The ''Somniale Danielis'' (''Somnia Danielis''), translated as ''The Dreams of Daniel'', is a manual explaining the meanings of dreams. Originally written in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, the book was dedicated to the prophet Daniel from the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

, but Daniel is not attributed as the author of the dream book. An explanation for the dedication is that Daniel was considered a father of dream sciences, and his prophetic visions served as inspiration for the arts of dream interpretation. One of the main sources for the contents of the book is the Oneirocritica of Artemidorus. The ''Somniale Danielis'' was very important during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

for explaining dreams, specifically in the identification of meaning and transferable knowledge. Although the Church attempted various bans on

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

, the interpretation of dreams through dream books was popular. The first manuscript, according to scholars, was likely written in the

5th century The 5th century is the time period from AD 401 (represented by the Roman numerals CDI) through AD 500 (D) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The 5th century is noted for being a period of migration and political instability throughout Eurasia. ...

, and the text was repeatedly distributed and remained popular until the sixteenth century. The vernacular works of literary figures such as Dante and Boccaccio used the ''Somniale Danielis'' as inspiration to create relatable stories based on dream narratives for popular audiences.

Contents and structure

The ''Somniale Danielis'' has a basic glossary layout, in which key terms corresponded directly to the main theme or content of the dream. The words were arranged alphabetically, followed by concise interpretation of the dream. Examples of the glossary include references to specific creatures, objects, events etc., often paired with whether the vision should be interpreted as positive or negative. The ''Somniale Danielis'' also contained tests by which the importance of the dream could be ascertained. These tests included questioning such as the time of night they dreamed or if they had overeaten before bed. The manuscripts were often colour-coded, for example the subject of the dream would be written in red, while the explanation would be written in black. The structure takes influence from Greek manuscripts, especially Oneirocritical texts. The ''Somniale Danielis'' was translated into

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

and European

vernacular Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...

s, and thousands of unique versions are believed to have existed, though most are assumed lost.

Interpretation and significance

Historical study of the dream manual has aimed at comparing local editions of the manual in aim to isolate unique cultural features of a given location, to establish the manuals as “witnesses of a popular culture”. The ''Somniale Danielis'' is perceived to collate traditional beliefs that were once transmitted orally. Historians have tried to recreate and reinterpret the culture of the lower classes of European populations by attempting to understand the dreams of people and the meanings they imparted on society. It is believed that what was included in the manuals tended to be things which were important to that given society, so by investigating each individual manuscript of the ''Somniale Danielis,'' we can learn more about the popular culture of the Middle Ages, not just as geographically homogeneous, but as specific to particular regions, or in some cases to particular towns or communes. Scholarly consensus also believes that dream manuals are one of the few pieces of literature of the Middle Ages which transcended class, and are applicable to all levels of the social strata.

References

{{Reflist Valerio, Cappozzo. 2018. Dizionario dei sogni nel Medioevo. Il Somniale Danielis in manoscritti letterari he Medieval Dream Dictionary. The Somniale Danielis in Literary Manuscripts Biblioteca dell'«Archivum Romanicum» - Serie I: Storia, Letteratura, Paleografia. Florence: Leo S. Olschki. https://en.olschki.it/libro/9788822264954

External links

Medieval dreambook: ''Somnia Danielis''
5th-century books Books about dream interpretation

Contents and structure

Interpretation and significance

Further reading

References

External links