medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
John Shinners wrote:
> Boccaccio tells the story of the boy whose father taught him that geese
> were women in his intro to the Fourth Day of the Decameron. Sounds like
> he picked it up from some earlier exemplum or fabliau.
Certainly true (and as usual with Boccaccio)! but there's a difference between
raunch and moral improvement, and they're quite distinct genres (which is why I
used the term 'facetiae' instead of 'exempla': for 'facetiae' see i.a. Augustin
Tuenger in both Latin and German). [thinks: does 'raunch' have a place in a
scholarly discussion of medieval religion and such good things? praps not.
unthinks]. The 'novice and the goose' takes a gratuitous side-swipe at the
cloistered life and is a fine example of social satire. Does Boccaccio? I don't
have him at hand, but he gives us a fair mixture of stuff, and that sort of
thing is certainly among it.
I wonder if it is relevant to discuss the 'Private Eye' element of medieval
religion here? For our American friends, perhaps substitute 'Harvard Lampoon'
for the previous virgulated Brit term? We run the risk of exchanging anecdotes
here, and perhaps I started it.
Completely out of character if so, and I apologise.
Angus, hard against the Stone Mountains of persistently sunny southern Arabia
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