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A new instance of poxleber
- A new instance of poxleber
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A new instance of poxleber
JustAnotherTheory > 5 hours ago
Well, almost. It's an instance of "boxleber", but to me the interesting part is that the author chose to write the genitive with an "x". To my knowledge, "boxleber" is as rare as "poxleber".
Anyway, it is from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (early 1500s), Switzerland.
My reading: "... oder mit eynem guten Syrop / Sommer boxleber / es koste was es wolle / es sol uns kein gelt rewen".
Source: Augsburg, Staats- und Stadtbibliothek -- 4 Th H 1735
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RE: A new instance of poxleber
ololololo > 5 hours ago
How is this word translated in this context (there have been many translations of poxleber, from goat liver to some kind of curse)? I'm just very bad at German, so I'm asking.
Your example generally shows that the practice of writing cks through x at least existed and was apparently considered acceptable for the German language.
Is it also x or k? -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
JoJo_Jost > 4 hours ago
warmen quellbad zu helfen / oder mit einem guten Syrop / sommer boxleber / es koste was es wolle / es soll uns kein Geld reuen (rewen)
a warm spring bath to help / or a good syrup / summer goat liver / whatever the cost / let's not worry about the money
Syrup = sweet juice, but it can also be a medicine
(headlinie: A heartfelt message to Babst concerning Selmes, who is ill and wants to die ...) -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
JoJo_Jost > 4 hours ago
What’s interesting here is that the goat’s liver was apparently also intended as a medicine. This has to do with the fact that in the Middle Ages, a “liver” was not only considered a food but was also used to treat certain illnesses.
However, the fact that goat liver in particular was considered a remedy was new to me, though it makes sense that it is listed in 116v as a remedy, just like hellebore (alada). -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
Koen G > 4 hours ago
[Edit: this post was made without properly reading the full passage. I refer to Bernd's explanation below.] -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
Bernd > 4 hours ago
Nice find!
But people please, did you read the text? This is clearly also a minced oath, not a recipe for goat liver.
It's a satirical discussion between the pope an a cardinal full of expletives. The author Niklaus Manuel wrote a number of anti-papal books. with a very uh, crude sense of humor.
On page 5:
Box Angst, Sommer box marter and sommer box erdtrich (Erdreich?)
I have no idea what kind of insult Sommer is but Box is clearly what we would call 'gotts-' today. It's a collection of expletives.
On page 6:
Box Schweiss
On Page 15:
Box marter
There's likely more that the OCR didn't catch. -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
Bernd > 4 hours ago
The title
Ein Klegliche Botschafft an Babst die Selmes betreffendt, welche kranck ligt und wil sterben
literally means:
A woeful message to the pope concerning the Catholic Mass which is lying sick and wants to die
It's a joke on the Catholic church system, brandishing it as corrupt and full of hypocrisy. This is a reformation work in the style of Martin Luther and actually quite funny. You gotta read it like a comedy sketch including laughter from the audience. The joke here is that the Catholic Mass is presented as a sick and dying person with Pope and Cardial musing how to save her (but mostly themselves).
The box leber section means the following:
The cardinal reports to the pope that the institution of the Catholic Mass is sick and awaiting death as if he was talking about a person. Saying that if she dies their comfortable life will be over and they'll have to give up their fat whores as well (yes literally).
The pope replies asking is she (the Catholic Mass) can't be saved by a warm bath or a good syrup. Goddamned, whatever it takes, we'll spare no expenses! -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
Koen G > 3 hours ago
Oops, you are right, I did not read the full passage, I was more interested in finding out the origins of the text.
The "sommer" is of course a "so mir". A Hans Sachsism afer all!
Edit to be more explicit:
"sommer box leber" = "so mire Gotts leber [hilfe]" = "so help me God's liver".
While this sounds silly to us, it was the most vulgar kind of swearing one could do in the Middle Ages. By the time of this text, and in its satirical genre, it was apparently acceptable in print. -
RE: A new instance of poxleber
JoJo_Jost > 3 hours ago
@ Bernd: You're right, I misread the headline and only saw the excerpt...
But the translation was correct
@ Koen - i think : "sommer" = summer
Still, this leads us to something interesting: the "summer goat liver"
"The billy goat has a very intense heat and irregular habits. Its meat is good for both the healthy and the sick. Eating it frequently heals the intestines and strengthens the stomach. A robust goat can be eaten until August. A billy goat is still wholesome even in August, and the young animals—both billy goats and nanny goats—can even be eaten in the fall. Those suffering from stomach ailments should eat dried billy goat liver frequently until August; it cleanses and heals the stomach like a good elixir."
If bockleber is a remedy for stomach or intestinal problems, then "putrifer" makes sense, too
Original:
Der Ziegenbock hat eine sehr jähe Hitze und unregelmäßige Gewohnheiten. Sein Fleisch ist für Gesunden und Kranke gut. Sein häufiger Genuß heilt die Eingeweide und kräftig den Magen. Eine Kräftige Ziege kann bis zum August gegessen werden. Ein Bock ist auch im August noch bekömmlich, und die jungen Tiere, Böcke und Ziegen, kann man sogar noch im Herbst essen. Wer Magenkrank ist, soll bis zum August häufig getrocknete Bocksleber essen; Das reinigt und heilt den Magen wie ein guter Trank.
Naturkunde
Hildegard von Bingen
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RE: A new instance of poxleber
Bernd > 3 hours ago
Come on, no!
This has nothing to do with goat liver or a remedy. It is just a random expletive!
p05
Sommer box marter
p09
sommer pox angst
p10
sommer box leber
Note the pox on p09!