Or, What Beowulf would've done against lumbago

[oloriel]

And just so you all get a kick out of my mini-lumbago, have a transcription & translation of the Anglo-Saxon spell against lumbago I mentioned on Monday.


Wiþ Ælfstice

Feferfuige and seo reade netele ðe þurh ærn inwyxð and wegbrade, wyll in buteran.

Hlude wæran hy, la hlude, ða hy ofer þone hlæw ridan,
wæran annode ða hy ofer land ridan.
Scyld ðu ðe nu, þu ðysne nið genesan mote.
Ut lytel spere, gif her inne sie.
Stod under linde, under leohtum scylde,
þær ða mihtigan wif hyra mægen beræddon
and hy gyllende garas sændan.
Ic him oðerne eft wille sændan,
fleogende flanne forane togeanes.
Ut lytel spere, gif hit her inne sy.
Sæt smið sloh seax lytel
[...] iserna wund swiðe.
Ut lytel spere, gif here inne sy.
Syx smiðas sætan | wælspera worhtan |
Ut spere, næs in spere|
Gif her inne sy isenes dæl |
Hægtessan geweorc, hit sceal |gemyltan.
Gif ðu wære on fell scoten |oððe wære on flæsc scoten |
Oððe wære on blod scoten | oððe wære on ban scoten,
oððe wære on lið scoten |næfre ne sy ðin lif atæsed.
Gif hit wære esa gescot, oððe hit wære ylfa gescot,
oððe hit wære hægtessan gescot, nu ic wille ðin helpan.
Þis is ðe to bote esa gescotes, ðis ðe to bote ylfa gescotes,
ðis ðe to bote hægtessan gescotes, ic ðin wille helpan.
Fleoh þær on fyrgen-heafde,
Hal wes tu. Helpe ðin drihten.

Nim þonne þæt seax, ado on wætan.



- - -


Against elf-shot (rheumatism, lumbago)

Boil feverfew and the red nettle that grows through a house and plantain in butter.

Loud they were, lo loud, when they rode over the mound,
were angry when they rode over the land.
Shield thou thyself now, thou must heal from this strife.
Out little spear, if thou be in here.
[I] stood under linden[-wood], under a light shield,
there the mighty wives betrayed their might,
and yelling they sent [forth] spears.
I will send another after them,
a flying shaft from in front against them.
Out little spear, if thou be in here.
Sat a smith and forged a little knife
[...] the iron wounds sorely.
Out little spear, if thou be in here.
Sat six smiths |working war-spears|
Out spear, not in spear|
If in here be a part of iron |
Hags' work, it shall |melt.
Whether thou werst shot in the skin| or werst shot in the flesh|
Or werst shot in the blood| or werst shot in the bone|
Or werst shot in a limb| never be thy life endangered.
Whether it was Aesir's shot, or it was Elves' shot,
or it were hags' shot, now I will help thee.
This is to help thee against Aesir's shot, this to help thee against Elves' shot,
This to help thee against hags' shot, I will help thee.
Fly to the mountain-head.
Whole be thou. God help thee.

Take then the knife, and put into the liquid.



- - -


Wider Albschoss

Mutterkraut und die rote Nessel, die durch das Haus hineinwächst, und Breitwegerich in Butter kochen.

Laut waren sie, ja laut, als sie über den Hügel ritten,
waren zornig, als sie über Land ritten.
Schütze du dich nun, du musst von diesem Streit genesen.
Heraus, kleiner Speer, wenn du hierin seist.
[Ich] stand unter Linde[-nholz], unter leichtem Schilde,
Da die mächtigen Weiber ihre Macht verrieten
Und sie gellend [schreiend] Speere entsandten.
Ich will ihnen nach andere senden,
einen fliegenden Pfeil von vorn dagegen.
Heraus, kleiner Speer, wenn du hierin seist.
Saß ein Schmied und schmiedete ein kleines Schwert
[...] Eisernes verwundet schwer.
Heraus, kleiner Speer, wenn du hierin seist.
Sechs Schmiede saßen |Kriegsspeere werkten|
Heraus, Speer, nicht hinein, Speer|
Wenn hierin ein Eisenteil sei |
Hexenwerk, es soll |schmelzen.
Ob du in die Haut geschossen wurdest| oder ins Fleisch geschossen wurdest|
Oder ins Blut geschossen wurdest| oder in den Knochen geschossen wurdest|
Oder ins Glied geschossen wurdest| niemals sei dein Leben gefährdet.
Ob es Asengeschoss war, oder es Elfengeschoss war,
oder es Hexengeschoss war, nun will ich dir helfen.
Dies ist, dir zu helfen gegen Asengeschoss, dies dir zu helfen gegen Elfengeschoss,
dies dir zu helfen gegen Hexengeschoss, ich will dir helfen.
Flieh dort zum Berggipfel.
Werde du heil. Helfe dir Gott.

Nimm dann das Messer, tunke es in die Flüssigkeit.



- - -

Sadly it doesn't say what to do after dipping the knife in the liquid. My guess would be either touch the besmeared blade to the aching spot (possibly even cutting the skin? who knows), or just using the ointment (which supposedly absorbed some iron from the knife? we all know that iron is good against Elves, the elfin kind anyway). Or perhaps the knife is metaphorical in the first place, referring to the knife in the charm, so basically the "Nim þonne þæt seax" line would simply mean "anoint [the spot that feels as though there's a knife in it] with the liquid".
But, alas, the scribe doesn't say.
Stupid scribe.

Also I adore the hastily stuck on God help thee. "What? Pagan magic practices? No no, I would never do that! I am just praying! Look!"