PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/107198 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-09 and may be subject to change. ANGLO-SAXON MAGIC DOOR G. STORMS 'i-GRAVENHAGE MARTINUS NIJHOFF 1948 ANGLO-SAXON MAGIC Promotori Dr. A. POMPEN Ο J.M. CENTRALE DRUKKERIJ N.V. - NIJMEGEN ANGLO-SAXON MAGIC ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT TER VERKRIJGING VAN DE GRAAD VAN DOCTOR IN DE LETTEREN EN WIJSBEGEERTE AAN DE R.K. UNIVERSITEIT TE NIJMEGEN, OP GEZAG VAN DE RECTOR MAG­ NIFICUS Mgr. Dr. R. R. POST, HOOGLERAAR IN DE FACULTEIT DER GODGELEERDHEID, VOLGENS BESLUIT VAN DE SENAAT IN HET OPENBAAR TE VERDEDIGEN OP VRIJDAG 4 JUNI 1948 DES NAMIDDAGS 3 UUR DOOR GODFRID STORMS GEBOREN TE SITTARD MARTINUS NIJHOFF - s-GRAVENHAGE 1948 Voor mijn Vader en mijn Vrouw TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I. CHAPTER I. Introduction 1-11. Characteristics of magic 1. Tendency to pre­ serve secrecy 2. Examples from O.Icel. literature 2-5. The A-S. charms reveal much more 5. The magic means consist of verbal formulas and of practices 6. Close connection between original Α-S. magic and pre-Christian religious conceptions, especially the worship of the sun 6-10, the moon 10, and the earth 11. CHAPTER II The Manuscripts 12-26. § 1. The Leechbook 12-16. § 2. The Lac­ nunga 16-24. Parallel passages 18-23. Anglian origin of both books 23. The Lacnunga is a very mixed collection 24. § 3 Other Manu­ scripts 25-26. CHAPTER III. On Magic and Magical Practices 27-48. Difficulties in defining the boundaries of magic 27. Animism not the origin of magic 28-30. Efficacy of magic 30-31. Magic practices precede the verbal for­ mulas 32-33. White and black magic 34. Passive and active magic 34. Possibility of defining magic 35-36. Definition of magic 36. The main idea underlying magic is power 36-37. Magical causality and normal causality 37-38. No. contrast between the two 38-39. Magic has a well-developed ritual 40. Example from the Lacnunga to show the theoretical importance and the practical value of the ritual 40-47. Attitude of the magician towards magic 47, and to­ wards religion 48. CHAPTER IV. Structure and Atmosphere of the Ritual 49-106. Introduction 49. § 1. Animistic elements 49-54. § 2. Similarity 54-60. § 3. Blood 60-61. IX § 4. Spitting 61-62. § 5. Breath 62-63. § 6. Excrements 63-65. § 7. Mystification 65-73. Use of water 65-66, of butter 66-67, of fat 67, of marrow 67, of milk 67-69, of oil 69, of ale 69, of wine 70, of mead 70, of vinegar 70, of wax 70-71, of honey 71, of whey 71, of sweat 71. Utensils and preparations 71-72. Completeness and variation 72-73. § 8. Running water 74-76. § 9. Iron 76-78. § 10. Herbs 78-83. § 11. Trees 83-85. § 12. Animals 85-86. § 13. Circle 86-88. § 14. Time 88-90. § 15. Right and left 90-92. § 16. Virginity 92-94. § 17. Silence 94-95. § 18. Fasting 96. § 19. Numbers 96-102. § 20. Colour 102-104. § 21. Personality of the magician 104-106. CHAPTER V. Borrowing or Tradition 107-129. Influence of classical sources 107. Importance of O.Icel. magic 107-109. Indo-European parallels 109-113. Α-S. terminology 113-114. Α-S. laws 114-115. Introduction of Christian elements 115-117. Criteria of origin 118-126. Arrange­ ment and order of the texts 126-129. PART II. No. 1. For a swarm of bees 132-141 No. 2. Against rheumatism 140-151 No. 3. Against a furuncle 150-155 No. 4. Against wens 154-159 No. 5. Against the water-elf disease (Chicken-pox) . 158-163 No. 6. Against eruption of the skin 164-167 No. 7. Against a dwarf 166-173 No. 8. Field ceremonies 172-187 No. 9. The Nine Herbs Charm (Against poison) . 186-197 No. 10. Against miscarriage 196-203 No. 11. Against theft 202-217 No. 12. Against theft 206-217 No. 13. Against theft 206-217 No. 14. Against theft 208-217 No. 15. Against theft 208-217 No. 16. The Journey Charm 216-223 No. 17. Against elf-sickness and elf-disease 222-233 No. 18. The Holy Drink 232-235 No. 19. The Holy Salve 236-245 No. 20. The Elf Salve 244-247 X No. 21. Against tumours 246-249 No. 22. Against elf-shot 248-251 No. 23. Against lung-disease 250-253 No. 24. Against sudden death of swine 254-255 No. 25. Against flying venom (Infection) 254-257 No. 26. Against dysentery 256-257 No. 27. Against typhoid fevers 258-261 No. 28. Against the devil and insanity 260-263 No. 29. Against stomach-ache 262-263 No. 30. Against snake-bite 264-267 No. 31. Against poison 266-269 No. 32. Against witches and elvish tricks 268-269 No. 33. Against typhoid fever 270-271 No. 34. A celestial letter (Against an unknown evil) . 272-275 No. 35. Against dysentery 274-275 No. 36. Against fever 276-277 No. 37. Seven Sleepers (Against all evils) 278 No. 38. Seven Sleepers 278 No. 39. Against fevers 278 No. 40. Against shivering fits 278 No. 41. Against an unknown swelling 279 No. 42. Against pain in the joints 280 No. 43. The 'Sator' formula (For childbirth) 281 No. 44. Against a dwarf 282 No. 45. For a woman big with child 283 No. 46. If a horse has sprained its leg 284 No. 47. If a horse is elf-shot 284 No. 48. Against the atrocities of all fiends 285 No. 49. Against a stitch 286 No. 50. A remedy for your cattle 287 No. 51. Against tooth-ache 288 No. 52. Against tooth-ache 289 No. 53. Against erysipelas and blains 290 No. 54. Against bleeding of the nose 291 No. 55. To stanch bleeding 292 No. 56. To stanch bleeding 292 No. 57. To stanch bleeding 292 No. 58. To stanch bleeding 292 No. 59. To stanch bleeding 293 No. 60. To stanch bleeding 293 No. 61. Against demoniacal possession 294 XI No. 63. If a woman cannot bear children 295 No. 64. Against fevers 295 No. 65. Against tooth-ache 297 No. 66. Against erysipelas 299 No. 67. Against erysipelas of horses and men .... 300 No. 68. Against fever 300 No. 69. To obtain favours 300 No. 70. Against the black blains 301 No. 71. Against the black blains 302 No. 72. Against whitlow 302 No. 73. Against a worm 303 No. 74. Against theft 303 No. 75. Against corns 304 No. 76. To stanch bleeding 304 No. 77. To stanch bleeding 305 No. 78. Against a dwarf 305 No. 79. Against flying venom (Infection) 306 No. 80. A remedy against fevers 306 No. 81. Against the bite of an adder 307 No. 82. Against dysentery 307 No. 83. Against dysentery 308 No. 84. Against kernels 308 No. 85. St. Columkill's circle (For bees) 309 No. 86. Against theft 311 APPENDIX. Prayers used as charm formulas. No. Al. Pagan prayer to the goddess of earth .... 312 No. A2. Blessing of the land 313 No. A3. Against eye-ache 314 No. A4. Against eye-ache 314 No. A5. Against ear-ache 315 No. A6. Against stomach-ache 315 No. A7. Against pocks 315 No. A8. Against smallpox 316 No. A9. Against pocks 316 No. AIO. Against a swelling 317 No. All. Against a sore throat 317 No. A12. Prayer on herbs 317 XII No. A13. Prayer on herbs 317 No. A14. Blessing of a salve 317 No. A15. Blessing of a salve 318 No. A16. Against all evils 318 Glossary of Plant Names 319 Bibliography 329 Index 334 CORRIGENDA p. 26, 1. 20: Queen's read Queens' p. 164, No. 6, 1. 2: begrifan read begrifan p. 223, No. 17, 1. 1 (translation) : Add comma after fennel. p. 261, No. 28, 1. 2 (translation) : lupine, carrot read a root of lupine. PART I CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY • By magic primitive man attempted to obtain results by means that seem to be abnormal and supernatural, at any rate by methods that strike us as distinct from those that we like to call normal and natural. Magic assumes the existence of an invisible, intangible and impersonal power. It is primarily a practical concern and suc­ cess is the only thing that matters. To a great extent magic is based on suggestion and therefore we see that the magic of other peoples is always held in greater respect and feared more than that practised at home. The qualities, idio­ syncrasies and failures of the magician residing next door lead to familiarity, and though the familiarity need not breed con­ tempt, it makes it more difficult for him to compete with rivals whose fame is firmly based on report, whose successes are repeat­ ed and exaggerated and whose failures remain unknown. So it is small wonder that when Tacitus speaks of the Germanic tribes, living in the wild regions and impenetrable forests of central Europe and offering human sacrifices to Mercury or Woden, he should attribute great powers of divination to them, especially to the women1). Several centuries later, when we have direct evidence from Germanic sources, we find that the Germanic peoples themselves were impressed by Celtic magic, and that they used Celtic loanwords, such as O.E. dry-crseft, 'the craft or power of a Druid, i.e., a magician', and O.E.