The Nine Plants Spells by Joseph S. Hopkins (trans)
Description
Vibrantly animistic and remarkably hypnotic, the Nine Plants Spell (Nigon Wyrta Galdor, popularly known as the Nine Herbs Charm) is an Old English healing galdor, a spell, that invokes nine personified plants and the pagan god Wōden to defeat a serpent before exploding in a psychedelic climax. One of the most mysterious items in the Old English corpus, and originally sung, chanted, or otherwise performed to treat an unknown malady, the Nine Plants Spell provides a rare window into a living landscape from a lost time, dripping with mysticism and mystery, humming with life. This third edition features new essays, art, and supplementary items to further assist in navigating the spell’s many mysteries.
Hopkins’s translation in the film Hamnet (2025)
Hopkins’s translation notably appears in the 2025 film Hamnet directed by Chloé Zhao. Zhao’s film is an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell’s novel of the same name (2020, Tinder Press). Mention of the spell is not found in O’Farrell’s novel and is specific to the film. “It is a great joy to play a role in presenting the Nine Plants Spell to such a large audience in the contemporary period, surely providing the most exposure the spell has received since Anglo-Saxon England”, says Hopkins.
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