ADDENDUM:
I've managed to partially answer my own question:
Saxon is a form of old German.
In modern German, the word 'dreiheit' refers to trinity.
'Drit' refers to the number three.
These are feminine nouns.
The German word 'drit' became 'dirt' or 'earth' in English.
Did the ancient (Anglo)Saxons view the earth as feminine or masculine?
Perhaps I should simply congratulate neo-pagans on their ability to
subvert the dominant paradigm and leave it at that.
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Greetings All,
Referring to Old English (West Saxon and Northumbrian dialect) versions
of Caedmon's Hymn and the Bible, one finds the term 'ece Drihten'
(West Saxon) or 'eci dryctin' (Northumbrian) translated into modern
English as 'Eternal Lord'.
A friend recently attended an Anderson Feri Trad ritual which referred
to 'Drychten' [sic] as Goddess.
It had been my understanding that the term 'dryctin' is a neuter
referring to 'The Eternal One' which "begat"
the masculine and feminine forms. But, I can't find provenance for
this statement other than modern
Wicca sources.
The University of Texas at Austin Linguistics Research Center maintains
a webpage:
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/engol-7-R.html
which explains that drihten is in fact masculine and gives its meaning
as 'lord, prince, ruler'.
Can any of you refer me to another Old English linguistics authority
which might refute this in support
of either the modern Wicca neuter or modern Feri trad feminine
assertions?
(I'm really hoping this isn't yet another case of what I've come to
refer to as "neo-pagan-dumb").
It would be equally wonderful to discover that drihten as 'ruler'
referred to a measuring device...
Thanks much,
Felicia Swayne-Heidrick
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