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The Fenyeit Freir of Tungland, also known more fully as Ane Ballat of the Fenyeit Frier of Tungland, How He Fell in the Myre Fleand to Turkiland. is a comic, satirical poem in Scots by William Dunbar (born 1459 or 1460) composed in the early sixteenth century. The title may be translated into English as A Ballad of The False Friar of Tongland and how he fell into the Mud Flying to Turkey. The poem mocks an apparent attempt by John Damian, the abbott of Tongland, to fly from a wall of Stirling Castle using a pair of artificial wings. While pillorying this event, Dunbar makes a broader attack on Damian's character, depicting him as a habitual charlatan.〔W. Mackay Mackenzie, ''The Poems of William Dunbar'', The Mercat press, 1990.〕〔(The full text with notes at TEAMS )〕 The text of the poem is preserved in the Bannatyne Manuscript and, partially, in the Asloan Manuscript.〔 ==Historical Context== John Damian was an Italian-born cleric who came to Scotland, at the start of the sixteenth century and became a protégé of King James IV.〔(Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland )〕 From 1501 he is recorded receiving payments from the King and is referred to as 'The French Leich' and 'The French Medicinar', suggesting that he practised medicine in some form.〔 He was made abbot of Tongland Abbey in Kirkcudbrightshire. His involvement with the natural sciences is confirmed by the alchemical experiments he carried out, at the King's expense, in Stirling in 1503.〔〔Ranald Nicolson, The Edinburgh History of Scotland Volume 2, 'The Later Middle Ages', Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1974〕 William Dunbar was a makar who was also close to James IV.〔 In his youth, he had accompanied diplomatic missions to France and England〔 and from 1500 was employed at the Royal court, often writing poetry which dealt with courtly events.〔 Dunbar's poem ''The Birth of Antichrist'' seems to be a second satire of John Damien with its reference to a flying abbot clothed in feathers.〔 Damian's career was described by the later historian John Lesley. :''This tyme thair wes ane Italiane with the King, quha wes maid Abbott of Tungland, and wes of curious ingyne. He causet the King believe that he, be multiplyinge and utheris his inventions, wold make fyne golde of uther mettall, quhilk science he callit the Quintassence; quhairupon the King maid greit cost, bot all in vaine.''〔 Lesley records that, in 1507, Damian declared that he would travel to France by flight faster than a recently-departed Scots embassy. He then leapt from a wall wearing his feathered costume and landed heavily, breaking a femur. :''This Abbott tuik in hand to flie with wingis and to be in Fraunce befoir the saidis ambassadours; and to that effectt he causet mak ane pair of wingis of fedderis, quhilks beand fessinit apoun him, he flew of the castell wall of Striveling, bot schortlie he fell to the ground and brak his thee bane.''〔(John Lesley, the History Of Scotland From the Death of James I )〕 He then records that Damian explained his failure to achieve flight thus; :''the wyt thairof he asscryvit to that thair was some hen fedderis in the wingis quhilk yarnit for and covet the mydding and not the skyis.''〔 or, in English: :''he ascribed the blame to the fact that there were some hen feathers in the wings which yearn for and covet the midden and not the sky.〔 Lesley compares Damian's exploit to a mythical King Bladud, but no further explanation for the Abbot's actions is given.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Fenyeit Freir of Tungland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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