Sara María Pons Sanz
Becaria F.P.I.
Departamento de Filología Inglesa y Alemana
Facultad de Filología
Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 32, 6º 46010 Valencia España

e-mail: vpons@bbvnet.com

Abstract

Aldred´s Glosses to Numismatic Terms in the Lindisfarne Gospels

Aldred wrote his glosses to the Lindisfarne Gospels in the late 10th century, immersed in the intellectual revival of the Benedictine Renaissance. He attempted to make the Latin text of the gospels available for the members of his community. In so doing, he not only presented a word-for-word translation of the Latin glossemes, but he also introduced additional comments regarding the biblical content itself which show a thorough understanding of the works of the Fathers of the Church. This communication will investigate how Aldred´s zeal in making the Latin text understandable, both in the provision of multiple glosses and the transmission of Patristic theories, is also evidenced in his glosses to the biblical numismatic terminology. When having to deal with such words, Aldred did not attempt to be as accurate in his rendering as when he glossed references to fundamental concepts, but chose to simplify his account and present his readers with equivalent terms. Nonetheless, this communication will evidence that Aldred´s carefulness is still observed in his differentiation between numismatic terms and weight measurements of coins. This should be taken as further evidence against any proposal of the Aldredian work as mechanical translation of the Latin text.