h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Julian of Norwich's World in a Nutshell: Life, the Universe, and Everything - A87861801
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - U1590784

I have had a bad cold all week, and have been hiding so I don't spread it around town.

This, of course, caused me to ponder the work of Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century anchorite. Why not?

I thought I'd share her delightful, but weird, insights.

Excellent well done can you read old english

Sure I can. Think about it - it's useless, so of course...

But Middle English is easy. It's not any harder than reading Lolcats jokes...

Compare this:

Bifil that in that seson on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Caunterbury with ful devout corage...

from the original Geoff,

To this:

Thomas, who ys wyth my Lord John of Gaunt in Spayne, had gret need for moneyes to buye a newe blakberrie (for his hath been y-swiped by the Frensshe), and Lowys hath taken up an internship for the somer wyth a Man of Law and thus did need many a fyne robe and tie (ywis, Lowyses raiment on moost dayes ys but a tee shirte and jeans that falle neigh hys ankles for thei aren so loose). Performing the dutees of a Justice of the Pees ys helle of interestinge (cheefly whan we usen blacklites at a crime scene) but it payeth slightli less than nothinge.

The second quote is from 'I Can Hath Cheezburger?' at this location:

http://houseoffame.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-can-hath-cheezburger.html

well said

Thanks Dmitri - this was a really interesting Entry Reminded me a bit of the story of St Clare, the patron saint of TV, who watched visions on the wall of her cell. All very thought provoking

I noticed there was "shal" but also "shall" in the second quote.

Thanks, Sasha, I fixed that.

And now I HAVE to read about St Clare and the TV...

This is intriguing. I knew something of Julian from TS Eliot, but it's difficult to connect with the mind of a mediaeval anchorite. Anyone wanting to be walled up so she can meditate on God and creation would probably be referred to a psychiatrist these days.

I wonder why anchorites were particularly common in England? The weather perhaps?

That is possibly the most interesting monastic speculation I've heard in a long time.

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Well done

<BB<

Excellent work well done

Well done.

This is a very deserving subject, and, apart from the questions raised in the entry, it raises questions such as What was Julian's real name?

Anyway - further discussion in the Edited Entry I presume.

Thank you all!