FIRST: let me say that if you are interested in this thread, may I suggest you reread it from the beginning as I have made changes.
SECONDLY: Let me say that this has NOT been an exercise in "translation". It has been an "investigation".
THIRDLY: I may have gone as far as we can go for quite a while. The remaining images are not clear and the project is bogging down but I will continue.
Try this exercise: Take just about any common written word and eliminate the middle letters. Leave only the first 2-3 and the last 2 or so. If it is a 6, 7 or 8 letter word, you should be able to still read it correctly.
A study was recently reported in the NYT, whereby that natural reading skill was proven to be common. After I had read it, I said to myself, "So? What's new in that? medieval writers did that regularly as a matter of form".
That my friends, has been the stumbling block that I keep tripping over. The 14th c. scribes showed no mercy when making morko.
Literate individuals can mentally provide the missing letters while simply reading the sentences with the partial words. I have no doubt that you can do it. Try it here:
"sent nces" "mis ing" "re ding" "pr v ide" "ind v uals"
Morko is missing alot of letters in the words that are being presented.
It was a common practice to eliminate letters and entire words to save space.
In the case of morko, it was a commissioned piece and not ment to be read by you and I or anyone else for that matter.
The owner knew what he wanted to be reminded of and provided the gunsmith with his "buzz words".
"Our father ..... ..... ..... Heaven". You got it; right?
In morko's time, we might have, "Our fathr wch art heven"
Remember.....SPELLING WAS NOT STANDARD. Regional differences abound. Dialect, lack of education was only part of it. Spelling was NOT standardized until 1755 and even now in Britain, English is spoken as a foreign language in some regions.
About 40 years ago, PBS aired a 6 part show that I taped and still watch. "The Story of English. The Loaded Weapon". Some of the speakers are still expressing themselves with Middle English as an every day native language.
So what would be unusual for morko's owner to be expressing his thoughts in Old English when he was only a matter of some generations removed from Old English? Today they are a thousand years removed and are still using it.
Middle English is a product of the 1066 Norman invasion of Britain. The British Old English was sprinkled with Norman French (Anglo French), Old Church Latin, Parisian French (Norman French) and the continental influence.
Morko is a nightmare!
While studying morko it took me a while to notice that the same passage appears on two of the five morko panels. Why? Must be heavy-duty stuff. However it does NOT appear the exact same way on both panels. Typical 14th c..
the person who owned the piece, knew what it said in both cases and for that matter, during that time frame, any literate person also knew what was written and being said by the owner. A dummy like me .....had to struggle over a week to figure out what was done.
Top of the tube: INAMA (tree) PIA
Should read as: IN NAMA (tree) PIA
Translation: IN = in & NAMA = name & (tree = Odin) & PIA = gracious
IN NAME ODIN GRACIOUS
Not quite my friends. Not quite! We are dealing with an Old English carry over in the language.
NAMA is a title of dignity or rank, or a catagorizing name, or a name appellation, or of reputation or fame. It also means, "the devine name what is told".
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!
GRACIOUS is even better. It is 14th c. Middle English from the Anglo French, in turn from the Latin "gratiosus", meaning "enjoying favour".
The obsolete meanings are "GODLY" and "MERCIFUL" also "COMPASSIONATE" used conventionally of royalty and high nobility.
It's more like: I am carrying this, In the name of the devine Odin, my exaulted and compassionate God.
Makes sense to me. You have to allow for the limited space, poor vocabulary, lousy lettering omitted letters and missing words, along with the passionate sentiment of the owner who was Hell-bent on wacking people in the name of his God.
Twas ever thus.
This was my best shot at breaking down morko. If anyone has a better idea; have at it. As they say on eBay, "I am no expert". As for me(?), I am just a busman on holiday. This is what I do.
I was thinking this morning......Victor was only joking but what if this piece was made in the Middle East and brought back by a crusader type who commissioned it? Subtle along with bold errors? They could be intentional omissions as was the practice at this time or possibly a lack of familiarity? The "Crusades" ended 100 years earlier (until George III began this new one)
. It boggles the mind!
SEE ATTACHMENTS BELOW
nb: This was the time of "Wat Tyler's Rebellion" (The Peasant's Revolt) and just after "the plague". What was morko doing in the Baltic? Escaping from one or the other?
Richard a.k.a. Sherlock
