The Well-Laden Ship

Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library #25

by Egbert of Liège, Robert Gary Babcock (Translator)

The Well-Laden Ship "("Fecunda ratis") is an early eleventh-century Latin poem composed of ancient and medieval proverbs, fables, and folktales. Compiled by Egbert of Liege, it""was planned as a first reader for beginning students. This makes it one of the few surviving works from the Middle Ages written explicitly for schoolroom use. Most of the content derives from the Bible, especially the wisdom books, from the Church Fathers, and from the ancient poets, notably Vergil, Juvenal, and Horace; but, remarkably, Egbert also included Latin versions of much folklore from the spoken languages. It features early forms of nursery rhymes (for example, "Jack Sprat"), folktales (for instance, various tales connected with Reynard the Fox), and even fairytales (notably "Little Red Riding Hood"). The poem also contains medieval versions of many still popular sayings, such as "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," "When the cat's away, the mice will play," and "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." "The Well-Laden Ship," which survives in a single medieval manuscript, has been edited previously only once (in 1889) and has never been translated. It will fascinate anyone interested in proverbial wisdom, folklore, medieval education, or medieval poetry.

Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Lulu]

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[Gordon Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survey of poetry from much earlier times. Offers insights into the construction of poetry as storytelling.

[Esperança · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short 11th century collection of sayings and moral verses is incredibly entertaining. Its value as a primary source is immense. Written by Egbert of Liège as a letter to a friend/material for the students of his Latin class, this work illustrates how very much human beings have always had in common. Many of the phrases in this book will seem familiar to modern readers, as slightly less stilted versions of them are still in use today.