Wið færstice

Wið færstice is an Anglo-Saxon medical text composed in Old English, surviving in the collection known now as "Lacnunga". "Wið færstice" means 'against a sudden/violent stabbing pain'; scholars have often sought to identify this as rheumatism, but other possibilities should not be excluded. The remedy describes how to make a salve, but its main interest lies in the unique charm which follows. This describes how the "færstice" has been caused by the projectiles of 'mighty women' ("ða mihtigan wif"), whom the healer will combat. The charm also mentions elves (see elf) and provides the only attestation outside personal names of the Old English form of the name of the Old Norse gods, the Æsir.

References

This entry is based on Alaric Hall, 'The Meanings of "Elf" and Elves in Medieval England' (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Glasgow, 2004), pp. 10-12, where a full text, translation and discussion can be found. Available from http://www.alarichall.org.uk.
*Pettit, E. (2001). "Anglo-Saxon Remedies, Charms, and Prayers from British Library MS Harley 585: The ‘Lacnunga’", 2 vols., Lewiston and Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press. [Edition, translation, commentary and bibliography]

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