"Magical" Spells

I searched the internet for awhile in search of a spell that appealed to me and did something "magical" with language. In my search I became a bit frightened because spells are so supernatural, so I had to limit my searching in the daytime hours. I found a great site that had several contemporary spells written by people all over the world. At this site I was unable to cut and paste because of plagiarism, so, I decided to give you the website. Please read the second spell, titled "Getting Over Spell." I chuckled out loud at this one. I loved the rhyming scheme along with the authors choice of words. The spell is short, but to the point.

http://www.spellsandmagic.com/spells.html

Metrical Charm in Old English

What is a Metrical Charm?

The Metrical Charms are the only remaining examples of what Heathen charms may have been like for the pagan Jutes, Angles, and Saxons. The spells are mostly of a type used for healing. Though a few also are for recovery of stolen cattle, or to calm swarms of bees. http://www.ealdriht.org/charms.html

Metrical Charm 5: For Loss of Cattle

Modern English
As soon as anyone tells you that your goods are lost, you must first of all, before you say anything else, say:

Bethlehem is the name of the town where Christ was born it is well known over the entire world, So this deed may be known among men.
Through the holy cross of Christ! Amen.


Then bow three times to the east and say three times: ‘Crux Christi ab oriente reducath.’


Then bow three times to the west and say three times: ‘Crux Christi ab occidente reducat.’


Then bow three times to the south and say three times: ‘Crux Christi ab aquilone reducath, crux abscondita est et inuenta est.’


The Jews hanged Christ, did the worst of deeds to him, and hid what they might not keep hidden. So this deed may not be concealed in any way, through holy cross of Christ. Amen.


Old English
þonne þe mon ærest secge þæt þin ceap sy losod, þonne cweð þu ærest, ær þu elles hwæt cweþe:
Bæðleem hatte seo buruh þe Crist on acænned wæs, seo is gemærsod geond ealne middangeard; swa þyos dæd for monnum mære gewurþe
þurh þa haligan Cristes rode! Amen. Gebide þe þonne þriwa east and cweþ þonne þriwa: Crux Christi ab oriente reducað. Gebide þe þonne þriwa west and cweð þonne þriwa: Crux Christi ab occidente reducat. Gebide þe þonne þriwa suð and cweþ þriwa: Crux Christi ab austro reducat. Gebide þonne þriwa norð and cweð þriwa: Crux Christi ab aquilone reducað, crux Christi abscondita est et inuenta est. Iudeas Crist ahengon, dydon dæda þa wyrrestan, hælon þæt hy forhelan ne mihtan. Swa þeos dæd nænige þinga forholen ne wurþe þurh þa haligan Cristes rode. Amen.

Childhood Memories

I was able to think of several sayings, chants, and a prayer that was recited many times when I was a young girl.

See a penny, pick it up; all day long you’ll have good luck
This saying is still popular today. I remember that not only was it good luck to find the penny, but if it was found with heads up then it was double the good luck.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me
Oh boy do I remember saying this. I remember saying it and feeling powerful. Obviously words do hurt children and adults, but I always felt that if I screamed this chant the hurt would go away, and I swear sometimes it worked.

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen
This was our family mealtime prayer.

Star Light Star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
If I saw a shooting star, and recited this poem, I was sure that my wish would come true. I remember looking at the sky many times and reciting it. What a magical experience is was to see a shooting star and believe that my wish was going to come true.

He love me, he loves me not
I think I was still doing this one in high school (hahahahaha). I would pull the pedals from a flower and when the last pedal was pulled I either ended up finding out if the boy loved me or didn't. I recall the more pedals I pulled the louder my voice would get, and if it ended up that he loved me I would skip around the yard excitedly.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.
Step on a line break your mother’s spine.
This was another common chant when I was in elementary school. In fact, I remember every walk I took I tried to avoid the cracks.

Author Quest

Do any of these quotations sound familiar to you?

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”

These are famous quotes by William Shakespeare, which are found in his plays: As You Like It, Midsummer Nights Dream, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. Some of you may be knowledgeable about William Shakespeare and his many contributions to literature and history. William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language. Already a popular writer in his own lifetime, Shakespeare became increasingly famous after his death in 1616 and his work was admired by many well-known cultural figures throughout the centuries. Shakespeare's works have been translated into every major living language, and his plays are continually performed all around the world. Shakespeare is also the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world, and many of his quotations have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages. Shakespeare is credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with the introduction of nearly 3,000 words into the language. This is why studying Shakespeare is so important.

Along with his plays, Shakespeare also wrote several sonnets and a variety other poems. I have chosen to study the language Shakespeare used in some of his sonnets. A sonnet is composed of three rhymed quatrains and a rhymed couplet. He wrote 154 sonnets, which each consisted of 14 lines total. The theme of his sonnets concerned love, beauty, and faith.

Sonnet 147
My love is as a fever longing still,
For that which longer nurseth the disease;
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
The uncertain sickly appetite to please.

My reason, the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve
Desire is death, which physic did except.

Past cure I am, now Reason is past care,
And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed;

For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.

My Movie Review

This past weekend I watched the movie Spellbound. This was a documentary film that follows the lives of eight young Americans who share one goal: to win the National Spelling Bee in Washington DC. There were two reasons why I chose this film verses the others listed. First, we talked about this National Spelling Bee in class, which aired on ESPN and I didn’t have the opportunity to watch. Second, this film was an academy award nominee for best documentary in 2002.

The film started with a brief introduction of each child’s life. I found it very interesting how all the families were all so different. They varied in regards to, socioeconomic status, educational views, ethnicity, and family make-up. For example, Nupar was a young girl from Florida, originally from India. Her parents stressed to her that second chances don’t occur in India, so she needs to push herself to be successful. Angela was from Texas and neither of her parents spoke English. April was from Pennsylvania, was raised with two parents who played with language and words and she credits them for her love of words. Neil was from California, and the pressure to succeed was overwhelming. His parents hired foreign language tutors, a spelling coach, and worked with him themselves. Despite the pressure these children were under, they were unbelievably motivated and focused to succeed.

Throughout the competition almost every child asked the origin of the word they were expected to spell and what the word meant, knowing this information helped them to organize the spelling in their heads. I realized how important it is to know the history and origin of words and it finally made sense to me why Tom wants us to find the etymology of words. Too many people words is nothing more than a compilation of letters, but knowing where a word comes from can help us to appreciate language.

The Story of Eve

August 8, 860, it was a hot summer for Edna and Harold Madison and it was about to be one of the happiest days of their lives; Edna was about to give birth to her first child. Harold was the king of Wessex and the pressure was high for him and Edna to have a son who could carry on the family name and take over the reign. To their regret they gave birth to a baby girl and although they were struck with dissatisfaction, they soon realized how precious Eve was and she became a focus of their everyday activities.

Eve was her fathers shadow and longed to be like him. She wanted to rule Wessex and make her father proud, but her father ruled this idea impossible. He stated, “No woman has or is capable of being a king.” King Harold spent the next year protecting Wessex and the people, but in 871, the Vikings moved against the last Anglo-Saxon kingdom in Britain, Wessex.

King Harold was a strong man who continued to fight until he was wounded and no one was left to protect the city, so in desperation he appointed Eve to rule Wessex. She was determined to make her father proud and she built a strong navy. In 878, Eve and a large group of Anglo-Saxons make one last stand. Eve leads the Anglo-Saxons to a victory and gets an oath from the kings of Denmark that the Danes will leave Wessex forever. She was respected by all the people and she made King Harold proud.


Translated Version (to the best of my ability)
August 8, 860, hit was on geglédan summer for Edna ond Harold Madison ond hit was ábútan tó licgan num án of se happiest dægehwelc of hira lífdæg; Edna was ábútan tó giefan cenning tó hire ǽrost cild. Harold was se cyning of Wessex ond se pressure was lyfte for hine ond Edna tó habban on cniht (boy) hwa could ferian on se cynn nemnan ond don ofer se ricsian. To hira besargian hie giefan cenning tó on cild girl ond although hie were struck mid dissatisfaction. Hie hraðe onfindan hu léoflic Eve was ond heo became se focus of hira dægehwelc (daily) cáfe.

Eve was hire fæder sceadu ond langoþ tó beon gelic fæder (father). Heo næft (wanted/needed) tó rædan Wessex ond don hire fæder prúd, butan hire fæder rædan pes hicgan(idea,plan) náht ácumendlic. Hine said, “Na fæmne has or is gefindig of beon on cyning. Cyning Harold spent se oðer gear beorgan Wessex ond the léode, butan in 871, se Vikings astyrian ongean se níehst Anglo-Saxon cyneric in Britain, Wessex.

Cyning Harold was on forstrang mann hwa ge-læstan tó feohtan hwænne he was gúðwérig, ond nænig was lǽfan tó beorgan se burgsteall so in forðencan (despair) he ceosan(choose/appointed) Eve tó rædan Wessex. Heo was higeþigtig tó don hire fæder prúd ond heo betimbran a forstrang nafela. In 878, Eve ond a numol clíewen of Anglo-Saxons don án níehst fandian (attempt ?). Eve lædan se Anglo-Saxons tó on sigeléan ond ábiddan an áðstæf fram se cyning of Denmark þæt se Danes yrfebéc leaf Wessex æfre. Heo was árfæst by ǽghwilc ond heo don (make/made) Cyning Harold prúd.




To help me with my translation I used 2 websites:

www.mun.ca/Ansaxdat/vocab/wordlist.html

http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/oeme_dictionaries.htm

This is a list of words that are written in my translated version. I made this list for myself, which helped me write and read my story (the bolded letters in some of the words are actually written with a line above them,but I wasn't sure how to add the line):

who=hwa

this=pes

the=se

a=on

and=ond

it=hit

her=hire

him=hine

their=hira

they=hie

she=heo

he=he

in=in

was, of, for, has, is, could, said, were, an, spent, struck, appointed=? (I was unable to find these words)

Old English Riddle

Old English

Ic seah wrætlice wuhte feower
samed siþian; swearte wæran lastas,
swaþu swiþe blacu. Swift wæs on fore,
fuglum framra; fleag on lyfte,
deaf under yþe. Dreag unstille winnende wiga se him wegas tæcneþ
ofer fæted gold feower eallum.




Translation

I saw four weird fellows traveling
Together as one. This creature seemed swift,
Bolder than birds-left black tracks.
It flew through air and dove under waves.
The warrior who winds all four over gold--
Plated roads pushed restlessly on.




Solution
Quill Pen and Fingers

New/Discovered Old English Words
ofer=over

lyfte=air

wraetlice=weird

unstille=restless

fuglum=bird

blacu=black

History of the Word "Bird"

I found that the word bird has no common origin with another language, its origination is from old English. I discovered many phrases and slang meanings for the word, which is quite different than the feathery friend we are familiar with.

In 1546, the word meant "secret source of information"

The slang meaning "middle finger held up in a rude gesture" is from 1860s and this gesture was kept alive, but slightly changed meaning.

In 1922, the middle finger gesture was used to greet someone with boos, hisses, and catcalls.

In 1960, the middle finger gesture changed to "up yours," and the finger represented a hypothetical object to be inserted.

Common phrases or sayings and the year they were first heard:

"Bird-Brain" - 1943- suggested flightiness

"Bird Cage"- 1490

"Bird's-Eye View"-1762

"For the Birds"- 1944

Siren Song

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:


the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who has heard it
is dead, and the others can't remember.


Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?


I don't enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical


with these two feathery maniacs,
I don't enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.


I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song


is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique at last.


Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.



I had the opportunity to recite "Siren Song," by memory, to my world literature class. What an experience it was, it was very difficult to memorize and be expressive at the same time. I feel that the vocabulary Atwood chooses to use throughout the poem has a hypnotic effect on the reader and listener.

In Greek Mythology, sirens were sea deities who lived on an island called Sirenum Scopuli; a siren was half bird and half female. It played music that was irresistible to seamen traveling by in their boats. The beautiful music that they heard and the sight of the beautiful women caused the men to jump overboard to swim closer, but what the seamen didn't realize was they were jumping to their deaths. The sirens hypnotized their victims, as the poem hypnotizes the reader. The reference to beached skulls, in the second stanza, belong to all the men who have fallen into the trap of the sirens song. I feel it is worth noting that although the siren in the poem seems unhappy, the power it gets from its song over takes its unhappiness.

Here is link to a bio about Atwood, along with some more of her poems. Enjoy!!!
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/margaret_atwood

A Favorite Quote

"WORDS ARE TO TRUTH AS CLOUDS ARE TO A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET--PLEASANT AN VIBRANT, YET BEYOND ALL THAT IS REALLY ESSENTIAL."
`
-LAURA TERESA MARQUEZ