23 March 2016

VAMPÍRA ~ leeches

title unknown, by Mihály Munkácsy (between 1882-1887) for Russian tsar Alexander III

[034/32] MINNO writes about HELLÉNJA (MINERVA)
MEN SEG VS
HVAT IS THJU BITJVTENISE FON THI NACHT.ULE.
THÉR IMMER BOPPA THIN HOLE SIT.
IS THAT LJUCHT.SKVWANDE DJAR ALTOMET THET TÉKEN
THINRA KLÁR.SJANHÉD.

but tell us
what is the meaning of the night-owl
that always sits upon your head;
Is that light-shunning animal the symbol
of your clairvoyance? 
NÉAN ANDERE HEL.LÉNJA HI HELPTH MY HÜGJA
THAT.ER EN SLACH FON MÀNNISKA OVIR JRTHA OMME.DWÁLTH.
THÉR EVEN LIK HI IN KÀRKA ÀND HOLA HÉMA.
THÉR AN TJUSTER FROTA. THACH NAVT AS HI.
VMB.VS FON MÛSA ÀND ÔRA PLÀGA TO HELPANE.

No, answered Hellénja; he helps me remember
that a kind of people roams about the earth
who, like him, live in temples and holes,
who grub in the twilight, though not as he,
to deliver us from mice and other plagues,
MEN RENKA TO FORSINA.
THA ÔRA MÀNNISKA HJARA WITSKIP TO RÁWÁNE
TILTHJU HJA THAM TO BÉTRE MÜGE FÁTA
VMBER SLÁVONA FON TO MÁKJANDE
ÀND HJARA BLOD UT TO SÛGANE.
ÉVEN AS VAMPÍRA DVA.

but to invent wrencs (tricks)
to rob the wits of other people,
in order to take advantage of them,
to make slaves of them,
and to suck their blood
like leeches (vampires, 'belly-worms') do.
taken from p. 34-35 of original manuscript

Dr. Ottema noted about VAMPÍRA in (1873) "Geschiedkundige aanteekeningen en ophelderingen bij Thet Oera Linda Bok", p.6:
"In German, vampyr is still commonly used next to blutigel ('bloodsucker', leech). The word is purely Frisian and composed of vam (wan) and pyr that is worm; the literal meaning is thus; an evil or dangerous worm. The Dutch language has the expression: I don't want to be the kwade pier (evil worm)." (my translation)
I rather think VAM means belly, so VAM-PÍR is a belly-worm or thick worm, as opposed to the regular slim worms:

wamb, womb - Old English (belly, bowels, heart, uterus)
vomb - Old Norse
wambe - Old Frisian
wamme - Middle Dutch
wam - Dutch
wamba - Old High German
Wamme - German (belly, paunch)
wamba - Gothic (belly, womb)

early 20th C. cartoons that give voice to healthy feelings about the described parasites

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