[[old-english-texts]] | [[christianity]] --- > It depicts "Christ as a Germanic war lord, *drohtin*, and the disciples as his *comitatus*, a loyal war band." ## Scholarship [[murphy-g1995]] [[p-augustyn2000]] [[cathey2002]] [[mierke2010]] [[v-pakis2010ed]] [[n-rhody2012]] [[m-kay2013]] [[bosman2016]] ## Editions [[cathey2002]] ## Translations https://www.hieronymus.us.com/latinweb/Mediaevum/Heliand.htm#X01 [Saxon Text w/ Eng & Ger trans](https://www.hieronymus.us.com/latinweb/Mediaevum/Heliand.htm) [Latin & Saxon Text](https://wikisource.org/wiki/Heliand) [Very loose trans/new edition](https://www.amazon.com/Saxon-Gospel-Heliand-Realization-Celebration-ebook/dp/B001AWZM7S/ref=sr-1-4?dchild=1&keywords=Heliand&qid=1600219411&sr=8-4) ### Partial, idk by who, of Introduction There were many whose minds urged them to begin the reckoning of the runes, the word of God, those well-known accomplishments that Christ the mighty achieved among men in words and in works. Many of the wise wished to praise the preaching of Christ, those holy words, and with their own hands write a book, brightly-shining, how the bairns of men should carry out the commands of God. But among all these were only four, out of the many, granted the might of God, help from heaven and the Holy Ghost, strength from Christ. They were selected, they alone, to inscribe the evengelium, to write in a book the rules of God, the holy heavenly word. Of all the heroic sons of men alone they were to attempt it, since the power of God had picked the four: Mathew and Mark, so were these men named, Luke and John, loved by God, worthy of the work. The all-wielding ruler placed the Holy Spirit in their heroic hearts, with many wise words, and as well an attitude of holiness and a keen heart, to raise their voices, repeating the Gospel. There is nothing in words comparable in the world. Nothing could glorify our great Lord more; nor can anything lop each loathed thing, or wicked work; nor withstand better the aggression and enmity of the enemy. This, because the teacher of the tidings of God, though meek and mild, had a powerful mind; this was the master, the noble Almighty. The four were to write it with their own fingers, they were to set it down, sing it, and to say what they had seen and heard of Christ's strength - all the miracles, many, in word and deed, the mighty Lord preached, and achieved among men - and everything the Ruler said from the Creation, when He, by his strength, with a single word, first made the world and formed the universe; the earth and the heavens, and all that they hold, living or unliving, everything was set in place strongly by God's words. Then he determined which of the tribes would rule the most territory, and at which time the ages of the world would come to an end. One age remained before the sons of men; five were spent. The sacred sixth age would come through God's power, the Holy Ghost, and Christ's birth. He is the best of Healers, come to this middle world as an aid to many, to grant men's children a chance against the enmity of the enemy, and the concealed trap. At that time the Lord God granted to the Romans the widest of kingdoms. They conquered all nations for he granted strength to their soldiers. Those warriors from Rome had seized an empire. Their overlords were in every place, and they possessed power over the nations, each noble folk. Herod was elected by the emperor in Jerusalem, over the Jewish people. Caesar, ruling from the city of Rome placed him among heroes, although Herod was not related to the royal folk, the sons of Israel. He was not of their stock. It was because of the ruler in the city of Rome who reigned over the empire, that Israel's sons, those warrior-men renowned for strength were forced to follow him. They were his friends as long as he ruled, as long as he controlled the Hebrew people. In that place, in those days there lived an old man, wise and experienced. He was of Jewish descent, from Jacob's son Levi, of noble family. His name was Zachary. Blessedly happy, he loved to serve God and follow God's will. His wife did the same. She was an old woman. They had obtained no heir when they were young, yet they avoided vice and all respected them. They obeyed Heaven's King, worshipped Our Lord; nor did they wish to commit acts of evil or treachery, crime or sin among the sons of men. But they lived in anxiety, with no heir of their own; they had no family. Zachary, in Jerusalem, fulfilled God's instructions, when he was ordered, whenever it was made clear to his mind that he was to revere the Ruler at the temple, in the sacrament of God, king of the heavens, he fulfilled his duty joyfully and devoutly in mind. ## Part 2 Then came the time that had been foretold by the words of the wise ones, when Zachary should attend at the temple. Many Jews had flocked to Jerusalem, to the great temple, petitioning the Lord in His grace; praying to the great Ruler most humbly, the King of Heaven, to free them from evil. The folk stood about that holy house as the high standing man went within. The Hebrews waited, remaining outside, around the altar, until the wise man had fulfilled God's will. The old man brought his incense to the altar; he circled with his censer, worshipping the Powerful One, performing his task, the divine service, devotedly, with a clear mind - so a man should joyfully follow his lord - when feelings of fear overcame him, and he experienced awe at the altar. Before the altar, he saw an angel of God, within the temple. This angel talked to him, told the wise man not to be wary or frightened. "The Ruler prizes your performance, and words. He is indebted for your devotion to Him and thankful that you think so highly of His strength alone. I am his angel. Gabriel is my name, I stand before God, Forever in attendance on the Ruler of All, except when He sends me away as His messenger. Now He bade me depart upon this mission, told me to inform you that an infant will soon be granted to your good wife - he will be wise in words. He will never in his life drink wine or mead in this world: so fate works it, so time made him, and also God's might. The Lord said I should tell you that your son will be a comrade of the King of Heaven, that you and your wife should care for him well, bring him up on loyalty, and He will allow him many distinctions in heaven's dominion. God said this good man was to be named John, He commanded you to call him so when he comes. He said, besides, that the child would become a companion of Christ, His own Son, in this world, and that both would come here soon upon His quest." Then Zachary conversed with the Lord's messenger, as he began to marvel over these events, and over these words. "How can this occur,' he asked, "at our age? It is much too late for us to make happen what you are speaking of with your words. It was a long time ago, when we were twenty winters in this world, when this woman came to me. We have been together, shared bed and board, for seventy years since I took her to wife. If we were not able to achieve this in youth, if we were not able to get our own heir, to raise him, back then, under our roof, how can we achieve it now we are old? Age has stolen our bodily strength. Our faces are slack, our loins are slow, our flesh is loose, our skin not lush, our lust has departed, our bodies are dried up, our appearances have altered - as have our feelings and our drive - so many days have we been in the world. And so I wonder how this that you talk of could ever take place."