SC - an early-morning smile

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Laura C Minnick wrote:
> 
> Dahling,
>         We covered this in my Old English classes a couple of years back,
> with the instructor who was working on a book about medieval dirty jokes.
> 
> The answer is (drum roll please): an onion
> 
> 'Lainie

My apologies to any who may find the following offensive, but I was just
reading, for the umpteenth time, Parke Godwin's "Sherwood", _the_
definitive Robin Hood story. Revisionist, perhaps, of a history that was
probably never real to begin with, and therefore forgivable -- William
is king, Robin is a Saxon thegn and fights with an axe, while the Earl
of Huntingdon is the bad 'un, and the scir-gerefa of Nottingham is
actually quite cool, for a Norman. Anyway:

	" Robin munched on a chicken joint, enjoying her  unconsciously
graceful preening. 'Set you a riddle you can't answer.'
	'Oh-ho, not in your lifetime.' Her father had been a great riddler of
winter nights. 'None that I haven't heard or can't answer.'
	'Bet you that last egg?'
	'Done. Riddle me, Aelredson.'
	Robin set on with a sly grin. 'I am very strong with a fiery red point,
but I die shuddering in release. Behind me is the man who brought me to
this desperate state--'
	'Ah, you're nought!' Marian threw a handful of grass at him. 'That's a
man's root going into a woman.'
	'You think so, do you?'
	'Fine bawdy riddle for a bride who ent brided yet.'
	'Wrong! It's a burning arrow.'
	'Oh, for sure.' Most riddles had double meanings and this the plainest
of all. ' "An arrow," says the innocent lad. Or a hot poker dipped in
water. Aye, and Jesus was born in Tadcaster. Why don't you just say you
want to top me?' "


So yes, I agree, the answer is, an onion. And Jesus was born in
Tadcaster. ;  )

BTW, there are repeated references to Saxon horse-eating in this novel,
too, but obviously fictional, so not exactly documentation of the
practice. Presumably Godwin did his homework, though, since the rest of
it appears quite well researched.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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