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~ Historical & Classical Poetry ~

 

The Abecedarium Nordmannicum 

From the manuscript MS.878, p.321, dated 825 CE, found in the library of the St. Gallen monastery (Switzerland). 
It is a mnemonic rune recital, written in a language blend of Old Low and Old High German, Anglo-Saxon and Norse. 
While there are no formal stanzas, notice some alliteration even in this very fragmentary style on F, U, Th, (R), C/K, and L.

Feu forman                                Cattle first
Ur after                                      Ur after
Thuris thritten stabu                    Giant third stave
Os ist (t)hemo oboro                  Ase this one follows
Rat endos(t) uurita(n)                 Ride as last risted
Cha(on) thanne cliuot                 Chaon then follows/cleaves
Hagal                                         Hail 
Nau(t) habet                              Need holds
Is                                               Ice
Ar                                             Year  
endi Sol                                     and Sun
T(ir)                                           Tyr
Brica midi                                  Birch with (them)
endi Man                                   and Man
Lagu the leohto                          Water the bright
Yr al bihab(et)                           Yew holds all.


Source: Dr. Henrike Lähnemann, 2002/2003, German Seminar, University of Tübingen/Gemany. Read her article. The image is a reproduction of the original handwriting.

Translation to English by me, based on the translation in the above article.