An untranslated charm from the XI century

LEECHDOMS, WORTCUNNING AND STARCRAFT OF EARLY ENGLAND

Charms

Vol3 P294, A charm, xi. century

Here is another untranslated incantation from a healing charm in an Anglo-Saxon medical manuscript:

Ðis man sceal singan nigon syþon wiþ utsiht on an

hrerenbræden æg • þry dagas. + Ecce dol gola ne dit

dudum bethe cunba bræthe cunda • elecunda ele uahge

macte me eienum • ortha fuetha la ta uis leti unda

noeuis terræ dulgedoþ. Pater noster oþ ende; & cweþ

symle æt þam drore huic • ð if.

Translation of the first line and a half from Anglo-Saxon:

This man sceal singan nigon syþon wiþ utsiht on an

hrerenbræden æg • þry dagas

Translation

This you shall sing nine times against diarrhoea continually

(or) to move a forest egg (old stool) of three days.

That was easy! However the next section is not written in an actual language but in a way to resemble Latin and in part Old Irish. This was sometimes done to add extra power to a charm. Many of the words are clearly used for their tonal qualities. The intent was to evoke a sense of magic. This Anglo-Saxon charm, like many, contains both rhythm and alliteration. The charm was therefore written in a pseudo language without obvious meaning but played on relevant words of power and healing and was not intended to be translated, however we can find some hidden meaning:

+ Ecce dol gola ne dit dudum bethe cunba bræthe cunda •

 elecunda ele uahge macte me eienum • ortha fuetha

la ta uis leti unda noeuis terræ dulgedoth.

First compare with a similar charm in Lacnunga CV:

Ecce dolgula medit dudum beðegunda breðegunda

elecunda eleuacha mottem mee renum orþa fueþa

letaues noeues terre dolge drore uhic alleluia

Ignoring the spelling and breaks in the words the text is essentially the same, save for the addition of a cross at the start and the omission of alleluia at the end.

An accumulation of errors coming from many copying’s of the text have added to the difficulty of translation.

One can imagine a læce (healer) or galdre (wizard) chanting this galdor (charm/spell) rhythmically nine times over the sick to induce a healing state and increase the effect of any medication being given.

We notice again the use of the number nine which was to the Anglo-Saxon’s the most sacred number.

Fortunately I had some assistance with the previous charm last year and managed a translation which we can now build on, so:

Translation

Make the sign of the cross, See (here)! Banish (this) little injury, eats? salve abounding, abounding, healing-abounding, mote of my kidneys, formulate a charm,

against the harmful wave of death and violence, let sorrowful suffering fail.

The last line:

Pater noster oþ ende; & cweþ symle æt þam drore huic • ð if.

Translates mainly from Anglo-Saxon:

(Say) the lords prayer to the end; and sing the little sin to those (who need ?) this • ð if

These last characters seem to be an abbreviation but as of yet I am still unsure. The ð at the end of a charm has been used to represent oð meaning ’to’ but would be followed by ende meaning end so ‘to the end’ the ‘if’ I cannot offer any translation for yet.

The whole translation

This you (shall) sing nine times against diarrhoea continually

(or) to move a forest egg (old stool) for/of? three days.

Make the sign of the cross, See (here)! Banish (this) little injury, eats? salve abounding, abounding, healing-abounding, mote of my kidneys, formulate a charm,

against the harmful wave of death and violence, let sorrowful suffering fail.

(Say) the lords prayer to the end; and sing ‘the little sin’ to those (who need ?) this (to the end?)

Notes

Ecce . . . Alleluia: note the charm is flanked by correct Latin, as if to imply everything contained inside is fully valid too.
dolg: injury; dol gola seems to be semi-Latinised, 'little injury'
ne dit (pseudo-Latin) suggests 'get rid of' i.e. the poison or whatever
beðe: fomentation, salve
bred: either 'deceit' or 'broad', probably play on both
ele- is first element of elemosyne, 'alms', i.e. mercy, i.e. healing
-cunda is more like a Latin ending, meaning 'abounding in' something.
mot: a mote, a speck (something causing the problem, reduce the problem into something so small it is harmless); or 'word' (late Latin)
ortha (Irish) charm; ortha fueþa, perhaps 'formulate a charm'
uis leti unda: the wave of death and violence

terrae: maybe 'teore', fail
drore: . dreorig 'sorrowful', so 'let sorrowful suffering fail' or the like might perhaps come to mind.

Symle: little sin

Copyright Andrew Rea Nov 2015