The Merseburg charms or the merseburg spell (German: die Merseburger ZaubersprÃÆ'¼che ) are two magic medieval mantras, spells or incantations, written in Old Ancient German. They are the only known example of a German pagan belief preserved in the language. They were discovered in 1841 by Georg Waitz, who found them in the theological manuscripts of Fulda, written in the 9th or 10th century, though there is still some speculation about the date of his own charm. The manuscript (Code 136 f.85a) is stored in the library of the cathedral chapter of Merseburg, hence its name.
Video Merseburg charms
Histori
The Merseburg Incantations is the only surviving example of pre-Christian, pagan, Old German literature.
The mantra was recorded in the 10th century by a cleric, possibly at Fulda monastery, in the empty courtyard of a liturgical book, which was then passed on to the library in Merseburg. Then the incantations have been transmitted in the tiny Caroline in the flyleaf of the Latin sacrament.
Mantra became famous in modern times through the appreciation of the Grimm brothers, who wrote as follows:
- Lying between Leipzig, Halle and Jena, the extensive library of Bab Merseburg Cathedral is frequented and used by scholars. All have gone through a codex which, if they happen to take it, seems to offer only the famous church goods, but which is now, rewarded according to all its contents, offers the treasure in such a way that the most famous libraries have nothing to compare. with that...
The spell was later published by Brothers Grimm in the two newly discovered poems of the German Heroic Period (1842).
The manuscript of Mantra Merseburg was displayed until November 2004 as part of the exhibition "Between Cathedral and World - 1000 years of Bab Merseburg," at Merseburg Cathedral. They were previously exhibited in 1939.
Maps Merseburg charms
Text
Each charm is divided into two parts: an opening that tells the story of a mythological event; and the actual mantra in the form of a magical analogy ( the same as before... so will that also now... ). In their poetic form, incantations are a transitional type; The lines show not only the traditional alliteration but also the final poem introduced in the 9th century Christian poetry.
First Merseburg Charm
The first spell is "LÃÆ'¶sesegen" (thanks to the release), illustrating how some "Idisen" are freed from their fetters who were caught during the battle. The last two lines contain the magic words "Jump out of bondage, escape from the enemy" intended to release the soldiers.
Second Merseburg Charm
Phol is with Wodan when Baldur's horse sprained his legs as it climbs through the forest ( holza ). Wodan calls the incantation: "Bone to bone, blood to blood, limbs to arm, as if they were repaired".
Figures that can be clearly identified in Germanic Continental mythology are "UuÃÆ'Â'dan" (Wodan) and "FrÃÆ'®ia" (Frija). The depictions found in the German Bracteates Migration Period are often seen as Wodan (Odin) that heals a horse.
Comparing Norse mythology, Wodan is well-proven as Odin's original language. Frija who is a cognate of Frigg, also identified with Freyja. Balder is Norse Baldr. Phol is a masculine form of Uolla , but the context explains that it is another name for Balder. Uolla has been associated with Fulla, a small goddess and a servant of Frigg. Sunna (sun) in Norse mythology is SÃÆ'³l, although his sister, Sinthgunt, is declared unfilled.
Parallels
The first Merseburg Charm (loosened charm) is similar to an anecdote in Bede Hist. Eccles. , IV, 22 ("" How a certain captive chain falls when the mob is sung for him. "'.) It has been recorded by Jacob Grimm.In this Christianized example, it is the singing of the masses, rather than chanting mantras, the release of friends (in this case brothers).The man who is not imprisoned is asked "does he have a spell about himself, as is spoken of in extraordinary stories", which oddly has been translated as "loosening runes (of him)" ( Old English: Old English text in Anglo- Saxon of Bede, as Sophus has pointed out Bugge, Bugge makes this reference in the edition of Eddaic poem GrÃÆ'³galdr (1867), in an attempt to justify the emending phrase "Leifnir's fire (?)" (Old Norse: leifnis elda ) to" loosening charm "(Old Norse: leysigaldr ) in the context of one of the magical charms that GrÃÆ' teaches his son. But this is an aggressive change from the original text, and its validity as well as any suggestions for its relationship with Merseburg's charms are subject to skepticism.
Many of the magic spell analogues to Second Merseburg Charm (horse heal spells), have been recorded. Some parallels can be seen in other Ancient German spells, but analogs are abundant in the folkloric spells of the Scandinavian countries (often preserved in so-called "black books".). Similar charms have been noted in Gaelic, Lettish, and Finnish which show that the formula came from ancient Indo-Europe. Some commentators retrace their relation to ancient Indian writings.
Other Ancient German Charms
Other spells recorded at Old High German or Old Saxon/Old Low German are noted for the similarity, such as the spur group wurmsegen to remove the "Nesso" worm that causes misery. There were several copies of this manuscript, and Jacob Grimm examined in particular the so-called "Contra vermes" variant, in Lower German from the Cod. Vidob. theol. 259 (now ÃÆ'â € "NB Code 751) Text is a mix of Latin and German:
Contra vermes (melawan cacing)
As Grimm explains, the mantra tells the worm of the nesso and its nine young grandchildren to go away from bone marrow, bone to meat, flesh to hide (leather), and into straws ¢ la or arrow, which is a tool in which the pest or pathogen will be persuaded. It closes with a prayer: "God ( Drohtin ), let it be". Grimm insists that this charm, like the charm of Spurihalz's hoc quod, is spammed (MHG: spurhalz ; German: lahm "paralyzed") who immediately preceded him in the manuscript, was "about the lousy horses again." And "the transition from marrow to bone (or tendon), to flesh and hiding, resembles a phrase in sprites," ie the types of Merseburg horse charm.
Jacob Grimm in his book Deutsche Mythologie, chapter 38, lists examples of what he saw as a remnant of Merseburg's charms in the popular tradition of his time: from Norway a prayer to Jesus for a horse's leg injury, and two mantras from Sweden, one of Odin's callings (for horses suffering from tingling or stallions) and other Frygg's pleading for sheep's disease. He also quoted one of the Dutch charms to fix the hooves of the horse, and the Scotsman for the treatment of human sprains that were still practiced in his time in the 19th century (See # Scots below).
Norwegian
Grimm provides in its appendix the spell of another Norwegian horse, which has been translated and examined as parallel by Thorpe. Grimm has re-used the spell from a thick book by Hans Hammond, Nordiska Missions-historie (Copenhagen 1787), p. 119-120, incantations transcribed by Thomas von Westen c. 1714. This seems to be the same mantra in English as it is given as paralleled by modern commentators, though he seems to misinterpret it into the 19th century. Text and translations will be presented side by side below:
The number of Norwegian analogs is quite large, although many are only variations on the theme. Bishop Anton Christian Bang composed a volume drawn from Norwegian pamphlet books and other sources, and classified the horse riding spells under the opening chapter "Odin og Folebenet", which strongly suggests a connection with the second Merseburg spell. Bang here gives a group of 34 mantras, most of which were recorded in the 18th-19th century although two were assigned to 17 (c 1668 and 1670), and 31 of the charms to treat a horse with an injured leg. The name for the horse trauma, which occurs in the title, is Norwegian: vred in most of the rhymes, with smatterings raina and bridge ( sic. ), but they are all essentially identical to brigde, which is polished as "dislocated limbs" in Aasen's Dictionary.
From the Bishop Bang collection, here is a list of specific formulas discussed as alignment in the scientific literature:
- No. 2, "Jesus og St. Peter on the red Bjergene.." (c 1668. From Lister og Mandal Amt, or modern Vest-Agder Ms. preserved in Danish Rigsarkivet)
- No. 6, Jesus red sig tiles Hede.. "(c 1714. VeÃÆ'¸, Romsdal.) Just like Grimm's LII quoted above.
- No, 20, "Jeus rei sin Faale over en Bru.." (c 1830. SkÃÆ'  ¥ bu, Oppland.) But Wadstein's paper does not focus the study on basic text versions, but the variant of Ms. B that has the spelling of " Faale ")
- No. 22, "Vor Herre rei.." (c.1847. Valle, SÃÆ'Â|tersdal. Recorded by JÃÆ'¸rgen Moe)
It may be pointed out that there is no charm in Bang chapter "Odin og Folebenet" which actually calls Odin. The idea that charm has been Christianized and that Baldur's presence has been replaced by "God" or Jesus revealed by Bang in other treatises, credited communication with Bugge and Grimm's work on the matter. Jacob Grimm has shown Christ-Balder's identification in interpreting Merseburg's charm; Grimm captures the notion that in Norse, "White Christ ( hvÃÆ'ta Kristr )" is a common nickname, just as Balder is known as "white ÃÆ' â € sir-god"
Another very similar "treat horse" spell is a 20th-century example that invokes the name of an 11th-century Norwegian king, Olaf II of Norway. The specimens were collected in MÃÆ'¸re, Norway, where it was presented as for use in fracture healing:
Swedish
Some Swedish analogues are given by Sophus Bugge and by Viktor Rydberg in writings published around the same time (1889). The following 17th century spell is recorded as parallel to the charm of the Merseburg horse by both of them:
Another example (from Kungelf's Dombok, 1629) was originally printed by Arcadius:
The spell that begins "S (anc) in Pär and Wör Lord's wandrade on the street (from Sunnerbo hundred, Smà ¥ land 1746) was initially given by Johan Nordlander.
A very prominent example, though contemporary for Bugge time, is the one that invokes Odin's name:
- A Sign of the Cross incantation (Danish: signeformularer )
- (from Jellundtofte socken, VÃÆ'¤stbo hundred on the ground SmÃÆ'  ¥, 19th century)
Denmark
The Danish parallels recorded by A. Kuhn: are as follows:
Scotland
Grimm also exemplifies Scottish charm (for humans, not horses) as a prominent remnant of Merseburg-type charm. This healing spell for humans is practiced in the Shetlands (which have strong Scandinavian ties and where the Norn language is spoken). This exercise involves tying a black wool "wrestling thread" with nine knots around a person's dislocated leg, and with an inaudible voice saying the following:
- The Lord rade and foal slade;
- he lights up and he straightens,
- set the connection to the connection,
- bone to bone,
- and muscular to muscle
- Heal in the name of the Holy Spirit! '
Alexander Macbain (who also supplies the reconstructed Gaelic) Chaidh Criosd mach/Water maduinn mhoich "to the first stanza" The Rade Lord "charm above) also notes a horse spell version sung while" at the same time tying the woolen yarn on the limbs who was injured. "
Macbain went on to quote another Gaelic horse spell, an early "Chaidh BrÃÆ'¬de mach.." from Cuairtear nan Gleann (July, 1842) calling St. Bride as "him" rather than "him", plus additional examples that suffer broken text.
Ancient India
There are repeated suggestions that the healing formula of the Second Merseburg Mantra may have deep Indo-European roots. An alignment has been drawn between this charm and an example in the Vedic literature, a mantra of the second millennium before Christ is found in the Atharvaveda , the hymn IV, 12:
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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