Anglo-Saxon Metrical Charm
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Anglo-Saxon metrical charms were sets of instructions generally written to magically resolve a situation or disease. Usually, these charms involve some sort of physical action, including making a medical potion, repeating a certain set of words, or writing a specific set of words on an object. These
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
charms tell a great deal about medieval medical theory and practice. Although most medical texts found from the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon period are translations of Classical texts in Latin, these charms were originally written in
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
.The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Medieval Period, pg. 32-35. Today, some alternative medical practitioners continue to use
herbal remedies Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
, but these are often based on some sort of scientific reasoning. The medical procedures and herbal remedies in these Anglo-Saxon medical charms are not based on science, but on spiritual qualities. While many of these charms do have pagan qualities, Christian influences are regularly observed, with most of the charms including both
pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...
and
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
characteristics. For example, the
Nine Herbs Charm The Nine Herbs Charm, ''Nigon Wyrta Galdor'', Lay of the Nine Healing Herbs, or Nine Wort Spell (among other names) is an Old English charm recorded in the tenth century CE.Gordon (1962:92–93). It is part of the Anglo-Saxon medical compilation ...
mentions both the Germanic god
Woden Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Emp ...
and
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
, the central figure of Christianity.


Known charms

Twelve Metrical Charms survive in
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
, principally in the collection of medical texts known in modern scholarship as '' Lacnunga'' (10th to 11th century), but also in ''
Bald's Leechbook ''Bald's Leechbook'' (also known as ''Medicinale Anglicum'') is a medical text in Old English and Medieval Latin probably compiled in the mid-tenth century, possibly under the influence of Alfred the Great's educational reforms.Nokes, Richard Sc ...
'' (10th century) and as marginal additions in other manuscripts. They are: ;
Æcerbot The Æcerbot (; Old English for "Field-Remedy") is an Anglo-Saxon metrical charm recorded in the 11th century, intended to remedy fields that yielded poorly.Grigsby (2005:96f, 246). Overview The charm consists of a partially Christianized prayer ...
: This charm, also known as "For Unfruitful Land," is a charm meant to "heal" lands that have yielded poorly. ; Against a Dwarf: The express purpose of this charm has yet to be decided upon by scholars, but some believe that the dwarf is some sort of disease (perhaps one that involves a fever). ; Against a Wen: This charm is supposed to rid a person of a wen, which is the Old English word for a cyst or skin blemish. ; A Journey Charm: This charm's purpose is to ask God and other various Biblical figures to protect one on his or her journey. ; For a Swarm of Bees: This charm, also known as The Old English Bee Charm, is meant to protect one from a swarm of bees. ; For Loss of Cattle #1 ; For Loss of Cattle #2 ; For Loss of Cattle #3: All three charms titled "For Loss of Cattle," are meant to help one find stolen cattle. ; For Delayed Birth: This charm's purpose is to help a woman who is unable to bring her unborn child to term. ; For the Water-Elf Disease: This charm is meant to heal one of the water-elf disease, which involves pale and ill-looking nails and watery eyes. ;
Nine Herbs Charm The Nine Herbs Charm, ''Nigon Wyrta Galdor'', Lay of the Nine Healing Herbs, or Nine Wort Spell (among other names) is an Old English charm recorded in the tenth century CE.Gordon (1962:92–93). It is part of the Anglo-Saxon medical compilation ...
: This charm is meant to heal an infection or disease using nine specific herbs. ;
Wið færstice "Wið fǣrstice" is an Old English medical text surviving in the collection known now as '' Lacnunga'' in the British Library. ''Wið fǣrstiċe'' means 'against a sudden/violent stabbing pain'; and according to Felix Grendon, whose collection o ...
: This charm, also known as "For a Sudden Stitch," describes how to heal a sudden and sharp pain; this pain is thought by some scholars to be
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
.


Digital Editions

* Foys, Martin ''et al.'
''Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project''
(Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-); digital facsimile edition and Modern English translation


References

{{Old English poetry, state=autocollapse Language and mysticism