Names of God in Old English poetry
In Old English poetry, many descriptive epithets for God were used to satisfy alliterative requirements. These epithets include:
List
| Main | Name (Old English) | Name meaning | Attestations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyning "King" |
wuldres Cyning | "King of Glory" | The Dream of the Rood[1] |
| Dryhten[2] "Lord" |
ece Dryhten | "eternal Lord" | Cædmon's hymn[3] |
| dryhntes dreamas | "the joys of the Lord" | The Seafarer[4] | |
| heofones Dryhten | "heaven's Lord" | The Dream of the Rood[5] | |
| Ealdor[6] "Prince" |
wuldres Ealdor | "Prince of Glory" | The Dream of the Rood[7] |
| Fæder "Father" |
Heahfæder | "Highfather" | The Dream of the Rood |
| Wuldorfæder | "Glorious Father" | Cædmon's hymn | |
| Frea[8] "Lord" |
Frea ælmihtig | "Master almighty" | Cædmon's hymn |
| Frea mancynnes | "Mankind's Master" | The Dream of the Rood[9] | |
| God "God" |
God ælmihtig | "God almighty" | The Dream of the Rood[10] |
| weruda God | "God of hosts" | The Dream of the Rood | |
| Hælend[11] "Healer" |
Hælend | "Healer" | The Dream of the Rood |
| Metod[12] "Maker" |
Metod | "Maker" | Beowulf (110) [13] |
| eald Metod | "Old Maker" | Beowulf (945)[14] | |
| Wealdend[15] "Ruler" |
Wealdend | "Ruler" | The Dream of the Rood[16] |
| Al-wealda | "all-ruler" | Meters of Boethius (11) | |
| wuldor alwealda | "Glorious all-ruler" | Codex Exoniensis | |
| fæder alwealda | "Father all-ruler" | Beowulf (630) | |
| Weard[17] "Guard" |
heofonrices Weard[18] | "the heavenly kingdom's Guard" | Cædmon's hymn |
| Beowulf[19] |
   |
| "Ælmihtiga," "Drihten," "Metod," as they appear in the Beowulf. |
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gollark: Bash and zsh, obviously, but it's named for bash because it's more common.
See also
- Name of God in Christianity
- Wuldor
- List of kennings
Notes
- Swanton, p. 133
- Derived from dryht ("troop", "company"), emphasizing a noble's role as lord of a band of warriors.
- Whallon
- Godden, p. 188
- Swanton, p. 138
- Derived from eald "old". ealdor can also mean "elder" (but "elder" derives from ealdra "older" rather than from ealdor).
- Swanton, p. 138
- From Proto-Germanic *frauwaz; emphasizes a lord's domestic rulership. In later Old English, it becomes a word for husband.
- Swanton, p. 139
- Swanton, p. 95
- From hælan ("heal"); often translated "Saviour".
- Also meotod cf. Old Norse mjötuðr ("god", "fate"). Also translated as 'creator' and often used for the concept of "fate" (also known in O.E. as wyrd). The word is possibly from a root meaning "measurer" or "one who measures" related to the O.E. metan ("measure") and its descendant the Mod.E. mete in the term "to mete out".
- Whallon
- Whallon
- From wealdan ("rule", "control"; cf. modern English wield).
- Swanton, p. 146
- Emphasizes both guardianship and ownership.
- Heofon is "Heaven", and rice is "kingdom" (cf. the German reich).
- Whallon
References
- Whallon, William (1965). "The Idea of God in Beowulf". PMLA. Modern Language Association. 80 (1): 19–23. doi:10.2307/461121.
- Swanton, Michael James, The Dream of the Rood.
- Godden, Malcolm, Michael Lapidge. The Cambridge companion to Old English literature. 2002. University of Cambridge Press. ISBN 0-521-37794-3
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