DOCSLIB.ORG

Anglo-Saxon and Norse Poems Cambridge University Press

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Anglo-Saxon and Norse Poems Cambridge University Press Vy ANGLO-SAXON AND NORSE POEMS CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS C. F. CLAY, Manager LONDON : FETTER LANE, E.G. 4 NEW YORK : THE MACMTLLAN CD. BOMBAY \ CALCUTTA I MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd. MADRAS ) TORONTO : THE MACMILLAN fco. OF CANADA, Ltd. TOKYO : MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ANGLO-SAXON AND NORSE POEMS EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY N. KERSHAW CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1922 mI ^ <A^ TO THE MEMORY OF ALEXANDER LAWSON, D.D. Professor of English in the University of St Andrews PREFACE IT is generally agreed that the first six pieces included in this book are among the most interesting examples of Anglo-Saxon poetry which have come down to us; yet with one or two exceptions they have received comparatively little attention from English scholars. The Norse pieces which follow, are still less known in this country. They have all been translated into English before—one of them {the Darra^arlj6^) as far back as 1768; but most of these translations are in verse. Prose translations and commentaries are few in number, and are now practically inaccessible to the majority of students. Almost all the poems, both English and Norse, may be, and frequently are, described as 'lyrics,' though this de- scription is not strictly appropriate to their metrical form, except perhaps in the case of parts of Nos. VII, IX, and X. The general resemblance between the poems on the battle of Brunanburh (No. VI) and the battle of Hafsfjord (No. VIII) is obvious. But on the whole the reader will probably be struck by the absence of resemblance between the two sets of poems. It is a singular fact that the first five pieces contain no proper names, whereas an Index Nominum for the Norse poems would make a considerable list. And this is not due to any arbitrary method of selection. Poems of the abstract character seen in Nos. I—V are not to be found in early Norse literature, while no true Anglo-Saxon parallels are to be found for Nos. IX—XII. This is due in part, no doubt, to the difference of faith, for most of the Norse poems date from heathen times. But another and perhaps more important reason lies in the fact that the Norse poems are concerned with specific events, whereas the subjects of the Anglo-Saxon poems are detached from any such associations. The last piece (No. XIII) is of a somewhat different cha- racter from the rest. It belongs to the same category as the heroic poems of the Edda, especially the Atlakvi(Sa, and is viii PREFACE related more distantly to the Anglo-Saxon fragments which deal with the stories of Finn and Waldhere. My reason for including it in this collection is that it is not contained in any of the editions of the Edda. I think that it will appeal to students of heroic poetry. My thanks are due to the Rev, Canon McLaren, Librarian of the Cathedral Library at Exeter, for the trouble which he has taken on several occasions in allowing me to consult the MS. of the Exeter Book, and to both him and Mrs McLaren for much kindness which I have received from them while in Exeter ; to Sir Geoffrey Butler, Librarian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, for the facilities which he has afforded me for consulting the Parker MS. of the Saxon Chronicle and other Mss. ; to Mr E. J. Thomas of Emmanuel College and of the University Library, Cambridge, and to Miss C. H. Wedg- wood of Newnham College, Cambridge, who have kindly read the proofs for me and made many helpful suggestions. I wish further to thank the Syndics of the University Press for undertaking the publication of the book, and the staffs of the University Press and of the University Library for their unfailing courtesy while the work was in progress. Above all I have to thank Professor Chadwick who has unreservedly placed the results of his own labours at my disposal, both in the translation and in the commentary, and to whom I am heavily indebted for criticism and help throughout the work. N. K. February, 1922. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I. ANGLO SAXON POEMS ABBREVIATIONS Vigfusson, Diet.—An Icelandic-English Dictionary, by R. Cleasby and G. Vigfusson. Oxford, 1874. Fritzner, Diet.—Ordbog over det gamle norske Sprog. Christiania, 1886—1896. F. Jonsson, Diet. —Revised edition of Sveinbjom Egilsson's Lexicon Poeticum Antiqiiae Linguae Septentrionalis. Copenhagen, 1916. B. and T., Diet. —Bosworth and Toller, Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Oxford, 1882—1898. B. and T., Suppl.—Supplement to the above, by J. N. Toller, Parts I—III. Oxford, 1908—1921. Saxo, Dan. Hist. — Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, ed. Holder, Strassburg, 1886. In Books I —IX the references are to the pages of O. Elton's translation. London, 1894. INTRODUCTION THE MANUSCRIPT SOURCES OF EARLY NORSE AND ENGLISH POETRY The history of the texts contained in this volume presents some curious contrasts. The Norse pieces were composed at various times between the ninth and eleventh centuries, but they were probably not committed to writing before the thirteenth century—or at earliest before the last decades of the twelfth—when they were incorporated in prose works. During the next two hundred years these works appear to have been frequently copied. Then came a period during which the early literature fell into neglect everywhere. The revival of interest began in Scandinavian lands about 1630, and the Mss. which survived—chiefly in Iceland—were eagerly sought and copied. Unfortunately the largest collection of MSS., belonging to the University Library at Copenhagen, was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1728. So many copies however had been made during the previous century that as a general rule there is little doubt as to the readings of the lost MSS. The history of the English texts contained in this volume presents a curious contrast to that of the Norse (cf. p. 72 ff. below). Anglo-Saxon literature was apparently forgotten almost everyAvhere by the middle of the twelfth century, a time when ^\Titten Norse literature was still in its infancy. Its rediscovery took place in the sixteenth century, about a hundred years earlier than the revival of Norse literature. But only a comparatively small amount of Anglo-Saxon poetry was preserved in prose works, and of the purely poetical texts few were copied or published before the beginning of the nineteenth century—the chief exception being Junius's Bib- lical poems in 1655. Four MS. volumes, one of which is in Italy, contain nearly all that is left of Anglo-Saxon poetry. ; xii MANUSCRIPT SOURCES The first five of the pieces given below are taken from the Codex Exoniensis, the fullest and most important of the surviving mss. This book was presented to the Library of Exeter Cathedral by Bishop Leofric, who held the see between the years 1050 and 1072, and it is still preserved there. A list of the bishop's donations to the Cathedral and the Library was drawn up about the same time, and a copy of this, in a hand almost contemporary with that of the Exeter Book, has been bound in the same volume, along with some late charters and documents referring to the Cathedral. This list is printed in an Appendix on p. 206 f. below, and in it will be found a notice of a mycel Englisc hoc which no doubt refers to our MS. The Codex ^ is a fine vellum, beautifully written in a clear large hand, though the little decoration which it contains is cruder It is generally believed to date from about three- quarters of a century before Leofric's time^ Much of the concluding part of the book has been rendered illegible by some object, possibly a piece of burning wood, having been dropped on the last leaves and allowed to smoulder there for some time. This accounts for the lacunae in the Husband's Message and the Ruin. The earliest known copy of the Exeter Pook is a facsimile which was made by one R. Chambers for the British Museum in 1831 (mss. Add. 9067). Apparently it was then possible to read rather more of the MS. than is now legible, and the copy has proved to be of some use—though rather as a check upon proposed restorations of mutilated passages than as a means of supplying lacunae \ Few close parallels to the five pieces from this Codex can be found in Anglo-Saxon literature. Analogies may be looked for in certain passages in Beowulf, and in the latter part of Hymn IV (Grein, Bihl. ii, p. 217). But most of the poetry which has come down to us is essentially religious in character. 1 For details of the Exeter Book and its contents see Wiilcker, Grundriss zur Geschichte der angeUdchsischen Litteratur (Leipzig, 1885), p. 218 ff. - Cf. p. 37 below. 3 Cf., however, A. S. Cook, The Christ of Cyneividf {Boston, 1909), p. xvi. •• For some account of Chambers's copy cf. Tupper, TIte Eiddles of the Exeter Book (Boston, etc., 1910), p. xcvii f. ; Anscombe, Aiujlia, xxxiv, p. 526 Chambers, Anglia, xxxv, p. 393 f. ; and Tupper, Anglia, sxxvi, p. 285 f. ; MANUSCRIPT SOURCES xiii Yet it is difficult to see how such poems as these with which we are dealing could have come into existence unless there was a considerable body of secular poetry current at the time when they were composed. The explanation is doubtless to be found in the facts pointed out above. It is probable that no English libraries survived the period of the Norman Conquest, except those which belonged to religious houses and in these, naturally enough, secular poems would be far less popular than religious works.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • TERMS for ​BEOWULF Wyrd
    TERMS FOR BEOWULF ​ Wyrd: a concept in Anglo­Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or an individual’s destiny ​ (derived from weorþan, which means “to become.” ​ ​ Comitatus: The bond / contract between the Chieftan/Lord and his vassals. The Lord’s vassals ​ are a band of loyal/noble followers; men who have sworn to defend the Chieftan with their lives in exchange for protection, victory, and spoils. TRADITIONALLY, in this relationship, the vassals promise at least 40 days of military service, money for the Lord’s eldest daughter’s dowry, money if the Lord’s eldest son is knighted, money if the lord goes on a crusade, money for the Lord’s ransom if he is captured, advice if asked. Symbel – a rite of Anglo­Saxon paganism – sometimes referred to as a “drinking rite.” It is a ​ symbolic ritualistic celebration. During this celebration, attendees are seated by order/rank of importance. The ritual begins with a FORESPEECH in which the host welcomes his guests and provides context/reason for the gathering. It is followed by the POURING, which is when the Lady of the house pours mead to the men – in order of rank. She starts by pouring mead into the horn. This act represents the idea of “watering the world tree” and bringing the past to the present. Once the POURING is complete, the FULLS commences. The FULLS is a series of boasts about the three most important gods to the situation at hand. The FULLS is followed by the MINNI, which is a toast to dead ancestors. Next comes the GIFT­GIVING when the host presents important/worthy attendees with gifts to recognize them.
    [Show full text]
  • Anne R Johnston Phd Thesis
    ;<>?3 ?3@@8393;@ 6; @53 6;;3> 530>623? 1/# *%%"&(%%- B6@5 ?=316/8 >343>3;13 @< @53 6?8/;2? <4 9A88! 1<88 /;2 @6>33 /OOG ># 7PJOSTPO / @JGSKS ?UDNKTTGF HPR TJG 2GIRGG PH =J2 CT TJG AOKVGRSKTY PH ?T# /OFRGWS &++& 4UMM NGTCFCTC HPR TJKS KTGN KS CVCKMCDMG KO >GSGCREJ.?T/OFRGWS,4UMM@GXT CT, JTTQ,$$RGSGCREJ"RGQPSKTPRY#ST"COFRGWS#CE#UL$ =MGCSG USG TJKS KFGOTKHKGR TP EKTG PR MKOL TP TJKS KTGN, JTTQ,$$JFM#JCOFMG#OGT$&%%'($'+)% @JKS KTGN KS QRPTGETGF DY PRKIKOCM EPQYRKIJT Norse settlement in the Inner Hebrides ca 800-1300 with special reference to the islands of Mull, Coll and Tiree A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Anne R Johnston Department of Mediaeval History University of St Andrews November 1990 IVDR E A" ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS None of this work would have been possible without the award of a studentship from the University of &Andrews. I am also grateful to the British Council for granting me a scholarship which enabled me to study at the Institute of History, University of Oslo and to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for financing an additional 3 months fieldwork in the Sunnmore Islands. My sincere thanks also go to Prof Ragni Piene who employed me on a part time basis thereby allowing me to spend an additional year in Oslo when I was without funding. In Norway I would like to thank Dr P S Anderson who acted as my supervisor. Thanks are likewise due to Dr H Kongsrud of the Norwegian State Archives and to Dr T Scmidt of the Place Name Institute, both of whom were generous with their time.
    [Show full text]
  • Anne Meiring
    UWE EBEL DARBIETUNGSFORMEN UND DARBIETUNGSABSICHT IN FORNALDARSAGA UND VERWANDTEN GATTUNGEN VORBEMERKUNG Der folgende Beitrag erschien zuerst 1982. Die mit ihm verfolgte Intention war es, ausgehend von den Graden der Fiktionalisierung des jeweils entfalteten Geschehens eine Differenz zwischen Íslendingasaga und Fornaldarsaga zu erarbeiten. Dabei hatte sich gezeigt, dass die Íslendingasaga trotz all der Momente, die sie als 'realistisch' erlebbar macht, das literarische Phänomen der Semantisierung von Form- elementen kennt, und dass die Fornaldarsaga trotz ihrer Phantastik solche Seman- tisierung nicht oder kaum aufweist. Ohne die mittelalterlichen Texte über jüngere und unangemessene Kriterien und Kategorien beschreiben zu wollen, ließe sich also ein Differenzmerkmal darin erblicken, dass die Íslendingasaga strukturell der Fiktion und die Fornaldarsaga strukturell dem Tatsachenbericht zuzuordnen sind. Erst im Verlauf der Gattungsgeschichte tritt in der Fornaldarsaga der Aspekt der Unter- haltung in den Vordergrund. Mit alledem soll nicht gesagt sein, dass der moderne Begriff der 'Literatur' dem originären Kontext gerecht wird, auch nicht, dass die Intention der Redaktoren und Traditoren damit beschrieben wäre. Das strukturelle Differenzmerkmal ist dennoch nicht zu verkennen und es gälte auszuwerten, was das über die fiktionale Gestaltung von Geschehen im isländischen Mittelalter besagt. Man sollte insgesamt berücksichtigen, dass eine als 'realistisch' erlebbare Literatur die sprachkünstlerische, oder besser die epische Ausdrucksform einer
    [Show full text]
  • A Concise Dictionary of Middle English
    A Concise Dictionary of Middle English A. L. Mayhew and Walter W. Skeat A Concise Dictionary of Middle English Table of Contents A Concise Dictionary of Middle English...........................................................................................................1 A. L. Mayhew and Walter W. Skeat........................................................................................................1 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................3 NOTE ON THE PHONOLOGY OF MIDDLE−ENGLISH...................................................................5 ABBREVIATIONS (LANGUAGES),..................................................................................................11 A CONCISE DICTIONARY OF MIDDLE−ENGLISH....................................................................................12 A.............................................................................................................................................................12 B.............................................................................................................................................................48 C.............................................................................................................................................................82 D...........................................................................................................................................................122
    [Show full text]
  • The Norse Influence on Celtic Scotland Published by James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow
    i^ttiin •••7 * tuwn 1 1 ,1 vir tiiTiv^Vv5*^M òlo^l^!^^ '^- - /f^K$ , yt A"-^^^^- /^AO. "-'no.-' iiuUcotettt>tnc -DOcholiiunc THE NORSE INFLUENCE ON CELTIC SCOTLAND PUBLISHED BY JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS, GLASGOW, inblishcre to the anibersitg. MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD., LONDON. New York, • • The Macmillan Co. Toronto, • - • The Mactnillan Co. of Canada. London, • . - Simpkin, Hamilton and Co. Cambridse, • Bowes and Bowes. Edinburgh, • • Douglas and Foults. Sydney, • • Angus and Robertson. THE NORSE INFLUENCE ON CELTIC SCOTLAND BY GEORGE HENDERSON M.A. (Edin.), B.Litt. (Jesus Coll., Oxon.), Ph.D. (Vienna) KELLY-MACCALLUM LECTURER IN CELTIC, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW EXAMINER IN SCOTTISH GADHELIC, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON GLASGOW JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS PUBLISHERS TO THE UNIVERSITY I9IO Is buaine focal no toic an t-saoghail. A word is 7nore lasting than the world's wealth. ' ' Gadhelic Proverb. Lochlannaich is ànnuinn iad. Norsemen and heroes they. ' Book of the Dean of Lismore. Lochlannaich thi'eun Toiseach bhiir sgéil Sliochd solta ofrettmh Mhamiis. Of Norsemen bold Of doughty mould Your line of oldfrom Magnus. '' AIairi inghean Alasdair Ruaidh. PREFACE Since ever dwellers on the Continent were first able to navigate the ocean, the isles of Great Britain and Ireland must have been objects which excited their supreme interest. To this we owe in part the com- ing of our own early ancestors to these isles. But while we have histories which inform us of the several historic invasions, they all seem to me to belittle far too much the influence of the Norse Invasions in particular. This error I would fain correct, so far as regards Celtic Scotland.
    [Show full text]
  • Heimskringla III.Pdf
    SNORRI STURLUSON HEIMSKRINGLA VOLUME III The printing of this book is made possible by a gift to the University of Cambridge in memory of Dorothea Coke, Skjæret, 1951 Snorri SturluSon HE iMSKrinGlA V oluME iii MAG nÚS ÓlÁFSSon to MAGnÚS ErlinGSSon translated by AliSon FinlAY and AntHonY FAulKES ViKinG SoCiEtY For NORTHErn rESEArCH uniVErSitY CollEGE lonDon 2015 © VIKING SOCIETY 2015 ISBN: 978-0-903521-93-2 The cover illustration is of a scene from the Battle of Stamford Bridge in the Life of St Edward the Confessor in Cambridge University Library MS Ee.3.59 fol. 32v. Haraldr Sigurðarson is the central figure in a red tunic wielding a large battle-axe. Printed by Short Run Press Limited, Exeter CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ vii Sources ............................................................................................. xi This Translation ............................................................................. xiv BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES ............................................ xvi HEIMSKRINGLA III ............................................................................ 1 Magnúss saga ins góða ..................................................................... 3 Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar ............................................................ 41 Óláfs saga kyrra ............................................................................ 123 Magnúss saga berfœtts .................................................................. 127
    [Show full text]
  • The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia Religions : Ancient and Modern
    RELIGION OF ANCIENT SCANDINAVIA LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO RELIGIONS ANCIENT AND MODERN THE RELIGION OF ANCIENT SCANDINAVIA RELIGIONS : ANCIENT AND MODERN. ANIMISM. By EDWARD CLODD, Author of The Story of Creation. PANTHEISM. By JAMES ALLAN SON PICTON, Author of The Religion of the universe. THE RELIGIONS OF ANCIENT CHINA. By Professor GILES, LL.D., Professor of Chinese in the University of Cambridge. THE RELIGION OF ANCIENT GREECE. By JANE HARRISON, Lecturer at Newnham College, Cambridge, Author of Prolegomena to Study of Greek Religion. ISLAM. By AMEER An SYED, M.A., C.I.E., late of H.M.'s High Court of Judicature in Bengal, Author of The Spirit of Iflam and The Ethics of Islam. MAGIC AND FETISHISM. By Dr. A. C. H ADDON, F.R.S., Lecturer on Ethnology at Cam- bridge University. THE RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT. By Professor W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, F.R.S. THE RELIGION OF BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA. By THEOPHILUS G. PINCHES, late of the British Museum. EARLY BUDDHISM. By Professor RHYS DAVIDS, LL.D., late Secretary of The Royal Asiatic Society. HINDUISM. By Dr. L. D. BAR NEXT, of the Department of Oriental Printed Books and MSS. , British Museum. SCANDINAVIAN RELIGION. By WILLIAM A. CRAIGIE, Joint Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. CELTIC RELIGION. By Professor ANWYL, Professor of Welsh at University College, Aberystwyth. THE MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. By CHARLES SQUIRE, Author of The Mythology of the British Islands. JUDAISM By ISRAEL ABRAHAMS, Lecturer in Talmudic Literature in Cambridge University, Author of Jewish Life in the Middle Ages.
    [Show full text]
  • Affective Criticism, Oral Poetics, and Beowulf's Fight with the Dragon
    Oral Tradition, 10/1 (1995): 54-90 Affective Criticism, Oral Poetics, and Beowulf’s Fight with the Dragon Mark C. Amodio I Affective criticism, as it has been practiced over the last few years, has come to focus upon the reader’s (or audience’s) subjective experience of a given literary work.1 Rather than examining the text qua object, affective criticism (like all subjective criticism) has abandoned the objectivism and textual reification which lay at the heart of the New Critical enterprise, striving instead to lead “one away from the ‘thing itself’ in all its solidity to the inchoate impressions of a variable and various reader” (Fish 1980:42).2 Shifting the critical focus away from the text to the reader has engendered 1 Iser, one of the leading proponents of reader-based inquiry, offers the following succinct statement of the logic underlying his and related approaches: “[a]s a literary text can only produce a response when it is read, it is virtually impossible to describe this response without also analyzing the reading process” (1978:ix). Iser’s emphasis on the reader’s role and on the constitutive and enabling functions inherent in the act of reading are shared by many other modern theorists despite their radical differences in methodologies, aims, and conclusions. See especially Culler (1982:17-83), and the collections edited by Tompkins (1980) and Suleiman and Crosman (1980). 2 The New Criticism has generally warned against inscribing an idiosyncratic, historically and culturally determined reader into a literary text because doing so would lead to subjectivism and ultimately to interpretative chaos.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded 4.0 License
    Numen 68 (2021) 272–297 brill.com/nu The Role of Rulers in the Winding Up of the Old Norse Religion Olof Sundqvist Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden [email protected] Abstract It is a common opinion in research that the Scandinavians changed religion during the second half of the Viking Age, that is, ca. 950–1050/1100 ce. During this period, Christianity replaced the Old Norse religion. When describing this transition in recent studies, the concept “Christianization” is often applied. To a large extent this histo- riography focuses on the outcome of the encounter, namely the description of early Medieval Christianity and the new Christian society. The purpose and aims of the present study are to concentrate more exclusively on the Old Norse religion during this period of change and to analyze the questions of how and why it disappeared. A special focus is placed on the native kings. These kings played a most active role in winding up the indigenous tradition that previously formed their lives. It seems as if they used some deliberate methods during this process. When designing their strate- gies they focused on the religious leadership as well as the ritual system. These seem to have been the aspects of the indigenous religion of which they had direct control, and at the same time, were central for the modus operandi of the old religion. Most of all, it seems as if these Christian kings were pragmatists. Since they could not affect the traditional worldview and prevent people from telling the mythical narratives about the old gods, they turned to such aims that they were able to achieve.
    [Show full text]
  • Córki Odyna (Sztuka W Dwóch Aktach) Michał Majerski
    Michał Majerski Córki Odyna (Sztuka w dwóch aktach) Michał Majerski Córki Odyna (Sztuka w dwóch aktach) Osoby: (wszystkie są Niemcami) Lukas i Moritz - naukowcy przed 40 Olrun i Holgard – atrakcyjne kobiety ok. 30 Trzech żołnierzy (Polacy) – statyści Akcja dzieje się współcześnie w salonie starego pałacyku, przygranicznej agencji towarzyskiej, obecnie nieczynnej. W rogu salonu w półmroku widać recepcję w stylu amerykańskiego motelu. Na tablicy wiszą klucze od pokoi. Za dużymi oknami noc, słychać dalekie szczekanie psów i pojedyncze strzały. Nagle słychać hałas silnika podjeżdżającego samochodu sportowego, gasi silnik, trzaśnięcie drzwiami. Wśród tych hałasów z radia samochodowego przebijają się fragmenty hymnu niemieckiego. Akt 1 (dzwonek i wołanie zza drzwi): Olga! to ja..otwórzcie - ciemno, nic tu nie widać. (brak reakcji). Olgaaa... (Po chwili drzwi się otwierają, w ciemności widać najpierw tylko sylwetkę mężczyzny który wciąga dużą walizę na kółkach z hotelowymi nalepkami z całego świata. Zapala latarkę w komórce i szuka włącznika do światła. Szuka tego właściwego, ale najpierw zapala czerwony neon "Paradise” a potem do tego dochodzi migający napis „Escort Service". Widać teraz: rura do tańczenia, kanapy, z tyłu ekran telewizora, beamer i duży bałagan. Mężczyzna rozgląda się. Teraz widać go dokładnie: drobny facet w okularach, luźnym i drogim ubraniu . Typ zagubionego naukowca. Widzi ogień w kominku który zaczyna wygasać, więc dokłada drzewa. Otwiera wbudowaną szafę, pełną ubrań damskich. Wyciąga niektóre i ogląda. Otwiera walizę i wyciąga najpierw termos z kawą, potem whisky, zmęczony rzuca się na fotel. Otwierają się drzwi wejściowe i wchodzi mężczyzna w panterce i bronią myśliwską, zaskoczony). Lukas - Stać ! co się tu dzieje ? jak pan tu wszedł ? Moritz - (podrywa się na fotelu) Dzwoniłem, ale drzwi były otwarte L.- (krzyczy) To jest dom prywatny.
    [Show full text]
  • Excerpts from the Ancestors of Mcdonalds of Somerset by Donald
    Excerpts from The Ancestors of McDonalds of Somerset by Donald M. Schlegel used by permission II Carthend Pagan Life and Beliefs The pagan Celts of Ireland lived in a world of fear, from which the loving God was far removed, and in which they were at the mercy of monstrous spirits and arbitrary, insubstantial reality. They were people bound by unreasoned custom and superstition, for they thought that the world was full of hidden "traps" that were triggered by the violation of taboos. The power of the kings was rivaled or even eclipsed by that of the priests, who were called druids. The druids officially ranked next to the kings in social standing, but they usually exercised paramount sway, for no undertaking of any moment was begun without their advice. They were skilled in astronomy and healing; they practiced sorcery in the seclusion of oak groves, where their doings were hidden from the common people; and, through the power that they exercised over the whole society, they imposed upon the common people. The pagans adored a divine being (though not necessarily always and everywhere the same one) to whom they offered sacrifices and from whom they sought all blessings, temporal and eternal. Crom Cruach, the "prince" of all idols in Ireland, stood on Magh Slecht, the "plain of prostration" near the Gothard River, now in the barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan. This "plain" was a limestone ridge some 400 by 85 yards in extent. From the base of its eastern escarpment issues a strong, clear, and rapid spring, as if a river-god dwelt within his rocky halls beneath the ridge and poured forth this perennial fountain.
    [Show full text]
  • Download a Pdf File of This Issue for Free
    Issue 63: How the Vikings Took up the Faith Conversion of the Vikings: Did You Know? Fascinating and little-known facts about the Vikings and their times. What's a Viking? To the Franks, they were Northmen or Danes (no matter if they were from Denmark or not). The English called them Danes and heathens. To the Irish, they were pagans. Eastern Europe called them the Rus. But the Norse term is the one that stuck: Vikings. The name probably came from the Norse word vik, meaning "bay" or "creek," or from the Vik area, the body of water now called Skagerrak, which sits between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In any case, it probably first referred only to the raiders (víkingr means pirate) and was later applied to Scandinavians as a whole between the time of the Lindesfarne raid (793) and the Battle of Hastings (1066). Thank the gods it's Frigg's day. Though Vikings have a reputation for hit-and-run raiding, Vikings actually settled down and influenced European culture long after the fires of invasion burned out. For example, many English words have roots in Scandinavian speech: take, window, husband, sky, anger, low, scant, loose, ugly, wrong, happy, thrive, ill, die, beer, anchor. … The most acute example is our days of the week. Originally the Romans named days for the seven most important celestial bodies (sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn). The Anglo-Saxons inserted the names of some Norse deities, by which we now name Tuesday through Friday: the war god Tiw (Old English for Tyr), Wodin (Odin), Thor, and fertility goddess Frigg.
    [Show full text]