate for not more properly
armed schoolboys is described in the Romance of _Floire et Blancheflur_ (ed.
F. Kru"ger, Berlin 1938), where young Floire, when he receives the (false)
news of the death of his beloved, wants to kill himself and, lacking a
sword, choses Blancheflur's golden pen which he had received from her as a
gift and sign of their love. I don't have the OF texts at hand, but in
Konrad Fleck's MHG version, ed. E. Sommer, Quedlinburg/Leipzig 1846 (=
Bibliothek der gesammten deutschen National-Literatur, 12), p.79s.,
vv.2355ss., the passage reads:
Da^ mite sweic der jungelinc.
na^ch to^de was si^n gerinc;
daz war an si^nn gebaerden schi^n.
er zo^ch ein guldi^n griffeli^n
u^z si^nem griffelfuoter
verholen vor si^ner muoter,
diu mit im dar kam
und si^n geno^te war nam.
als er den griffel ane sach,
heize weinende er sprach
"owe^ griffel he^re,
nu^ ha^n ich niht me^re
von mi^ner lieben friundi^n
wan herzeleides unde di^n.
si^ bat mich di^n wol warn,
do ich zuo Munto^re solte varn
und ich ze jungest schiet hinnen.
si^ sprach 'ich wil dir ze minnen
geben diz schoene griffeli^n,
daz du^ da^ bi^ gedenkest mi^n,
swaz dir oder mir geschehe.
got well daz ich dich schiere sehe.'
daz was ir jungestez wort.
nu^ bin ich hie, so^ ist si^ dort.
daz ist ungeselleclich.
ei griffeli^n, nu^ fu"ere mich
ze Blanscheflu^r, swa^ diu ist;
wan du^ ein urku"nde bist
der liebe die wir ha^ten."
Flo^re was do^ verra^ten,
wande in begunde
vor leide da^ ze stunde
des to^des gelu"sten.
er ke^rte gegen den bru"sten
den griffel an der spitze.
er pflac niht guoter witze.
er wolte ha^n erstochen sich;
wan diu ku"nigi^n den stich
underfuor daz er niht vollekam,
und im den griffel genam;
anders er waere to^t gewesen...
I hope you all have enough MHG to pay due admiration to the verse "daz ist
ungeselleclich"!
Otfried Lieberknecht
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