Tumblr crosspost (20 October 2020)

[anghraine]

More seriously, all of Ovid’s maidens devoted to Diana are making me think of The Canterbury Tales and Emily’s prayer to Diana:

Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I
Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf,
Ne nevere wol I be no love ne wyf.
I am, thow woost, yet of thy compaignye,
A mayde, and love huntynge and venerye,
And for to walken in the wodes wilde,
And noght to ben a wyf and be with childe.
Noght wol I knowe compaignye of man. 

(Chaste goddess, well you know that I
Desire to be a maiden all my life,
Never would I wish to be beloved or wife.
I am, thou knowest, yet of thy company,
A maid, and love hunting and venery,
And walking in the wild woods,
And not to be a wife and be with child.
I would not wish to know company of man.)

It usually ends badly, though :(

Tagged: #honestly i am not persuaded by the happy ending of the knight's tale either #in a weird way camilla in the aeneid comes out the best #in that at least she gets to live her best life and then get avenged by diana #hmmm #kind of wondering if there's any significance to wostow -> thow woost