Multilingual Verbal Remedies: Compilation and Transmission of Old High German Charms

This study examines the transmission and evolution of medieval German charms within Latin manuscript culture. Those texts are notable for their marginal placement in manuscripts, a phenomenon described as ‘multiple marginalities’. Initially added in secondary writing campaigns, these texts gradually moved from the peripheries to the main body of manuscripts, reflecting their growing acceptance throughout the centuries. Indeed, the materiality of the manuscripts, including the use of margins and empty spaces, provides insights into the evolving status of charms within medieval textual culture. The cross-cultural transmission of these texts is evident in their integration into Latin manuscripts, where they coexist with religious and medical texts. In fact, these charms often exhibit a bilingual nature, with Latin used for paratextual elements and German for the main formulae, reflecting the multilingual environment of medieval monastic communities. The performative aspects of the charms are suggested by the ritualistic language and instructions embedded within the texts, indicating their use in specific ceremonial contexts. The research highlights the composition of charms from textual ‘building blocks’, where older formulations and paratextual elements are intricately combined to create cohesive texts. The process of compilation is explored as a creative act of synthesis, where compilers recontextualise authoritative texts to fit contemporary needs, blending different elements. Thus, as a result of this process, medieval German charms embody the kind of fluid and adaptive texts whose nature emphasises their role in the cultural and intellectual landscape of the time. By tracing both their material transmission and their internal hybrid structures, this study reveals charms as dynamic instruments of cultural negotiation between orality, literacy, and liturgical authority in early medieval Europe.