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OF THE DIALECTS OF THE SAXON AREA, AND OF THE SO-CALLED, OLD SAXON.

§ 52. The area occupied by the Saxons of Germany has been investigated; and it now remains to ask, how far the language of the occupants was absolutely identical throughout, or how far it fell into dialects or sub-dialects. In doing this, it may as well be asked, First, what we expect, à priori; Second, what we really find.

§ 53. To the Saxon area in Germany, there are five philological frontiers, the Slavonic, the Frisian, the Batavian, the Frank, and the Thuringian, to which may probably be added the Hessian; in each of which, except the Slavonic, we may expect that the philological phenomenon of intermixture and transition will occur. Thus—

a. The Saxon of Holstein may be expected to approach the Jute and Frisian.

b. That of South Oldenburg and East Friesland, the Frisian and Batavian.

c. That of Westphalia, the Batavian and Frank.

d, e. That of the Hessian and Thuringian frontiers, the Hessian and Thuringian.

Finally, the Saxon of the centre of the area is expected to be the Saxon of the most typical character.

§ 54. Such is what we expect. How far it was the fact is not known for want of data. What is known, however, is as follows.—There were at least two divisions of the Saxon; (1st) the Saxon of which the extant specimens are of English origin, and (2nd), the Saxon of which the extant specimens are of continental origin. We will call these at present the Saxon of England, and the Saxon of the Continent.

§ 55. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, there is good reason for believing that the first was spoken in the northern, the second in the southern portion of the Saxon area, i.e., the one in Hanover and the other in Westphalia, the probable boundaries between them being the line of highlands between Osnaburg and Paderborn.

§ 56. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, there is good reason for believing that, whilst the former was the mother-tongue of the Angles and the conquerors of England, the latter was that of the Cherusci of Arminius, the conquerors and the annihilators of the legions of Varus.

§ 57. Respecting the Saxon of England and the Saxon of the Continent, it is a fact that whilst we have a full literature in the former, we have but fragmentary specimens of the latter—these being chiefly the following: (1) the Heliand, (2) Hildubrand and Hathubrant, (3) the Carolinian Psalms.

§ 58. The preceding points have been predicated respecting the difference between the two ascertained Saxon dialects, for the sake of preparing the reader for the names by which they are known. Supposing the nomenclature to be based upon any of the preceding facts, we might have the following nomenclature:—

FOR THE SAXON OF THE CONTINENT.	FOR THE SAXON OF ENGLAND.
1. Continental Saxon.	Insular Saxon.
2. German Saxon.	English Saxon.
3. Westphalian Saxon.	Hanoverian Saxon.
4. South-Saxon.	North Saxon.
5. Cheruscan Saxon.	Angle Saxon.
6. Saxon of the Heliand.[4]	Saxon of Beowulf.[4]

Of these names the last would be the best for strictly scientific purposes, or for the purposes of investigation; since the fact upon which it is based is the most undeniable.

Such is what the nomenclature might be, or, perhaps, ought to be. What it is is another question.

§ 59. The Saxon of England is called Anglo-Saxon; a term against which no exception can be raised.

§ 60. The Saxon of the Continental used to be called Dano-Saxon, and is called Old Saxon.

§ 61. Why called Dano-Saxon.—When the poem called Heliand was first discovered (and that in an English library), the difference in language between it and the common Anglo-Saxon composition was accounted for by the assumption of a Danish intermixture.

§ 62. Why called Old Saxon.—When the Continental origin of the Heliand was recognised, the language was called Old Saxon, because it represented the Saxon of the mother-country, the natives of which were called Old Saxons by the Anglo-Saxons themselves. Still the term is exceptionable; the Saxon of the Heliand is most probably a sister-dialect of the Anglo-Saxon, rather the Anglo-Saxon itself is a continental locality. Exceptionable, however, as it is, it will be employed.

§ 63. The data for the study of the Old Saxon are as follows:—

1. Abrenuntiatio Diaboli, e Codice Vaticano.—Graff, Diutisca, ii. 191.

2. Confessionis Formulæ, e Codice Essensi.—Lacomblet, Archiv, für Geschichte des Niederrhins, 1, 4-9.

3. Fragmentum de Festo omnium Sanctorum, e Codice Essensi.—Ibid.

4. Rotulus redituum Essensis.—Ibid.

5. The Frekkenhorst Roll.—Denkmäler von Dorow, 1, 2, 1.

6. Glossæ Saxonicæ, e Codice Argentorat.—Diutisca, 192.

7. T. Lipsii; Epist. cent. III. ad Belgas pertinentium, Ep. 44.

8. Hildebrand.—Heroic fragment, in alliterative metre.

9. The Carolinian Psalms.—A translation of the Psalms, referred to the time of Charlemagne; sometimes considered to be old Batavian.

10. Heliand, a Gospel Harmony in alliterative metre, and the chief Old Saxon composition extant.

SPECIMEN.

§ 64. Heliand, pp. 12, 13. (Schmeller's Edition.)

Luc. II. 8-13.

Tho uuard managun cud, Obar thesa uuidon uuerold. Uuardos antfundun, Thea thar ehuscalcos Uta uuarun, Uueros an uuahtu, Uuiggeo gomean, Fehas aftar felda: Gisahun finistri an tuue Telatan an lufte; Endi quam lioht Godes, Uuanum thurh thui uuolcan; Endi thea uuardos thar Bifeng an them felda. Sie uurdun an forhtun tho, Thea man an ira moda; Gisahun thar mahtigna Godes Engil cuman; The im tegegnes sprac. Het that im thea uuardos— "Uuiht ne antdredin Ledes fon them liohta. Ic scal eu quad he liobora thing, Suido uuarlico Uuilleon seggean, Cudean craft mikil. Nu is Krist geboran, An thesero selbun naht, Salig barn Godes, An thera Davides burg, Drohtin the godo. That is mendislo Manno cunneas, Allaro firiho fruma. Thar gi ina fidan mugun, An Bethlema burg, Barno rikiost. Hebbiath that te tecna, That ic eu gitellean mag, Uuarun uuordun, That he thar biuundan ligid, That kind an enera cribbiun, Tho he si cuning obar al Erdun endi himiles, Endi obar eldeo barn, Uueroldes uualdand." Reht so he tho that uuord gespracenun So uuard thar engilo te them Unrim cuman, Helag heriskepi, Fon hebanuuanga, Fagar folc Godes, Endi filu sprakun, Lofuuord manag, Liudeo herron; Athobun tho helagna sang, Tho sie eft te hebanuuanga Uundun thurh thin uuolcan. Thea uuardos hordun, Huo thin engilo craft Alomahtigna God, Suido uuerdlico, Uuordun louodun. "Diurida si nu," quadun sie, "Drohtine selbun, An them hohoston Himilo rikea; Endi fridu an erdu, Firiho barnum, Goduuilligun gumun, Them the God antkennead, Thurh hluttran hugi."

Then it was to many known, Over this wide world. The words they discovered, Those that there, as horse-grooms, Were without, Men at watch, Horses to tend, Cattle on the field— They saw the darkness in two Dissipated in the atmosphere, And came a light of God —through the welkin; And the words there Caught on the field. They were in fright then The men in their mood— They saw there mighty Angel of God come; That to them face to face spake. It bade them these words— "Dread not a whit Of mischief from the light. I shall to you speak glad things, Very true; Say commands; Show great strength. Now is Christ born, In this self-same night; The blessed child of God, In David's city, The Lord the good. That is exultation To the races of men, Of all men the advancement. There ye may find him In the city of Bethlehem, The noblest of children— Ye have as a token That I tell ye True words, That he there swathed lieth, The child in a crib, Though he be King over all Earth and Heaven, And over the sons of men, Of the world the Ruler." Right as he that word spake, So was there of Angels to them, In a multitude, come A holy host, From the Heaven-plains, The fair folk of God, And much they spake Praise-words many, To the Lord of Hosts (people). They raised the holy song, As they back to the Heaven-plains Wound through the welkin. The words they heard, How the strength of the Angels The Almighty God, Very worthily, With words praised. "Love be there now," quoth they, "To the Lord himself On the highest Kingdom of Heaven, And peace on earth To the children of men, Goodwilled men Who know God, Through a pure mind."