medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
For Oedipus, I thought oida- meant swollen and -pus referred to foot.
Christine Gray
-----Original Message-----
From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Diana Wright
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 5:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] deformed ruler
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
For the Byzantines, it was blinding, because a blind person could not be
an emperor or a priest. I think the nose thing was just insulting.
Blinding was important. The Byzantine Emperor had first to be accepted
by the army [then by the Senate] & presumably the army did not accept
one incapable of leading the army.
I have ever understood why blinding is considered emasculation. That is
so often said about Oedipus, too, but the Greeks really could tell the
difference. In Oedipus, blinding has to do with knowing -- the first
part of the name Oida- means "I saw" and "I know," & Oedipus has taunted
T-whose-name-I-cannot-spell with blindness. I think blinding for the
Byzantines combines a memory of that with the OT requirement that
sacrificial animals be unblemished. I could be wrong. But physical
impediments did not necessarily prevent one from becoming emperor --
there was Michael the Stammerer [though it more reliably translates as
speech-impaired -- we don't know if he stammered or lisped or what].
DW
Kevin Teo wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> As far as I know, the mutilation of the body specifically the nose) in
Byzantine culture, when committed upon a dethroned basileus, was a form of
"emasculation", and it was a means of statement with regards to the
inability of the deformed basileus to rule anymore.
>
> Kevin Jang
>
> --- Ms B M Cook <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> But does it have anything to say about moral depravity (eg incest)
>> or mental
>> retardation ?
>>
>> BMC
>>
>>
>>
>>> I find nothing about birth defects in:
>>>
>>> Edward Peters, The Shadow King: Rex inutilis in medieval law and
>>> literature (Yale UPr, 1970).
>>>
>>> Tom Izbicki
>>>
>>>
>>>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>>>>
>> culture
>>
>>>> Hi folks,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I was wondering if the fact that a heir in a county, duchy or
>>>>
>> even
>>
>>>> kingdom
>>>> was deformed, f.i. hunchbacked, could prevent him from
>>>>
>> succeeding? Could
>>
>>>> that have been a biblical or canonical nono? Still a duke like
>>>>
>> Godfrey
>>
>>>> III
>>>> of Lotharingia (+1076) was called the Hunchback. Or was that
>>>>
>> based on
>>
>>>> misinformation at the chronicler's-level?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Henk
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _____
>>>>
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>>>>
>> vandaag
>>
>>>> nog!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>
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