About Pregnant Women

be eacenum wife

Contained within London, BL, Cotton Tiberius A. iii (fol. 40b), which is a compilation manuscript made at Christ Church, Canterbury, (arguably) in 1020-1023. Its ninety-four texts and two illustrations seem to present an incompatible miscellany: a monastic customary and texts concerning pastoral care; private prayers and public liturgical forms; scientific treatises and prognostics.

Eft is oðer wise be þissum þingum $ þu

meht witan on bearn eacenum wife hwæþeres cynnes

bearn heo cennan sceal - gif heo gæð late & hæfþ

hole eagan heo cenneð cniht - gif heo hraðe gæþ

& hafað aþundene eagan heo cenneð mæden cild.

Again is another method about these things that thou

might know of child enlarged women whetheras kinds

of child she to birth shall - if she goeth late and has

hollow eyes she birtheth a boy - if she quickly goeth

and has puffy eyes she birtheth a girl child.

Eft oþer wise genim þa twa wyrta on hand $

is lilie - & rose - ber to bearneacenum wife hat

niman þæra wyrta swa hwæþeræ swa heo wille gif heo

nimð lilian he[o] cenð cnyht gif heo nimð rosan heo

cænð mæden.

Again another method: take the two plants in hand that

is lily - and rose - carry to the child-enlarged woman bid

to take of the plants as whichever as she will if she

takes lilies she birtheth a boy if she takes roses she

birtheth a girl.

Eft is oþer [ ] be þon gif $ wif mid þam

helum stæpeð swiðor on þa eorðan heo cenneð cnyht

gif heo mid þam tan stæpeð swiðor on þa eorþan heo

cænneð mæden.

Again is another [ ] about which if that woman with her

heels steppeth more on the earth she birtheth a boy

if she with her toes steppeth more on the earth she

birtheth a girl.

Eft is oþer wise - gif þam wife bið $

hrif upastigen heo cenneð cnyht - gif hit byþ

nyþer asigen heo cenneþ mæden.

Again is another method - if the woman be-eth that

belly upwards she birtheth a boy - if it be-eth

downwards she birtheth a girl.

Eft oþer wise gif wif biþ bearn eacen

feower monoð oþþe fife 7 heo þonne gelome

eteð hnyte oþþe æceran oþþe ænige niwe bléda þonne gelimpeð hit hwilum þurh þæt þæt þa cild biþ

disig

Again another method if a woman be child enlarged

four months or five and she thence often eats nuts or acorns or any fresh fruits, thence

happeneth it sometimes through that that the child be

stupid.

Eft is oþer wise be þon gef

eteð fearres flæsc oððe rammes oððe buccan oððe bæres oððe hanan oððe ganran oððe æniges þara neata þe strynan mæg þonne gelimpeð hit hwilum þurh þæt þæt þæt cild bið hoforode 7

healede

Again is another method about when goeth

eating bulls flesh or rams or bucks or

boars or cocks or ganders or any of the

beasts that beget strongly then happens it sometimes

through that that the child be humpbacked and

ruptured.

Sources:

Monk-bishops and the English Benedictine Reform Movement
Reading London, BL, Cotton Tiberius A. Iii in Its Manuscript Context
By Tracey-Anne Cooper · 2015
Cockayne, 1864. Leechdoms, etc. Vol 3, pg 144/5.