SC - Royal food tastes

[Karen]

> << Ok, for the simple city boy, what's a basilisk?
> 
>  Thanks.
>    Stefan li Rous >>
> 
> My friend Stefan, I find it hard to believe that you do not posses a
> dictionary. If you don't, I will bring one to War for you next year. It is a
> serpent that can change a person to stone if you look directly  in it's eyes.
> There are numerous illuminations and references to it in period sources.
> 
> Ras

As my more pugnacious friends would tell us, a basilisk is also a gun -
specifically (thank you, Oxford English Dictionary,)
********************
A large cannon, generally made of brass, and throwing a shot of about
200 pounds weight. (Other pieces of
ordnance of the time were named from venemous reptiles; e.g. culverin,
serpentine, slang, etc. Cf. Shaks. Hen. V, v. ii. 17.)

     1577 Harrison England ii. xvi. (1877) 281 Basiliske [weigheth] 9000
pounds, eight inches and three quarters within
     the mouth. 

     1586 Marlowe 1st Pt. Tamburl. iv. i, The basilisks, That, roaring,
shake Damascus turrets down! 
****************

Uh... not that that gets us much further in life... just an amusing side
note ;)

Magdalena

- -- 
Tara

tsersen at browser.net   lorax at tulgey.browser.net

soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
- -Catullus
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