184:, Grendon classifies the "Against a Wen" charm under class A: "Exorcisms of diseases or disease-spirit" due to its verbal incantation element. The performative speech within a ritual context is a defining feature of the charm genre. Characteristics common to the charm genre which appear in the "Against a wen" charm include an explanatory title, instructions or directions to carry out the ritual and a written incantation or chant. It is also classified within the category of dealing with demon-disease a common element to the charm genre where the perceived demon or spirit is lured out with flattery or threat. The "Against a wen" charm employs the former tactic of a cajoling tone when addressing the wen and asking it to leave. Rather than performing the charm on a person, the patient's body is perceived as the host for an evil spirit in which the ritual attempts to expel.
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The wise
Augustine said, that it is not perilous, though any one eat a medicinal herb; but he reprehends it as an unallowed charm, if any one bind those herbs on himself, unless he lay them on a sore. Nevertheless we should not set our hope in medicinal herbs, but in the Almighty Creator, who has
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in the
Cambridge University Library. His homily on the passion of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (folios 82r to 91r) documents his condemnation of such practises and features a warning against the use of heathen magic in which he outlines the Christian parameters within which medicinal rituals are
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Pagan idols were replaced with
Christian substitutes such as "Christ", saints or the disciples and any mention of the original pagan gods were eradicated. The clergy viewed the pagan practise of charms as demonic. Aelfric's collection of Old English homilies and saints' lives found in
172:, which is an Old English term for a cyst or skin blemish. The charm is addressed to the wen itself, asking it to leave. The charm prescribes methods for curing the blemish, and describes it as it gradually shrinks until it disappears.
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535:(Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-); digital facsimile edition and Modern English translation
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given that virtue to those herbs. No man shall enchant a herb with magic, but with God's words shall bless it, and so eat it.
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This charm is edited, annotated and linked to digital images of its manuscript pages, with translation, in the
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Out of the twelve Anglo-Saxon
Metrical charms, nine contain religious references and five ending with Amen.
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Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
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Olsen, Lea (1999). "The
Inscription of Charms in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts'".
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The charm appears on Season 5 Episode 18 "Baldur" of "Baldur" of
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when Queen Judith seeks the help of a witch for a breast tumor.
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And even so small may you become, that you become as nought.
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metrical charm and medical text found in the London,
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412:Grendon, Felix (1909). "The Anglo-Saxon Charms".
317:Here you shall not build, nor any dwelling have,
558:(Original Old English Text of 'Against a Ƿen').
336:Under the eagle's claw - ever may you wither!
319:But forth you must, even to the near-by hill,
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53:introducing citations to additional sources
477:Dobbie, Elliott Van Kirk (18 August 2023).
1412:Metrical Preface and Epilogue to Alfred's
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321:Where a poor wretch, a brother you have;
43:Relevant discussion may be found on the
547:Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project
532:Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project
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324:He shall lay you a leaf at your head.
133:about a translation to modern English.
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1340:"An Exhortation to Christian Living"
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363:And much smaller, likewise, than a
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348:Shrink as the muck in the stream,
1358:"Old English Psalms" (fragments)
564:(Translation of 'Against a Wen')
414:The Journal of American Folklore
120:
36:relies largely or entirely on a
25:
1428:Metrical Epilogue to CCCC MS 41
351:And dwindle even as water in a
551:https://oepoetryfacsimile.org/
378:Appearances in popular culture
357:May you become as little as a
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302:alswa anes handwurmes hupeban,
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180:Along with eight other of the
1:
1334:"Proverb from Winfrid's time"
1279:"Paris Psalter" (BNF MS 8824)
481:. Columbia University Press.
1229:Capture of the Five Boroughs
1532:Anglo-Saxon metrical charms
1173:For Loss or Theft of Cattle
650:For Loss or Theft of Cattle
600:Anglo-Saxon metrical charms
507:The Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems
479:The Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems
304:and alswa litel þu gewurþe
236:her ne scealt þu timbrien,
182:Anglo-Saxon Metrical charms
1548:
562:'Seven Anglo-Saxon Charms'
188:Christianity and the Charm
16:Anglo-Saxon metrical charm
1234:"The Coronation of Edgar"
870:The Fates of the Apostles
505:Elliott Van Kirk Dobbie,
242:ac þu scealt norþ eonene
1409:"Latin-English Proverbs"
1256:The Rime of King William
1005:"The Order of the World"
522:Seven Anglo-Saxon Charms
1385:The Seasons for Fasting
1352:"The Lord's Prayer III"
1239:The Death of King Edgar
1088:"Homiletic Fragment II"
1072:"The Descent into Hell"
308:þet þu nawiht gewurþe.
1422:'s translation of the
1346:"The Lord's Prayer II"
896:"Homiletic Fragment I"
315:Wen, wen, little wen,
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290:alswa weter on anbre.
248:þer þu hauest, ermig,
228:
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131:is missing information
1343:"A Summons to Prayer"
1251:"The Death of Edward"
1187:For Water-Elf Disease
1105:The Husband's Message
1085:"The Lord's Prayer I"
664:For Water-Elf Disease
292:Swa litel þu gewurþe
246:to þan nihgan berhge,
200:
1527:Old English medicine
1418:Metrical Preface to
1298:The Battle of Maldon
1222:Battle of Brunanburh
1066:"The Judgment Day I"
725:Anglo-Saxon paganism
277:alswa col on heorþe,
265:under ueþer earnes,
240:ne nenne tun habben,
49:improve this article
1246:The Death of Alfred
1166:For a Swarm of Bees
993:The Fortunes of Men
643:For a Swarm of Bees
330:'s foot, under the
283:alswa scerne aƿage,
267:under earnes clea,
1483:Alliterative verse
1361:"The Kentish Hymn"
1319:Solomon and Saturn
1284:Finnsburh Fragment
1274:Metres of Boethius
964:"The Gifts of Men"
767:Old English poetry
720:Alliterative verse
598:The Twelve Extant
556:'Old English Text'
296:alswa linsetcorn,
261:Under fot wolues,
255:He þe sceal legge
1514:
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1445:
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1397:Bede's Death Song
1337:"Judgment Day II"
1180:For Delayed Birth
1061:The Wife's Lament
1048:Wulf and Eadwacer
884:Dream of the Rood
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657:For Delayed Birth
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298:and miccli lesse
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1488:Beasts of battle
1324:"The Menologium"
1194:Nine Herbs Charm
1034:Soul and Body II
1010:The Rhyming Poem
843:Christ and Satan
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703:Bald's Leechbook
671:Nine Herbs Charm
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1391:Cædmon's "Hymn"
1367:"The Gloria II"
1261:
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1159:A Journey Charm
1145:Against a dwarf
1129:Metrical charms
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1029:"The Partridge"
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877:Soul and Body I
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622:Against a Dwarf
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420:(84): 105–237.
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64:"Against a Wen"
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1075:"Alms-Giving"
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1069:"Resignation"
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854:Vercelli Book
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367:'s hip-bone!
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66: –
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60:Find sources:
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39:
38:single source
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
1499:
1423:
1413:
1317:
1291:Waldere A, B
1201:Wið færstice
1151:
972:The Seafarer
959:The Wanderer
935:Guthlac A, B
889:
882:
861:
841:
834:
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816:
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789:
782:Nowell Codex
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678:Wið færstice
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466:(2): 401–19.
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252:enne broþer.
229:
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145:January 2019
142:
130:
102:
92:
85:
78:
71:
59:
35:
18:
1355:"The Creed"
1266:Other poems
1017:The Panther
945:The Phoenix
905:Exeter Book
286:and weorne
198:acceptable.
176:Charm Genre
162:Old English
1521:Categories
1370:"A Prayer"
1364:"Psalm 50"
967:"Precepts"
928:Christ III
515:0231087705
392:References
326:Under the
279:scring þu
273:Clinge þu
213:Charm text
195:MS li.1.33
75:newspapers
1424:Dialogues
1414:Hierdeboc
1380:"Aldhelm"
1329:Maxims II
1312:Rune poem
1212:Chronicle
1024:The Whale
979:Vainglory
940:"Azarias"
921:Christ II
818:Genesis A
809:Junius MS
434:0021-8715
365:hand-worm
342:upon the
334:'s wing,
137:talk page
45:talk page
1493:Kennings
1467:Cynewulf
1420:Wærferth
1117:Riddles
1112:The Ruin
1053:Riddles
1000:Maxims I
914:Christ I
696:Lacnunga
500:Editions
160:" is an
105:May 2017
1500:Beowulf
1457:Aldhelm
1375:Thureth
1138:Æcerbot
1097:Riddle
1091:Riddle
1080:Pharaoh
986:Widsith
952:Juliana
863:Andreas
791:Beowulf
713:Origins
688:Sources
615:Æcerbot
385:Vikings
361:grain,
359:linseed
89:scholar
1462:Cædmon
1305:Durham
836:Daniel
829:Exodus
798:Judith
607:Charms
528:et al.
513:
485:
442:534353
440:
432:
344:hearth
91:
84:
77:
70:
62:
1476:Other
1450:Poets
1214:poems
1119:61–95
891:Elene
774:Poems
438:JSTOR
332:eagle
96:JSTOR
82:books
1506:Scop
1055:1–59
1041:Deor
511:ISBN
483:ISBN
430:ISSN
353:pail
340:coal
328:wolf
68:news
1093:30b
422:doi
170:wen
51:by
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