Æcerbot

## Эцербот, полевое благословение

Экербот, или "благословение поля", датируемый 11 веком, представляет собой длительный ритуал, который использовался для того, чтобы вернуть бесплодному полю плодородие. Этот сборник молитв и песнопений находится в Британской библиотеке МС Коттон Калигула, А. VII, листы 177-178.

þine æceras betan gif hi nellaþ
wel wexan oþþe þær hwilc unge
defe þing on gedon bið on dry
oððe on lyblace genim þonne
on niht, ær hyt dagige, feower
tyrf on feower healfa þæs lan
des 7gemearca hu hy ær stod
on . Nim þonne ele 7 hunig 7 beor
man 7 ælces feos meolc þe on þæm
lande sy 7 ælces treocynnes
dæl þe on þæm lande sy gewexen
butan heardan beaman 7 ælcre
nam cuþre wyrte dæl butan
glappan anon 7 do þonne haligwæt
er ðær on 7 drype þon þriwa on
þone staðol þara turfa 7 cwe
þe ðonne ðas word . Crescite . wexe .
et multiplicamini . 7 gemænig
fealda . et replete *.* 7 gefylle .
terre *.* þas eorðan . In nomine
your fields better if they do not
grow well, or if any unhealthy
thing has been done to them
by sorcery or by poison
at night, before it is dawn, [take] four
sods from the four parts of your land
& mark where they stood
before . Then take oil & honey & yeast
& milk from each cow that is on the
land & of each kind of tree
a bit that on the land you grow
except hornbeam & of each
named herb take a piece except only
buckbean & add then holy water
& drip thereon three times on
the bottom of the sods &
say then these words. Crescite .grow.
& multiply . & become many-
fold . and replete . & fill .
sancti sit bene
dicti . 7 pater noster swa oft swa
þæt oðer 7 bere siþþan ða turf to circean
7 mæssepreost asinge feower mæssan
ofer þan turfon . 7 wende man þæt grene
to ðan weofode 7 siþþan gebringe
man þa turf þær hi ær
wæron ær sunnan setl gange . 7 hæbbe hi
gæworht of cwicbeame feower cris
tes mælo 7 awrite on ælcon ende .
Matheus . 7 marcus, LucaS . 7 Iohes
lege þæt cristes mæl on þone pyt
neoþeweardne cweðe ðonne . Crux
matheus . Crux . marc . Crux . Lucas
Crux . Sct. Iohannes. Nim ðonne
þa turf 7 sete ðær ufon on 7 cweþe
ðonne nigon siþon þas word . Crescite .
7 swa oft . pater noster 7 wende þe þon
eastweard 7 onlut nigon siðon
eadmod lice . 7 cweð þonne þas word
eastweard ic stande, arena ic me
bidde bidde ic þone mæran . d[omi]ne
bidde ðone miclan drihten
be blessed . & the pater noster as often as the
other & afterwards bear the sods to church
& priest sings four masses
over the sods . & turn the green
side to the altar & afterwards bring
the sods to where they were previously, before
sunset go. & have one
make of mountain ash four crosses
[use] meal & write on each end .
Matthew . & mark, Luke . & John
lay the meal-marked crosses in the holes
below then say . Cross
matthew . Cross . mark . Cross . Luke .
Cross St. John . Take then
the sods & set them down there & say
then nine times this word . Crescite [grow] .
& as often . the pater noster & turn them then
eastward & bow nine times afterwards
humbly . & say then these words
*eastward I stand, mercy I for me*
bid bid  *I the mighty . lord*
weard . eorðan ic bidde 7 upheofon
7 ða soþan s[an]c[t]a marian . 7 heofones
meaht .  7 heahreced þt ic mote
þis gealdor mid gife drihtnes
toðu ontynan þurh trumne ge
þanc aweccan þas wæstmas us
to woruld nytte gefyllan þas
foldan mid fæste geleafan wlitigi
gan þas wancg turf swa se witega
cwæð . þæt se hæfde are on eorþ
rice se þe ælmyssan dælde dom
lice drihtnes þances . wende þe
þon . III . sunganges astrece þon
on andlang 7 arim þær letanias
7 cweð þonne: s[an]c[tu]s,scs. scs. oþende.
Sing þon benedicite aþenedon
earmon . manificat . 7 pat[er]
noster . III . 7 bebeod hit xpe
7 sca marian . 7 þære halgan
rode tolofe . 7 to weorþinga
7 þa are þe þæt landage 7 eallon
*ward . earth I bid & heaven*
*& the true st. mary . & heaven’s*
*might . & high place that I might*
*with this spell with the gift of the ruler*
*to us untie through firm*
*thought* awaken this bounty for us
to world knit fullness these
*fields with stout leafy beauty*
go with the cut turf as the wise
*one said . he who has earthly*
riches gives alms dealing as
as his lordly ruler intends . Turn you
then . 3 . times sunwise stretch then
lengthwise & count there litanies
& say then . holy . holy . holy . to the end.
Sing then benedicite, extending
arms . magnificat . & pater
noster . 3 . [times] & commend it to christ
& st. mary . & the holy
rood for love . & for worthiness
þ[æ]t eall sie gedon þon nime man uncuþ
sæd æt ælmes mannu 7 selle him
twa swylc swylce man æt hi nime
7 gegaderie ealle his sulh geteogo
togædere borige þon on þa beame
stor . 7 finol . 7 gehalgode sapan
7 gehalgod sealt nim þonne þt sæd sete
on þæs sules bodig . cweð þon Erce .
Erce . Erce . eorþan modor geunne
þe se alwalda ece drihten æcera
wexendra 7 wridendra eacnien
dra 7 elniendra sceafta henre
scirra wæstma . 7 þæra bradan
bere wæstma . 7 þæra hwitan
hwæte wæstma . 7 ealra eorþan
wæstma . geunne hi ece drihten
7 his halige þeon heofonum synt
þæt hys yrþ si gefriþod wið ealra
feonda gehwæne 7 heo si gebor
gen wið ealra bealwa ge hwylc
þara lyblaca geond land sawen
Nu ic bidde ðone walden se ðe ðas
woruld gesceop þæt ne synan to þæs cwi
dol wif ne to þæs cræftig man þæt
awendan ne mæge worud þus gecwedene
þon man þa sulh forð drife .
7 þa forman furh onsceote . cweð
þon hal wes þu folde fira modor
beo þu growende ongodes fæþme
fodre gefylled firum to nytte .
Nim þon ælces cynnes melo 7 abacæ
man Innewerdre handa bradnæ
hlaf 7 gecned hine mid meolce 7
mid halig wætere 7 lecge under þa forman
furh cweþe þonne ful æcer fodres fira
cinne beorht blowende þu gebletsod
weorþ þæs haligan noman þe ðas
heofon gesceop 7 ðas eorþan þe we
onlifiaþ se god se þas grundas ge
worhte geunne us growende gife
þæt us corna gehwylc cume to nytte .
cweð þonne . III *.* Crescite . In nomine patris .
sit benedicti . Amen 7 pat ns . þriwa .
all is done then take unfamiliar
seed from an almsman & give him
twice as much as you took from him
& gather all his plough gear
together bore then into the beam
frankincense . & fennel . & blessed soap
& blessed salt take then the seed
set it on the plow's body . say then Erce .
Erce . Erce . earth's mother give
us all-wielder ever-ruler acres
fruitful & flourishing
fertile & strong high shafts
bright abundance . & there broad
barley crops . & there white
wheat crops . & all earth’s
abundance . give all ruler
Now I bid that these fields themselves this
world that nothing created by the spell-
binding wife nor of by the crafty man
may unravel words thus spoken
then one drives the plow forward .
& opens the first furrow, saying
then health to you, field, the folk's mother
be thou growing in the embrace of good
food-filled for the people to enjoy *.*
Then take each kind of meal & bake
as a man's Inner hand broad
a loaf & knead that with milk &
with holy water & lay it under the first
furrow say then fill fields with food for human
kind *bright blooming your blessed*
worth *this sacred place this that*
heaven shaped & this earth that we
*live on that the god this ground*
wrought giving us *growing gifts*
t*hat to us grain comes to benefit.*
Say then 3 times . Grow in the name of the father,
be blessed. Amen & the pater noster thrice .