Posts: 4,318Threads: 195 Member details
Posts: 4,318
Threads: 195
Thanks Received: 863 in 621 posts
Thanks Given: 908
Joined: Jun 2015
Reputation:
8
Location: Moscow
Country: 
pox = bocks, genitive for boc (goat)
Not Devil, but God (in vulgar discourse). I once posted about that:
Quote:from the perspective of medieval Europe, “God’s liver” is more suggestive than “goat’s liver”. In DWB we find some interesting context examples, such as:
“dasz euch pox leber schend!”
“pox marter!”
“pox glück, schau wie der stattknecht hauffen // mit latern dort auffer lauffn!”
etc.
It appears that the reference to “pox” and expressions like “pox something” - this "something" being anatomic objects (pox leber – God’s liver, pox pauch – God’s stomach, pox haut – God’s skin, pox grind – God’s scab), corpse (pox leichnam), passions (pox leiden, pox marter) etc., – represent the natural element of the medieval European culture: blasphemous swear. The doctoral thesis of Gerd Schwerhoff [You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.], section 4.1.4, provides insight into this cultural phenomenon and numerous examples from “Fastnachtsspielen”. Schwerhoff also includes an example from Rabelais: “...po cab de bious, das dich gots leiden shend, pote de Christo…” (Gargantua & Pantagruel, vol. I, chapter 17), which vividly illustrates its international nature (note that “pox” is ultimately “gots”). I guess that “holy shit” is of the same family.
For deeper insight, one may refer to Schwerhoff's thesis. It's in German language so I was not able to read it in full... 
Posts: 10,557Threads: 432 Member details
Posts: 10,557
Threads: 432
Thanks Received: 4,967 in 2,826 posts
Thanks Given: 4897
Joined: Mar 2016
Reputation:
11
Country: 
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 4,318Threads: 195 Member details
Posts: 4,318
Threads: 195
Thanks Received: 863 in 621 posts
Thanks Given: 908
Joined: Jun 2015
Reputation:
8
Location: Moscow
Country:
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 10,557Threads: 432 Member details
Posts: 10,557
Threads: 432
Thanks Received: 4,967 in 2,826 posts
Thanks Given: 4897
Joined: Mar 2016
Reputation:
11
Country:
20-07-2023, 08:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 20-07-2023, 08:19 PM by Koen G.)
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 4,318Threads: 195 Member details
Posts: 4,318
Threads: 195
Thanks Received: 863 in 621 posts
Thanks Given: 908
Joined: Jun 2015
Reputation:
8
Location: Moscow
Country:
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 10,557Threads: 432 Member details
Posts: 10,557
Threads: 432
Thanks Received: 4,967 in 2,826 posts
Thanks Given: 4897
Joined: Mar 2016
Reputation:
11
Country:
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 4,318Threads: 195 Member details
Posts: 4,318
Threads: 195
Thanks Received: 863 in 621 posts
Thanks Given: 908
Joined: Jun 2015
Reputation:
8
Location: Moscow
Country:
21-07-2023, 12:23 AM
(This post was last modified: 21-07-2023, 12:24 AM by Anton.)
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 2,775Threads: 13 Member details
Posts: 2,775
Threads: 13
Thanks Received: 582 in 455 posts
Thanks Given: 85
Joined: Sep 2019
Reputation:
2
Location: Zürich / Schweiz
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 10,557Threads: 432 Member details
Posts: 10,557
Threads: 432
Thanks Received: 4,967 in 2,826 posts
Thanks Given: 4897
Joined: Mar 2016
Reputation:
11
Country:
21-07-2023, 12:15 PM
(This post was last modified: 21-07-2023, 12:19 PM by Koen G.)
Register or login to view the content
Posts: 215Threads: 10 Member details
Posts: 215
Threads: 10
Thanks Received: 111 in 67 posts
Thanks Given: 75
Joined: Dec 2021
Reputation:
0
Location: Spain
Register or login to view the content
|
