Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
godly brow
English answer:
a godly mien or countenance: the act, or appearance, of behaving as God would wish
Added to glossary by
Claire Chapman
Oct 1, 2008 12:39
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
godly brow
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
'I am their leader. We take our brother Martin to a monastery in London. I must see he is well settled.'
Enit smiled. 'Well now, I suppose you do have a godly brow, Martin.'
This is 12th c. Britain. Does the 'godly brow' simply refer to Martin's looks or is there some metaphorical meaning to it? No real clues in the text, I'm afraid. Thanks for any help.
Enit smiled. 'Well now, I suppose you do have a godly brow, Martin.'
This is 12th c. Britain. Does the 'godly brow' simply refer to Martin's looks or is there some metaphorical meaning to it? No real clues in the text, I'm afraid. Thanks for any help.
Change log
Oct 9, 2008 14:58: Claire Chapman Created KOG entry
Responses
+1
1 hr
Claire Chapman
Native in English
&
English
All things textile
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English to French, English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
Selected
a godly mien or countenance: the act, or appearance, of behaving as God would wish
Brow can refer to the person's countenance or mien. It seems like Enit is saying that Martin finally stepped up and behaved according to God's word.
Brow – noun
4. a person's countenance or mien.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=brow
god•ly – adjective, -li•er, -li•est.
1. conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=godly
mien – noun
air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man of noble mien.
—Synonyms appearance, look; carriage.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mien
coun•te•nance noun, verb, -nanced, -nanc•ing. –noun
1. appearance, esp. the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance
5. Obsolete. bearing; behavior.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=countenance
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 days (2008-10-09 14:58:07 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
You're welcome, allp, and thank you :-)
Brow – noun
4. a person's countenance or mien.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=brow
god•ly – adjective, -li•er, -li•est.
1. conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=godly
mien – noun
air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man of noble mien.
—Synonyms appearance, look; carriage.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mien
coun•te•nance noun, verb, -nanced, -nanc•ing. –noun
1. appearance, esp. the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance
5. Obsolete. bearing; behavior.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=countenance
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 days (2008-10-09 14:58:07 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
You're welcome, allp, and thank you :-)
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "All the answers were helpful, but this one seems to hit the nail on the head. Thank you!"
+5
14 mins
his appearance
This refers to his appearance; it *might* mean that he is partially bald (similar to the tonsure of some monks).
Incidentally, the setting may be 12-century England, but the language is modern.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2008-10-01 20:36:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
What Enit says here could be intended to be friendly or ironic, and it's not possible to decide between these two interpretations without more context. If the intention is ironic, it would suggest that Enit does not (entirely) believe what the first person (the 'I' of the first sentence) said -- especially if Martin bears no resemblance to a pious person.
Incidentally, the setting may be 12-century England, but the language is modern.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2008-10-01 20:36:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
What Enit says here could be intended to be friendly or ironic, and it's not possible to decide between these two interpretations without more context. If the intention is ironic, it would suggest that Enit does not (entirely) believe what the first person (the 'I' of the first sentence) said -- especially if Martin bears no resemblance to a pious person.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: OED - brow: poet. esp. as expressing emotion; hence (arch.) expression of countenance godly: divine, spiritual, religious, pious
3 mins
|
| agree |
David Moore (X)
27 mins
|
| agree |
Arcoiris
: Agree with Kim Metzger. Martin, now that he is a monk, might have acquired a pious countenance
34 mins
|
| agree |
Max Nuijens
3 hrs
|
| neutral |
Bernhard Sulzer
: I'd say yes, but a bald head is more a sign of a monk, not of God. ( :-) // yes, quite possible; it would be great if all balding men were pious; but maybe they were back then
3 hrs
|
|
my first understanding of 'godly' in this context is devout or pious, not devine
|
|
| agree |
Carla_am
1 day 16 hrs
|
16 mins
Bernhard Sulzer
United States
United States
Specializes in field
United States
High quality at a reasonable price
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, German to English, German, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
a bit of God-like power
I might be way off but one might see power in God's brow - any movement thereof could have big consequences.
Maybe brother Martin has some power in him comparable with God's brow - and it's better to have him well off than to have to fear some dire consequences.
The comment could also be seen as a consequence of such powerful brows. Brother Martin's brow (Godly power) is the reason Enit feels compelled to get Martin to the monastery.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2008-10-01 13:16:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
could be tongue-in-cheek
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2008-10-01 22:02:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
based on the asker's additional information, especially that Martin was a good, helpful and and merciful individual, here's an additional
interpretation which does seem to go in the direction of Godly power but not in the sense of having to be feared but as bringing about the positive experience of being with God, having the experience of being in God's presence, feeling the presence of God:
Martin has the power to bring about the direct experience of God or what God is all about: goodness, spirituality, etc..
http://books.google.com/books?id=fgcdBFNJEY4C&pg=PA192&lpg=P...
Shiva too had a precious stone at the center of his forehead. This Pearl of Great price was the Urna, his godly brow chakra with which he beheld inner wisdom and the soul's perfection.
...Shiva, whose lithic Third Eye signified the sacred stone's power to engender spiritual reality, or bring about the direct experience of God.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2008-10-02 08:52:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.answers.com/chakra
spiritual energy
Maybe brother Martin has some power in him comparable with God's brow - and it's better to have him well off than to have to fear some dire consequences.
The comment could also be seen as a consequence of such powerful brows. Brother Martin's brow (Godly power) is the reason Enit feels compelled to get Martin to the monastery.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2008-10-01 13:16:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
could be tongue-in-cheek
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2008-10-01 22:02:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
based on the asker's additional information, especially that Martin was a good, helpful and and merciful individual, here's an additional
interpretation which does seem to go in the direction of Godly power but not in the sense of having to be feared but as bringing about the positive experience of being with God, having the experience of being in God's presence, feeling the presence of God:
Martin has the power to bring about the direct experience of God or what God is all about: goodness, spirituality, etc..
http://books.google.com/books?id=fgcdBFNJEY4C&pg=PA192&lpg=P...
Shiva too had a precious stone at the center of his forehead. This Pearl of Great price was the Urna, his godly brow chakra with which he beheld inner wisdom and the soul's perfection.
...Shiva, whose lithic Third Eye signified the sacred stone's power to engender spiritual reality, or bring about the direct experience of God.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2008-10-02 08:52:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.answers.com/chakra
spiritual energy
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Max Nuijens
: I misread - apologies
10 mins
|
|
Not a problem; thanks for your input! :)
|
Discussion
And yes, the language is modern as it is a book by a contemporary author (I wouldn't dream of translating a Middle English text :), but here and there archaic forms and obsolete word meanings are used.