Note 685 — Chapter XII · HEATHENDOM.

Though little fond of modern Anglosaxon verses, of modern Latin hexameters or modern Greek iambics, I shall give a translation of these two spells, for the purpose of comparison:

Pol and Wóden

tó wuda fóron

Bealdres folan wearð

fót bewrenced;

ða hine Síðgúð begól,

Sunne hire sweoster,

ðá hine Frýe begól,

Folle hire sweoster,

ðá hine Wóden begól

swá he wel cúðe:

swá sý bánwrence, swá sý blodwrence,

swá sý liðwrence;

bán tó báne,

blód tó blóde,

lið tó liðe,

swá swá gelímede sýn.

And thus the English one:

Dryhten rád,

fola slád;

se lihtode

and rihtode;

sette lið tó liðe

eác swá bán to báne,

sinewe tó sinewe.

Hál wes ðú, on ðæs Hálgan Gástes naman!