Mōdraniht or Modranicht (pronounced[ˈmoːdrɑniçt]; Old English for "Night of the Mothers" or "Mothers' Night") was an event held at what is now Christmas Eve by Anglo-Saxon pagans. The event is solely attested by the medieval English historian Bede in his eighth-century Latin work De temporum ratione. It has been suggested that sacrifices may have occurred during this event. Scholars have proposed connections between the Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht and events attested among other Germanic peoples (specifically those involving the dísir, collective female ancestral beings, and Yule), and the Germanic Matres and Matronae, female beings attested by way of altar and votive inscriptions, nearly always appearing in trios.
In De temporum ratione, Bede writes that the pagan Anglo-Saxons:
Incipiebant autem annum ab octavo Calendarum Januariarum die, ubi nunc natale Domini celebramus. Et ipsam noctem nunc nobis sacrosanctam, tunc gentili vocabulo Modranicht, id est, matrum noctem appellabant: ob causam et suspicamur ceremoniarum, quas in ea pervigiles agebant.[1]
... began the year on the 8th calends of January [25 December], when we celebrate the birth of the Lord. That very night, which we hold so sacred, they used to call by the heathen word Modranecht, that is, "mother's night", because (we suspect) of the ceremonies they enacted all that night.[2]
Theories and interpretationsedit
Scholars have linked these Modra ("Mothers") with the Germanic Matres and Matronae.[3]Rudolf Simek says that Mōdraniht "as a Germanic sacrificial festival should be associated with the Matron cult of the West Germanic peoples on the one hand, and to the dísablót and the Disting already known from medieval Scandinavia on the other hand and is chronologically to be seen as a connecting link between these Germanic forms of cult."[4]
Simek provides additional discussion about the connection between Mōdraniht, the dísir, and the norns.[5] Scholars have placed the event as a part of the Germanic winter period of Yule.[6]
Regarding Bede's attestation, Philip A. Shaw commented in 2011 that "the fact that Bede's modranect can be to some extent confirmed by the Romano-Germanic votive inscriptions to matrons does at least indicate that we should not be too quick to dismiss the other evidence he provides for Anglo-Saxon deities".[7]
^Wallis (1999:53). Note that the first element of the phrase matrum noctem is here translated with "mother's", whereas it is plural: a translation "mothers' night" is therefore more accurate.
Giles, John Allen (1843). The Complete Works of the Venerable Bede, in the Original Latin, Collated with the Manuscripts, and Various Print Editions, Accompanied by a New English Translation of the Historical Works, and a Life of the Author. Vol. VI: Scientific Tracts and Appendix. London: Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane.
Herbert, Kathleen (2007). Looking for the Lost Gods of England. Anglo-Saxon Books. ISBN1-898281-04-1
lang, mōdraniht, mōdraniht, modranicht, pronounced, ˈmoːdrɑniçt, english, night, mothers, mothers, night, event, held, what, christmas, anglo, saxon, pagans, event, solely, attested, medieval, english, historian, bede, eighth, century, latin, work, temporum, r. Mōdraniht or Modranicht pronounced ˈmoːdrɑnict Old English for Night of the Mothers or Mothers Night was an event held at what is now Christmas Eve by Anglo Saxon pagans The event is solely attested by the medieval English historian Bede in his eighth century Latin work De temporum ratione It has been suggested that sacrifices may have occurred during this event Scholars have proposed connections between the Anglo Saxon Mōdraniht and events attested among other Germanic peoples specifically those involving the disir collective female ancestral beings and Yule and the Germanic Matres and Matronae female beings attested by way of altar and votive inscriptions nearly always appearing in trios Contents 1 Attestation 2 Theories and interpretations 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesAttestation editIn De temporum ratione Bede writes that the pagan Anglo Saxons Incipiebant autem annum ab octavo Calendarum Januariarum die ubi nunc natale Domini celebramus Et ipsam noctem nunc nobis sacrosanctam tunc gentili vocabulo Modranicht id est matrum noctem appellabant ob causam et suspicamur ceremoniarum quas in ea pervigiles agebant 1 began the year on the 8th calends of January 25 December when we celebrate the birth of the Lord That very night which we hold so sacred they used to call by the heathen word Modranecht that is mother s night because we suspect of the ceremonies they enacted all that night 2 Theories and interpretations editScholars have linked these Modra Mothers with the Germanic Matres and Matronae 3 Rudolf Simek says that Mōdraniht as a Germanic sacrificial festival should be associated with the Matron cult of the West Germanic peoples on the one hand and to the disablot and the Disting already known from medieval Scandinavia on the other hand and is chronologically to be seen as a connecting link between these Germanic forms of cult 4 Simek provides additional discussion about the connection between Mōdraniht the disir and the norns 5 Scholars have placed the event as a part of the Germanic winter period of Yule 6 Regarding Bede s attestation Philip A Shaw commented in 2011 that the fact that Bede s modranect can be to some extent confirmed by the Romano Germanic votive inscriptions to matrons does at least indicate that we should not be too quick to dismiss the other evidence he provides for Anglo Saxon deities 7 See also editMatres and Matronae Dea Matrona Triple deity Disablot YuleNotes edit Giles 1843 178 Wallis 1999 53 Note that the first element of the phrase matrum noctem is here translated with mother s whereas it is plural a translation mothers night is therefore more accurate Simek 2007 205 207 and Herbert 2007 24 Simek 2007 220 Simek 2007 205 207 Orchard 1997 187 Shaw 2011 61 References editGiles John Allen 1843 The Complete Works of the Venerable Bede in the Original Latin Collated with the Manuscripts and Various Print Editions Accompanied by a New English Translation of the Historical Works and a Life of the Author Vol VI Scientific Tracts and Appendix London Whittaker and Co Ave Maria Lane Herbert Kathleen 2007 Looking for the Lost Gods of England Anglo Saxon Books ISBN 1 898281 04 1 Orchard Andy 1997 Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend Cassell ISBN 0 304 34520 2 Shaw Philip A 2011 Pagan Goddesses in the Early Germanic World Bristol Classical Press ISBN 978 0 7156 3797 5 Simek Rudolf 2007 translated by Angela Hall Dictionary of Northern Mythology D S Brewer ISBN 0 85991 513 1 Wallis Faith Trans 1999 Bede The Reckoning of Time Liverpool University Press ISBN 0 85323 693 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mōdraniht amp oldid 1187914608, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
