624
APPENDIX F.
“ And gif wiccan o1S8e wigleras, seɪneræftigan ob‰ horcwenan,
mor5wyrhtan offiSe mansworan ahwar on earde wur⅞>an atigene,
fyse hi man georne ut of Sysan earde, ,j cl⅛nsige Sas Jteode, oSSe
on earde foτfaτe hi mid ealle, biitan hi geswican ɔ Se deoppor ge-
be'tan.”—Æ’èelr. vi. § 7. Thorpe, i. 316. Cnut, ii. § 4. Thorpe,
i. 378,
“And we forheodaS eornostlɪee telcne h½Senscipe. H½Sen-
scipe biS Sæt man idola weorSige, Sset is Sæt man weorSige hæ-
Sene godas ɔ sunnan oSSe monan, fyr oSSe flod, wæterwyllas oSSe
stanas, oSSe æniges cynnes Wudutreowa, oSSe wieeeeræft Iufige,
oSSe morSwerc gefremme, on sénige wisan, oSSe on blôte, oSSe
on fyrhte, oS^δe on swylcra gedwimera ænig J>ing dreoge.”— Cnut,
ii. § 5. Thorpe, i. 378.
“ Si quis veneno, vel Sortilegio, vel invultuacione, sen maleficio
aliquo, facial homicidium, sive illi paratum sit, sive alii, nihil
refert, quin factum mortiferum et nullo modo redimendum sit.”—
U. Hen. I. lɪɪi. § 1.
The well- and tree-worship noticed in these laws continued to
be retained, though in a somewhat altered form, until a very late
period ; and especially it was usual to perform religious ceremo-
nies at the salt-springs, spots always looked upon as holy1.
The confessional however was more likely to be in the secret of
the popular heathendom than the civil legislator. Accordingly
the Poenitentials supply us with a variety of information upon this
subject. The Poenitential of Theodore has a long chapter devoted
to the heathen practices of communicants, and their appropriate
penances.
“ xxvii. De Idolatria et Sacrilegio, et qui Angelos colunt, et
maleficos, Ariolos, Veneficos, Sortilegos, Divinos, et vota reddentes
nisi ad aecclesiam Dei, et in Kalcndas Januarii in cervulo et in
vitula vadit, et Mathematicos, ’et Emissores tempestatum.”
ɪ Thoms, Anecd. and Traditions, p. 93. The holy character of the salt-
springs is noticed by Tacitus.
HEATHENDOM.
62Ô
The points principally noted here are, sacrificing to dæmons, that
is, the ancient gods ; eating and drinking near heathen temples,
fana, in honour of the god of the ,place ; or eating what has been
sacrificed to dæmons ; or celebrating festal meals in the abominable
places of the heathen* ; seeking auguries by the flight of birds,
making philacteries or philtres. Other forms may be gathered
from the following heads :—
Si quis malefieio suo aliqucm perdiderit vii. annos poeniteat.
Si quis pro amore Veneficus sit et ncminem perdiderit, etc. Si
autem per hoc mulieris partum quis dcceperit, etc. Si quis ari-
olos quaerit, quos divinos vocant, vel aliquas divinationeβ fecerit,
quia et hoc daemoniaeuɪn est, etc. Si quis sortes habuerit, quas
Sanctorum contra rationem vocant, vel aliquas sortes habuerit,
vel (Jualicunque malo ingenio sortitus fuerit, vel divinaverit, etc.
Si qua ɪnulier divinationes vel incantationcs diabolicas fecerit, etc.
Si qua mulicr filium suum vel filiam super tectum pro sanitate po-
suerit, vol in fornace, etc. Qui grana arserit ubi mortuus est homo,
pro sanitate viventium ct domus, etc. Si quis, pro sanitate filioli,
per foramen terrae exierit, illudque spinis post se concludit, etc.
Si quis ad arbores, vcl ad fontes, vel ad lapides, sive ad cancellos,
vel ubicunquc, excepto in aecclcsia Dei, votum voverit aut exsol-
verit, etc., et hoc Sacrilegium est vel dacmoniacum. Qui vero
ibidem ederit aut biberit, etc. Si quis in Kalcndas Januarii in cer-
vulo aut vetula vadit, id est, in ferarum habitus sc communicant2,
et Vestiunturpellibuspecudum, ct assumunt capita bestiarum; qui
vero taliter in ferinas species ⅛e transformant, etc., quia hoc daemo-
niacum est. Si quis mathematicus est, id est, per invocationem
daemonum honɪinis mentem Converterit, etc. Si quis emissor tem-
pestatis fuerit, id est, malcficus, etc. Si quis ligaturas fecerit, quod
detestabile est, etc. Qui auguria vel divinationes in Consuetudine
habuerit, etc. Qui observât divines, vel praccantatores, philaeteria
etiam diabolica, et somnia vel herbas, aut quintam feriam honore
Jovis, vel Kalendas Januarii, more paganorum, honorât, etc. Qui
1 Refer to Gregory's letter, cited at p. 332 of this volume.
2 Probably “ commutant.”