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Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Puzzle: What Doest Thou, Dude?
Today's puzzle is based on verse from the
very first page of James Fenton's
An Introduction to English
Poetry. The following is an extract from a poem
written around the year 1375.
Queme quyssewes then that coyntlych closed,
His thik thrawen thyghes with thwonges to tachched;
And sithen the brawden bryné of bryght stel rynges
Umbeweved that wyy, upon wlonk stuffe,
And wel bornyst brace upon his both armes,
With gode cowters and gay, and gloves of plate…
The puzzle? Determine what act is being described here.
Fenton says, “But who, without specialist help, could arrive
at the conclusion that…?” Can you figure it out?
(Hide
Hint)
Hint. The poem is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
(Hide
Answer)
The passage describes a knight putting on his armour. (Knowing the
title of the poem is a valuable clue!)
A
modern translation of the section from which the extract
is taken is:
He dwelt there all that day, and on the morn he arose and asked betimes for his armour;
and they brought it unto him on this wise:
first, a rich carpet was stretched on the floor
(and brightly did the gold gear glitter upon it),
then the knight stepped on to it, and handled the steel;
clad he was in a doublet of silk, with a close hood, lined fairly throughout.
Then they set the steel shoes upon his feet, and wrapped his legs with greaves,
with polished knee-caps, fastened with knots of gold.
Then they cased his thighs in cuisses closed with thongs,
and brought him the byrny of bright steel rings sewn upon a fair stuff.
Well burnished braces they set on each arm with good elbow-pieces,
and gloves of mail, and all the goodly gear that should shield him in his need.
The translator notes of this section:
The description of the arming of Gawain is rather more
detailed in the original, but some of the minor points
are not easy to understand, the identification of sundry
of the pieces of armour being doubtful.
The
complete original text (edited in part by J.R.R. Tolkien!) is
available on-line complete with gnarly Middle English yoghs and thorns. The passage in
question is on page 17.
Posted at March 21, 2006 00:52