Shoots and Adders: The changing reception of Anglo-Saxon charms, as evidenced by different translations of the Nine Herbs Charm
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2024
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en
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This study aims to determine how the reception of the Nine Herbs Charm has changed since its first publication to generate a greater understanding of how perceptions of texts such as charms are formed and influenced. The charm's pagan and Christian elements have caused it be studied through a scope focused on mostly one of these elements. Comparing editions of the charm, each different translation of the charm appears indicative of the editor’s aims and shows a continued tendency to value only specific aspects, disregarding all other and therefore also the charm as one entity. The argument here is that the changes between the editions of the Nine Herbs Charm reflect the larger cultural narratives in which the editions were constructed, which influence considerations of medicine and magic and therefore the reception of the charm, as the editor either adheres to this dominant narrative or attempts to counter it.
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