Notes

Quarta Africa tabula

Quarta Africa tabula (Troglidi)

Detail showing “Troglodi”

Syene

At Syene, at Berenice on the Arabian Gulf, and in the country of the Troglodytes, the sun stands in the zenith at the time of the summer solstice, and the longest day has thirteen and one half equinoctial hours; and almost the whole of the Great Bear is also visible in the arctic circle, with the exception of the legs, the tip of the tail, and one of the stars in the square. And the parallel through Syene passes, on the one side, through the country of the Fish-Eaters in Gedrosia, and through India, and, on the other side, through the regions that are almost five thousand stadia south of Cyrene.

mons Riphées

Ch. ix Comment Pantagruel equitablement iugea d’une controverse merveilleusement obscure et difficile si iustement que son iugement fut dit plus admirable que celluy de Salomon.

[Monsieur de Baisecul demandeur d’une part, l’aultre monsieur de Humevesne defendeur de l’autre .]

Et lors Pantagruel leur dist Estes vous qui avez ce grand different entre vous deux? Ouy, dirent ilz, monsieur. Lequel de vous est demandeur? C’est moy, dit le seigneur de Baisecul.

Donc commença en la maniere que s’ensuyt. Monsieur il est vray que une bonne femme de ma maison portoit vendre des oeufz au marché. Couvrez vous Baisecul, dist Pantagruel. Grand mercy monsieur, dist le seigneur de Baisecul. Mais a propos passoit entre les tropicques vers le zenith diametralement opposé es Troglodytes, par autant que les mons Rhiphées avoient eu celle année grande sterilité de happelourdes, moyennant une sedition meue entre les Barragouyns & les Accoursiers pour la rebellion des Souisses, qui s’estoient assemblez iusques au nombre de troys, six, neuf, dix, pour aller à l’aguillanneuf, le premier trou de l’an, que l’on donne la souppe aux boeufz, & la clef du charbon aux filles, pour donner l’avoine aux chiens.

Troglodytes

Moscovites, Indiens, Perses, & Troglodytes souvent auront la cacquesangue, par ce qu’ilz ne vouldront estre par les Romanistes belinez, attendu le bal de Sagittarius ascendant.

Rhiphaean Mountains – Smith translation

CHAPTER XI How the Lords of Kissbreech and Suckfizzle did plead before Pantagruel without Advocates
But to the purpose, there passed between the two Tropics six white Pieces towards the Zenith and a Halfpenny, forasmuch as the Rhiphaean Mountains had this year had a great Sterility of Happelourdes by means of a Sedition of Babblers stirred up between the Jabberers and the Accursians, for the Rebellion of the Switzers, who had assembled together to the Number of the Bumbees, to go to the Handsel-getting on the first Hole of the Year, when men give Brewis to the Oxen and the Key of the Coals to the Maids, to give Oats to the Dogs.

troglodyte

troglodyte [adaptation of Latin troglodyta, adaptation of Greek trwgloduthj, formed on trwglh hole + duein to get or go into.]

One of various races or tribes of men (chiefly ancient or prehistoric) inhabiting caves or dens (natural or artificial); a cave-dweller, cave-man.