|
Canterbury charm The Canterbury charm is an Old Norse runic charm discovered inserted in the margin of an Anglo-Saxon manuscript from the year 1073.[1] InscriptionThe runes are clear, and the transliteration of the runes is straight-forward (spaces between words not present in the original): kuril Gyrils sarþuara sārþvara far far þu þū nu nū! funtin Fundinn is eʀ tu þū! þur Þōrr uigi vīgi þik þik, ¶
þorsa þursa trutin drōttinn, iuril Gyrils sarþuara sārþvara. uiþr Viðr aþra uari aðravari. Gyrill's wound-tap, you go now! You are found! May Thor hallow you, lord of the trolls. Gyrill's wound-tap. Against pus in the veins (blood poisoning).[2] Similarly, the charm is translated by Macleod and Mees (2006) as:
InterpretationThe charm is intended for use against a specific ailment, described as "blood-vessel pus." MacLeod and Mees note that while Thor is not revered in surviving sources for his medical abilities, he was well attested as harboring enmity towards giants and as a protector of mankind. MacLeod and Mees compare the charm to the 11th-century Kvinneby amulet (where Thor is also called upon to provide protection), the formula structure of the Sigtuna amulet I, and the inscription on a then-recently discovered rib bone also from Sigtuna, Sweden.[1] NotesReferences
External links
|
