A bit of fun with the Lacnunga manuscript circa 1020:
In case a man or a beast drink an
insect, if it be of male kind sing this lay in the right ear, which lay is
hereinafter written; if it be of female kind, sing it in the left ear.
Sing this charm nine times in the ear,
and a Paternoster once. This same charm a man may sing against a penetrating
worm, sing it frequently upon the wound and smear with thy spittle, and take
green centaury, pound and lay it on the wound and bathe with hot cow stale. In
case a man drink venom, take seed of marrubium, mingle it with wine, administer
to be drunk.
The
charm
Tigath Tigath Tigath Calicet. Aclu cluel
sedes adclocles acre earcre arnem. Nonabaiuth aer aernem nithren arcum cunath
arcum arctua fligara uflen binchi cuterii. Nicuparam raf afth egal uflen arta.
Arta. Arta. Trauncula.
Trauncula Patrem &filium & spn scm
non amplius. Crescas sed arescas super aspidem & basilliscum ambulabir
& conculcabir leonem & draconem crux matheus crux Marcus crux lucas crux iohannes.
Translation
The first paragraph of the charm refuses to be translated
it is not Latin or OE. There is some evidence that it may be written, at least
in part, in Old Irish.
The second paragraph translates from Latin: Seek and ye
shall find. I charge thee by the Father and the son and (the holy spirit).
Increase not any more but shrink.
Over the asp and the basilisk and to be trodden underfoot
the lion and the dragon. Cross Mark cross Lucas cross John.
Conclusion
The charm is in two parts the most interesting of which
is the first paragraph which I have not managed to translate, but is clearly written
with some use of Old Irish and other elements which appear to have been used
because of their inherent potency.
The second paragraph is very Christian and made up of a
biblical abstract and part of a psalm (XCI – 13) together with a charge to ‘Increase
not any more but shrink’.
A possible
pagan reconstruction of the charm (to be chanted):
Tigath Tigath Tigath Calicet. Aclu
cluel sedes adclocles acre earcre arnem. Nonabaiuth aer aernem nithren arcum
cunath arcum arctua fligara uflen binchi cuterii. Nicuparam raf afth egal uflen
arta. Arta. Arta. Trauncula.
I charge thee by the power of Wodan increase no more but
shrink, just as Drychten (our lord) may crush the wyrms (dragons) of the earth and fiery drakes
of the air.
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