Canterbury Charm

The Canterbury Charm is an Old English runic charm discovered inserted in the margin of an Anglo-Saxon manuscript from the year 1073.[1]

The charm is translated as:

Gyril wound-causer, go now! You are found. May Thor bless you, lord of ogres! Gyril wound-causer. Against blood-vessel pus![1]

The charm is intended for use against a specific ailment, described as "blood-vessel pus." MacLeod and Mees (2006) note that while Thor is not revered in surviving sources for his medical abilities, he was well attested as harboring enmity towards giants and as a protector of mankind. MacLeod and Mees compare the charm to the 11th-century Kvinneby amulet (where Thor is also called upon to provide protection), the formula structure of the Sigtuna amulet, and a then-recently discovered rib bone featuring a runic inscription also from Sigtuna, Sweden.[1]

Notes
  1. Macleod and Mees, Bernard (2006:120).
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References
  • Macleod, Mindy. Mees, Bernard (2006). Runic Amulets and Magic Objects. Boydell Press ISBN 1-84383-205-4
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