CHAPTER III.

OF THE DIALECTS OF THE SAXON AREA, AND OF THE SO-CALLED, OLD SAXON.

s. 52. The area occupied by the Saxons of Germany has been investigated; and it now remains to ask, how far the language of the occupants was absolutely identical throughout, or how far it fell into dialects or sub-dialects. In doing this, it may as well be asked, First, what we expect, _[`a] priori_; Second, what we really find.

s. 53. To the Saxon area in Germany, there are five philological frontiers, the Slavonic, the Frisian, the Batavian, the Frank, and the Thuringian, to which may probably be added the Hessian; in each of which, except the Slavonic, we may expect that the philological phenomenon of intermixture and transition will occur. Thus--

_a._ The Saxon of Holstein may be expected to approach the Jute and Frisian.

_b._ That of South Oldenburg and East Friesland, the Frisian and Batavian.

_c._ That of Westphalia, the Batavian and Frank.

_d_, e. That of the Hessian and Thuringian frontiers, the Hessian and Thuringian.

Finally, the Saxon of the centre of the area is expected to be the Saxon of the most typical character.

s. 54. Such is what we expect. How far it was the fact is not known for want of _data_. What is known, however, is as follows.--There were at least _two_ divisions of the Saxon; (1st) the Saxon of which the extant specimens are of English origin, and (2nd), the Saxon of which the extant specimens are of continental origin. We will call these at present the Saxon of England, and the Saxon of the Continent. {24}

s. 55. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, there is good reason for believing that the first was spoken in the northern, the second in the southern portion of the Saxon area, _i.e._, the one in Hanover and the other in Westphalia, the probable boundaries between them being the line of highlands between Osnaburg and Paderborn.

s. 56. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, there is good reason for believing that, whilst the former was the mother-tongue of the Angles and the conquerors of England, the latter was that of the Cherusci of Arminius, the conquerors and the annihilators of the legions of Varus.

s. 57. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, it is a fact that whilst we have a full literature in the former, we have but fragmentary specimens of the latter--these being chiefly the following: (1) the Heliand, (2) Hildubrand and Hathubrant, (3) the Carolinian Psalms.

s. 58. The preceding points have been predicated respecting the difference between the two ascertained Saxon dialects, for the sake of preparing the reader for the names by which they are known. Supposing the nomenclature to be based upon any of the preceding facts, we might have the following nomenclature:--

FOR THE SAXON OF THE CONTINENT. FOR THE SAXON OF ENGLAND.

1. Continental Saxon. Insular Saxon. 2. German Saxon. English Saxon. 3. Westphalian Saxon. Hanoverian Saxon. 4. South-Saxon. North Saxon. 5. Cheruscan Saxon. Angle Saxon. 6. Saxon of the Heliand.[4] Saxon of Beowulf.[4]

Of these names the last would be the best for strictly scientific purposes, or for the purposes of investigation; since the fact upon which it is based is the most undeniable.

Such is what the nomenclature might be, or, perhaps, ought to be. What it is _is_ another question.

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s. 59. The Saxon of England is called Anglo-Saxon; a term against which no exception can be raised.

s. 60. The Saxon of the Continental _used to_ be called _Dano_-Saxon, and _is_ called _Old_ Saxon.

s. 61. _Why called _Dano_-Saxon._--When the poem called _Heliand_ was first discovered (and that in an English library), the difference in language between it and the common Anglo-Saxon composition was accounted for by the assumption of a _Danish_ intermixture.

s. 62. _Why called _Old_ Saxon._--When the Continental origin of the _Heliand_ was recognised, the language was called _Old Saxon_, because it represented the Saxon of the mother-country, the natives of which were called _Old_ Saxons by the _Anglo_-Saxons themselves. Still the term is exceptionable; the Saxon of the Heliand is most probably a _sister_-dialect of the _Anglo_-Saxon, rather the _Anglo_-Saxon itself is a continental locality. Exceptionable, however, as it is, it will be employed.

s. 63. The _data_ for the study of the Old Saxon are as follows:--

1. _Abrenuntiatio Diaboli, e Codice Vaticano._--Graff, Diutisca, ii. 191.

2. _Confessionis Formulae, e Codice Essensi._--Lacomblet, Archiv, fuer Geschichte des Niederrhins, 1, 4-9.

3. _Fragmentum de Festo omnium Sanctorum, e Codice Essensi._--Ibid.

4. _Rotulus redituum Essensis._--Ibid.

5. _The Frekkenhorst Roll._--Denkmaeler von Dorow, 1, 2, 1.

6. _Glossae Saxonicae, e Codice Argentorat._--Diutisca, 192.

7. _T. Lipsii; Epist. cent. III. ad Belgas pertinentium, Ep._ 44.

8. _Hildebrand._--Heroic fragment, in alliterative metre.

9. _The Carolinian Psalms._--A translation of the Psalms, referred to the time of Charlemagne; sometimes considered to be old Batavian.

10. _Heliand_, a Gospel Harmony in alliterative metre, and the chief _Old_ Saxon composition extant. {26}

SPECIMEN.

s. 64. _Heliand_, pp. 12, 13. (_Schmeller's Edition._)

LUC. II. 8-13.

Tho uuard managun cud, Then it was to many known, Obar thesa uuidon uuerold. Over this wide world. Uuardos antfundun, The words they discovered, Thea thar ehuscalcos Those that there, as horse-grooms, Uta uuarun, Were without, Uueros an uuahtu, Men at watch, Uuiggeo gomean, Horses to tend, Fehas aftar felda: Cattle on the field-- Gisahun finistri an tuue They saw the darkness in two Telatan an lufte; Dissipated in the atmosphere, Endi quam lioht Godes, And came a light of God Uuanum thurh thui uuolcan; --through the welkin; Endi thea uuardos thar And the words there Bifeng an them felda. Caught on the field. Sie uurdun an forhtun tho, They were in fright then Thea man an ira moda; The men in their mood-- Gisahun thar mahtigna They saw there mighty Godes Engil cuman; Angel of God come; The im tegegnes sprac. That to them face to face spake. Het that im thea uuardos-- It bade them these words-- "Uuiht ne antdredin "Dread not a whit Ledes fon them liohta. Of mischief from the light. Ic scal eu quad he liobora thing, I shall to you speak glad things, Suido uuarlico Very true; Uuilleon seggean, Say commands; Cudean craft mikil. Show great strength. Nu is Krist geboran, Now is Christ born, An thesero selbun naht, In this self-same night; Salig barn Godes, The blessed child of God, An thera Davides burg, In David's city, Drohtin the godo. The Lord the good. That is mendislo That is exultation Manno cunneas, To the races of men, Allaro firiho fruma. Of all men the advancement. Thar gi ina fidan mugun, There ye may find him An Bethlema burg, In the city of Bethlehem, Barno rikiost. The noblest of children-- Hebbiath that te tecna, Ye have as a token {27} That ic eu gitellean mag, That I tell ye Uuarun uuordun, True words, That he thar biuundan ligid, That he there swathed lieth, That kind an enera cribbiun, The child in a crib, Tho he si cuning obar al Though he be King over all Erdun endi himiles, Earth and Heaven, Endi obar eldeo barn, And over the sons of men, Uueroldes uualdand." Of the world the Ruler." Reht so he tho that uuord gespracenun Right as he that word spake, So uuard thar engilo te them So was there of Angels to them, Unrim cuman, In a multitude, come Helag heriskepi, A holy host, Fon hebanuuanga, From the Heaven-plains, Fagar folc Godes, The fair folk of God, Endi filu sprakun, And much they spake Lofuuord manag, Praise-words many, Liudeo herron; _To_ the Lord of Hosts (people). Athobun tho helagna sang, They raised the holy song, Tho sie eft te hebanuuanga As they back to the Heaven-plains Uundun thurh thin uuolcan. Wound through the welkin. Thea uuardos hordun, The words they heard, Huo thin engilo craft How the strength of the Angels Alomahtigna God, The Almighty God, Suido uuerdlico, Very worthily, Uuordun louodun. With words praised. "Diurida si nu," quadun sie, "Love be there now," quoth they, "Drohtine selbun, "To the Lord himself An them hohoston On the highest Himilo rikea; Kingdom of Heaven, Endi fridu an erdu, And peace on earth Firiho barnum, To the children of men, Goduuilligun gumun, Goodwilled men Them the God antkennead, Who know God, Thurh hluttran hugi." Through a pure mind."

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