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.[1]

Description[edit]

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[2] 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.[3][4]

Inscription[edit]

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.[1] 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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "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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