The Canterbury Fails Adrian and Ritheus
May 6, 2022
Dive into quirky trivia as hosts explore the Old English prose Dialogue of Adrian and Ritheus. Taste a unique cocktail inspired by a perplexing question about Mary's right breast. They discuss the fascinating blend of biblical references and bizarre trivia within the text. The conversation touches on medieval traditions of knowledge, monastic curiosity, and creative prompts from the dialogue. Join them for a delightful mix of oddities and spirited reflections that challenge the norm!
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Q&A As Scholarly Catalogue
- The Dialogue of Adrian and Ritheus is a formulaic Q&A that compiles obscure, bookish biblical and encyclopedic trivia.
- The form functions less as real dialogue and more as a learned catalog of arcane knowledge for monastic readers.
Tiny Prompts, Deep Rabbit Holes
- The text mixes genres: riddles, wisdom, biblical exegesis, and oddities, producing evocative but terse prompts.
- Each question can act as a portal to deeper medieval commentaries and interpretive rabbit holes.
Insular Love Of Learned Obscurity
- Adrian and Ritheus fits an Insular learned taste for obscurity, matching collections like Solomon and Saturn and the Collectanea.
- This tradition prized showy, wide-ranging scholarship and compiling perplexing items for learned play.