Our challenge today is to write an
ekphrasis inspired by the marginalia of medieval manuscripts. As I pretty much live and breathe anything medieval, the challenge is hereby accepted!
My inspiration derives from this rather bizarre image:
 |
Montpellier, Bibliothèque interuniversitaire. Section Médecine, H 418, detail of f. 107v.
Institutes of Justinian (15th century) |
The Snail Slayer
“Oh, woe is me!”
Cried the farmer out
of key,
“My cabbages are
doomed!”
He wiped his brow,
Before the king did
bow,
But his voice was full
of gloom
“A snail, giant snail,”
Did the poorest farmer
wail,
“Hath eaten my crop
full-grown”
A knight of the court,
A tall and gangly sort,
Stepped forward with
sword drawn
“Show me the snail,
I’ll cut off his tail,
At the end of my sword
he will groan!”
The farmer most
grateful
Promised the knight a
plateful
If the giant snail he
could slay
The knight, most
excited
Set out unaffrighted,
Giant snail would be
his prey
Not far out of town
Did he look with a
frown
On a giant slug with
helm
He marched up to it
And upon it did quip,
“You’re the fattest
slug in the realm!”
The snail did scoff,
“So, you think you’re
a boff?
He laughed from his
perch on the elm
The knight lifted his
sword,
The snail screamed, “Oh
my word!”
And begged the knight’s
hand to stay
The mollusk looked sad
Rather than mad,
To the knight for his
life he did pray
The knight lowered his sword,
He could utter no
word,
His promise was
chivalry
He made the snail promise
That he’d nay again upon us
If they ended the
rivalry
The snail nay returned
Vegetables to overturn
And the knight retired
to the armoury
Andrea Vermaak
