Old English Gospel of Nicodemus
Encyclopedia
The Old English Gospel of Nicodemus is an Old English prose translation of the Latin
Gospel of Nicodemus. The Old English Gospel of Nicodemus is preserved in two manuscripts (the Cambridge University
manuscript and the Cotton Vitelius A. 15 manuscript in the British Museum
), both dating from the 11th century AD. In comparison to the Latin edition from which they are based, the manuscripts contain both minor and major differences, including various omissions and addition of numerous words, clauses, and sentences.
The Old English Gospel of Nicodemus contains "a sex-changed version of the grammatically masculine but otherwise ambiguous figure Infer[n]us" referred to as Seo hell, who engages in flyting
with Satan
, and orders him to leave "her" dwelling (Old English ut of mynre onwununge), and states that "her vivid personification in a dramatically excellent scene suggests that her gender is more than grammatical, and invites comparison with the Old Norse
underworld goddess Hel
and the Frau Holle
of German folklore, to say nothing of underworld goddesses in other cultures." Bell says that "the possibility that these genders are merely grammatical is strengthened by the fact that an Old Norse version of Nicodemus, possibly translated under English influence, personifies Hell in the neuter (Old Norse þat helviti)".
Bell says that "to complicate the picture still further, personification itself is sporadic in the tradition" and that "in some redactions of the Latin and Old Norse Nicodemus, Hell's speaking part is taken by various loosely identified groups of denizens of the underworld," adding that Hell only appears additionally personified in the latest and most fragmentary of the four surviving Old Norse manuscripts of The Gospel of Nicodemus.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Gospel of Nicodemus. The Old English Gospel of Nicodemus is preserved in two manuscripts (the Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
manuscript and the Cotton Vitelius A. 15 manuscript in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
), both dating from the 11th century AD. In comparison to the Latin edition from which they are based, the manuscripts contain both minor and major differences, including various omissions and addition of numerous words, clauses, and sentences.
The Old English Gospel of Nicodemus contains "a sex-changed version of the grammatically masculine but otherwise ambiguous figure Infer[n]us" referred to as Seo hell, who engages in flyting
Flyting
Flyting or fliting is a contest consisting of the exchange of insults, often conducted in verse, between two parties.-Description:Flyting is a ritual, poetic exchange of insults practiced mainly between the 5th and 16th centuries. The root is the Old English word flītan meaning quarrel...
with Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, and orders him to leave "her" dwelling (Old English ut of mynre onwununge), and states that "her vivid personification in a dramatically excellent scene suggests that her gender is more than grammatical, and invites comparison with the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
underworld goddess Hel
Hel (being)
In Norse mythology, Hel is a being who presides over a realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
and the Frau Holle
Holda
In Germanic folklore as established by Jacob Grimm, Frau Holda or Holle is the supernatural matron of spinning, childbirth and domestic animals, and is also associated with winter, witches and the Wild Hunt...
of German folklore, to say nothing of underworld goddesses in other cultures." Bell says that "the possibility that these genders are merely grammatical is strengthened by the fact that an Old Norse version of Nicodemus, possibly translated under English influence, personifies Hell in the neuter (Old Norse þat helviti)".
Bell says that "to complicate the picture still further, personification itself is sporadic in the tradition" and that "in some redactions of the Latin and Old Norse Nicodemus, Hell's speaking part is taken by various loosely identified groups of denizens of the underworld," adding that Hell only appears additionally personified in the latest and most fragmentary of the four surviving Old Norse manuscripts of The Gospel of Nicodemus.