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Category Archives: animals

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gāt-bucca

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Hana Videen

gāt-bucca, m.n: domestic goat (male). (GAHT-BUCK-kah / ˈgaːt-ˌbʌk-ka)

Medieval manuscript image of a pair of goats standing on their hind legs so they can eat the leaves from a tree; a second pair of goats grazes on a nearby hillock.
Bestiary; SE England, 13th century; British Library, Royal 12 F XIII, f. 20v. [bl.uk]
Posted in animals, wordhord book Leave a comment

niht-hræfn

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Hana Videen

niht-hræfn, m.n: the night-raven, night jar, night-owl. (NI’HT-H’RAV-un / ˈnɪxt-ˌhræ-vən)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is on the soul’s lost happiness. Read it on Patreon.

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ǣmet-bed

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Hana Videen

ǣmet-bed, n.n: ant hill. (AM-et-BED / ˈæː-mɛt-ˌbɛd)

Medieval manuscript illustration of blobby ants with circular heads and eggplant shaped bodies gathering grain and climbing on mounds of earth.
Bestiary; England, 13th century; British Library, Harley MS 3244, f. 50r. [bl.uk]
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fear

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Hana Videen

fear, m.n: a bull, an ox. (FEH-ar / ˈfɛar)

A cropped image from a medieval manuscript showing the head of an ox looking out towards the viewer with big eyes beside some writing in Latin, including a large blue B with red ornamentation.
De natura animalium; France (Cambrai), 1270-75; Bibliothèque Municipale de Douai, MS 711, f. 19r. [bvmm.irht.cnrs.fr]
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brim-hlæst

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Hana Videen

brim-hlæst, f.n: fish (sea-cargo). (BRIM-H’LAST / ˈbrɪm-ˌhlæst)

Medieval manuscript depiction of Pisces, with two fish facing opposite directions within two circles, their mouths connected by a curving red line.
11th century calendar, from SE England (Canterbury?); British Library, Cotton MS Julius A VI, f. 4r. [bl.uk]
Posted in animals, deorhord book, hord highlights, kennings, water, wordhord book Leave a comment

snegel

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Hana Videen

snegel, m.n: snail. (SNEH-yell / ˈsnɛ-jɛl)

Medieval manuscript image of a warrior in chainmail with one hand outstretched to a giant snail that sits on a leafy branch.
Gorleston Psalter; E England (Suffolk), 1310-1324; British Library, Add MS 49622, f. 185v. [bl.uk]
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hēa-dēor

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Hana Videen

hēa-dēor, n.n: stag, deer (lofty animal). (HAY-ah-DAY-or / ˈheːa-ˌdeːɔr)

Medieval manuscript image of a wide-eyed stag.
Sextus Placitus, De medicina ex animalibus; England, late 12th century; Bodleian Library, MS. Ashmole 1462, f. 49r. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]
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sǣ-ǣl

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Hana Videen

sǣ-ǣl, m.n: sea-eel. (SAE-AEL / ˈsæː-ˌæːl)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is on listening. Read it on Patreon.

Posted in animals, water Leave a comment

ān-hyrne

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Hana Videen

ān-hyrne, adj: one-horned, having a single horn; (used as substantive) unicorn. (AHN-HUER-nuh / ˈaːn-ˌhyr-nə)

Medieval manuscript illustration of a king looking down upon a grey unicorn with a very long horn who faces a lion; the lion and unicorn are quite small relative to the king.
Les Grandes chroniques de France; France (Paris), 1332-1350; British Library, Royal MS 16 G VI, f. 9r. [bl.uk]
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regn-wyrm

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Hana Videen

regn-wyrm, m.n: earthworm. (RAIN-WUERM / ˈrɛjn-ˌwyrm)

Medieval manuscript illustration of two fat earthworms with little faces rising up out of the soil.
Jacob van Maerlant’s Der Naturen Bloeme; Flanders, c. 1350; Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KA 16, f. 136r. [manuscripts.kb.nl]
Posted in animals, hord highlights Leave a comment

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