Could someone assist Professor Morrison?


>Delivered-To: ncflores@...
>To: ncflores@...
>From: stephen Morrison <stephen.morrison@...>
>Subject: The animal Irus
>Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:03:45 +0200
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>Dear Prof. Flores,
>
>I hope you won't mind my writing to you out of the blue, as it were. I
>notice that you are the editor of a collection of essays on Animals in the
>Middle Ages (1996), and as such thought that you might be able to help me
>with an animal reference I am unable to track down.
>I am just finishing the edition of a long series of Middle English sermons
>(main maunscript: Oxford, Bodleian Library, e Musaeo 180, end XV. c), one
>of which, for the Dedication of a Church, contains the following little
>story about a beast called Irus on the hill of Archos:
>
>The firste cawse whi this chirche was halowyd is for it schold be a place
>of doctryne, as we rede in Mirabilibus Mundi, that there is an hill among
>the Iewis and that is calde Archos. And in this hyll there is a litill
>beeste te whiche is calde Irus. And the propertye of tis beeste is for to
>lyfe be the eyer. And tis beeste hathe a swete brethe. And becawse of his
>brethe that is so swete all oter bestis that ben in that hill ar fedde
>moste be te swetnesse of his swete brethe. For thryes on the day, at
>morne, at none and at evyn, this beest rynnethe vp to the hyyest place of
>the hyll and makethe a grete crye. Ten all the beestis that ar abowte the
>hill, heryng hym crye, anon they ryne vp withe [[311r]] a glade chere for
>to haue the swetnes of his brethe. And when they are all comen, tei draw
>abowte this beest; and he gothe abowte hem and bretithe vpon hem, and tei
>withe the swetnes of his brethe ben fedde.
>
>
>I have checked Solinus and, I think, almost all of the Latin works which
>circulated in the Middle Ages under the name of the Mirabilibus Mundi,
>without success. The animal with the sweet breath is traditionally the
>panther. Do you know of a panther bearing such a name? I would be most
>grateful if you could throw any light on this mysterious beast.
>
>With thanks and all good wishes,
>
>
>Stephen Morrison
>Stephen Morrison
><mailto:Stephen.morrison@...>Stephen.morrison@...
>Professeur des universités
>Directeur de recherches au CESCM
>Responsable des RI de la faculté
>Tél: 05 49 45 46 37
>
>


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