Oh my you are taking me back to earlier research - its been 7 or 8 years ago now--- this is interesting since he shares from his perspective centered in what appears his knowledge or interest in Viking and Northern German tribal history - there is a further book that talks of the Germanization of Medieval Christianity - I could not afford the books at the time but there is now a paperback of Russell's book however, the least expensive is still $73.66 used also, the Heliand Amazon had a copy that was back those years ago well over $100
Thank you, thank you - just looked it up and was able to download a copy of the original Heliand yes, in its original meter but - this is renewing the excitement I was feeling when I did all the research that took me a several months - I started because I could not understand why most of the tribes to the north of Rome were called Barbarians and that concept was picked up and continued by the Church - I did find the early association the Church had to becoming more than focused on the theological, sacramental and worshiping practices - While reading the Oxford edition, that was a huge book in size of the history of the area we call Germany - forgot the names without rooting for that book - still have not been able to making sense out of my 100s and 100s of books - they are on shelves is the best I could do till I get so much else organized. Anyhow early, I guess tribes but like the American Indian plains tribes their area was large - anyhow, the group, who through birth had the kingship down was based on the belief if the king walked through a field he could make it produce - that leadership family after generations got as we say today fat and lazy and a new Identity wanted to be crowned - again forget names - he decided that the Pope had more magic following in the footsteps of Jesus who could bring the dead back to life and so he had the Pope crown him which topped the family who could make fields grow - this continued as other kings followed being crowned by the Pope - since few to no kings could read or write there had to be someone at court from Rome close to the king to read all communication - on and on the influence of that liaison grew in court power...
Well anyhow all that to say without knowing more about both the Teutons and the Vandals - both tribes from the area where the Saxon Bible was created I feel I would be missing out - the guy in the Youtube you shared Frybabe brought out a lot of correlation between what the Nordic people know and therefore the changes they could swallow versus the Latin Bible - at the time I was coming onto this, the biggie, that he passed over lightly was that no one in the north could understand animals or humans surviving midwinter in a cave and therefore, the Mediterranean influence of Mary birthing in a cave was replaced with a stable.
When I read that, of course we turn to our own experience and my mother's sister's children, my cousins, at Christmas with their father, who was Swiss Italian each year built an elaborate Nativity scene that took up the entire dining room and yes, there was a cliffside with a cave and then I remember learning and later visiting the south of France and seeing and buying some of the hand made Santons that included every day villages and their nativity was also set in a cave and so, I began to piece together the small changes that allowed people to relate to the Bible stories that substituted the Mediterranean influence for their own experiences.
I'm picking up Frybabe that for you the actual old book is the center of your interest where as for me it is more following church history - I remember getting into the 15th century with the Germanization of Christianity and the awful peasant war where thousands were killed and how it was the peasants revolting against the Catholic Church that started the mess -
However what I only recently learned is that the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church in the Vatican were two separate identities that were in conflict with each other - I had no idea - I always thought they were one and the same - goes back to the early need for kings to have someone from Rome to read communication - that position became more and more prominent so that person had others by his side and soon they had been given land to house themselves but more, you had to have land to feed yourself and that then meant taxes that you were excluded from paying as a member of the church - on and on - so these Vatican liaison positions that Charlemagne really cemented, (He controlled more land than any before him as 'the' Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire} so that these liaison positions became very political however, the Pope in Rome was really having a problem in that these kings were choosing and naming the Bishops, taking this holy responsibility away from the Pope - in the Church a Bishop is the 'power' - even the Pope is made the 'Bishop of Rome'. Cardinals are to advise the Pope and to choose a new Pope but the Bishops are responsible for the souls within their diocesan regardless the church affiliation of each person.
Then came the Concordat of Worms September, 1122 - again Germanic influence - in which this practice was sorted out but the biggie that I just learned, this Concordat is when the Church in Rome became political - up till then the focus was not on governing but on the religious nature promoted yes, and sometimes ruthlessly but the running of nations was the Holy Roman Empire that were the kings along with their sidekicks the, appointed and approved by the Pope, Roman Catholic Bishop - the Concordat (much like Vatican I or Vatican II of recent history) of Worms opened the door with the decision for Rome to move in and be elevated above the kings and so we have the official beginning of the Pope in the Vatican (a large land area at the time) in one fell swoop become the ruler of most of Europe.
Back to the Heliand - my thinking is if the change from a cave to a stable was part of the Saxon Bible and as the gentleman sharing in the Youtube explained other aspects of Nordic understandings and beliefs are included in the Heliand to make it easier and better understood - I'm anxious to learn more about the culture of the Saxons - we hear of the Anglo-Saxons however the Anglo's were from one area of Northern Germany and the Saxons from an area just south of them but also in what we consider today Northern Germany - I did find one 'free' kindle book that may shed some light on the Saxons called Danes, Saxons and Normans or, Stories of our ancestors
I can't believe this - it has come full circle getting back into all this and actually downloading a very, very affordable copy of the Heliand - thanks ever so much Frybabe - wow a Christmas gift out of the blue - thanks again.
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