The sea’s stream
PWG *gebanas straum
by C Ryan Moniz
original research· spring 2013 - summer 2023
updated & published· summer 2023
Mjǫðr Óðins· Reconstructing Germanic verse formulae
There are two main versions of this West Germanic formula meaning ‘the sea’s stream,’ one of which appears in both Old English and Old Saxon, and the other which only appears in Old English:
- *gebanas straum
- *gebanas bigang
This formula appears in Hêliand and in Old English poetry to refer to the ocean’s path. Old English poetry also uses variants with other words for ‘sea, ocean.’
Old Saxon
geƀenes strôm
• Hêliand 2936b, 4315b
geƀenes strôm
Old English
geofones stréam
• Andreas 852b
geofones stréam
• Elene 1200a
geofenes stréam
geofones (be)gang
• Béowulf 362a
geofenes begang
• The Phoenix 118a
geofones gong
Other Old English examples:
– flóda begang/begong [Béowulf 1497b, 1826b]
– sioleða bigong [Béowulf 2357a]
– holma begang [Paris Psalter 138:8 1b]
Mjǫðr Óðins· Reconstructing Germanic verse formulae