Jane Connolly writes,
>Those who don't see this as
>an act of murder view it as an epileptic attack.
>
>I guess that rather than asking if you know of examples of
>epilepsy/seizures as divine punishment, I should ask for examples of
>eating/swallowing/biting the tongue as punishment for speaking ill. Any ideas?
Contrary to my previous caution and my usual position on these things, I'm
going to suggest that if you want to seek a medical explanation for what's
going on here, you might look in the direction of respiratory allergic
reaction of some sort. The symptom of eating, biting, or swallowing the
tongue sounds like a fair description of a severe allergic asthamatic
attack, or an allergic attack of other sorts which may cause the whole
throat and tongue to swell up.
That, of course, doesn't answer the question whether this really was the
symptom your friend's enemy displayed at the time of her death, or whether
it is a symptom imputed to the victim by the narrator in order to
communicate a deeper, more important truth about the victim's moral
character. (Truth being, in the Middle Ages, more important than fact, no?)
Haven't seen any examples of similar punishments, yet.
__________________________________
Patrick J. Nugent
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 983-1413
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