Ottar

This test is in Old English, it is the earliest known case of a Norwegian boasting about his travels. The rather odd XML markup is one used by linguists.

Ōhthere sǣde his hlāforde, Ӕlfrede cyninge, þӕt he ealra Norðmonna norþmest būde. cwӕð þӕt būde on þǣm lande norþweardum wiþ þā Westsǣ.

sǣde þēah þӕt þӕt land sīe swiþe lang norþ þonan; ac it is eal wēste, būton on fēawum stōwum styccemǣlum wīciað Finnas, on huntoðe on wintra, ond on sumera, on fiscaðe be þǣre .

sǣde þӕt æt summe cirre wolde fandian lo̧nge þӕt land norþryhte lǣge, oþþe hwӕðer ӕnig mon be norðan þǣm wēstenne būde.Þā fōr norþryhte be þǣm lande: lēt him ealne weg þӕt wēste land on ðӕt stēorbord, ond þā wīdsǣ on ðӕt bӕcbord, þrīe dagas. Þā wӕs swā feor norþ swā þā hwӕlhuntan firrest faraþ. Þā fōr þā gīet norþryhte swā feor swā meahte on þǣm ōþrum þrīm dagum gesiglan. Þā bēag þӕt land þǣr ēastryhte, oþþe sēo in on þӕt land, nysse hwӕðer, būtan wisse þӕt þǣr bād westanwindes and hwōn norþan, ond gesiglde þā east be lande swā swā meahte on fēower dagum gesiglan. Þā sceolde ðǣr bīdan ryhtnorþanwindes, forðǣm þӕt land bēag þǣr sūþryhte, oþþe sēo in on ðӕt land, nysse hwӕþer. Þā siglde þonan sūðryhte be lande swā swā meahte on fīf dagum gesiglan. Ðā lӕg þǣr ān micel ēa up in on þӕt land.Þā cirdon hīe up in on ðā ēa, forðǣm hīe ne dorston forþ þǣre ēa siglan for unfriþe; forðǣm ðӕt land wӕs eall gebūn on oþre healfe þǣre ēas. Ne mētte ǣr nān gebūn land, siþþan fram his āgnum hām fōr; ac him wӕs ealne weg wēste land on þӕt stēorbord, būtan fiscerum ond fugelerum ond huntum, ond þӕt wǣron eall Finnas; ond him wӕs ā wīdsǣ on þӕt bӕcbord. Þā Beormas hӕfdon swīþe wel gebūd hira land: ac hīe ne dorston þǣr on cuman. Ac þāra Terfinna land wӕs eal wēste, būton ðǣr huntan gewīcodon, oþþe fisceras, oþþe fugeleras.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *