Table of Contents
The surviving Æcerbot text, an 11th-century addition to the 10th-century Heliand C manuscript, is a remarkable example of an Old English charm blending pre-Christian and Christian elements. Its purpose was to restore fertility to fields and ensure a bountiful harvest, reflecting the agricultural reliance of Anglo-Saxon society. The charm includes ritual actions, such as taking clods of earth from the four corners of the field, anointing them with symbolic substances like honey and milk, and returning them while reciting invocations. The text prominently features the invocation “Erce, mother of earth,” which scholars often interpret as a remnant of pre-Christian reverence for the earth as a living entity. Overlaid with Christian elements, such as prayers to God and references to psalms, the charm exemplifies how pagan and Christian traditions coexisted and merged during the conversion period in Anglo-Saxon England. It is a rare and invaluable window into the spiritual and ritual life of this era.
This ritual is adapted from the surviving attested charm, and is suitable for smaller, or even urban cultivation. It is performed to restore fertility to the land/garden, honor its sacred connection to the gods and spirits, and ensure a bountiful harvest. The clods of earth are taken from the four corners of the field or garden, ritually describing the boundaries of the area to be remediated. Their anointing and return signify the renewal of the land’s vitality and its dedication to the care of the gods and spirits. This version has the Christianized aspects of the surviving æcerbot charm removed, and replaced with suitable Heathen liturgy. It may be appropriate to conduct this rite if needed, on Āwæcnungdæg, or during the period of Foran-lencten.
You will need:
• A trowel or similar tool for taking the clods.
• Honey, milk, and ash (or incense smoke) for anointing the clods.
• A central place to anoint the clods and four corners to represent the land’s boundaries.
The Ritual
1. Taking the Clods
Go to each of the four corners of the field or garden and take a clod of earth using the trowel. At each corner, silently acknowledge the sacredness of the land and recite:
From this land, I take this gift,
Bound to its corners and sacred bounds.
With the blessings of Woden, Ing-Frea, and Gerd,
Let this ground be fruitful and whole.
2. Anointing the Clods
Bring the clods to a central place. Anoint them with honey, milk, and ash (or incense smoke) while saying:
By honey, the sweetness of life,
By milk, the nourishment of earth,
By ash, the seed of renewal,
May this soil be blessed and fruitful.
3. Principle Invocation
After the clods are anointed, speak the main blessing:
Erce, Erce, Erce, mother of earth,
May the Ealmihtig Ós grant you
Fields growing and flourishing,
Increasing and strengthening,
Tall shafts, bright crops,
Broad barley crops, white wheat crops,
And all the bounty of the earth.
May the Warden of Wisdom grant you,
With Ing-Frea, the bright bringer of bounty,
And Gerd, guardian of the green fields,
Their blessings to make this land whole.
4. Returning the Clods and Troweling the Soil
Take the anointed clods back to their original corners. Bury each clod in its respective place and, with your trowel, lightly loosen or smooth the soil to seal the clod into the earth. At each corner, recite the following in place of the psalms:
May Ing-Frea, the bright bringer of bounty,
Grant you fields growing and flourishing.
May Gerd, guardian of the green fields,
Protect your roots and shelter your crops.
May Thunor, lord of storms,
Bring rain to nourish your bounty.
Closing
Step back from the field or garden and thank the gods and spirits for their presence and blessings. If desired, offer a small token of gratitude, such as mead, to the land or an altar nearby.
