Indiculus superstitionum et paganiorum

The Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum (Small index of superstition and paganism) is a short early medieval Latin text consisting of 30 lines naming several pagan beliefs and practices found in Saxon and Northern-Gaulish areas. It was probably written down in the late eighth or early ninth century, during the reign of Charlemagne. The manuscript is thought to originate in Fulda or Mainz in what is now central Germany, and traveled to several other German places before ending up in Rome in the 17^th century where it was rediscovered in the Vatican.

Indiculus is one text in a manuscript consisting of several texts. Interestingly the same manuscript also contains another short text referring to pagan beliefs; the so-called Old Saxon Baptismal Vow, which makes one renounce their pagan beliefs and turn to christianity.

I see that many websites about paganism in the Low countries refer to the Indiculus. Although the Indiculus probably mostly refers to the pagans living in (central) Germany, the text is still interesting for studying the pagans who lived in what is now the Netherlands and surroundings.

The area where the Indiculus was written and the area of the Netherlands are not very far apart. In any case both areas were (partly) inhabited by Germanic tribes, who we may assume had broadly the same religious, spiritual and magical beliefs because of shared ancestral and cultural backgrounds. The Indiculus gives us an idea of what these ideas may have been, seen through the eye of a Christian, in the Early Middle Ages in a time when paganism and christianity intermingled.
The text was written by a Christian/christians with a classical background, who may or may not have originally been from the area. Some lines seem very specific to Germanic pagan beliefs, but other lines and words seem more generic, and even have a classical/Latin tinge to them. In fact, it is quite probable that the Indiculus was compiled using several other texts referring to paganisms from several parts in Europe.

With this in mind, here is the text, first in original Latin and then translated in English using Google Translate in combination with my (very) limited knowledge of Latin in combination with the Dutch translation found in Luit van der Tuuks book.

De sacrilegio ad sepulchra mortuorum. – “On sacriliege near the sepulchres of the dead.”
De sacrilegio super defunctos id est dadsisas. – “On sacrilege over the dead, that is dadsisas.”
De spurcalibus in Februario. – “On the rubbish in February.”
De casulis id est fanis. – “On small buildings, that is sanctuaries.”
De sacrilegiis per aecclesias. – “On sacrilege in churches.”
De sacris siluarum quae nimidas vocant. – “On sacred woods which the call nimidas.”
De hiis quae faciunt super petras. – “On things they do on stones.”
De sacris Mercurii, vel Iovis. – “On the sacred offerings to Mercurius, or Iovis.”
De sacrificio quod fit alicui sanctorum. – “On the sacrifice made to a saint.”
De filacteriis et ligaturis. – “On amulets and bindings.”
De fontibus sacrificiorum. – “On the offerings near wells.”
De incantationibus. – “On incantations.”
De auguriis vel avium vel equorum vel bovum stercora vel sternutationes. – “On auguries of birds or horses or cows’ dung or sneezing.”
De divinis vel sortilogis. – “On divination or casting lots.“
De igne fricato de ligno id est nodfyr. – “On that fire rubbed out of wood that is nodfyr.“
De cerebro animalium. – “On animals’ brains.”
De observatione pagana in foco, vel in inchoatione rei alicuius. – “On the pagan observation in the hearth, or the beginning of anyting.”
De incertis locis que colunt pro sacris. “On uncertain places which they see as sacred.”
De petendo quod boni vocant sanctae Mariae. “On the calling on who the good ones call Holy Mary.”
De feriis quae faciunt Jovi vel Mercurio. “On the holidays they celebrated for Iovis or Mercurius.”
De lunae defectione, quod dicunt Vinceluna. – “On the darkening of the moon, which they call Vinceluna.”
De tempestatibus et cornibus et cocleis. – “On storms and honrs and snails.”
De sulcis circa villas. – “On furrows around houses.”
De pagano cursu quem yrias nominant, scissis pannis vel calciamentis. – “On the pagan running match they call yrias, with torn clothes or shoes.”
De eo, quod sibi sanctos fingunt quoslibet mortuos. – “On the fact that they imagine any dead people to be saints.”
De simulacro de consparsa farina. – “On the image of the scattered meal.”
De simulacris de pannis factis. – “On images of cloth.”
De simulacro quod per campos portant. – “On the images they carry over the field.”
De ligneis pedibus vel manibus pagano ritu. – “On wooden feet or hands in pagan ritual.”
De eo, quod credunt, quia femine lunam comendet, quod possint corda hominum tollere juxta paganos. – “On that which they believe, that women command the moon, so that according to pagans they can take the hearts of humans.”

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