medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
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Charles Giguere /Bernadette Filotas wrote:
> Sounds wonderful, but what is it? Could you please provide a
> translation for those of us who are linguistically handicapped?
It is an entry from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. It demonstrates how
Lammas Day was a day of reference, from which to date things, as Lammas
Day is one of the Cross-Quarter Days (that is, approximately halfway
between Solstice and Equinox). The English Cross-Quarter Days: Candlemas
(Feb.2), May Day (May 1), Lammas Day (August 1), and All Hallows Day
(November 1). By the way, the Quarter Days were: Lady Day (March 25),
Midsummer Day (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29), and Christmas
(December 25).
Owing to a glitch in character coding, the Old English letters Thorn and
Eth did not come through, in my original posting.
> Could you please provide a translation for those of us who are
> linguistically handicapped?
>
An updating of the Old English into Modern English is below
This year, before Easter, King Edward ordered his men
to go to the town of Towcester, and to rebuild it. Then again,
after that, in the same year, during the gang-days,* he ordered
the town of Wigmore to be repaired. The same summer, betwixt
__Lammas__ and midsummer, the army broke their parole from
Northampton and from Leicester; and went thence northward to
Towcester, and fought against the town all day, and thought that
they should break into it; but the people that were therein
defended it, till more aid came to them; and the enemy then
abandoned the town, and went away.
*Gang-Days: From Old English "Gangan," to walk or stride. This is
Rogationtide.
Terrill
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