The Durham Proverbs
Encyclopedia
The Durham Proverbs is a collection of 46 Mediæval proverbs from various sources. They were written down as a collection, in the eleventh century, on some pages (pages 43 verso to 45 verso, between a hymnal
and a collection of canticle
s) of a manuscript that were originally left blank. The manuscript is currently in the collection of Durham Cathedral
, to which it was donated in the eighteenth century. The Proverbs form the first part of the manuscript. The second part, to which it is bound, is a copy of Ælfric's Grammar (minus its glossary). Each proverb is written in both Latin and Old English
, with the former preceding the latter. Olof Arngart's opinion is that the Proverbs were originally in Old English and translated to Latin, but this has since been disputed in a conference paper by T. A. Shippey .
. The original manuscript of the Durham Proverbs contains copies of Ælfric
’s own work. Several of the proverbs also appear in later works of the thirteenth-century. Considering the repetition of their use, during later times and in future works, stresses their importance from the eleventh-century society. For every one of the Durham Proverbs, there is a Latin version. The commonalities between the Latin version of the proverbs and the Old English version, in more than one manuscript, suggest that there was a common source from which the Durham Proverbs were created in Old English from Latin.
Olof Arngart’s notes on the Durham Proverbs say that some of the proverbs have a biblical reference. The book of Proverbs in the Bible resembles the Durham Proverbs by providing teachings on morals for a society of its time. Interestingly, the “Dicts of Cato” were also influenced by the Durham Proverbs, which in turn, influenced Christianity. The first of the Durham Proverbs can even be seen in the Dict of Cato 23.
are — the latter's status being comparatively unclear. According to the Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages a maxim is a short statement that (as Laingui puts it) “sets out a general principle”, that briefly expounds a liturgical, legal, moral, or political rule as a short mnemonic
device. The Durham Proverbs are called proverbs because the collection has what Marsden calls “transferability” to man.
The Durham Proverbs are not as serious as some of the Old English maxims and can even be considered humorous in some areas. The proverbs are similar to fables or parables seen in Modern English. Each proverb has a lesson to teach, as do the fables and parables. It is important to note the proverbs’ resemblance to Old English poetry. Using alliteration and rhythm, the proverbs show some of the earliest uses of words and phrases, such as “cwæþ se (þe)” which translates to “quoth he who”, and is later seen in more Middle English sources. In addition to their importance of gaining knowledge of the Old English history, the proverbs include many words that are not seen anywhere else in Old English writings. Arngart suggests that the study of the proverbs “furnishes insights into contemporary folklore and social life”.
, and show a relationship in some places to the Disticha Catonis and other works of the surviving Anglo-Saxon corpus. The Old English versions are sometimes (but not always) alliterative, or in verse form, and employ the same formulae with "sceal" and "byþ" as other works do. However, they have a distinctive flavour of their own, one outstanding characteristic of which is the humorous expression that they embody (as in number 11, for example) — a quality that is lacking in the gnomes. A yet more distinctive feature is how often the proverbs echo the verse of other works, such as the echo of The Wanderer
in number 23.
Below are the first 25 Durham Proverbs:
Geþyld byð middes ēades.
Frēond dēah feor ge nēah: byð near nyttra.
Æt þearfe mann sceal freonda cunnian.
Nafað ǣnigmann frēonda tō feala.
Beforan his frēonde biddeþ, sē þe his wǣdel mǣneþ.
Gōd gēr byþ þonne se hund þām hrefne gyfeð.
Oft on sōtigum bylige searowa licgað.
Hwīlum æfter medo menn mǣst geþyrsteð.
Æfter leofan menn langað swīðost.
Nū hit ys on swīnes dōme, cwæð se ceorl sæt on eoferes hricge.
Ne swā þēah trēowde þēah þū teala ēode, cwæþ sē þe geseah hægtessan æfter hēafde geongan.
Eall on mūðe þæt on mōde.
Gemǣne sceal māga feoh.
Man dēþ swā hē byþ þonne hē mōt swā hē wile.
Ne saga sagan, cwæð sē gesēah hwer fulne hēalena sēoþan.
Eaðe wīs man mæg witan spell and ēac secgan.
Blind byþ bām ēagum, sē þe brēostum ne starat.
Ðā ne sacað þe ætsamne ne bēoð.
Ne dēah eall sōþ āsǣd ne eall sār ætwiten.
Gyf þū well sprece, wyrc æfter swā.
Earh mæg þæt an þæt he him ondræde.
Nē sceal man tō ǣr forht nē tō ǣr fægen.
Hwon gelpeð se þe wide siþað.
Hymnal
Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...
and a collection of canticle
Canticle
A canticle is a hymn taken from the Bible. The term is often expanded to include ancient non-biblical hymns such as the Te Deum and certain psalms used liturgically.-Roman Catholic Church:From the Old Testament, the Roman Breviary takes seven canticles for use at Lauds, as follows:*...
s) of a manuscript that were originally left blank. The manuscript is currently in the collection of Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
, to which it was donated in the eighteenth century. The Proverbs form the first part of the manuscript. The second part, to which it is bound, is a copy of Ælfric's Grammar (minus its glossary). Each proverb is written in both Latin and Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
, with the former preceding the latter. Olof Arngart's opinion is that the Proverbs were originally in Old English and translated to Latin, but this has since been disputed in a conference paper by T. A. Shippey .
Origin
While Richard Marsden’s introduction in The Cambridge Old English Reader discusses the essentials of the Durham Proverbs, there is still more to be learned. The Durham Proverbs are held in a manuscript that is kept in the library of Durham Cathedral, which is why they are named the “Durham” Proverbs. The original home of the manuscript is thought most likely to have been in CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
. The original manuscript of the Durham Proverbs contains copies of Ælfric
Ælfric
Ælfric of Abingdon , also known as Ælfric of Wessex, was a late 10th century Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as previously holding the offices of abbot of St Albans and Bishop of Ramsbury, all of which are in England...
’s own work. Several of the proverbs also appear in later works of the thirteenth-century. Considering the repetition of their use, during later times and in future works, stresses their importance from the eleventh-century society. For every one of the Durham Proverbs, there is a Latin version. The commonalities between the Latin version of the proverbs and the Old English version, in more than one manuscript, suggest that there was a common source from which the Durham Proverbs were created in Old English from Latin.
Background and History
The Durham Proverbs are considered to have been used to document everyday business of the people of Anglo-Saxon England. The proverbs were used in monastic schools to teach text along with other manuscripts such as the Disticha Catonis (also known as the “Dicts of Cato”) and a Middle English collection titled the Proverbs of Hendyng. Several of the proverbs have parallels within other proverbs listed below, as well as the Old English Disticha Catonis and the Proverbs of Hendyng. Despite their use, the source of these proverbs is largely debated and still considered unknown.Olof Arngart’s notes on the Durham Proverbs say that some of the proverbs have a biblical reference. The book of Proverbs in the Bible resembles the Durham Proverbs by providing teachings on morals for a society of its time. Interestingly, the “Dicts of Cato” were also influenced by the Durham Proverbs, which in turn, influenced Christianity. The first of the Durham Proverbs can even be seen in the Dict of Cato 23.
Purpose
The Durham Proverbs comprise a mixture of true proverbs and maxims, and are clearer in this regard, according to linguist and Anglo-Saxon anthropologist Nigel Barley , than the collection of Old English poems entitled the MaximsMaxims (Old English poems)
The titles Maxims I and Maxims II refer to pieces of Old English gnomic poetry. The poem Maxims I can be found in the Exeter Book and Maxims II is located in a lesser known manuscript, London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius B i...
are — the latter's status being comparatively unclear. According to the Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages a maxim is a short statement that (as Laingui puts it) “sets out a general principle”, that briefly expounds a liturgical, legal, moral, or political rule as a short mnemonic
Mnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
device. The Durham Proverbs are called proverbs because the collection has what Marsden calls “transferability” to man.
The Durham Proverbs are not as serious as some of the Old English maxims and can even be considered humorous in some areas. The proverbs are similar to fables or parables seen in Modern English. Each proverb has a lesson to teach, as do the fables and parables. It is important to note the proverbs’ resemblance to Old English poetry. Using alliteration and rhythm, the proverbs show some of the earliest uses of words and phrases, such as “cwæþ se (þe)” which translates to “quoth he who”, and is later seen in more Middle English sources. In addition to their importance of gaining knowledge of the Old English history, the proverbs include many words that are not seen anywhere else in Old English writings. Arngart suggests that the study of the proverbs “furnishes insights into contemporary folklore and social life”.
The proverbs themselves
The proverbs have their roots in gnomic poetryGnomic poetry
Gnomic poetry consists of sententious maxims put into verse to aid the memory. They were known by the Greeks as gnomes, from the Greek word for "an opinion".A gnome was defined by the Elizabethan critic Henry Peacham as...
, and show a relationship in some places to the Disticha Catonis and other works of the surviving Anglo-Saxon corpus. The Old English versions are sometimes (but not always) alliterative, or in verse form, and employ the same formulae with "sceal" and "byþ" as other works do. However, they have a distinctive flavour of their own, one outstanding characteristic of which is the humorous expression that they embody (as in number 11, for example) — a quality that is lacking in the gnomes. A yet more distinctive feature is how often the proverbs echo the verse of other works, such as the echo of The Wanderer
The Wanderer (poem)
The Wanderer is an Old English poem preserved only in an anthology known as the Exeter Book, a manuscript dating from the late 10th century. It counts 115 lines of alliterative verse...
in number 23.
Below are the first 25 Durham Proverbs:
Geþyld byð middes ēades.
Frēond dēah feor ge nēah: byð near nyttra.
Æt þearfe mann sceal freonda cunnian.
Nafað ǣnigmann frēonda tō feala.
Beforan his frēonde biddeþ, sē þe his wǣdel mǣneþ.
Gōd gēr byþ þonne se hund þām hrefne gyfeð.
Oft on sōtigum bylige searowa licgað.
Hwīlum æfter medo menn mǣst geþyrsteð.
Æfter leofan menn langað swīðost.
Nū hit ys on swīnes dōme, cwæð se ceorl sæt on eoferes hricge.
Ne swā þēah trēowde þēah þū teala ēode, cwæþ sē þe geseah hægtessan æfter hēafde geongan.
- "Nonetheless, I would not trust you though you walked well.", said he who saw a witch passing along on her head.
Eall on mūðe þæt on mōde.
Gemǣne sceal māga feoh.
Man dēþ swā hē byþ þonne hē mōt swā hē wile.
Ne saga sagan, cwæð sē gesēah hwer fulne hēalena sēoþan.
- Marsden suggests there is a word that has been omitted here, and thus there is an unclear translation that could hold various meanings. When Marsden attempted to compare this to the Latin version, it was quite different. Marsden says, “So far, we must accept defeat on this one”.
Eaðe wīs man mæg witan spell and ēac secgan.
Blind byþ bām ēagum, sē þe brēostum ne starat.
Ðā ne sacað þe ætsamne ne bēoð.
Ne dēah eall sōþ āsǣd ne eall sār ætwiten.
- It does no good (for) all truth (to be) told nor all wrong imputed.
- For subsequent variations on this same proverb, from Chaucer to HormanWilliam HormanWilliam Horman was a headmaster at Eton and Winchester in the early Tudor period of English history.He is best known for his Latin grammar textbook the Vulgaria, which created controversy at the time due to its unconventional approach in first giving examples of translations of English writings on...
's VulgariaGrammarians' WarThe Grammarians' War was a conflict between rival systems of teaching Latin. The two main antagonists were grammarians and schoolmasters William Horman and Robert Whittington. The War involved Latin primers called Vulgaria, which were thus named because they contained "vulgar" The Grammarians'...
, see .
Gyf þū well sprece, wyrc æfter swā.
Earh mæg þæt an þæt he him ondræde.
- A coward can do only one thing: fear.
- "earh" means coward here and is glossed as such in contemporary works ("timidorum militum" in Aldhelm's de Virginitate being translated as "eargra cempana"), although the more general meaning of the word in O.E. was "sloth" or "sluggard".
Nē sceal man tō ǣr forht nē tō ǣr fægen.
- One should be neither too soon fearful nor too soon glad.
- The proverb has echoes of The Wanderer ("nē tō forht nē tō fægen", 150). The twain have been variously translated. T. A. Shippey, who writes the O.E. of the Proverbs as "ǣrforht" and "ǣrfægen", explains "glad-too-soon" as meaning optimistic. The Latin version of the proverb, it should be noted, is "nec ilico arrigens", which translates as "nor quick to rouse" rather than the "glad" or "happy" usually ascribed to the O.E. form. (For further exploration of the Latin by Arngart see .)
Hwon gelpeð se þe wide siþað.
- A little boasts he who travels widely.
- This proverb echoes sentiments expressed in Hrafnkels saga FreysgoðaHrafnkels sagaHrafnkels saga or Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It tells of struggles between chieftains and farmers in the east of Iceland in the 10th century. The eponymous main character, Hrafnkell, starts out his career as a fearsome duelist and a dedicated worshiper of the god...
, namely that travel abroad, where one is treated as an adult, spurs young men to self-confidence, thinking themselves "greater than chiefs" upon their return home.
Scholarly analyses
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