Just an idle methodological question from a lister who is so
ostrichically challenged that he was under the impression that o's were only
found in Ostraihlia and would, therefore, have been totally unknown
in the medieval west (much less out on the Very Edge of Civilisation, at
Ripon):
Julia Barrow wrote:
>There's an obscure point in Byrhtferth's Vita Oswaldi where he says the
shrine of St Wilfrid at Ripon was being looked after by deacons and ostriches
- perhaps the latter were forgetful clerics, unless of course
it is a copyist's corruption, which is not by any means impossible.>
"...copyist's corruption..."?
Dog knows I've seen enough curious scribal shenanigans in charters to doubt
not a whit your suggestion of "corruption", but curious to know, latin-wise,
what word associated with _diacon*_ might be confused with _strucio_ ??
Methodologically, I assume that we would have to have some sort of "logical"
error which might have been made by the scribe.
?
The alternative (which I assume is your point, Julia) is to posit a fine sense
of humor on the part of the _auctor_ of the _vita_: "..deacons and those guys
whom we all know to be as forgetful (or: as head-in-the-earth-unwatchful) as
ostriches..."
What happened to the relics? Somebody forget to lock up the eggs?
Best from here,
Christopher
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