The Old Ways

Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 287 of 343

The Creed

Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)

Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem. ælmihtig fæder up on rodore, þe ða sciran gesceaft sceope and worhtest and eorðan wang ealne gesettest, ic þe ecne god ænne gecenne, lustum gelyfe. þu eart lifes frea, engla ordfruma, eorðan wealdend, and ðu garsecges grundas geworhtest, and þu ða menegu canst mærra tungla. Et in Iesum Christum filium eius unicum, dominum nostrum. Ic on sunu þinne soðne gelyfe, hælendne cyning, hider asendne of ðam uplican engla rice, þone Gabriel, godes ærendraca,

sanctan Marian sylfre gebodode. Ides unmæne, heo þæt ærende onfeng freolice, and ðe fæder sylfne under breostcofan bearn acende. Næs ðær gefremmed firen æt giftum, ac þær halig gast handgyft sealde, þære fæmnan bosm fylde mid blisse, and heo cuðlice cende swa mærne eorðbuendum engla scyppend, se to frofre gewearð foldbuendum, and ymbe Bethleem bodedan englas þæt acenned wæs Crist on eorðan. Passus sub Pontio Pilato. ða se pontisca Pilatus weold

under Romwarum rices and doma, þa se deora frea deað þrowade, on gealgan stah, gumena drihten, þone geomormod Iosep byrigde, and he of helle huðe gefette, of þam suslhofe, sawla manega, het ða uplicne eþel secan. Tertia die resurrexit a mortuis. þæs þy ðriddan dæge þeoda wealdend aras, rices frea, recene of moldan, and he XL daga folgeras sine runum arette, and ða his rice began, þone uplican eðel secan, cwæð þæt he nolde nænne forlætan

þe him forð ofer þæt fylian wolde and mid fæstum sefan freode gelæstan. Credo in spiritum sanctum. Ic haligne gast hihte beluce, emne swa ecne swa is aðor gecweden, fæder oððe freobearn, folca gereordum. Ne synd þæt þreo godas, þriwa genemned, ac is an god, se ðe ealle hafað þa þry naman þinga gerynum, soð and sigefæst ofer side gesceaft, wereda wuldorgyfa, wlanc and ece. Sanctum ecclesiam catholicam. Eac ic gelyfe þæt syn leofe gode þe þurh ænne geþanc ealdor heriað,

heofona heahcyning her for life, Sanctorum communionem. and ic gemænscipe mærne getreowe þinra haligra her for life. Remissionem peccatorum. Lisse ic gelyfe leahtra gehwylces, Carnis resurrectionem. and ic þone ærest ealra getreowe, flæsces on foldan on þa forhtan tid, Et uitam eternam. þær ðu ece lif eallum dælest, swa her manna gehwylc metode gecwemað.