The Aecerbot: An Anglo Saxon Field Remedy

A hand in a patch of angelica.

AECERBOT

Translated by Lara Vesta

ÆCER : field, land, sown land

BOT: help, assistance, remedy, cure

The Aecerbot is an Anglo Saxon "metrical charm" recorded in the eleventh century. Infused with elements both Christian and Pagan, it is a multi-day ceremony meant to heal and restore land that is unfruitful through offerings, blessings and ritual action.

This interpretation is part of a spiritual practice I call "direct translation," where I look up word by word the contents of ancient sacred texts from primary sources.

While this doesn't produce the most elegant, or even the most accurate, translation, as a practice it has deepened my own relationship to the texts. At the end of this translation you will find a list of things I learned and loved in this process.

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Here is that remedy, how thou might

to grow moist land to improve if injured

abundantly to grow or what alone

becoming delayed by magicians

or by sorcery to receive when

at night, before heat of dawn, four

turf on four halves that land

marks and a boundary how they before stood

on. Take when oil and honey and beer

people and each cow milk be on the

land is and each declared tree (treu = tree cynnes = declare)

part be on that land is growing

without hardened trees and each

take renowned herbs portion without

buckbean only and make when sacred moisture

before there on and drip on three times

the foundation those turfs and a woman

upon makes these words: Increase. grow

and multiply. And cure

field. The filled. And fulfilled

earth. This earth. In the name of

the father. The son. The spirit

holy let it be well

said. And our father as often as

that other and bear afterwards the turf to church

And priest sings four masses

over moist turf. And turn people the green

moist land to altar and afterwards bring

people the turf there home before

past before sun set journey. And have home

construct of rowan four cross

to measure and write on elsewhere end

Matthew. And mark, Luke. And John

place that crosses measured on the pit

low guarding speak when. Cross

Matthew. Cross Mark. Cross Lucas

Cross Saint John. Take when

the turf and set action from above on and speak

when nine times this word: Grow.

And as often our father and turn thee that

eastward and on bow nine afterwards

humble in body and speak when these words

eastward I stand, mercies I me

bid, bid I the spirit. valley (usually translated as domine, lord but dne is closer to dene, valley)

bid, when great ruler

bid I the hallowed heaven

guardian. Earth I bid and the heavens of the sky

And the true saint mary and heaven’s

might. And temple that I may

this charm along with gifts great rulers

grow tough untie through strong ye

favor awaken this growth us

to world use to complete this

earth with established belief beautifully

walk these thick sliced turf as the wise one

said. That the halves are on earth

power that thee alms to share law

a body lord favor. Turn thee

that three sunwise bow down that

at alongside and recite there litanies

And speak when: holy holy holy, to end,

Sing the benediction prostrate

to commiserate. Magnificent and our father

three and command it and

And st. Mary and the holy

cross to love and to honoring

And then honor thee that possesses land and always

those thee them under attached see done

that all see made complete then take person strange

seed to alms man and give him

twice the like, the like person ate his received

And gather all his plough implements

together bore that on thee beam

frankincense and fennel and consecrated amber resin

And consecrated salt take when the seed set

on the plough’s body, sing the Erce,

Erce, Erce, earth mother give

us the almighty eternal ruler lands

growing and productive gaining in strength

and pregnant sheaves stand tall

pure increase. And there broad

barley increase and there white

wheat increase and all earth

increase. Give the eternal ruler

And his holy flourishing heaven sent

that this ploughing is defended against all

enemies everywhere and she is a dweller

direct against all harm every one

those sorcery yonder land sown

Now I bid the ruling that thee this

world creation that not misdeed to this speaking

woman not to that cunning man that

turns away not a kinswoman words thus spoken

the people that plough forth drive

And the first furrow trench opens. speak

then health to you earth living being mother

bee thou growing on good bosom

food satisfy living beings to utility

Receive the each kin meal and bake

people within a forward direction hand breadth

loaf and knead him with milk and

with sacred water and bury it under the first

furrow speaking when full field land food living beings

procreate bright blooming you blessed

place that healing name thee this

heaven creation and this earth thee we

live on the good that this ground ye

wrought giving us growing gifts

that us grain each come to use

speak when three grow In name father

saint benedict amen and our father three times

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Notes:

Here is what I learned/things I loved through the process of this translation:

The measure of threes and nines

Three is still a very sacred number in the eleventh century, you will notice the repetition of speaking three times, or bowing nine times, a thread that is woven throughout the Germanic countries.

Turf from each of the four boundary corners

Boundaries are sacred places.

Oil honey beer milk from each cow on the land

Eliminating hardwood trees

Eliminating buckbean

A woman shall speak these words

Syncretic religion

Rowan crosses

Turning Eastward

Bowing or being prostate on the earth

Turning sunwise

Honoring the land keeper and everyone attached to them

A stranger’s seed

Giving those in need twice the like that they may eat it

Blessing the plow with resins, fennel, salt

Setting the seed on the plough’s body

The earth is female and mother

She is a dweller direct against all harm

No misdeed to the speaking woman, the cunning man that turns away not a kinswoman

The first trench opens: health to you earth living being mother

Growing on good bosom

Food to satisfy living beings to utility

Receive from each kin meal and bake a loaf with milk and sacred water and bury it under the first furrow

Full field land food living beings procreate bright blooming you blessed place, that healing name thee this heaven creation and this earth thee we live on the good, that this ground you wrought giving us growing gifts, that us grain each come to use.

You can read another--much more fluid--translation alongside the original Old English text here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20210221175404/http://wyrtig.com/EarlyGardens/British/LaborsOfTheMonths/Aecerbot.htm

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It is all in you. This wisdom, these people of the earth, these sacred ways of prayer and sustenance. It is all a part of your being, the roots of your ancestors widen with each breath, each touch of the soil, each sip of water, each bite of sacred food.

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By this and every effort, the balance is regained.