The Descent into Hell

Ongunnon him on uhtan æþelcunde mægð gierwan to geonge; wiston gumena gemot æþelinges lic eorðærne biþeaht. Woldan werigu wif wope bimænan æþelinges deað ane hwile, reonge bereotan. Ræst wæs acolad, heard wæs hinsið; hæleð wæron modge, þe hy æt þam beorge bliðe fundon. Cwom seo murnende Maria on dægred, heht hy oþre mid eorles dohtor. Sohton sarigu tu sigebearn godes ænne in þæt eorðærn þær hi ær wiston þæt hine gehyddan hæleð Iudea; wendan þæt he on þam beorge bidan sceolde,

ana in þære easterniht. Huru þæs oþer þing wiston þa wifmenn, þa hy on weg cyrdon! Ac þær cwom on uhtan an engla þreat, behæfde heapa wyn hælendes burg. Open wæs þæt eorðærn, æþelinges lic onfeng feores gæst, folde beofode, hlogan helwaran; hagosteald onwoc modig from moldan, mægenþrym aras sigefæst ond snottor. Sægde Iohannis, hæleð helwarum, hlyhhende spræc modig to þære mengo ymb his mæges ......: "Hæfde me gehaten hælend user, þa he me on þisne sið sendan wolde, þæt he me gesoht... siex monað,

ealles folces fruma. Nu ...... sceacen. Wene ic ful swiþe ond witod ...... to dæge dryhten wille ...... gesecan, sigebearn godes." Fysde hine þa to fore frea moncynnes; wolde heofona helm helle weallas forbrecan ond forbygan, þære burge þrym onginnan reafian, reþust ealra cyninga. Ne rohte he to þære hilde helmberendra, ne he byrnwigend to þam burggeatum lædan ne wolde, ac þa locu feollan, clustor of þam ceastrum; cyning in oþrad, ealles folces fruma forð onette, weoruda wuldorgiefa. Wræccan þrungon,

hwylc hyra þæt sygebearn geseon moste, Adam ond Abraham, Isac ond Iacob, monig modig eorl, Moyses ond Dauid, Esaias ond Sacharias, heahfædra fela, swylce eac hæleþa gemot, witgena weorod, wifmonna þreat, fela fæmnena, folces unrim. Geseah þa Iohannis sigebearn godes mid þy cyneþrymme cuman to helle, ongeat þa geomormod godes sylfes sið. Geseah he helle duru hædre scinan, þa þe longe ær bilocen wæron, beþeahte mid þystre; se þegn wæs on wynne. Abead þa bealdlice burgwarena ord

modig fore þære mengo ond to his mæge spræc ond þa wilcuman wordum grette: "þe þæs þonc sie, þeoden user, þæt þu us... ...ige secan woldest, nu we on þissum bendum bidan ...... þonne monige bindeð broþorleasne wræccan ...... (he bið wide fah), ne bið he no þæs nearwe under niðloc... þæs bitre gebunden under bealuclommum, þæt he þy yð ne mæge ellen habban, þonne he his hlafordes hyldo gelyfeð, þæt hine of þam bendum bicgan wille. Swa we ealle to þe an gelyfað, dryhten min se dyra. Ic adreag fela

siþþan þu end to me in siþadest, þa þu me gesealdest sweord ond byrnan, helm ond heorosceorp, (a ic þæt heold nu giet), ond þu me gecyðdest, cyneþrymma wyn, þæt þu mundbora minum wære. Eala Gabrihel, hu þu eart gleaw ond scearp, milde ond gemyndig ond monþwære, wis on þinum gewitte ond on þinum worde snottor! þæt þu gecyðdest þa þu þone cnyht to us brohtest in Bethlem. Bidan we þæs longe, setan on sorgum, sibbe oflyste, wynnum ond wenum, hwonne we word godes þurh his sylfes muð secgan hyrde. Eala Maria, hu þu us modigne

cyning acendest, þa þu þæt cild to us brohtest in Bethlem. We þæs beofiende under helle dorum hearde sceoldon bidan in bendum. Bona weorces gefeah; wæron ure ealdfind ealle on wynnum þonne hy gehyrdon hu we hreowen... ...on murnende mægburg usse, oþþæt ...... sigedryhten god, bimengdes... ...gust ealra cyninga. nu us mon modge þe ageaf from usse geogoðe. We þurh gifre mod beswican us sylfe; we þa synne forþon berað in urum breostum to bonan honda, sculon eac to ussum feondum freoþo wilnian.

Eala Hierusalem in Iudeum, 100 hu þu in þære stowe stille gewunadest! Ne mostan þe geondferan foldbuende ealle lifgende, þa þe lof singað. Eala Iordane in Iudeum, hu þu in þære stowe stille gewunadest! 105 Nales þu geondflowan foldbuende; mostan hy þynes wætres wynnum brucan. Nu ic þe halsie, hælend user, deope in gedyrstum, (þu eart dryhten Crist), þæt þu us gemiltsie, monna scyppend. 110

þu fore monna lufan þinre modor bosm sylfa gesohtes, sigedryhten god, nales fore þinre þearfe, þeoda waldend, ac for þam miltsum þe þu moncynne oft ætywdest, þonne him wæs are þearf. 115 þu meaht ymbfon eal folca gesetu, swylce þu meaht geriman, rice dryhten, sæs sondgrotu, selast ealra cyninga. Swylce ic þe halsige, hælend user, fore ...inum cildhade, cyninga selast, 120 ond fore þære wunde, weoruda dry... þinum æriste, æþelinga wyn,

ond fore þinre me... ...ian nama, þa ealle hellwara hergað ond lof... ...lum þe þe ymb stondað, 125 þa þu þe lete sittan ...... hond, þa þu us on þisne wræcsið, weoroda dryhten, þurh þines sylfes geweald secan woldest, ond fore Hierusalem in Iudeum, (sceal seo burg nu þa bidan efne swa þeah, 130 þeoden leofa, þines eftcymes), ond for Iordane in Iudeum, (wit unc in þære burnan baþodan ætgædre). Oferwurpe þu mid þy wætre, weoruda dryhten,

bliþe mode ealle burgwaran, 135 swylce git Iohannis in Iordane mid þy fullwihte fægre onbryrdon ealne þisne middangeard. Sie þæs symle meotude þonc!"