~ BATTOLOGY  med> discipline dedicated to the
                  STUDY OF STAMMERING
~ BATTOS     id+ | lit "TELL TALE" |
             hx> A STAMMERER ALLUDED TO
                 BY HERODOTUS or HEREDOTUS [#]
~ BATTUS     id+ | STONE SILENCE | as in
             "TO STONEWALL" and perhaps also
             "STONE" DEAF
  gr   BATTOS and LEGEIN = LEGENDS SPEAK TO US
  note ETYMOLOGY from BATTUS points to
       BABY BABBLE BLEAT see> STUTTER
  hx> perhaps "STONE" connects the legend about
      DEMOSTHENES [#] placing small stones or
  PEBBLES in his mouth to
  REMEDY HIS STAMMERING or STUTTERING
  myth> BATTOS WAS A SHEPHERD OF PYLOS WHO
        WITNESSED HERMES or MERCURY
  STEALING THE CATTLE OF APOLLO
  BATTUS BROKE HIS PROMISE TO HERMES
  NOT TO TELL FOR WHICH APOLLO
  TURNED INTO A STONE
  lit+ " ... WHILE LOVE FILLED HIS THOUGHTS AND
             HIS PIPE PLAYED ...
  APOLLO HE FAILED TO WATCH HIS FLOCK ...
  MERCURY SAW THEM THERE AND
  DROVE THEM OFF IN HIS SLY WAY ...
  NO ONE HAD SEEN THE THEFT SAVE  ...
  BATTUS ...
  MERCURY DREW THE MAN ASIDE AND
  COAXED HIM ...
  MY GOOD FRIEND
  WHOEVER YOU ARE
  IF ANYONE INQUIRES ABOUT THIS HERD
  SAY YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THEM ...
  THE OLD MAN REPLIED
  PROCEED  YOU ARE SAFE
  THAT STONE WILL TELL SOONER THAN I ...
  THEN MERCURY ... SOON RETURNED WITH
  A DIFFERENT VOICE AND BUILD ...
  AND THE FEE WAS DOUBLED ...
  SO THE OLD MAN SAID ...
  THERE ON YON HILL THEY WILL BE ...
  MERCURY LAUGHED ...
  YOU ROGUE ... SO YOU BETRAY ME ...
  AND CHANGED THAT TREACHEROUS HEART
  INTO A STONE A STONE CALLED
  TELL TALE
  STILL FOR ALL TO SEE ... "
  OVID [#] in Metamorphoses [13] ii 650

 

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