Through the Ash Tree

Introduction

This poem expands on the traditional belief that the ash tree has healing and strengthening powers. Ash sap was given to babies to make them strong and a sick baby could be passed three times deosil (clockwise) through a split ash sapling. The sapling was then bound up and if it went on to grow strong then so would the child. Country folk therefore often had their own carefully guarded ash tree.

I have chosen to set the event at the break of dawn as liminal moments were thought to have the strongest magical power and also the symbolic association between a new life and dawn.

Middengeard was one of the nine worlds, the one where people lived.

Leechcraft from leech (physician) referred to a healers craft. A galdor was a charm or spell which was sung, often to accompany a herbal remedy or other healing practice.

The name Aelfric derives from elf and power, so denotes someone with the power of an elf.

Through the Ash Tree

In dead of dark night, before break of dawn,

Into the wild wood, past tall bearded corn.

Along the deep track, by the brook babbling,

Three times deosil, through split ash sapling.

Upon a moist morn, soft chanting like bard,

In realm of spirit, misty Middangeard.

Black birds are about, conjuring the dawn,

With knife in her hand, and her first babe born.

Small leaves on trees, didst quiver and shiver,

Lifting her eyes looking, hither and thither.

She cut with great care, that it not wither,

The ash on the bank, to side of the river.

She uses this leechcraft, so he be full hale,

Passed down from before, it wilt never fail.

She passed the babe though, split tree three times round,

This galdor she sung, was no common sound.

Crowned with fairy cowl, was his lucky head,

Last laying him down, on a mossy bed.

With magical craft, enchanted is he,

Elfin power in name, Aelfric to be.

In height of summer, sunshine wilt burn bright,

Spell crafting by singing from darkest night.

As still morning mist, did it slowly fade,

Finally the spell, was solemnly laid.

Copyright Andrew Rea May 2014

A charm against dweorh

Introduction

This is a simple poetic rending of the Spider Spell to banish a dwarf from With Dweorgh II (Against a Dwarf II) from the Lacnunga manuscript. (see also Charming a Dwarf July 2013 and for a full discussion the introduction to Charming a Dwarf also posted in July 2013.
The charm begins with the building of an amulet made of wafers. When hanging the amulet, you must sing a Spider spell charm.                      

Here cometh hither, a creature stalked past,
Had his bridle held tight, in his hand fast,

He said that thee beest, his own mare,
He laid for thee, his bond on thine neck there,

They beganeth, from the land to moveth,
As quickly as from the land, they cameth,

Then thine limbs, beganeth to suffer cold,
Then came stalking, the fever's sister bold,

She sworeth the oaths, and maketh an end,

Never this to the sick one, doth thee unmend,

Nor the one who, this charm might implore,
Or who kneweth how, to sing this galdor.

So mote it be.

A-Maying

Introduction

This poem explores the practice of gathering a basket of flowers on the morning of May Day  in the villages. A practice that was common up until Victorian times.

A-Maying

Young ladies to, celebrate The May,

Out early morn, finding a bouquet.

Their families' homes. to soon adorn,

Gathering May baskets, in the corn.

Young wenches with, young lads doth play,

And laugh and court, in meadows stray.

On a warm and sunny, spring day such deeds,

May simply be guessed, among the meads.

In every bush, a song be’est made,

The landscapes beauty, is now laid.

In some secrete place, within the field,

Young men and maidens, willingly yield.

Oft ten maiden, who went to the May,

Nine returned home, with infant that day.

Its best be said: ‘courtship bed and wed’,

Else ‘grass widows’ women, be thee instead.

In every marriage, it be’est said,

In Avalon’s fields, bed precedes wed.

Love poems, to mistresses be writ,

Before to wenches, they doth commit.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2008

May (Thrimilci)

Introduction

This poem is one that was inspired by the writings of Saint Bede.

Thrimilci means three milkings and is a reference to the extra milking that could be obtained from this month into the summer. The eve May Day also called Wulpurgis was one of the two most powerful nights of the year for magic, the other being the eve of All Hallows. The poem looks at the way the May might have been celebrated in the local chieftain’s hall, in Saxon times these celebrations would have continued until dawn, lasting anything up to 16 hours, oh and by the way the drinking cups had a pointed bottom so you could only put them down when empty.

May (Thrimilci)

Bone fires of, Wulpurgis night,

Around fires, burning so bright.

Frigg the goddess, of love and mirth,

Lets Celebrate, summer's rebirth.

Magic power at, it's greatest height,

Goddess of lust, for summer’s rite.

Wife of Woden, down in yon field,

Before goddess, thee be'est kneeled.

Cows be milked now, three times a day,

Bountiful times, we thank thee Frey.

Flowers from fields, gathered for home,

Fellers and maidens, faithfully roam.

High halls heave with, men and wenches,

Mead-cups floweth, round long benches.

Laughter music, breaking baked bread,

Wassail me boys, a whole hogshead.

Trencher of food, in with the fold,

Heroic stories, to be'est told.

Drink hail to thee, join in the feast,

Now is the time,to release the beast.

The sun wilt soon, rise in the east,

A full mead cup, until dawn at least.

Stack the benches, lay on reed floor,

Those traditions, of days of yore.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2009 revised Dec 2012

Lacnunga CV - A puzzle Solved?

A puzzle Solved?

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

Lacnunga CV

Ecce dolgula medit dudum beðegunda breðegunda

elecunda eleuacha mottem mee renum orþa fueþa

letaues noeues terre dolge drore uhic alleluia

Singe man þis gebed on þæt se man drincan wille, nygan siþan, 

& pater noster nigan siþan.

Translation of lines 4 and 5 From Old English

Let one sing this prayer over that which a man is about to drink, nine times, and the Paternoster nine times.

The first 3 lines

The considered opinion over this charm (lines 1-3) is that it was written in a Latin like way, to give authority, starting and ending with actual Latin words but with pseudo Latin within. To this was added some Old Irish, as was sometimes used as a way to add extra energy to a charm. Some words are used for their tonal qualities and associations with known language of the time. The intent was to evoke a sense of magic. This Anglo-Saxon charm 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:

The first 3 lines yield up the following:

See (here)! Banish (this) little injury, eats? salve abounding, abounding,

healing-abounding, mote of my kidneys, formulate a charm,

letaues noeues (no meaning found) let sorrowful suffering fail, alleluia.

So a free flowing possible meaning:

Attention! consume (this) decoction (to) banish (this) little injury, abounding abounding!

Healing-abounding charm formulated to reduce (the toxin to expel from) my kidneys,

Abracadabra, let (this) sorrowful suffering fail, alleluia.

So the charm appears to be used to expel toxins.

I now intend to produce a poetic version of this with the intent of reproducing the feel of the original charm with hidden meaning, rhythm and alliteration.

Acknowledgement

I wish to thank Dr Clive Tolley for his kind help in supplying me with some useful information with regards to the understanding of this charm.

The Galdre

As soft sun slips down, the wizard didst cast,

In long robe with broach, as done in the past.

The height of summer, sunshine burning bright,

Spell crafting by singing, into the night.

With galdor in verse, invoke Spider Wight,

Silently spinning, on this sacred site.

Earth fast standing stone, now older than time,

Focusing spirit, in verse and in rhyme.

Palest moon shadow, raising his right palm,

Conjure Earth forces, with ritual to charm.

Intone runic spell, four quarters to north,

From realm of spirit, moon magic shines forth.

Sacred stone lichen, wilt guard against elf,

Sing nine times over, for restoring health.

Whoso doeth it, has curse of the priest,

In thousand winters, this wilt not have ceased!

Combine with some herbs, protect thee from harm,

Working with magic, wilt elf shot disarm.

Make offerings to stones, as the witches say,

May the way of Wyrd, please keep galdre fay.

Copyright Andrew Rea March 2014

Notes to 'the Galdre'

Galdre is the old English for wizard.

Galdor is the old English for spell or charm which were sung when cast.

Spider Wights are goodly supernatural creatures. Spiders were sometimes kept in a pouch and worn around the neck to bring protection.

From Lacnunga 74 we have reference to using the four quarters in a spell.

The use of lichen from stone crucifixes in charms against diseases caused by elves is mentioned in Leechbook III LXII-1

Bishops and priests were known to place curses on followers of the old ways.

Laws of Aelfred C890: ‘some men are so blind that  bring their offering to

earth-fast stone and also to trees and to wellsprings, as the witches teach’.

In Stoodley’s analysis of 1636 undisturbed adult Anglo-Saxon burials, from forty-six sites of early Anglo-Saxon England he counted nineteen males buried with women’s dress accessories (4.63%). These may have had a ritual status as a shaman or wizard. There is potential correlation between this and the Scandinavian association of men performing seidr with cross-dressing.

A puzzle from Lacnunga CV

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

Ecce dolgula medit dudum bethegunda brethegunda

elecunda eleuachia mottem mee renum ortha fuetha

letaues noeues terre dolge drore uhic. alleluiah •

Can anyone help translate this, you would be the first!

I have tried an online translator, Latin produces a few words (see my notes below). It may include elements of Old Irish (this was common in Saxon times to add power to the charm) these words may then have been miscopied. Anyone having any knowledge of Old Irish of even modern Irish may be able to see a word or two.

My notes:

Lacnunga CV

In the Lacnunga this is written as one paragraph, without a heading, I have separated the text into two paragraphs for clarity.

Ecce dolgula medit dudum bethegunda brethegunda

elecunda eleuachia mottem mee renum ortha fuetha

letaues noeues terre dolge drore uhic. alleluiah •

Singe man this gebed on th se man drmcan wille nygan sithan. 7(&) pater noster nigan fithan.

Translation of the second paragraph

Let one sing this prayer over that which a man is about to drink, nine times, and the Paternoster nine times.

The first paragraph

Although one can find a few Latin words and even two OE words in this charm it refuses to be translated, nevertheless we can however find metre, alliteration and indication of  half lines; all the hall marks of Anglo-Saxon poetry.

Possibly the meaning has been lost through an accumulation of errors coming from many copying’s of the text.

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.

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

If we add Caesuras (breaks in the lines) we get:

Ecce dolgula medit dudum    bethegunda brethegunda

Elecunda eleuachia    mottem mee renum ortha fuetha

Letaues noeues terre dolge   drore uhic. alleluiah .

Which I think gives a metre:

9 8

8 9

8 8                              

The use of the charm is lost without its heading and the location in the manuscripts offers little help: it is found between CIV ‘For a woman who cannot rear her child’ and

CVI. ‘Against churnels’ (swollen glands).

Using Latin

Ecce dolgula medit dudum bethegunda brethegunda

See               eats   lately

elecunda eleuachia mottem mee renum ortha        fuetha

motto of my kidneys orthodox

letaues noeues terre dolge drore uhic. alleluiah •

     land                              alleluia