the equinoctial wheel imaginary band encircling the earth and aligned with the equator. The equinoctial wheel, like the earth, makes a 360-degree rotation every 24 hours: Thus, fifteen degrees would be the equivalent to one hour. It was a popular belief in the time of Chaucer that cocks crowed punctually on the hour.
azure a semi-precious stone, today called lapis lazuli. In the description of Chaunticleer, the use of azure reinforces his courtly appearance.
humors (humours) in Chaucer's time and well into the Renaissance, "humors" were the elemental fluids of the body — blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile — that regulated a person's physical health and mental disposition.
Cato Dionysius Cato, the author of a book of maxims used in elementary education (not to be confused with the more famous Marcus Cato the Elder and Marcus Cato the Younger, who were famous statesmen of ancient Rome).
tertian occurring every third day.
lauriol, centaury, and fumitory herbs that were used as cathartics or laxatives.
Kenelm a young prince who, at seven years old, succeeded his father but was slain by an aunt.
Macrobius the author of a famous commentary on Cicero's account of The Dream of Scipio.
Daniel See Daniel vii.
Joseph See Genesis xxxvii and xxxix–xli.
Crosus (Croesus) King of Lydia, noted for his great wealth.
Andromache wife of Hector, leader of the Trojan forces, who one night dreamed of Hector's death.
In principio / Mulier est hominis confusio a Latin phrase meaning "Woman is the ruin of man." Chaunticleer plays a trick on Lady Pertelote and translates the phrase as "Woman is man's joy and bliss."
Taurus, the bull the second sign of the zodiac.
Lancelot of the lake the popular knight of King Arthur's legendary Round Table.
Iscariot, Judas the betrayer of Jesus to the Romans.
Ganelon, Geeniloun the betrayer of Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, to the Moors in the medieval French epic The Song of Roland.
Sinon a Greek who persuaded the Trojans to take the Greeks' wooden horse into their city, the result of which was the destruction of Troy.
Physiologus a collection of nature lore, describing both the natural and supernatural.
Don Brunel the Ass a twelfth-century work by the Englishman Nigel Wireker. The tale refers to a priest's son who breaks a rooster's leg by throwing a stone at it. In revenge, the bird declines to crow in the morning of the day when the priest is to be ordained and receive a benefice; the priest fails to wake up in time and, being late for the ceremony, loses his preferment.
Geoffrey reference to Geoffrey de Vinsauf, an author on the use of rhetoric during the twelfth century.
Pyrrhus the Greek who slew Priam, the king of Troy.
Hasdrubal the king of Carthage when it was destroyed by the Romans. His wife screamed so loudly that all of Carthage heard her, and she died by throwing herself upon Hasdrubal's funeral pyre. The comparison to Lady Pertelote is apropos.
Nero A tyrant who, according to legend, sent many of the senators to death accompanied by the screams and wailing of their wives. Thus, Lady Pertelote will be similar to the Roman wives if she loses her husband, Chaunticleer.
Jack Straw a leader of the riots in London during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.
