Literary notes about abed (AI summary)
The term "abed" has been used in literature both as a descriptor for lying in bed and as an integral part of names and expressions, highlighting its versatility. In many works, such as those by Sinclair Lewis [1, 2, 3] and Louisa May Alcott [4], "abed" serves to denote a state of sleep or inactivity—sometimes humorously, as when characters embrace prolonged slumber or idleness. Conversely, in biblical contexts seen in The Doré Bible Gallery [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10], "Abed-nego" is a proper name associated with steadfast faith and deliverance, lending the term a weightier, historical significance. Its usage further extends to capturing cultural nuances, whether in depictions of customary practices like Welsh bundling [11] or in evocative, intimate portrayals in Arthurian legend [12]. Thus, "abed" emerges as a multifaceted literary tool, both situating characters in physical repose and linking them to broader cultural and historical narratives.
- You'd lie abed till noon and play your idiotic fiddle till midnight!
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - Each morning they lay abed till the breakfast-bell, pleasantly conscious that there were no efficient wives to rouse them.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - They arrived at Chicago late at night; they lay abed in the morning, rejoicing, “Pretty nice not to have to get up and get down to breakfast, heh?”
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - "I shall lie abed late, and do nothing," replied Meg, from the depths of the rocking-chair.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott - Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - The Welsh custom of Bundling, or courting abed, needs no description.
— from British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes - And on the morrow King Uriens was in Camelot abed in his wife's arms, Morgan le Fay.
— from Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory