Pennae Atrae
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Pennae Atrae A Study of the Goliardic Poetry of Thirteenth Century Europe Pennae Atrae I Close your eyes for a moment, and imagine… The year is 1244, and you are in a small tavern in southern France. It's dark, and the air in the room reeks of cheap wine, as do most of the patrons. The countryside is littered with vagabonds and vagrants, students and priests who have given up their lives of devotion and study for lives of drinking, gambling, and debauchery. And standing in the center of the room is a young man, dressed in the manner of a monk, but without home or church to call his own. He's an unofficial member of the Ordo Vagorum, who follow the fictitious Bishop Golias, faithful to no creed or law except for their own choices. As you watch, he starts to recite a poem in praise of his decadent lifestyle, and of his cohorts, the infamous Black Feathers... Pennae Atrae II Table of Contents Cover Page I Introduction II Table of Contents III Mission Statement IV Pennae Atrae (Black Feathers) V In Taberna (In The Tavern) VI “Wheel of Fortune” from Carmina Burana VII “Drinking Party” from Carmina Burana VIII “Chess Game” from Carmina Burana IX “Illuminated Flora and Fauna” from Carmina Burana X Various Pages from Carmina Burana XI The Origins of Goliardic Poetry XII “In Taberna” from “Carmina Burana” XIV About Pennae Atrae XVI Notes in Translation XVII Latin Verbs Used in Pennae Atrae XVIII Bibliography XIX Reference Photocopies Pennae Atrae III Mission Statement The purpose of this poem is to recreate the Goliardic style of poetry from 11th to 13th century Europe. Of the main types of Goliardic poetry, I chose to recreate a tavern poem, envisioning a gathering of friends and revelers, enjoying the luxuries that life has to offer, praising the joys of sin and decadence. These same sins are the prime goals of my household, House Blackfeather, so I decided to make the poem a tribute to my household and our hedonistic interests. While we are willing and able to work and represent our kingdom with honor, we don’t go out of our way to do so, or call attention to ourselves when we’ve worked for others. We exist for the enjoyment of the moment, the little pleasures of life, and I believe that this coincided with the desires of the vagabond priests. I believe that the ultimate purpose of an Arts & Sciences presentation is to create a reproduction so authentic that, if the subject should find itself in the same setting as the original piece, a person from that time period would not think anything was amiss. In this case, I have styled my work from the piece "In Taberna" from the Carmina Burana in the 12th and 13th centuries. I would hope that, if a 13th century goliard had turned the page from "In Taberna", and found "Pennae Atrae" on the next page, he would find nothing unusual, and believe that my work was exactly the same as the others. In the Society, this is called "Non-Pareil", a piece of work indistinguishable from the original source. I have attempted to achieve that level of accuracy, and hope that I have succeeded. It is with satisfaction and pride that I present this poem as a tribute to my household, my friends and family, within the Society, and I hope this piece of work does them justice. Pennae Atrae IV Pennae Atrae… Black Feathers… By Dmitri Skomorochov By Dmitri Skomorochov Pennae Atrae sumus fidelae, We are loyal Black Feathers, Familiae sumus fidelae, We are a loyal family, Nos devoramus, nos potamus, We devour, we drink, Nos canemus, nos saltamus, We sing, we dance, Nos modulamus, nos perpetramus, We play instruments, we perform, Nos vivamus, nos amamus, We live, we love, Nos rideamus, nos bacchamus, We laugh, we revel, Nos certamus, nos praestamus, We compete, we excel, Nos lasciviamus, nos amplectamus, We frolic, we embrace, Nos adamamus, nos laetamus, We fall in love, we are happy, Nos pugnamus, sed non sumus preliatori, We fight, but we are not fighters, Nos adiutamus, sed non sumus adiutori, We create, but we are not craftsmen, Nos creamus, sed non sumus artificis, We help, but we are not helpers, Nos operamus, sed non sumus opificis, We work, but we are not workers, Nos modulamus, sumus modulatori, We play instruments, we are musicians, Nos copulamus, sumus copulatori, We drink, we are drinkers, Nos bibimus, sumus potatori, We copulate, we are copulaters, Nos amamus, sumus amatori, We love, we are lovers, Nos devoramus, nos potamus, We devour, we drink, Nos canemus, nos saltamus, We sing, we dance, Nos modulamus, nos perpetramus, We play instruments, we perform, Nos vivamus, nos amamus, We live, we love, Nos rideamus, nos bacchamus, We laugh, we revel, Nos certamus, nos praestamus, We compete, we excel, Nos lasciviamus, nos amplectamus, We frolic, we embrace, Nos adamamus, nos laetamus, We fall in love, we are happy, Non sumus mali, sumus boni, We are not bad, we are good, Non sumus feri, sumus amici, We are not wild, we are friendly, Non sumus miseri, sumus hilari, We are not unhappy, we are joyous, Non sumus deformi, sumus pulchri, We are not ugly, we are beautiful, Nos fruamos praelium, We enjoy battle, Nos fruamos connubiam, We enjoy sexual intercourse, Nos fruamos ama bona, We enjoy good love, Nos fruamos vita bona, We enjoy good life, Pennae Atrae sumus fidelae, We are loyal Black Feathers, Familiae sumus fidelae. We are a loyal family, Pennae Atrae V In Taberna… In The Tavern… ”Carmina Burana” (ca 1300) ”Songs of Beuren” (ca 1300) In taberna quando sumus, When we are in the tavern, Non curamus quid sit humus, We do not think how we will go to dust, Sed ad ludum properamus, But we hurry to gamble, Cui semper insudamus. Which always makes us sweat. Quid agatur in taberna, What happens in the tavern, Ubi nummus est pincerna, Where money is host, Hoc est opus ut queratur, You may well ask, Si quid loquar, audiatur. And hear what I say. Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt, Some gamble, some drink, Quidam indiscrete vivunt. Some behave loosely. Sed in ludo qui morantur, But of those who gamble, Ex his quidam denudantur, Some are stripped bare, Quidam ibi vestiuntur, Some win their clothes here, Quidam saccis induuntur. Some are dressed in sacks. Ibi nullus timet mortem, Here no-one fears death, Sed pro Baccho mittunt sortem: But they throw dice in the name of Bacchus. Primo pro nummata vini, First of all it is to the wine-merchant Ex hac bibunt libertini; The the libertines drink, Semel bibunt pro captivis, One for the prisoners, Post hec bibunt ter pro vivis, Three for the living, Quater pro Christianis cunctis, Four for all Christians, Quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis, Five for the faithful dead, Sexies pro sororibus vanis, Six for the loose sisters, Septies pro militibus silvanis. Seven for the footpads in the wood, Octies pro fratribus perversis, Eight for the errant brethren, Nonies pro monachis dispersis, Nine for the dispersed monks, Decies pro navigantibus, Ten for the seamen, Undecies pro discordaniibus, Eleven for the squabblers, Duodecies pro penitentibus, Twelve for the penitent, Tredecies pro iter agentibus. Thirteen for the wayfarers. Tam pro papa quam pro rege, To the Pope as to the king Bibunt omnes sine lege. They all drink without restraint. Bibit hera, bibit herus, The mistress drinks, the master drinks, Bibit miles, bibit clerus, The soldier drinks, the priest drinks, Bibit ille, bibit illa, The man drinks, the woman drinks, Bibit servis cum ancilla, The servant drinks with the maid, Bibit velox, bibit piger, The swift man drinks, the lazy man drinks, Bibit albus, bibit niger, The white man drinks, the black man drinks, Bibit constans, bibit vagus, The settled man drinks, the wanderer drinks, Bibit rudis, bibit magnus. The stupid man drinks, the wise man drinks, Bibit pauper et egrotus, The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks, Bibit exul et ignotus, The exile drinks, and the stranger, Bibit puer, bibit canus, The boy drinks, the old man drinks, Bibit presul et decanus, The bishop drinks, and the deacon, Bibit soror, bibit frater, The sister drinks, the brother drinks, Bibit anus, bibit mater, The old lady drinks, the mother drinks, Bibit ista, bibit ille, This man drinks, that man drinks, Bibunt centum, bibunt mille. A hundred drink, a thousand drink. Parum sexcente nummate, Six hundred pennies would hardly Durant, cum immoderate, Suffice, if everyone Bibunt omnes sine meta. Drinks immoderately and immeasurably. Quamvis bibant mente leta, However much they cheerfully drink Sic nos rodunt omnes gentes, We are the ones whom everyone scolds, Et sic erimus egentes. And thus we are destitute. Qui nos rodunt confundantur May those who slander us be cursed Et cum iustis non scribantur. And may their names not be written in the book of the just. Pennae Atrae VI “Wheel of Fortune” This image is a copy of the cover page from the “Carmina Burana” manuscript discovered at the Benediktbeuern Benedictine Abbey in Germany. This image represents the Wheel of Fortune, and fortune is the main theme of the poem “O Fortuna”, made famous by 18th century composer Carl Orff. Pennae Atrae VII “Drinking Party” Here is a typical page from the “Carmina Burana” manuscript, which has the calligraphed Latin text, and an illuminated image of a group of men drinking, presumably alcoholic beverages, in a tavern. This image and others help support the idea of goliards gambing and drinking instead of more serious tasks like work and prayer.