SE ÐE ÐAS WORULD GESCEOP: L’IMMAGINE DEL DIO CRISTIANO NELL’ÆCERBOT ANGLOSASSONE

The Old English corpus of texts related to magic is extremely varied according to the heterogeneous performative contexts involved as well as the specific structure of the works considered. Although significant, allusions to pagan deities can be considered sporadic in the tradition of Anglo-Saxon spells, while invocations, orations, songs or supplications to God, Christ and the Saints are very frequent. The Æcerbot is one of the most complete magical-ritual texts available to us: beyond the extensive hybridization of Germanic and Christian elements generously investigated by critics in past and recent times, it contains remarkable references to the Lord and other characters mentioned together with Him. God is defined as powerful, eternal, holy king, protector of heaven and creator of the world: se alwalda, ece drihten, heofonrices weard, se ðe ðas woruld gesceop, just to mention the most relevant terms. This essay aims at investigating those expressions, epithets and formulae used in the spell to define God in comparison to similar ones extant in the Anglo-Saxon poetic repertoire, with a particular focus on those related to the representation of the Lord as maker and originator of all the creatures of the world as well as of humankind.