Esca eius erant locustae. The origin and meaning of the imaginary quadruped locusta

0455166 - FLÚ 2016 RIV CZ eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Šedinová, Hana
Esca eius erant locustae. The origin and meaning of the imaginary quadruped locusta.
Listy filologické. Roč. 138, 3/4 (2015), s. 231-268. ISSN 0024-4457
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67985955
Klíčová slova: medieval latin lexicography * ancient zoology * medieval zoology * quadrupeds * locust * lobster * locusta * Thomas of Cantimpré * Jacques de Vitry * Bartholomaeus de Solencia * Claretus * Albert the Great * diet of John the Baptist * lepusculus * Aristoteles Latinus
Kód oboru RIV: AI - Jazykověda

The study deals with the term locusta which is used in ancient and medieval Latin texts with two meanings, denoting two different animals: the locust, which was categorised as a 'worm', and the lobster, which was seen as an aquatic animal. The word locusta, however, occurs in the encyclopaedia of Thomas of Cantimré and in several works of the Bohemian Middle Ages with yet two other meanings – denoting the sweet-smelling lemon balm or the sweet tasting tree leaves sucked by bees to produce honey; and as the name of a small rabbit like animal; John the Baptist is said to have used it as food when dwelling in the desert. The study discusses the possible reasons that might have convinced Thomas of Cantimpré to classify locusta not only as an insect or as a fish, but also as a terrestrial quadruped.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0255867