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Merseburg Charms

9th–10th century · 9th century

The Merseburg Charms are two magic spells in Old High German, written down in the 9th or 10th century in a manuscript of the cathedral library of Merseburg. One frees captives, the other heals a horse's injured foot by invoking the gods Wodan, Frija and others. Discovered in 1841, they are the only surviving pagan spells in Old High German.

Merseburg Charms
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Prince-Bishopric of Merseburg

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Merseburg Charms. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/merseburg-charms
MLA
“Merseburg Charms.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/merseburg-charms. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Merseburg Charms.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/merseburg-charms.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Merseburg Charms’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/merseburg-charms (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻