Descending into Hell

Descent into Hell

(Exeter Book)

            Noble-born women prepared themselves in the predawn

            for a journey; an assembly of men knew

            the atheling’s body (was; lit., to be) buried in its earth-grave.

            Weary women wished to bemoan with weeping

5          the atheling’s death for a time,

            the sad (ones wished) to mourn. (His) bed/grave had grown cold

            his departure had been hard; the heroes/angels? were bold,

            those they found happy at the mound.

            Mourning Mary came at day-red:

10       she asked another (to go) with the earl’s daughter.

            That sorrowful pair sought the victory-child of God

            alone in the earth-grave where they knew

            that the men of Judea had hidden him before.

            (They) thought that he would remain in that mound,

15       alone on Easter-night. Oh, the women discovered

            something (altogether) different when they turned onto the path.

                 A force of angels had come there before dawn:

            the joy of these throngs surrounded the Savior’s sepulchre (lit., hill)

            The earth-grave was open, the atheling’s body

20       received the spirit of life: the earth shuddered,

            hell-dwellers laughed. The young warrior awoke,

            gallant from the ground,  that Glory-might arose

            victory-firm and wise. John spoke,

            the hero to the hell-dwellers, laughing said,

25       the brave one to the many, concerning his kinsman’s journey:

            “Our Savior had assured me,

            when he wanted to send me on this journey,

            that he would seek me out within six months

            that Prince of all people. Now that period has passed.

30       I expect very strongly and reckon assuredly

            that today our Lord will seek

            us out  himself, the victory-child of God.”

                  He impelled himself on the journey, Lord of mankind,

            the Protector of the heavens wanted  to shatter

35       and bring down the walls of hell, (wanted) to start,

            fiercest of all Kings, plundering the glory of that fortress.

He did not care for helmet-bearers/soldiers in that battle,

nor did he want to bring mailed-warriors

to the city-gates, but (nevertheless) the locks fell,

40       bars from the fort; the King, in his attack,

            the Prince of all people rushed forth,

            the glory-giver of hosts. The exiles swarmed

            (to find out) which of them could see that Victory-Child—

            Adam and Abraham, Issac and Jacob,

45       many a proud earl, Moses and Dqvid,

            Isaiah and Zacharias,

            many high-fathers, likewise a crowd of men as well,

            a host of prophets, a throng of women,

            many females, an innumerable/vast folk.

50       Then John saw the Victory-Child of God

            coming to hell among this regal-throng,

            sad-minded, (he) perceived then God’s own journey. ??

            He saw hell’s doors shining brightly

            those which long before had been locked,

55       covered in darkness; the thane was joyful.

                Then the first of the city-dwellers addressed boldy,

            brave before the multitude, and spoke to his kinsman

            and greeted the welcome guest with words.

            “Thanks be to you for this, our Prince,

60       that you wanted seek us out, (us) sorrowing (ones),

            now (that) we in these fetters have had to wait,

            since [the devil] bound many a brotherless

            outcast—he is everywhere an enemy.

            Not at all is [every sinner here] so narrowly

65       or so bitterly bound below in a torture-cell, in harm-manacles,

            that he cannot the more easily gain courage

            when he trusts in his Lord’s grace,

            that (He) wants to free him from (his) fetters.[1]

            Thus we all trust to you alone,

70       my Lord so dear. I have suffered much

            since you ventured finally in to me,

            when you gave me sword and mail-coat,

            helmet and battle-sharp (i.e. sword)—I have held it always, even now—

            and you made known to me, Joy of royal-glories??,

75       that you were my protector.

                  Oh Gabriel, how wise you are and sharp,

            mild and mindful and humane (lit., man-gentle)

            wise in your wits and sagacious in your words!

            You made that known to us when you brought that boy

80       to us in Bethlehem. We had waited a long time for that,

            sunken in sorrows, longing for peace,

            happiness, and hope, when we might hear

            the word of God pronounced from his own mouth.

                  Oh, Mary, how you gave birth to a brave king

85       for us, when you brought that boy to us

            in Bethlehem! In bonds we had

            to wait for that, trembling violently

            under the doors of hell. The devil (lit., slayer) delighted in (our) agony.

            Our ancient-enemies were all elated

90       when they heard how we, grieving,

            moaned, mourning our kin-city (i.e., lineage),

            until you sought us out, Victory-Lord God,

            mixed [among us], bravest of all kings.

            […]                              now you have been given generously

95       to us from our young. We in our greedy hearts

            deceived ourselves: therefore we had delivered

            into the hands of the slayer the sins from our hearts;

            (we) also had to beg for piece from our enemies.

                 Oh Jerusalem in Judea,

100     how quietly you have remained in that place.

            No earth dwellers were allowed to pass through you,

            no living ones at all, those who sing (your) praises.

                  Oh, Jordan in Judea

            how quietly you have remained in that place.

105     Not at all do you flow over (all) earth-dwellers,

            (yet) they were allowed to enjoy your waters happily.

                   Now I call on you, our Savior

            deep in difficulties—you are the Lord Christ!—

            that you have mercy on us, Creator of men.

110     You yourself sought out your mother’s womb

            for the love of men, Victory-Lord God,

            not at all for (any) need of yours, Wielder of nations,

            but for the mercies which you have shown

            mankind so often, when it (most) needed grace.

115     You can embrace the habitations of all peoples,

            likewise you can clear away, powerful Lord

            (all) the sand-grains of the sea, best of all kings!

            So, I call on you, our Savior,

            by your childhood, best of kings,

120     and by your wound, Lord of hosts,

            and by your resurrection, joy of nobles,

            and by your mother Mary’s name,

            whom all hell-dwellers praise and exalt;

            and by those angels that stand around you,

125     those whom you allow to sit at (your) right hand,

            since you wished to seek us out, Lord of hosts,

            on this exile-journey by your self’s own might.;

            and by Jerusalem in Judea—

            that city must now await nevertheless,

130     beloved Prince, your return;

            and by the Jordan in Judea—

            we two both bathed together in that brook/river

                 Pour over with those waters, Lord of hosts,

            all the hell-dwellers (lit., city-dwellers), (now) happy in heart,

135     --just as you two inspired John in the Jordan

            beautifully by baptism—

            (and) all this middle earth. Thanks be always to the Measurer.”

The Harrowing of Hell from the Tiberius Psalter

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[1] This passage, starting with l. 62, is apparently corrupt. Muir thinks that there “are too many problems with these three verses to warrant reconstruction” (638), and goes on to endorse Bradley’s translation of the text that we have: “Although the traitorous devil—he is an enemy abroad—ensnares many a brotherless exile, that man is not bound so closely beneath oppressive locks nor so cruelly beneath painful fetters”  (Bradley, 393).