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RAM is the English translation of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, and refers to the winged ram of Phrixus. Phrixus and Helle were the children of Athamas of Thebes by his first wife. His second wife Ino hated them and planned to murder them, but they escaped on the back of their winged ram with the Golden Fleece. As they flew over the straits between Asia and Europe, Helle grew giddy and fell off into the sea, which was named the "Hellespont" after her. Phrixus reached Colchis safely, sacrificed the ram to Jupiter, and gave its Golden Fleece to Aeetes, king of Colchis. To retrieve the Fleece, Jason and his Argonauts sailed to Colchis (Argonauticon I; Fasti III.849-876; OM IV.2786-2928).

The young sun is halfway through his course in the Ram on the night the Pilgrims assemble at the Tabard Inn, Gen Prol 7-8. Because the sun begins its annual course in Aries, its exaltation or sign of maximum power, it is called "young" in this reference. The Squire says that Canacee awakes as fresh and bright as the young sun when he is in 4 degrees in the Ram, SqT 384-387. [Aries: Canacee2: Valerius Flaccus]

The name appears medially, Gen Prol 8; SqT 386.


H. Cummings, "Chaucer's Prologue 1-7." MLN 37 (1922): 86-90; J.E. Hawkins, "Chaucer and the Pervigilium Veneris." MLN 49 (1934): 80-83; Ovid, Fasti, ed. and trans. J.G. Frazer, 182-185; OM, ed. C. de Boer, II, deel 21: 70-73; J.A. Rea, "An Old French Analogue to General Prologue 1-18." PQ 46 (1967): 128-130; R. Tuve, "Spring in Chaucer and Before Him." MLN 52 (1937): 9-16; Valerius Flaccus, Argonauticon, ed. and trans. J.H. Mozley, 24-25.
From CHAUCER NAME DICTIONARY
Copyright © 1988, 1996 Jacqueline de Weever
Published by Garland Publishing, Inc., New York and London.

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