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Ribe healing-stick

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The Ribe healing stick (with Rundata signum DR EM85;493, also known as DK SJy41) is a pinewood stick found at Ribe, Denmark, with a heavily pagan-inspired Christian spell. It dates to circa 1300 CE.

Description

A photograph of the third side (§C) of the stick, showing the words þær : ligær : a : þe : ni : no=uþær : þæ¶r
The section containing the phrase "nine needs" (ni : no=uþær).

Although ostensibly Christian, the charm written on the stick contains several native Germanic elements, such as alliteration and phrases also known from pagan poetry.

The phrase 'nine needs' (ni : no=uþær) appears in several explicitly pagan charms, such as the Swedish Sigtuna plate 1 and the Icelandic spell-book Galdrabók. The term læknæshand ("healing hand") is found in a pagan prayer in the Icelandic poem Sigrdrífumál, while the phrase "heavens above" or "high heaven" (uphimæn, literally "up-heaven") is used in Vǫluspá and in Old Saxon and Old English religious poetry as well as in the inscription on the Skarpåker Stone.

Inscription

The stick has five sides. The final part of line C (after ¶r) has been scraped off with a knife, but faint traces of the runes are still visible. The following readings are from the Scandinavian Runic-text Database. Note that because the fifth side only contains the words þæt : se, it has been included in line D.

§A

᛭

 

io=rþ

Iorþ

:

 

biþ

biþ

a=k

ak

:

 

ua=rþæ

uarþæ

:

 

o=k

ok

:

 

uphimæn

uphimæn,

:

 

so=l

sol

:

 

o=k

ok

:

 

sa=nt=æ

santæ

maria

Maria

:

 

o=k

ok

:

 

salfæn

sialfæn

:

 

gud|

Guþ

|drotæn

drottin,

:

 

þæt

þæt

han

han

:

 

læ

læ

mik

mik

:

 

læknæs:ha=nd

læknæshand

:

 

o=k

ok

lif:tuggæ

lif-tungæ

:

 

at=

at

=liuæ

liuæ

᛭ io=rþ : biþ a=k : ua=rþæ : o=k : uphimæn : so=l : o=k : sa=nt=æ maria : o=k : salfæn : gud| |drotæn : þæt han : læ mik : læknæs:ha=nd : o=k lif:tuggæ : at= =liuæ

{} Iorþ {} biþ ak {} uarþæ {} ok {} uphimæn, {} sol {} ok {} santæ Maria {} ok {} sialfæn {} Guþ drottin, {} þæt han {} læ mik {} læknæshand {} ok lif-tungæ {} at liuæ

I pray Earth to guard and High Heaven, the sun and Saint Mary and Lord God himself, that he grant me medicinal hands and healing tongue to heal

§B

uiuindnæ

biuianda

:

 

þær

ær

:

 

botæ

bota

:

 

þa=rf

þarf

:

 

or

or

:

 

ba=k

bak

:

 

o=k

ok

or

or

brʀst

bryst,

:

 

or

or

lækæ

likæ

:

 

o=k

ok

or

or

lim

lim,

:

 

or

or

øuæn

øwæn

:

 

o=k

ok

or

or

øræn

øræn,

:

 

or

or

:

 

a=llæ

allæ

þe

þe

:

 

þær

þær

:

 

ilt

ilt

:

 

kan

kan

i

i

at

at

uiuindnæ : þær : botæ : þa=rf : or : ba=k : o=k or brʀst : or lækæ : o=k or lim : or øuæn : o=k or øræn : or : a=llæ þe : þær : ilt : kan i at

biuianda {} ær {} bota {} þarf {} or {} bak {} ok or bryst, {} or likæ {} ok or lim, {} or øwæn {} ok or øræn, {} or {} allæ þe {} þær {} ilt {} kan i at

the Trembler when a cure is needed. From back and from breast, from body and from limb, from eyes and from ears, from wherever evil can

§C

kumæ

kumæ.

:

 

suart

Svart

:

 

hetær

hetær

:

 

sten

sten,

:

 

ha=n

han

:

 

stær

stær

:

 

i

i

:

 

hafæ

hafæ

:

 

utæ

utæ

:

 

þær

þær

:

 

ligær

ligær

:

 

a

a

:

 

þe

þe

:

 

ni

ni

:

 

no=uþær

nouþær,

:

 

þæ¶r

þær

:

 

l---r(a)

…

:

 

(þ)en-nþþæþeskulhuærki

…

kumæ : suart : hetær : sten : ha=n : stær : i : hafæ : utæ : þær : ligær : a : þe : ni : no=uþær : þæ¶r : l---r(a) : (þ)en-nþþæþeskulhuærki

kumæ. {} Svart {} hetær {} sten, {} han {} stær {} i {} hafæ {} utæ {} þær {} ligær {} a {} þe {} ni {} nouþær, {} þær {} … {} …

enter. A stone is called Svartr (black), it stands out in the sea, there lie upon it nine needs, who …

§D

skulæ

skulæ

:

 

huærki

huærki

:

 

søtæn

søtæn

:

 

sofæ

sofæ

:

 

æþ

æþ

:

 

uarmnæn

uarmæn

:

 

uakæ

uakæ

:

 

førr

førr

æn

æn

:

 

þu

þu

:

 

þæssa

þæssæ

:

 

bot

bot

:

 

biþær

biþær,

:

 

þær

þær

:

 

a=k

ak

o=rþ

orþ

:

 

at

at

kæþæ

kæþæ

:

 

ro=nti

ronti.

:

 

amæn

Amen

:

 

o=k

ok

:

 

þæt

þæt

:

 

se

se.

᛭

 

skulæ : huærki : søtæn : sofæ : æþ : uarmnæn : uakæ : førr æn : þu : þæssa : bot : biþær : þær : a=k o=rþ : at kæþæ : ro=nti : amæn : o=k : þæt : se ᛭

skulæ {} huærki {} søtæn {} sofæ {} æþ {} uarmæn {} uakæ {} førr æn {} þu {} þæssæ {} bot {} biþær, {} þær {} ak orþ {} at kæþæ {} ronti. {} Amen {} ok {} þæt {} se. {}

shall neither sleep sweetly nor wake warmly until you pray this cure which I have proclaimed in runic words. Amen and so be it.

Gallery

  • Side 1, starting with ᛭ io=rþ : biþ a=k. Side 1, starting with ᛭ io=rþ : biþ a=k.
  • Side 2, starting with uiuindnæ : þær. Side 2, starting with uiuindnæ : þær.
  • Side 3, starting with kumæ : suart. Side 3, starting with kumæ : suart.
  • Side 4, starting with skulæ : huærki. Side 4, starting with skulæ : huærki.
  • Side 5, þæt : se ᛭. Side 5, þæt : se ᛭.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Runic inscription DR EM85;493", Scandinavian Runic-text Database, Department of Scandinavian Languages, Uppsala University, 2020, retrieved December 5, 2021
  2. Sofia Pereswetoff-Morath, Viking-Age runic plates. Readings and interpretations. Acta Academiae Gustavi Adolphi 155. Runrön 21. Uppsala 2019. pp. 95-97. ISSN 0065-0897 and 1100-1690, ISBN 978-91-87403-33-0.
  3. MacLeod, Mindy; Mees, Bernard (2006), Runic Amulets and Magic Objects, Boydell Press, pp. 124–26, ISBN 1-84383-205-4
  4. Larson, Patrick (2005). "Runes". In McTurk, Rory (ed.). A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 403–426. ISBN 0-631-23502-7. pp. 413-14.
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