Wið færstice facts for kids
"Wið færstice" is an Old English medical text surviving in the collection known now as Lacnunga in the British Library. Wið fǣrstiċe [wið ˈfæːrˌsti.t͡ʃe] means 'against a sudden/violent stabbing pain'; and according to Felix Grendon, whose collection of Anglo-Saxon charms appeared in the Journal of American Folklore in 1908, “the charm is intended to cure a sudden twinge or stitch, possibly rheumatism that can be due to being shot by witches, elves, and other spirits that fly through the air.” Scholars have often sought to identify this as rheumatism, but other possibilities should not be excluded. The remedy describes how to make a salve, but its main interest lies in the unique charm which follows. This describes how the færstice has been caused by the projectiles of 'mighty women' (ða mihtigan wif), whom the healer will combat. The charm also mentions elves, believed responsible for elfshot, and provides the only attestation outside personal names of the Old English form of the name of the old Germanic gods, known as the Æsir in Norse mythology.
As with many old Anglo-Saxon charms, it is presumed that physical gestures were intended to accompany the recitation of the text. In this case, the "Wið færstice" is intended to be accompanied by boiling feverfew, red nettle grown in grain, and plantain, then boiling it all in a bowl of butter. A knife is dipped into the potion and then rubbed against the source of pain. Despite the popular use of the these herbs in forms of remedial healing, he use of these plants may have been more symbolic than practical. Many old Anglo-Saxon charms draw upon the symbolism of both pagan traditions as well as ancient Christian traditions, and the use of plants in the texts were likely related to these religious references.
Content
The first seventeen lines of the "Wið færstice" have been referred to as its "epic introduction". Howell D. Chickering Junior expressed the view that there "probably is no epic or mythic narrative" behind this introductory section, instead arguing that it should be seen as "a dramatic verbal performance". As edited and translated by Alaric Hall, the text runs:
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Hlūde wǣran hȳ lā hlūde ðā hȳ ofer þone hlǣw ridan |
They were loud, yes, loud, when they rode over the (burial) mound; |
Date
The age of "Wið færstice" has been hard to judge. Considering all of the available evidence, Medieval literature specialist Alaric Hall deemed it probable that the charm was a "cultural artefact" from the late tenth century.
Editions
- Foys, Martin et al. Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project (Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-); digital facsimile edition and Modern English translation
