A Prince Of Denmark
May. 20th, 2017 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloThe story goes that the leader of a Viking raid (or a "prince of Denmark" as my guide rather sweetly put it) got captured by the Saxons and was treated so well by them that he converted to Christianity- and- more than that- became an anchorite, living in walled up cell attached to the little church of St John-sub-Castro in Lewes.
The Saxon church was demolished in the mid-19th century to make way for the existing great barn of a place, but an antiquarian rescued the anchorite's memorial and placed it- partially restored- on the south wall of the new church, in an artistic arrangement that also features a medieval grave slab.
The inscription (courtesy of Wikipedia) reads...
"Clauditur hic miles Danorum regia proles Mangnus nomen ei mangne nota progeniei; deponens mangnum se moribus induit agnum, prepete pro vita fit parvulus anachorita",
Which- minus the clever wordplay of the original- translates as
"There enters this cell a warrior of Denmark's royal race; Magnus his name, mark of mighty lineage. Casting off his Mightiness he takes the Lamb's mildness, and to gain everlasting life becomes a lowly anchorite"
The Saxon church was demolished in the mid-19th century to make way for the existing great barn of a place, but an antiquarian rescued the anchorite's memorial and placed it- partially restored- on the south wall of the new church, in an artistic arrangement that also features a medieval grave slab.
The inscription (courtesy of Wikipedia) reads...
"Clauditur hic miles Danorum regia proles Mangnus nomen ei mangne nota progeniei; deponens mangnum se moribus induit agnum, prepete pro vita fit parvulus anachorita",
Which- minus the clever wordplay of the original- translates as
"There enters this cell a warrior of Denmark's royal race; Magnus his name, mark of mighty lineage. Casting off his Mightiness he takes the Lamb's mildness, and to gain everlasting life becomes a lowly anchorite"
no subject
Date: 2017-05-20 07:49 pm (UTC)I didn't think as far as co-opting Magnus, but I definitely wondered if he was being referenced here.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-21 10:14 am (UTC)Mind if I friend BTW? I've been meaning to ask for a while.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-21 05:59 pm (UTC)Not at all! Thank you for asking.