Hmm... It's been a while, but I loved finding different words for darkness that varied from 'murky blackness' to 'shadow'. My poem was about the early days of Augustine of Hippo, which used a lot of that imagery.
'Viaticum' is one of my favorites, mostly because it has such a specific meaning that brings an image easy to play with. Here's…
Hmm... It's been a while, but I loved finding different words for darkness that varied from 'murky blackness' to 'shadow'. My poem was about the early days of Augustine of Hippo, which used a lot of that imagery.
'Viaticum' is one of my favorites, mostly because it has such a specific meaning that brings an image easy to play with. Here's the definition the internet gave me:
Viaticum is a term used in the Catholic Church to describe the Eucharist given to a person who is dying, or in danger of death.
There's also a quidnunc, which is someone who is always asking 'what now/what next?' It's made up of the Latin 'quid' (what) and 'nunc' (now).
Oh, one more: sinister. In Latin it means 'left-handed,' but it definitely means something else now. It's been fun to trace all the places in literature where, for example, the hint that a character is corrupt or evil is when their left eye twitches, or their left shoulder is stooped lower than the other.
I'm also a lefty, so it makes me laugh a little. Beware my lack of dexterity! ('Right-hand' in Latin)
Fun words! I just did a little search on "viaticum" myself, and found its common meaning refers to "provisions for a journey" via (<-- see word to left) "viaticus" -- "of a journey." Applying that idea to the dying man's Eucharist is a powerful and rich thought.
Hmm... It's been a while, but I loved finding different words for darkness that varied from 'murky blackness' to 'shadow'. My poem was about the early days of Augustine of Hippo, which used a lot of that imagery.
'Viaticum' is one of my favorites, mostly because it has such a specific meaning that brings an image easy to play with. Here's the definition the internet gave me:
Viaticum is a term used in the Catholic Church to describe the Eucharist given to a person who is dying, or in danger of death.
There's also a quidnunc, which is someone who is always asking 'what now/what next?' It's made up of the Latin 'quid' (what) and 'nunc' (now).
Oh, one more: sinister. In Latin it means 'left-handed,' but it definitely means something else now. It's been fun to trace all the places in literature where, for example, the hint that a character is corrupt or evil is when their left eye twitches, or their left shoulder is stooped lower than the other.
I'm also a lefty, so it makes me laugh a little. Beware my lack of dexterity! ('Right-hand' in Latin)
Fun words! I just did a little search on "viaticum" myself, and found its common meaning refers to "provisions for a journey" via (<-- see word to left) "viaticus" -- "of a journey." Applying that idea to the dying man's Eucharist is a powerful and rich thought.