Whatever!

Cursor Mundi, the forgotten Medieval poem

I stumbled and fell headlong into a piece of impressive literary history.  I wondered what topic I would settle on for this week, and it came to the word Whatever. Don’t ask me why because I do not always know why my mind works as it does. Anyway, this wandering made me question the meaning and how long this word has been around. My curiosity led me to start researching.

No doubt, like me, you have used the word as slang to signify a reluctance to discuss something, implying indifference or exasperation. Examples would be to say, “Whatever you like,” or “Yeah, well, whatever!” Or simply, “Whatever!” signifying I am done, dropping this situation and ultimately not caring. However, another use of the word’s meaning is of any kind. Here it is used for emphasis.

Photo by Darran Shen on Unsplash

This is where it got interesting, and I started digging for its history. It first appeared in a 30,000-line poem that retells biblical history called Cursor Mundi, meaning Runner of the World (¹). It was written around the 1300s in Northumbrian Middle English. It includes over 1,000 words that debut for the first time in its writing. Words such as Bible, Christianity, olden days, smile, and soldier, among many more.  It also contained 11,000 quotations from the currently published dictionary, making it the second most heavily quoted work in Oxford English Dictionary, after, you guessed it, the Bible. So why have I never heard of this poem before now? Evidently, I live under a rock! Or, as some titles in research suggest, it is noted as a forgotten work.

Either way, within the work itself, its writer writes:

 “But what euer he had in þouȝt,” which means “But whatever he had in thought….”

And then I was immediately moved to wanting to know who he was, what he was thinking, and what circumstances surrounded him. It was a far cry from how we typically use the word today, indicating no interest. I was definitely interested in this writing. I needed to know the circumstances that had captured his thoughts and precisely what the word but at the beginning of that line held in store for the one known simply as he. I wanted to know what moved his heart and mind. I had to stop here because my efforts to find “my” English version of the poem were halted because my endeavor to locate one I could understand was null. I was bummed; it would take more digging than I had time for today.

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And just when we think there is a wall in front of us that hinders our moving forward, a reminder sometimes holds us for a moment to capture our attention for focus. It was then that my mind went to a scripture written by Paul:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

And God met me at that moment. But, really, He had been directing my thoughts here all morning to these verses as a reminder that He had me and that there were some things I needed to give Him. Today meant laying upcoming medical tests in His hands and allowing peace in my heart and mind, knowing He would take care of it all. Please don’t miss what I am trying to convey to you here. It is of utmost importance. So grab it, and let it be absorbed into your mind. God used my curiosity to meet me in a place of my need.

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God draws you toward Him for connection. He knows every tactic to gain your attention. He loves you that much!

He used a book I had never heard of and a word I occasionally use, mostly when my attempts fail, to pull me toward Him because He knew I needed confirmation that He holds my future in His hands. There was nothing for me to fear. He has my back, my front, and every other angle otherwise. He knows me inside and out and how to draw me to Himself.

Contrary to the belief that God is too busy to notice us in all our moments, know and believe this, He is there. At the same time, God guards our hearts and is involved in every aspect of our lives. The Apostle Paul reminds his friends in Philippi to be encouraged by this. He directs their focus to some spectacular, inspiring, fantastic, unforgettable moments we should bookmark into our minds full of great hope and wonderstruck awakenings. And He does so by the repetition of one word, whatever.

Consequently, the writer of Cursor Mundi wrote so that people could learn from the stories he laid out in words. I believe he knew the importance of our relationship with God. Writers capture their readers best when they make their readers think inwardly. That is why your story, your life, is so important. Words and actions remind the generations after us of the importance of our stories and theirs. WHAT-EVER THEN YOU WRITE WITH YOUR LIFE, LET IT BE WORTHY OF PRAISE.

So, I am reminded today I can focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. For it is the excellence of my Father in Heaven that conveys that He is worthy of praise, and it is upon Him that I can think and rest and find perfect peace. The next time you hear or say the word, Whatever, may this scripture call you to remember the whatever’s of this life your focus should be directed toward.

Until Next Time,

Carol Maynard, Author, Remnants: Finding Beauty in the Scars of Our Dark Spaces

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1959555383

Carollmaynard@substack.com

CarolMaynard89@gmail.com

References:

1

https://interestingliterature.com/2020/02/cursor-mundi-medieval-poem-dialect-analysis/