Dungeons & Dragons, Chaucer, Middle English and Religion

Duncan Bayne's picture
Submitted by Duncan Bayne on Fri, 2007-04-27 05:50.

I've often wondered what Dungeons & Dragons characters would actually sound like - in other words, how people spoke English in the Medieval period. As it turns out, the answer is "quite differently" Smiling

The following is an excerpt from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in the late 1300s. It describes the appearance and character of a Miller (courtesy the ELF Edition). Anyone who can read modern English should be able to follow this, if only partially due to the odd vocabulary:

The Millere was a stout carl for the nones,
Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones-
That proved wel, for overal ther he cam
At wrastlyng he wolde have alwey the ram.
He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,
Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre,
Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.
His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,
And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
Upon the cop right of his nose he hade
A werte, and thereon stood a toft of heres
Reed as the brustles of a sowes eres;
Hise nosethirles blake were and wyde.
A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde.
His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys,
He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
And that was moost of synne and harlotries.
Wel koude he stelen corn, and tollen thries,
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.
A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.
A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,
And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

Translated into modern english (again courtesy ELF), it's easier to read:

The miller was a stout churl, be it known,
Hardy and big of brawn and big of bone;
Which was well proved, for when he went on lam
At wrestling, never failed he of the ram.
He was a chunky fellow, broad of build;
He'd heave a door from hinges if he willed,
Or break it through, by running, with his head.
His beard, as any sow or fox, was red,
And broad it was as if it were a spade.
Upon the coping of his nose he had
A wart, and thereon stood a tuft of hairs,
Red as the bristles in an old sow's ears;
His nostrils they were black and very wide.
A sword and buckler bore he by his side.
His mouth was like a furnace door for size.
He was a jester and could poetize,
But mostly all of sin and ribaldries.
He could steal corn and full thrice charge his fees;
And yet he had a thumb of gold, begad.
A white coat and blue hood he wore, this lad.
A bagpipe he could blow well, be it known,
And with that same he brought us out of town.

Now, go and have a listen to how the original sounds when read aloud (courtesy the University of Nevada). I found that I could follow a little of the spoken word, enough to get the gist of what the speaker was saying, but nothing more.  I found it a lot easier to follow if I had the original text to read at the same time.

On a related note - and with my apologies for darkening the tone of this post - if you have the time, I strongly recommend you read the Canterbury Tales in order to get an idea of what life was like during the Medieval period. 

The answer in a word is horrible, but perhaps worst of all is the tale of a blissfully married man, who is concerned that he may be denied entry to heaven for enjoying life on Earth so much.  He is advised by his friends to temper his enjoyment of marriage (especially during sex) so as to ensure his eternal salvation.

It's an eye-opener, and should be a caution to anyone who doubts the evil inherent in religious philosophies that preach sacrifice on Earth in order to obtain rewards in a mystical afterlife (or for that matter, atheist philosophies that preach sacrifice to 'future generations' - it's exactly the same deal).


( categories: )

Middle English

ethan_dawe's picture
Submitted by ethan_dawe on Fri, 2007-07-27 23:54.

Hi Duncan

My English professor read this as our introduction to Chaucer. I too liked the sound of Middle English (and I'm an avid D&D player too.)

Ethan


Um ...

Lindsay Perigo's picture
Submitted by Lindsay Perigo on Sun, 2007-04-29 08:27.

Not around here, Phil. Smiling


Kelly and Duncan, thanks for

Philip Coates's picture
Submitted by Philip Coates on Sun, 2007-04-29 07:53.

Kelly, Duncan, and JT, thanks for the tip about reciting the old English out loud....

...it is unfortunate that declaiming has fallen out of fasion.


I actually prefer the sound

Duncan Bayne's picture
Submitted by Duncan Bayne on Sun, 2007-04-29 02:01.

I actually prefer the sound of Middle English to that of Modern English - it sounds more musical, somehow.  And Middle English isn't that hard to follow (especially in written form).  You just need a copy that has copious footnotes (sorry, Lindsay) that explain some of the archaic turns of phrase.

For instance, Jesus is referred to sometimes as "he who harried hell."  It turns out that in order to keep interest levels high, Medieval preachers made Jesus out to be some sort of demon-slaying superhero, who actually travelled to hell and made war there.  Without footnotes explaining this kind of background knowledge, a lot of the original Chaucer is hard to follow.

 

---
Buy and wear InfidelGear - 100% of all InfidelGear profit goes to SOLO!


I'm with Kelly

jtgagnon's picture
Submitted by jtgagnon on Sat, 2007-04-28 22:27.

Being a lover of literature, I've long appreciated reading the "untranslated" versions of works by Chaucer and the like. Modern English is great (it is, after all, what I would prefer to use on a daily basis), but there is something quite enjoyable about sitting down with a glass of wine and immersing oneself in the language.


Well ...

Lindsay Perigo's picture
Submitted by Lindsay Perigo on Sat, 2007-04-28 22:20.

They should really have shot you, of course.


That's why they let me out.

Philip Coates's picture
Submitted by Philip Coates on Sat, 2007-04-28 16:24.

>Till your next dreary Phyllisian sermon

That's why they let me out.

I started to give them a lecture on civility that was a "four banger" - simultaneously long, boring, repetitious, and condescending. The precinct captain finally said either shoot him or let him go.


That's very funny, Phil!

Lindsay Perigo's picture
Submitted by Lindsay Perigo on Sat, 2007-04-28 07:53.

Had me ROFL.

All is forgiven.

Till your next dreary Phyllisian sermon.

Linz


Violation of "Public Chaucer Psychosis Ordinance"

Philip Coates's picture
Submitted by Philip Coates on Sat, 2007-04-28 03:20.

> it doesn't take long to get used to the language...give the original a try (out loud of course, like all poetry should be read.

Kelly, After reading the old English earlier today walked down the city street earlier today chanting . . .

"Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre !!

Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed @#$%^&!!

His berd as any sowe or fox was reed" !!!!!

. . . after several little old ladies started screaming, three cops jumped me and put a little white coat on me. I just got released after I told them I must be perfectly sane because I post on the Solo website.

Man those handcuffs hurt.


Phil, I agree that Chaucer

Kelly Elmore's picture
Submitted by Kelly Elmore on Sat, 2007-04-28 02:02.

Phil, I agree that Chaucer is more accessible and very entertaining in modern English. But (language buff that I am), I do love to hear it read aloud (and read it aloud myself) in the Middle English. Once you get used to it (like Shakespeare, or other older things), it is a lovely spoken language with an interesting lilting sound. It is so close to modern English that it doesn't take long to get used to the language, and it is so worth it! After you've read it in translation, give the original a try (out loud of course, like all poetry should be read).

Kelly


How to Do A Descriptive Paragraph

Philip Coates's picture
Submitted by Philip Coates on Fri, 2007-04-27 23:30.

Thanks, Duncan.

The modern English version (above) is a lovely and brilliant piece of descriptive writing! It is very concrete and vivid with intelligent and clever selection of details. It tells you a lot about the miller entertainingly in just a short, thumbnail description.

I had never had a desire to read Chaucer because the idiots who quote him always do it old English.

I will read him now...as a matter of fact I'm trying to get students to learn how to write descriptions of people or events which have a bit more of substance to them than illiterate one-liners with the abstract terms 'nice' and 'cool' in them. I think I'm going to have them study this passage since it relates to something I had them do recently.


Maybe it was a bit harsh,

JoeM's picture
Submitted by JoeM on Fri, 2007-04-27 21:18.

Maybe it was a bit harsh, Ross. But I'm not a morning person. Eye Honestly, I haven't looked at it since high school English, so I'm talking out my ass. But this line from Wiki sound like Springer to me!

"The themes of the tales vary, and include topics such as courtly love, treachery, and avarice. "
"Some of the tales are serious and others comical; however, all are highly accurate in describing the traits and faults of human nature."

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Spaceplayer Sight and Sound


Chaucer===Springer?

Ross Elliot's picture
Submitted by Ross Elliot on Fri, 2007-04-27 12:08.

Well, that's a bit hard on Chaucer, don't you think?


If I want to hear gibberish,

JoeM's picture
Submitted by JoeM on Fri, 2007-04-27 12:03.

If I want to hear gibberish, I'll turn on Jerry Springer. And I don't.

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Spaceplayer Sight and Sound


Well, Joe...

Ross Elliot's picture
Submitted by Ross Elliot on Fri, 2007-04-27 11:35.

...as Dunc illustrates, it's more the import than the actual verse.


I suffered through Chaucer

JoeM's picture
Submitted by JoeM on Fri, 2007-04-27 11:21.

I suffered through Chaucer in school, ne'er again...Sticking out tongue

************************************************

Spaceplayer Sight and Sound


Well...

Ross Elliot's picture
Submitted by Ross Elliot on Fri, 2007-04-27 07:06.

"...in order to get an idea of what life was like during the Medieval period."

...it was nasty, although the intellectuals of the 1300s would have considered themselves far more sophisticated than those poor souls lost in the Dark Ages that followed the fall of Rome.

Good post, Dunc. To most, this period of civilisation seems very distant and hardly relevant, but to the student of history, it's but yesterday. And a reminder that things can get very dicey if you don't keep your house in order.

You know, if you try, you can almost reach out and touch Greece & Rome; they're that close.


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