LL-L "Literature" 2006.05.05 (07) [E]

Sat May 6 07:08:05 UTC 2006

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   L O W L A N D S - L * 05 May 2006 * Volume 07
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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Literature" 2006.05.05 (04) [E/Spanish]

Hey, what a coincidence! Cinco de Mayo is also the Day of Liberation in
the Netherlands, usually called "Bevrijdingsdag" and/or "vijf mei", and
it is really celebrated here, I even got a day off for it.
Groet, Ingmar

>From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
>Happy Cinco de Mayo (Mexican Day of Liberation) to everyone that
>celebrates it, especially to our Mexican subscribers!

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From: Peter Snepvangers <snepvangers at optushome.com.au>
Subject: LL-L Literature

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Translation

THE BATTLE OF BRUNANBURH
Ne wearth wael mare
   on thys ig-lande aefre gieta
   folces gefielled beforan thissum
   sweordes ecgum, thaes-the us secgath bec,
   eald uthwitan, siththan eastan hider
   Engle and Seaxe upp becomon,
   ofer brad brimu Britene sohton,
   wlance wig-smithas, Wealas ofercomon,
   eorlas ar-hwaete eard begeaton......

Good Morning Ron,
There has been a lot of interest recently in this historical piece of 
literature "Battle of Brunanburh". The battle took place in the year 937 and 
constituted a major victory for the West Saxons led by king Athelstan and 
his brother Edmund over the massed armies of Olaf 111 Guthfrithson, the 
Viking king of Dublin, Constatine, king of Scotland and also king Owain the 
Bold of Strathclyde. This battle victory achieved over the combined Norse 
Celtic armies confirmed England as an Anglo Saxon nation. It was apparently 
the first time all the Saxon tribes came together. The Anglo Saxon poem is 
also recorded in the Saga of Eigil Skallagrimson, and also the Anglo Saxon 
Chronicles. There were 5 British kings and 7 earls killed on the Celtic side 
during the bloodbath. The actual site of the battlefield has not been 
determined and the suggested sites vary widely. Bromborough in Chesire, 
Yorkshire, Lancashire, Humberside, Nothamptonshire and even Scotland.
Only 2 places are mentioned in the poem, Brunanburh and Dingesmere where 
some of the defeated fled from to the Irish Sea.
A new site has been mentioned based on the Dingesmere name mentioned. This 
Dinges name has been discussed before in the LL List and refers to "Thing" 
or "Meeting place for council" or similar. Apparently there is a place in 
the Wirral called Thingwall and it is assumed this is where the Vikings 
departed.
This topic interests me as our local public education primary school is 
called Athelstan and I have visted Bromborough and Liverpool a few years ago 
with work and thoroughly enjoyed the place.
Regards
Peter Snepvangers
snepvangers at optushome.com.au

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Literature

Thanks again, Peter.

I assume the name of this Athelstan (usually spelled <Æþelstān>) means 
"gemstone" ("noble stone," cf. Low Saxon _eddelsteyn_, German _Edelstein_, 
Old Saxon *_Ædelstān_).  There are other words for gemstone in Old English 
and Old Saxon, though.

The following are relevant to the history:

Egil's Saga (Icelandic and English):
http://wikisource.org/wiki/Egils_saga

The Annals of Tigernach (Old Irish):
http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G100002/

Brut y Tywysogion (The Chronicle of the Princes [Welsh]):
[Very long and apparently not online]
(Interesting note: http://www.maryjones.us/jce/brut.html)

Below please find a version of the original poem of the Battle of Brunanburh 
with the proper characters.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***

Her Æþelstan cyning,         eorla dryhten,
beorna beahgifa,         and his broþor eac,
Eadmund æþeling,         ealdorlangne tir
geslogon æt sæcce         sweorda ecgum
ymbe Brunanburh.         Bordweal clufan,
heowan heaþolinde         hamora lafan,
afaran Eadweardes,         swa him geæþele wæs
from cneomægum,         þæt hi æt campe oft
wiþ laþra gehwæne         land ealgodon,

hord and hamas.         Hettend crungun,
Sceotta leoda         and scipflotan
fæge feollan,         feld dænnede
secga swate,         siðþan sunne up
on morgentid,         mære tungol,

glad ofer grundas,         godes condel beorht,
eces drihtnes,         oð sio æþele gesceaft
sah to setle.         þær læg secg mænig
garum ageted,         guma norþerna
ofer scild scoten,         swilce Scittisc eac,

werig, wiges sæd.         Wesseaxe forð
ondlongne dæg         eorodcistum
on last legdun         laþum þeodum,
heowan herefleman         hindan þearle
mecum mylenscearpan.         Myrce ne wyrndon

heardes hondplegan         hæleþa nanum
þæra þe mid Anlafe         ofer æra gebland
on lides bosme         land gesohtun,
fæge to gefeohte.         Fife lægun
on þam campstede         cyningas giunge,

sweordum aswefede,         swilce seofene eac
eorlas Anlafes,         unrim heriges,
flotan and Sceotta.         þær geflemed wearð
Norðmanna bregu,         nede gebeded,
to lides stefne         litle weorode;

cread cnear on flot,         cyning ut gewat
on fealene flod,         feorh generede.
Swilce þær eac se froda         mid fleame com
on his cyþþe norð,         Costontinus,
har hilderinc,         hreman ne þorfte

mæca gemanan;         he wæs his mæga sceard,
freonda gefylled         on folcstede,
beslagen æt sæcce,         and his sunu forlet
on wælstowe         wundun forgrunden,
giungne æt guðe.         Gelpan ne þorfte

beorn blandenfeax         bilgeslehtes,
eald inwidda,         ne Anlaf þy ma;
mid heora herelafum         hlehhan ne þorftun
þæt heo beaduweorca         beteran wurdun
on campstede         cumbolgehnastes,

garmittinge,         gumena gemotes,
wæpengewrixles,         þæs hi on wælfelda
wiþ Eadweardes         afaran plegodan.
Gewitan him þa Norþmen         nægledcnearrum,
dreorig daraða laf,         on Dinges mere

ofer deop wæter         Difelin secan,
eft Iraland,         æwiscmode.
Swilce þa gebroþer         begen ætsamne,
cyning and æþeling,         cyþþe sohton,
Wesseaxena land,         wiges hremige.

Letan him behindan         hræw bryttian
saluwigpadan,         þone sweartan hræfn,
hyrnednebban,         and þane hasewanpadan,
earn æftan hwit,         æses brucan,
grædigne guðhafoc         and þæt græge deor,

wulf on wealde.         Ne wearð wæl mare
on þis eiglande         æfre gieta
folces gefylled         beforan þissum
sweordes ecgum,         þæs þe us secgað bec,
ealde uðwitan,         siþþan eastan hider

Engle and Seaxe         up becoman,
ofer brad brimu         Brytene sohtan,
wlance wigsmiþas,         Wealas ofercoman,
eorlas arhwate         eard begeatan.

----------

From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Translation" 2006.05.05 (01) [D/E]

Reinhard wrote:
>... and forgetting to wear a coconut-proof helmet (while my bare head
>usually withstands peanuts without a problem).

Tsk. Haven't you learned from Keith Richards' dreadful accident?

Gabriele Kahn 

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