Whispering reeds : or, the Anglesey Catamanus inscription laid bare : a detective story / by Charles Thomas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thomas, Charles, 1928-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Inscriptions, Latin--Wales--Anglesey.

Sepulchral slabs--Wales--Anglesey.

Christian antiquities--Wales--Anglesey.

Christian antiquities.

Sepulchral slabs.

Inscriptions, Latin.

Anglesey (Wales)--Antiquities.

Wales--Anglesey.

Physical Description:

viii, 101 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxbow ; Oakville, Conn. : David Brown Company, 2002.

Contents:

Part 1 Llangadwaladr and the Catamanus Stone

The site and the monument 1

Problems 3

The man commemorated 5

The art of deduction 9

Life and death of king Cadfan 12

The date of the Catamanus stone 15

Inspiration for the text? 16

The production of inscriptions cut on stone 18

The slab as an archaeological monument 19

The wording, with its two superlatives 23

A summary 26

Part 2 The Inscription Analysed

A literary figure 28

The inscription's lay-out 30

Aspects of Biblical style 32

Step 1 reverting to the model 34

Step 2 drawing shapes 35

Step 3 letters into words 37

Generating an image 40

How to hide a name 41

A short mathematical excursion 45

Back to Cadfan's stone 48

Its composer's name considered 54

The author's status 55

The purpose of the messages in code 56

More words and letters 58

A parting kick below the belt 60

Part 3 Donkeys on Parade

The tale of king Midas 66

Asinine insinuations 67

Whispering reeds 71

Part 4 To Bobbio - And Back Again

Clues, inferences and deductions 73

Plays in living Latin 74

From Athens to Anglesey 75

Columbanus, the works of Plautus, and Bobbio 79

"I Perceive That You Have Been In ..." 81

A matter of chronology 82

A visit to old Geneva? 86

Catalogue of insults 88

How did it end? 90.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1842170856

OCLC:

50613972