Merseburg Echoes:

Danish language items

This is the Merseburg Echoes entry for Swedish language Merseburg Spell II-type items. Merseburg Echoes is an ongoing project that compiles and makes accessible as many Merseburg Spell II-type items from the historical record as possible.

This entry was created in 2025 and this project is ongoing. This is entry is not a holistic representation of the historical record and it will be expanded.

Quick attribution:

  • Mimisbrunnr.info. 2025. “Danish Language Items”. Merseburg Echoes, Mimisbrunnr.info. URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/merseburg-echoes-swedish

Viborg, Denmark, 1618

  1. Location: Viborg, Central Jutland, Denmark

  2. Year: 1618

  3. Informant:

    Maren Lyrings

  4. Item:

    Vor here hand paa biergett red,

    hans fouell foed sig vred.

    Da segen Christ,

    da segen Kors,

    da segen sielff S. Maria.

    Blod till blod, are till are,

    hieltt och holden som det til forn var.

    I vor heris naffn Amenn.

    English translation (Andreas Oxnæs Damgaard, 2025)

    Our Lord he rode upon the hill,

    his foal sprained its foot.

    Then Christ blessed,

    then Cross blessed,

    then even Saint Mary blessed.

    Blood to blood, vein to vein,

    wholly and entirely as it once was.

    In the name of our Lord, amen.

  5. Source:

    Viborg Landstings Dombog, Aar 161 8 B bl. 183.

  6. Observations:

    None at this time.

Kærbølling, Denmark, 1864

  1. Location: Kærbølling, Southern Jutland, Denmark

  2. Year: 1864

  3. Informant:

    Rasmus Holgersen, recorded by Evald Tang Kristensen

  4. Item:

    [Rasmus recounts how he had read part of a grimoire owned by the beggar "Old" Gjertrud]

    A kan huske, der stod noget om, hvordan en skulde sige, naar et Ben paa en Hest var forstoppet. Der skulde da siges:

    Da Jesus opad Bjærget red,

    da han sin Asens Fod forvred,

    han sagde: Kjød i Kjød

    og Sen' i Sen' og Aar' i Aar'. I Navn . . .

    English translation (Andreas Oxnæs Damgaard, 2025)

    I remember it said something about what you should say when a leg on a horse was sprained. Then it should be said:

    When Jesus rode up the hill,

    his nag sprained its foot,

    he said: flesh to flesh,

    and sinew to sinew, and vein to vein. In the name…

  5. Source:

    Evald Tang Kristensen, Danske Sagn som de har lydt i Folkemunde. Ny Række. 6. Afdeling : Djævelkunster ; Kloge Mænd og Koner ; Hekseri ; Sygdomme, 1936.

  6. Observations:

    None at this time.

Mors, Denmark, 1918

  1. Location: Mors, Denmark

  2. Year: 1918

  3. Informant:

    “Farm owner Jens Lundby, recorded by Marius Dahlsgaard”

  4. Item:

    1019. Mot ledvrickning.

    Vorherre ned ad Bjerget red,

    sin Følhors Fod han san dervred.

    Læg Led i Led, læg Lag i Lag,

    kom Aarer og Sener i rette Lag.

    English translation (Andreas Oxnæs Damgaard, 2025)

    1019. Against sprain.

    Our Lord rode down the hill,

    his foal-horse's foot he there sprained.

    Set joint to joint, set connection to connection,

    put veins and sinews in [their] right place.

  5. Source:

    Ferdinand Ohrt, Danmarks Trylleformler. II. Efterhøst og Lønformler, 1921.

  6. Observations:

    The word følhors refers to female horses used for breeding, regardless of whether they are currently in foal or not. The word lag is difficult to translate: it can denote “connections” of many kinds, from tangible joins to conceptual associations, as well as the proper place or condition for things.