medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Brenda,
The associations of "odoriferous" are not all negative, even in English English. Perhaps this text, describing Satan's approach to the earthly Paradise, will open new semantic vistas:
... And of pure now purer aire
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive [ 155 ]
All sadness but despair: now gentle gales
Fanning thir odoriferous wings dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmie spoiles. As when to them who saile
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past [ 160 ]
Mozambic, off at Sea North-East windes blow
Sabean Odours from the spicie shoare
Of Arabie the blest, with such delay
Well pleas'd they slack thir course, and many a League
Chear'd with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles. [ 165 ]
So entertaind those odorous sweets the Fiend
Who came thir bane, though with them better pleas'd
Then Asmodeus with the fishie fume,...
_Paradise Lost_, IV, 153-68
Note that these "Sabaean Odours" are "from the _spicie_ shoare" (whence the "Native perfumes" spread by the "odoriferous wings" of "gentle gales"); note also their opposition in the text to Asmodeus' "fishie fume". It's the latter, not the former, that are pongy.
In an analogous process of transference to semantic opposites, "fragrant" has also come to be used to characterize foul odours as well as fair. So semantically it's not much of an alternative. Stylistically it of course occupies a lower register, less suitable for the high-style, classicizing text from which I am translating.
Best,
John Dillon
On Monday, November 5, 2007, at 4:56 am, Brenda Cook wrote:
>
> Although some are less taken
> with the verses said to have been carved on the sarcophagus (in the text
> called a _sepulcrum_), these too have their moments, esp. the final lines:
>
> Membra dedit Reginniculis, animamque Tonanti.
> Hinc Christi inter odoriferas depascitur aulas.
>
> ("Her body she gave to the people of Minori and her soul to God.
> Henceforth she is nourished in Christ's odoriferous halls.")
>
> ODIFEROUS ??? This suggest (in English English) something pongy like a
>
> privy. Would not FRAGRANT be better since it is used both for perfume
> and
> for good cooking ??
>
> Just being pedantic!!
>
> BMC
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