Old English on Tombstone
Stephen Horrillo
returned that day from England to rescue them but nobody could be found.
Thanks.
Ste...@stephenhorrillo.com
http://www.angelfire.com/ego/iammagi/DARE_INDEX.htm
> Stephen Horrillo wrote:
>
> > There are the words that appear on the back of an artifact, purportedly
> > the
> > tombstone of Virginia Dare. Anyone out there know Old English? Any help
> > would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > "Father soone After yov goe for Englande we cam hither/ onlie misarie &
> > warretow yeare/
>
> Father soon after you left for England we came here. Only misery and war
> (for)
> two years.
>
>
> > Above halfe DeaDe ere tow yeere moore from sickenes beine
> > fovre & twentie/
>
> More than half dead before two years more from sickness being twenty-four
> (In those two years since we arrived, twenty-four have died which is more
> than
> half our original number)
>
> > salvage with menage of shipp vnto vs/
>
> savage(s) with many ships come to us (and)
>
> > smal space of time
> > they affrite of revenge rann al awaye/
>
> (in a) small space of time they, afraid of revenge, all ran away.
>
> > wee bleeve yt nott you/
>
> we believe that not you
>
> > soone after
> > ye salvages faine spirts angrie/
>
> soon after (this) the savages with anger (literally: with angry spirit)
>
> > suddiane mvrther al save leaven/
>
> suddenly murdere(d) all save leaving
>
> > mine
> > childeananias to slaine wth mvch misarie-/
>
> my child Ananias too (was) slain with much misery
>
> > bvrie al neere fovre myles easte
> > this river vppon smal hil/
>
> buried all near four miles east of this river upon a small hill
>
> > names writ al ther on rocke/
>
> names written on the rock(s)
>
> > pvtt this ther alsoe/
>
> put this there also
>
> >
> > salvage Shew this vnto yov & hither wee promise yov to give greate
> > plentie
> > presents
>
> savage(s) will show this unto (to) you and I have promised them that you
> will give a great
> number of presents to them.
>
> > E W D"
> >
> > The bars in the text represent conjectural sentence divisions.
> >
> > All the best,
> >
> > ste...@stephenhorrillo.com
> >
>
> Basically this is saying
>
> Father soon after you left for England we came here. (There was/We
> experienced) only misery
> and war (for) two years. More than half (our number are) dead before (the
> end of the) two years
> from sickness, being twenty-four dead. (ie: In those two years since we
> arrived,
> twenty-four have died which is more than half our original number)
> Savage(s) with many ships come to us (and)(in a) small space of time they,
> afraid of revenge,
> all ran away. We believe that not you.* Soon after (this) the savages
> with anger
> (literally: with angry spirit) suddenly murdere(d) all save leaving (only
> me)..
> My child Ananias too (was) slain with much misery. Buried all near four
> miles east of this river
> upon a small hill, (their) names written on the rock(s) (and) put this
> there also.
> Savage(s) will show this unto (to) you and I have promised them that you
> will give a
> great number of presents to them (for this service).
>
> *'We believe that not you' . I have no idea what that means, but it
> probably meant something
> to both the writer and her father if genuine.
>
> That any help?
>
> --Leigh
--
All the best,