Some Better Royal Baby Names

Normally I wouldn't bother with royal celebrity gossip but as people were gushing over the royal baby, our future overlord and master, I was thinking, "Hey; Wouldn't it be cool if they went with a traditional Anglo-Saxon name?". Like Beowolf for example. Or how about some of the other Saxon kings such as;



Offa (r. 757-796)

Egbert, King of Wessex (r. 802-839)

Ethelwulf (r. 839-856)

Ethelbald (r.856-860)

Ethelbert (r. 860-866)

Ethelred (r.866-871)

Alfred 'The Great' (r. 871-899)

Edward 'The Elder' (r. 899-924)

Athelstan (r.924-939)

Edmund I (r. 939-946)

Edred (r. 946-55)

Edwy (r.955-959)

Edgar (r. 959-975)

Edward II 'The Martyr' (r. 975-979)

Ethelred II 'The Unready' (R. 979-1013 and 1014-1016)

Sweyn Forkbeard (r. 1013-1014)

Edmund II 'Ironside' (r Apr - Nov 1016)

Canute 'The Great' (r. 1016-1035)

Harold Harefoot (r. 1035-1040)

Hardicanute (r. 1035-1042)

Edward III 'The Confessor' (r. 1042-1066)

Harold II (r. Jan - Oct 1066) BTW his brother who tried to usurp the throne was named Tostiq, his two other brothers were named Gyrth and Leofwine, his father was Godwin and the arch-bishops who anointed him was named Ealdred and Stigand.

Edgar Atheling (r. Oct - Dec 1066)

Note; I know that Canute, Hardicanute and Sweyn Forkbeard were actually Norse but what the Hell.

"Hail Mary" in various British Lieds

English/latin;

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
Hail Mary, of-grace full, Lord with-you;
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Blessed you among women,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
and blessed fruit of-womb your, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Holy Mary, Mother of-God,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
pray for us sinners,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
now and in hour of-death our. Amen.

Old English/Anglo-Saxon;

Nal Wes ðu,Maria, mid gyfe gefylled, Drihten midðe.
Đu eart gebletsoð on wifum
and gebletsod ðines innoðes wæstm,
se Næland.
Nalige Maria,
Godes modor gebide for us synfullum,
nu and on pære tide ures forðsiðes.
Amen.

Shelta;

Graaltcha Mary,
tawn a noos,
Swuda's gyay duilsha;
buriest's thoo a byoors
a tom buriest's duilsha's goikhera a-ridyu, Jesus.
Mary raaks shako,
Nadjram a Daalyon,
sthafar mweelshas shakors minyurth
a toork a mweelshas' tharsps.
Staish.

Irish;

Sé do bheatha, a Mhuire,
atá lán de ghrásta,
Tá an Tiarna leat.
Is beannaithe thú idir mná,
Agus is beannaithe toradh do bhroinne, Íosa.
A Naomh-Mhuire, a Mháthair Dé,
guigh orainn na peacaigh,
anois, agus ar uair ár mbáis.
Amen.

Gealic;

Fàilte dhut a Mhoire,
tha thu lan de na gràsan;
Tha an Tighearna maille riut.
Is beannaichte thu am measg nam mnà,
agus beannaichte toradh do bhronn, Iosa.
A Naoimh Mhoire, Mhathair Dhè,
guidh air ar son ne na peacaich
a nis, agus aig uair ar bàis.
Amen

Manx;

Dy bannee dhyt, Voirrey,
lane dy ghrayse,
ta'n Çhiarn mayrt.
Bannit t'ou uss mastey mraane,
as bannit ta mess dty vrein, Yeesey.
Voirrey chasherick,
voir Yee, guee er nyn son ain,
nyn beccee,
nish as ec oor nyn maaish.
Amen.

Welsh;
Henffych well, Mair, llawn o ras;
yr Arglwydd sydd gyd a thi;
bendigedig wyt ti ym mhlith merched,
a bendigedig yw Ffrwyth dy groth di Iesu.
Sanctaidd Fair, Mam Duw,
gweddia drosom ni pechaduriaid yr awr hon,
ac yn awr ein hangeu.Amen.

Cornish;

Hayl Marya, lun a ras,
Dew ew genough why,
Yn mysk benennow benegys ough why ha'n frut agas brys, Jesu,
benegys yth ew.
Marya Sans, Mam a Dew,
peseugh ragon pehadoryon ny,
lemmyn ha'n owr a'gan mermans.
Amen.

How we would talk if the Saxons had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066

The Lords Prayer in Old English;





An account of the Battle of Brunanburgh in Old English (a battle between the Saxons and an alliance of Scots, Picts and Norsemen);

Two riddles in Anglo-Saxon from The Exeter Book

Riddle 25;
Old English

Ic eom wunderlicu wiht wifum on hyhte neahbuendum nyt; nægum sceþþe burgsittendra nymthe bonan anum. Staþol min is steapheah stonde ic on bedde neoðan ruh nathwær. Neþeð hwilum ful cyrtenu ceorles dohtor modwlonc meowle þæt heo on mec gripe ræseð mec on reodne reafath min heafod fegeð mec on fæsten. Feleþ sona mines gemotes seo þe mec nearwað wif wundenlocc. Wæt bið þæt eage.


Modern English

I am a wondrous creature for women in expectation, a service for neighbors. I harm none of the citizens except my slayer alone. My stem is erect, I stand up in bed, hairy somewhere down below. A very comely peasant's daughter, dares sometimes, proud maiden, that she grips at me, attacks me in my redness, plunders my head, confines me in a stronghold, feels my encounter directly, woman with braided hair. Wet be that eye.

Answer: Onion


Riddle 26
Old English

Mec feonda sum feore besnyþede, woruldstrenga binom, wætte siþþan, dyfde on wætre, dyde eft þonan, sette on sunnan þær ic swiþe beleas herum þam þe ic hæfde. Heard mec siþþan snað seaxses ecg, sindrum begrunden; fingras feoldan, ond mec fugles wyn geond speddropum spyrede geneahhe, ofer brunne brerd, beamtelge swealg, streames dæle, stop eft on mec, siþade sweartlast. Mec siþþan wrah hæleð hleobordum, hyde beþenede, gierede mec mid golde; forþon me gliwedon wrætlic weorc smiþa, wire bifongen. Nu þa gereno ond se reada telg ond þa wuldorgesteald wide mære dryhtfolca helm—nales dol wite. Fif min bearn wera brucan willað, hy beoð þy gesundran ond þy sigefæstran, heortum þy hwætran ond þy hygebliþran, ferþe þy frodran, habbaþ freonda þy ma, swæsra ond gesibbra, soþra ond godra, tilra ond getreowra, þa hyra tyr ond ead estum ycað ond hy arstafum lissum bilecgað ond hi lufan fæþmum fæste clyppað. Frige hwæt ic hatte, niþum to nytte. Nama min is mære, hæleþum gifre ond halig sylf.


Modern English translation;

Some fiend robbed me from life, deprived me of wordly strengths, wetted next, dipped in water, took out again, set in the sun, deprived violently of the hair that I had after, the hard knife's edge cut me, ground from impurities, fingers folded and a bird's delight spread useful drops over me, swallowed tree-ink over the ruddy rim, portion of liquid, stepped on me again, traveled with black track. After, a man clad me with protective boards, covered with hide, adorned me with gold. Forthwith adorned me in ornamental works of smiths, encased with wire Now the trappings and the red dye and the wondrous setting widely make known the helm of the lord's folk, never again guard fools. If children of men want to use me they will be by that the safer and the more sure of victory the bolder in heart and the happier in mind, in spirit the wiser. They will have friends the more dearer and closer, righteous and more virtuous, more good and more loyal, those whose glory and happiness will gladly increase, and them with benefits and kindnesses, and they of love will clasp tightly with embraces. Ask what I am called as a service to people. My name is famous, bountiful to men and my self holy.

Answer: Bible

A battle scene from "The Elene"

"The Elene" is an Old English poem, sometimes known as "Saint Helena Finds the True Cross." Written somewhere between the 8th and 10th centuries by the poet Cynewulf about whom little is know, including exactly when he lived. He is belived to have been from Mercia or Northumbria and wrote in that dialect. He was probably a monk or other religious figure. Four of his poems survive. "The Elene" is 1,321 lines long.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ridon ymb rofne, ðonne rand dynede,
camp wudu clynede, cyning ðreate for,
herge to hilde. Hrefen uppe gol,
wan ond wælfel. Werod wæs on tyhte.
Hleopon hornboran, hreopan frican,
mearh moldan træd.

Translation;

“They rode about the famous one; then the shield dinned,
the battle-tarp clanged, the king advanced with a troop,
a battalion to the battle. The raven yelled from above,
dark and greedy for carrion. The troop was on the march.
The horn-bearers ran, the heralds called out,
the horse trod the earth”

Caedmon's Hymn with Modern Translation

Written sometime between 657-680 a.d. by Caedmon, an Anglo-Saxon lay brother and herdsman living at Whitby Abbey who claimed the verses came to him in a dream. Upon presenting the full work the Abbot made him a full monk and he continued to write other works which have not been found. Little else is known of him including when he he lived or died, it is also not clear but he may have been sainted at some point. Considered a major work of Old English literature.

a) Original (using modern letters);

Nu scylun hergan
hefaenricaes uard,
metudæs maecti,
end his modgidanc,
uerc uuldurfadur
swe he uundra gihwaes,
eci dryctin
or astelidæ
he aerist scop.

aelda barnum
heben til hrofe,
haleg scepen.
tha middungeard
moncynnæs uard
eci dryctin
æfter tiadæ
firum foldu
frea allmectig

b) English translation;

Now [we] must honour
the guardian of heaven,
the might of the architect,
and his purpose,
the work of the father of glory[39]
— as he, the eternal lord,
established
the beginning of wonders.

He, the holy creator,
first created heaven as a roof
for the children of men.

Then the guardian of mankind
the eternal lord,
the Lord almighty
afterwards appointed
the middle earth,
the lands, for men.'

The Venerable Bede's Death song

The Venerable St.Bede was the foremost scholar and religious thinker of the Anglo-Saxon era. Living from 672-735A.D. he wrote many works of history, religious works, translations, science and astrology as well as personal letters in Old English and Latin, many of which survive in whole or part. One of his English works was as short funeral prayer known as "The Death Song":

a) Original version (in modern letters and punctuation);

Fore ðæm nedfere nænig wiorðe
ðonc snottora ðon him ðearf siæ
to ymbhycgenne ær his hinionge
hwæt his gastæ godes oððe yfles
æfter deað dæge doemed wiorðe.

b) Modern Translation;

Facing that enforced journey, no man can be
More prudent than he has good call to be,
If he consider, before his going hence,
What for his spirit of good hap or of evil
After his day of death shall be determined.

Prime Numbers in various British Leids

Numbers 1 - 12 in Old English, Scots, Irish, Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Breton, Shelta and Yola.

Old English
1. An
2. Twa
3. Brie
4. Féower
5. Fif
6. Syx
7. Seofon
8. Eahta
9. Nigon
10.Tyn
11.Endlefan
12.Twelf

Scots;
1. Yin
2. Twae
3. Threi
4. Fower
5. Foive
6. Sax
7. Seeven
8. Aucht
9. Nine
10.Tenn
11.Eleveen
12.Twal

Old Irish;
1. Oen
2. Da
3. Tri
4. Cethair
5. Coic
6. Se
7. Secht
8. Ocht
9. Noi
10.Diech

Irish;
1. Aon
2. Dha
3. Tri
4. Ceathair
5. Cúig
6. Se
7. Seacht
8. Ocht
9. Naoi
10.Ten
11.Aon déag
12.Dó dhéag

Gaelic;
1. Aon
2. Da
3. Tri
4. Ceithir
5. Cóignear
6. Sia
7. Seachd
8. Ochd
9. Naoi
10.Deich
11.Aon deug
12.Dà dheug

Manx;
1. Un
2. Da
3. Tree
4. Kiare
5. Queig
6. Shey
7. Shiaght
8. Hoght
9. Nuy
10.Jei
11.Nane jeig
12.Daa yeig
13.Tree jeig

Welsh;
1. Un
2. Dau
3. Tri
4. Pedwar
5. Pump
6. Chwech
7. Saith
8. Wyth
9. Naw
10.Deg
11.Un ar Deg
12.Deudegg

Breton;
1. unan
2. daou
3. tri
4. pevar
5. pemp
6. c'hwec'h
7. seizh
8. eizh
9. nav
10.dek

Shelta;
1. Ayn
2. Odd
3. Sheeka
4. Shaka
5. Shooka
6. Shay
7. Sheltoo
8. Okht
9. Ayen
10.Chal gyetcha

Yola;
1. Oane
2. Twye
3. Dhree
4. Vowér
5. Veeve
6. Zeese
7. Zebbem
8. Ayght
9. Neene
10.Dhen