NPR's food blog gets wordy:
for the origins of "pie," look to the humble magpie. Though the
etymology of pie doesn't present one clear path, the possibilities are fascinating. English surnames point to pie and pye as a baked good in the 1300s, with
a Peter Piebakere in 1320 and Adam le Piemakere in 1332. Chaucer referred to "pye"
as both a baked good and a magpie (Google books). Or perhaps the fillings were like a magpie's collection of bits and bobs, similar to haggis. You know,
like the French "agace," or magpie (Gb), and similar to
chewets, those baked goods, or
another name for jackdaws (Gb),
relative of the magpie.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Nov 22, 2011 -
21 comments
Lupercalia is a festival that probably pre-dates Rome, and which later became known as St. Valentine's day. It had everything; sacrifice, cake, nudity, spanking and a love lottery. What do we get? A card. If we are lucky. But,
who was Valentine? Did
Chaucer make the whole thing up?
[more inside]
posted by asok
on Feb 14, 2008 -
27 comments
Boethius is one of
history's most overlooked philosophers. While imprisoned and awaiting execution at the hands of
Theodoric, Boethius illustrated the medieval Christian worldview through his most famous work,
The Consolation of Philosophy. Though he also wrote essays on music, science, and logic, engaging with
Porphyry [pdf] Plato and Aristotle, the Consolation reached widest. In style and content, Boethius' work had a profound
influence on
Geoffrey Chaucer (as the
Chaucer Review makes
very clear). Dante, reading Boethius for solace after Beatrice's death,
called Boethius "[t]he blessed soul who exposes the deceptive world to anyone who gives ear to him." [MI]
posted by jeffmshaw
on Dec 28, 2004 -
26 comments
Early eBook designs. William Caxton's first two editions of The Canterbury Tales, probably published in 1476 and 1483, have been put online by the British Library.
posted by liam
on Oct 29, 2003 -
11 comments
