Greg Stafford
08-27-2013, 09:50 PM
For persons with a historical inclination, here are a couple of books that you may find as fascinating as I did
The Heliand is the earliest Saxon Gospel, apparently written by a Saxon convert to Christianity during the time that Charlemagne was conquering the tribe.
Charlemagne had a particularly difficult time with the Saxons. He would invade Saxony, defeat them in battle, destroy their holy places, hang the ringleaders, and leave occupying forces when he marched home for winter.
Then the Saxons would rise up, kill the garrisons, and reinstitute their Pagan ways.
This went on for more than 30 years.
Charlemagne never failed to conquer the Saxons when he tried. Their resistance is legendary and awesome, but ultimately futile.
Heliand was written to give a particular slant to the Gospels that would make them acceptable to those Pagans. It was apparently successful, having been written by a Saxon who not only understood the mindset, but was from that mindset.
The result is fascinating. It doesn't quite make Jesus into a warlord and his apostles into his household warriors, but he sure is not the Price of Peace either. A few subtle word changes here and there--translations with a bit of liberal interpretation-- bring attention to the similarities between the conquered Saxons and the crucified Christ. It is a fascinating and instrumental work.
The author believes that this is the origin of European knighthood--the fusion of the the warrior way of life with Christianity.
So do I.
The Saxon Savior, the Germanic transformation of the Gospel in the Ninth-Century Heliand; by G. Ronald Murphy; Oxford University Press, 1989; 129 pages
This is the shorter, more easily digestible tome. It intersperces commentary with the text so we can tell what the text is actually saying. Read this one if you are going to read only one of the two, and also read this one before the next one below.
Heliand, Text and Commentary; James E. Cathey; West Virginia University Press, 2002;360 pages
A real scholarly tome, much denser and deep than the one above. It includes a transcript of the Saxon text, and in the commentaries a translation with comments; also "A Brief Outline of Old Saxon Grammer" and a Glossary, in case you want to get more understanding of the language.
A friend of mine wanted to use excerpts from this in his wedding ceremony, but his very liberal pastor couldn't find any passages that appropriate. Wow! :)
The Heliand is the earliest Saxon Gospel, apparently written by a Saxon convert to Christianity during the time that Charlemagne was conquering the tribe.
Charlemagne had a particularly difficult time with the Saxons. He would invade Saxony, defeat them in battle, destroy their holy places, hang the ringleaders, and leave occupying forces when he marched home for winter.
Then the Saxons would rise up, kill the garrisons, and reinstitute their Pagan ways.
This went on for more than 30 years.
Charlemagne never failed to conquer the Saxons when he tried. Their resistance is legendary and awesome, but ultimately futile.
Heliand was written to give a particular slant to the Gospels that would make them acceptable to those Pagans. It was apparently successful, having been written by a Saxon who not only understood the mindset, but was from that mindset.
The result is fascinating. It doesn't quite make Jesus into a warlord and his apostles into his household warriors, but he sure is not the Price of Peace either. A few subtle word changes here and there--translations with a bit of liberal interpretation-- bring attention to the similarities between the conquered Saxons and the crucified Christ. It is a fascinating and instrumental work.
The author believes that this is the origin of European knighthood--the fusion of the the warrior way of life with Christianity.
So do I.
The Saxon Savior, the Germanic transformation of the Gospel in the Ninth-Century Heliand; by G. Ronald Murphy; Oxford University Press, 1989; 129 pages
This is the shorter, more easily digestible tome. It intersperces commentary with the text so we can tell what the text is actually saying. Read this one if you are going to read only one of the two, and also read this one before the next one below.
Heliand, Text and Commentary; James E. Cathey; West Virginia University Press, 2002;360 pages
A real scholarly tome, much denser and deep than the one above. It includes a transcript of the Saxon text, and in the commentaries a translation with comments; also "A Brief Outline of Old Saxon Grammer" and a Glossary, in case you want to get more understanding of the language.
A friend of mine wanted to use excerpts from this in his wedding ceremony, but his very liberal pastor couldn't find any passages that appropriate. Wow! :)