Re: Motto assistance

[David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>]

Poster: David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>



On Tue, 28 Oct 1997, Julien de Montfort wrote:

> Is the use of Latin in personal mottos a (relatively) recent
> invention, or something peculiar to the English-speaking countries?
> One might assume that if the Burgundians had their mottos in period
> in French, then perhaps the Italians had thiers in Italian, the
> English had thiers in English, etc. etc.  If that's the case, I'd
> much rather had my motto in French, as that would appear to be more
> historically accurate...

My impression is that mottoes could be in any "courtly" language.  French
would be appropriate in France or England from the conquest on; Latin
would also be appropriate at most places and times. 

I am aware of two current SCA examples (both mottoes for that knave, Conte
Guidobaldi de Ghisolieri): 

"Non val saper a chi ha fortuna contra"
	(Fifteenth century Venetian dialect of Italian:
	It is not worth knowing someone whose luck is out)
"Omnia pro pecunia facta sunt"
	(Latin: originally a proverb taken from the Paston Letters;
	English mid 15th century: All things are done for money)

Dafydd

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