A Biblical Role-Playing Game? Interpreting and Contextualizing a Late Medieval Latin Poem inc. Vos qui concupiscitis
2012
Abstract
An analysis of an anonymous medieval Latin poem consisting of 75-116 rhymed goliardic strophes which has survived in at least ten manuscripts from 14th-16th century originating primarily from England and Central Europe. While its modern editor, Stephen Killings, is convinced that it is an (otherwise so far unidentified) Cambridge guild play Ludus filiorum Israel, the author suggests that the poem was originally a kind of a fortune telling role game, during which the players identified themselves with randomly selected biblical characters featuring in it.