OERP Book: Chapter Nineteen

By Gary G. Stanfield.  Previously published in:  Stanfield, Gary G. 1998d. “Excerpts from the OERP Book, Chapters 18 and 19”. The Rune 9 (Winter): 35-44.

 

Suggested listing of this edition in reference list format:  Stanfield, Gary G.  2003. “OERP Book: Chapter Nineteen”. In Gary Stanfield's Web Pages [Online]. Available http://pages.prodigy.net/gary_s/toc.htm. [Visited: DateYouWereHere].

 

 

 

 

 

eh byþ for eorlum ∙ æþelinga wyn

hors hofum wlanc ∙ ðær him hæleþas ymb

welege on wicgum ∙ wrixlaþ spræce

and biþ unstyllum ∙ æfre frofur

 

Translations

(A)  Transliteration

is    for {earls, nobles, warriors}

 

{noblemen’s, princes’, kings’; heroes’; men’s; mankind’s; ennobled persons’}     {delight, pleasure, joy}

 

horse    (on)     hooves     {proud, high spirited; bold; exultant; stately, high, august; magnificent; rich; obnoxiously proud or arrogant, haughty}

 

{where; whilst, in so far as, when}     (referring to the horse)him     {men; warriors; heroes}     {around; near by}

 

{wealthy ones, rich ones,  valuable ones}     on     {horses, steeds}

 

{exchange, trade, reciprocate}     {talk, statements – “wrixlaþ spræce” is an idiom for “to converse”}

 

and     is     (to the)     {restless; disturbed, troubled; those on the move}

 

{ever, always; under any circumstances, in any case}     {solace, comfort; benefit}

 

(B)

A warrior’s equine is for the elite ∙ exalted joy!
A horse on hooves so splendid ∙ while heroes him about,
Rich ones on rides, ∙ rapartee with each other.
And to the uneasy ∙ ever is it comfort.

 

(C)

A warrior’s steed, for the strong, is ∙ a joy of esteemed ones!
The horse on hooves so fine, ∙ while heroes around it,
Moneyed ones on mounts, ∙ conversation make.
And for the agitated, ∙ ever is it a comfort.

 

(E)

For earls, a warrior’s horse is ∙ a delight of princes,
Pride on the hoof, ∙ while men around it,
Wealthy ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk.
And it is to the restless ∙ ever a benefit.

 

(F)

For earls, a war horse is ∙ a joy of mankind.
Proud to stand ∙ while warriors around it,
Rich ones on steeds, ∙ exchange remarks.
And it is to the restless ∙ ever a benefit.

 

(G)

For earls, a warrior’s horse is ∙ noblemen’s joy –
Pride on the hoof – ∙ insofar as warriors around it,
Wealthy ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk
And to those on the move, ∙ it is ever a benefit.

 

(H)

For earls, a war horse is ∙ noblemen’s joy –
Pride on the hoof – ∙ insofar as heroes around it,
Wealthy ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk.
And to the troubled, ∙ it is ever a comfort.

 

 (I)

For nobles, a war horse is ∙ men’s joy.
That is, a horse magnificent on its hooves ∙ where warriors around it,
Wealthy ones on steeds, ∙ converse.
And to the troubled, ∙ it is ever a comfort.

 

(J)

For nobles, a war horse is ∙ a pleasure of ennobled persons –
Pride on the hoof – ∙ insofar as warriors around it,
Valuable ones on horses, ∙ exchange remarks.
And to those on the move, ∙ it is ever a benefit.

 

(K)

For nobles, a war horse is ∙ a pleasure of ennobled persons –
Pride on the hoof – ∙ insofar as warriors around it,
Valuable ones on horses, ∙ exchange remarks.
And to the disturbed, ∙ it is ever a comfort.

 

(L)

For warriors, a war horse is ∙ a delight of princes,
For it is horse high spirited on its hooves ∙ when warriors around it,
Rich ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk.
And to the troubled, ∙ it is always a solace.

 

(M)

For nobles, a war horse is ∙ noblemen’s joy.
A horse magnificent on its hooves ∙ while warriors near it,
Rich ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk.
And to those on the move, ∙ it is ever a benefit.

 

(N)

For earls, a warrior’s horse is ∙ noblemen’s joy –
A fine equine – ∙ while heroes around it,
Wealthy ones on steeds, ∙ trade talk.
And to the disturbed, it is ∙ ever a comfort.

 

Issues in Edition and Translation

The Title Word

There are two points of view on the definition of the title word. (1) Most students of this poem has translated eh as “horse” (Dickins, 1915; Dob­bie, 1942; Halsall, 1981; Healy et al, 1996; Kemble, 1840; Osborn and Longland, 1982; Page, 1972; Paul, 1996; Pollington, 1996; Thorsson, 1987, 1993; Shippey, 1972). (2) However, the highly-regarded Bosworth-Toller and Hall dictionaries define the title word more narrow­ly as “war horse” or “charger” (Bosworth and Toller, 1898, 1921; Hall, 1960). Since it makes a difference for interpretation whether the eh is specifically a warrior’s horse or a generic horse, I must attempt a stand on this issue.

 

“Hofum wlanc”

An idiom is an expression that does not make sense if taken literally, but that conveys a clearly-understood meaning to those who know it. "Hofum wlanc" (on hooves proud / magnificent) appears to be such an expression. It implies that the horse stands proudly or very well - that it looks good when standing.

 

There is another view of this expression. The major thrust of the stanza is the value of the eh to earls. Instead of changing the subject in the third verse, we can discuss a value of the eh to the eorlas. It makes the earls proud.

 

Idioms can be freely translated. Just as "meat on the hoof" refers to the value of beeves for humans, "pride on the hoof" refers to a value the warrior's horse can provide its owner. I make more explicit a meaning that is implicit in the original.

 

This interpretation helps clarify "Social Pleasure" and other implicit stanzas of "Eh".

The correct translation is “war horse”, or more precisely, “war­rior’s horse”. The focal word has two spelling forms: eh and eoh. In addition, it is sometimes written as just the rune stave in­stead of being spelled out I ex­amin­ed every use of eh, eoh, or the stave in surviving Old English literature. The focal word always clearly refers to a warrior’s horse. It is never a charger — the English did not make significant use of chargers before 1000 CE. Eh is one of the less ambiguous title words in this poem.

 

It is important that the eh is a specialized kind of horse because the stanza talks about a fairly special type of person. This kind of horse indicates something in common among a certain kind of elite person.

 

Hæleþas

Most students of the Old English Rune Poem are uncomfortable with the ending of Line 2 in the “origin­al”: “ðær him hæleþe ymb”. For one thing, they feel that strict rules of ancient Teutonic meter require another sylla­ble at the end of the verse. They also object to the grammatical error: hæleþe would be singular dative, implying that the warrior’s horse is around a single warrior. Certainly, the intent of the poet(s) was that the warriors are plural and that they are around the war horse.

 

To Halsall, the most conservative emendation of this line is to put a proper nominative plural ending in hæleþ, making the verse “ðær him hæleþas ymb”. Her case for this is primarily grammatical, and I agree with her grammatical reasoning per se. Actually, it was common to leave off the inflexional ending when using hæleþ in the plural, so that an absence of an inflexional ending would also be gramma­tically correct. However, there are esthetic considerations as well. Halsall mentions formal metrical rules, but I shall resort to a subjective consideration. Speaking or singing the line with an inflexional ending on hæleþ is prettier than without. (See Bessinger, 1960; Dobbie, 1942; Hall, 1960; Halsall, 1981).

 

Discussion

Students of rune lore tend to thing of stanzas mentioning horses as referring to progress. However, in this stanza, the idea of a person going anywhere – literally or figuratively – is a more important part of the discussion as the implicit stanzas become more cryptic. At the lowest level, movement or travel is not a major topic.

 

At the least abstract level of meaning, “The Warrior’s Horse” tells us a little about the nature of the warrior’s horse and its place early medieval Teutonic society. Although the discussion emphasizes warriors and their horses, the empha­sis is clearly on nonmartial values.

 

At the second level of meaning, the discussion is of the social psycho­logy of attraction and integration. The chief staves give a general clue to the thrust of the metaphors: “nobles”, “heroes”, “exchange”, and “ever”. This implies an elite who a lot in common, including something they can count on, a source of security. These ideas are discus­sed in “Social Pleasure”, “Social Integration is Useful for Social Mobility”, “Insecurity and Possessions”, and “Esoteric Practice Can Be Fun”.

 

Finally, at the most abstract level, we find a warning about the pitfalls of esoteric ways. “Distractions of Esoteric Practice” says that we can stop at the outside, satisfied to admire the exterior of the building, and not make it in.

 

The Warrior’s Horse

Translation B describes some of the characteristics and value of the warrior’s horse. The existence of a special term for these animals implies that they were of a special type.

 

Both physical and psychological characteristics would have been important. Apparently, they were selected for good looks – perhaps in ancient as in modern times, pride was a relatively important value to soldiers. Although these ani­mals were for transportation and were not prepared for direct use in combat, their traits would also reflect a fighter’s emphasis on physical vigor and high spirits.

 

The value of such a horse would be partly practical and partly social. Since not every warrior had a mount to ride to the battlefield, possession of an eh would imply prestige as well as convenience and allow membership in an elite frater­nity. Fighters with horses probably liked their mounts and enjoyed taking an interest in this type of animal, not to mention taking an interest in their friends’ proud possessions. (Horses can enjoy this kind of attention). And last but not least (if you will pardon the cliché!), the warrior’s steed allowed him to go far and fast when the human felt the need.

 

Social Pleasure

The topic of this implicit stanza is human nature. Translation F describes the warrior’s horse as a focus of a kind of joy that is characteristic of mankind. There is something that is a focus for interaction and that passes for the reason for social­iz­ing. While the focus object or activity does provide an important attraction, people just like to get together and visit and play. In Translation F, we see a description of a happy gathering of people who have in common attractive charac­ter­istics, a social status, and certain interests. Most of Translation F discusses the horse as if it were the main topic and focuses on a type of social occasion. It is the second verse, “a joy of mankind”, that ties this activity into the broader human perspective.

 

Social Integration is Useful for Social Mobility

This implicit stanza is most clearly supported by Translations E, G, and M. These translations emphasize social integration, then conclude by introducing an ulterior motive – ambition. People have a natural tendency to reward those who help them feel comfortable and happy. This tends to produce that very common weakness we have for the socially appealing. The ability to integrate socially, especial­ly in recreational circumstances, is often euphemized as “personality”. The implicit stanza “Social Integration is Useful for Social Mobility” tells us that it is quite useful to have “personality” if you want others to allow or help you succeed. Membership, even if informal, has its privileges!

 

The advantage of achieving recreational social integration applies in a broad range of contexts. It applies in gainful employment, in religious organizations, in sports, and in other areas of life. Having technical skills or being deserving can be important, but most people have noticed cases where someone seems to prosper, or at least survive, mostly on the basis of just being likeable in ways that are not related to the work at hand.

 

Translation E emphasizes the value of pleasing those who outrank you and who can directly grant success or failure, in addition to affecting your chances in more subtle ways. In addition the third verse, “pride on the hoof”, highlights the psychological value to the focal person that comes from pleasing groups of esteemed people and those who outrank one.

 

Note that the expression “wrixlaþ spræce” – literally “trade talk” – emphasizes the equality of intercourse between participants. In addition to meeting on the same social level, the notion of exchange implies that the participants take a genuine interest in what each other is doing. The pleasing of superiors implied in Translation E is not boot-licking, and it is not insubordinate. It is just being a pleasant associate.

 

Translation G emphasizes integrating with one’s peers, and being proud to do so. It explains that the boost to the earls’ morale is not due to the horse per se, but due to the reaction of esteemed colleagues. Integration among equals is even more emphasized by the first line of Translation M, which shows very similar words (noble and nobleman) used to translate two structurally different words from the original.

 

Insecurity and Possessions

This implicit stanza is most clearly supported by Transla­tions C, H, L, and N. All these translations have in common the notions of preventing or coping with emotional difficulty. “Insecurity and Posses­sions” shows how a possession can help fulfill important social needs.

 

In Translation C, we see a sign of that normal insecurity that characterizes people, the need to socialize. More specifi­cally, we see a need to share good times with esteemed ones. In contrast, the same translation presents an image of a less healthy person gaining comfort from a warrior’s horse. A neurotic or merely upset person could use his or her steed to flee a stressful social situation. This flight could be physical, by going on a ride alone, or simply by taking care of an animal and enjoying its company. However, we must not overlook the fact that the equine-centered social involvement described in the first three lines can provide a therapeutic benefit.

 

Translations C and H complement each other. Transla­tion H says practically the same as Translation C, but Translation H is closer to the wording of the original. Translation C retains more of the “feel” of the original by being truer to the rules of Teutonic meter. Translation N uses a freer and more interpretive rendering of “hors hofum wlanc” to convey a feeling of emotional uplift which was probably carried by the original phrase.

 

As noted before in this book, Old English (and ancient Teutonic) poetry is characterized in part by extensive parataxis – coordinating conjunctions are often omitted. Translation L supplies a coordinating conjunction to aid in interpreting the third verse: “For it is a horse high spirited on its hooves”. In this aspect of the “Insecurity and Posses­sions”, the earls have a good time in part because the warrior’s horse shares their enjoyment.

 

Esoteric Practice Can Be Fun

Translations B and J provide relatively clear support for a religion-oriented implicit stanza. This is because in those translations I interpreted æþeling as referring to the moral sense of “noble”. Religion functions well for a person to the extent that it is a means of living better, and living better involves both greater personal efficiency and higher levels of rectitude.

 

Recall that the warrior’s horse was not commonly used in combat, as a charger, but as transportation to the battlefield. Thus, the eh is a good analogy for religion or for religious techniques, which are means for making progress toward an exciting goal. The goal of religion is not a destination nor a permanent, static condition, but often a person who under­takes intensively esoteric religious endeavors finds himself or herself temporarily in a “transported” ecstatic condition.

 

Translation J discusses transforming-type religious practice as fun. It has side benefits which are important. These pleasures are known to the insiders, the esoteric practi­tioners. They can take pride from their practice and skills insofar as their esteemed colleagues socialize together in that kind of interested and equalitarian interaction des­cribed in “Social Pleasure”. These colleagues are rich in numinous experience, but also rich in noble qualities that make them valuable to others. We are reminded that, in addition to being fun, a religion and its techniques facilitate making progress.

 

It is certainly the case that there are highs to be experienced in meditation, prayer, and magic. There are also elements of play involved in attempts to achieve an extraordinary state. Costuming (or ritual nudity), use of paraphernalia, singing, dancing, and other aspects of religious ceremony can be fun in themselves. The fun can help a person relax and achieve higher levels of mental concentration.

 

The words of the authentically poetic Translation B present a more ambiguous view of the stanza than do the words of Translation J. But the emotion conveyed by Translation B is much more expressive of the nonverbal aspect of “Esoteric Practice Can Be Fun” than is any other translation.

 

Translations B and K also bring out the notion that practices and beliefs which are designed to enhance mental concen­tration can be therapeutic to a person who is emotionally uncomfortable or overly labile. The wording of Translation I, “a horse magnificent on its hooves”, emphasizes that at least the outward performance or appearance should be proficient – and better still if inwardly you are doing what you need when you horse is on its hooves.

 

Distractions of Esoteric Practice

So serious, sophisticated religious or magical practice can be fun. Many of us might be find that idea refreshing or vindi­cating, but we have been trained to believe that anything so adult-oriented and good for you cannot be very much fun. This raises the question of whether there might not be a catch.

 

There is another side of the coin of “Esoteric Practice Can Be Fun”, for esoteric practices can be distracting. They can be too much fun. This is one of the reasons that many persons avoid Tantric practice – sexual intercourse can be more fun than religion. Less extreme fun can also be distracting. Many of us have experienced persons whose talents at the more superficial aspects of religion or magic are quite impressive, but whose lives otherwise are not impressive.

 

It is not just that some people will have only a superficial involvement with this kind of discipline. Even the most dedicated and intense of us can occasionally be stopped at the door because the door is so neat. It is just human nature that people will vary in the frequency to which they are distracted by ritual, but anyone can be subject to this distraction. (See also LeShan, 1974).

 

Themes

Simple Themes

·        Warrior’s horse

·        A fine possession

·        Traits in common

·        Elite persons

·        Elite friends

·        Joy

·        Socializing

·        Mankind’s need to socialize

·        Ostensible basis of socializing

·        The company of an animal partner

·        Prestige

·        Human social attraction

·        Human social attractiveness

·        Pride

·        Fitting in socially with peers

·        Associating comfortably with persons of different ranks

·        Ambition

·        Recreation

·        Social recreation

·        Emotional insecurity

·        Coping with or reducing emotional insecurity

·        Social mobility

·        Physical mobility

·        Conversation

·        Interested conversation

·        A prized possession

·        Religious or magical ritual

·        The challenge to concentrate mentally

·        Awareness of the purposes of religion

·        The secondary benefits (support from others) of fitting in socially

·        Fun in religious or magical ritual

·        Social gratifications in religious or magical social groups

 

Contrasts

·        Normal versus neurotic insecurity

·        Using ritual effectively versus being distracted by it

 

Advice for Living

People have a need to socialize, but the also need ostensible excuses for socializing and some thing or activity around which to structure the interaction. Material possessions may provide comfort, and convenience, and they may facilitate social access. Indeed, they may be valued as much for their social significance as for their direct uses.

 

In addition to satisfying normal emotional needs, successful recreational socializing can be therapeutic for those who have an usually distressed condition. And the benefits of socializing for nonrecreational ambitions are not to be overlooked. So make an effort to fit in socially. Find some combination of activity, character­istic, or possession that will get you in with a group of friends.

 

Of course, sometimes it is best to just avoid people when you are upset.

 

Be aware that social and material wealth can be employed in unhealthy ways, to flee rather than to resolve causes of psychological unease. Likewise, the more pleasant ritual methods and accessories used by practitioners of religion or magic can become hindrances. You need a strong self-discipline to be the best you can.