Vettelspott und Schmalczig verba

Die Glossen der Schullektüre Facetus Moribus et vita (Clm 18910)

Abstract

Dominik P. Berger: Crone Mockery and Schmalczig verba. The Glosses of the School Reading Facetus Moribus et vita (Clm 18910)

The Tegernsee Codex Clm 18910, a manuscript from the second half of the 15th century, contains various Latin texts, including the pseudo-Ovidian Facetus. This text is an amalgamation of didactic poetry and pseudo-Ovidian love instructions, often mistakenly attributed to Ovid.
The manuscript reflects monastic school readings, featuring works by classical and medieval authors, and plays a crucial role in the transmis-sion of pseudo-Ovidian literature. The Codex’s interlinear and marginal glosses enhance comprehension, blending Latin and vernacular expla-nations. Latin glosses were integrated from the start, providing gram-matical, lexical, and contextual clarifications, often matching the authorial voice. The later-added German glosses, often in Bavarian dialect, translated complex terms and were likely instructional. Marginal scholia introduce quotes from ancient, medieval, and early modern authors, including Ovid and Enea Silvio Piccolomini, as well as anonymous wisdom sayings. These annotations contextualize the text, blending literary references with instructional commentary, aligning the pseudo-Ovidian verses with classical works to grant authenticity. Overall, Clm 18910 exemplifies the medieval scholarly engagement with classical texts, showcasing the educational practices of monastic schools in the late Middle Ages through its rich interplay of Latin poetry, glosses and scholia.