Gripla - 20.12.2018, Qupperneq 53

53HUMORAL THEORY IN THE MEDIEVAL NORTH
[If the greatest part of a man’s
blood is what is called right blood,
then he is gentle and moderate,
cheerful and modest, alert, and
warm in his nature.]
5. Enn ef suarta bloð er mest þa er
hann þungr ok þỏgull. sínkr ok
svefnvgr. styggr. ok prettugr. aúf-
und siukr ok af kalldri nátturu ok
þurri. (181:31–33)
[If black blood78 is greatest, then
he is heavy and silent, miserly
and sleepy, hasty-tempered, and
deceitful, envious, and of cold and
dry nature.]
6. Enn ef vari er mestr luti í bloði
mannz. þa er hann af kalldri natt-
uru. ok vátri. vstỏðugr. vakr ok
udiarfr. (181:33–34)
[If phlegm is the greatest part of a
man’s blood, then he is of cold and
wet nature, unstable, alert and un-
daring.]
7. Nu hefir hvert þessa .iiijra. sítt sæti
ímannzíns likam. Vari er i hofði
mannz. bloð ilifr. rauða bloð i galli.
suarta bloð imillti. (181:35–36)
[Blood makes men well-
intentioned, direct, moderate,
gentle, wholesome, full of
moisture.]76
5. cholera nigra facit homines
subdolos cum iracundia,77 avaros
timidos tristes somniculosos
invidiosos, frequenter habentes
cicatrices nigras in pedibus.
(488:12–15)
[Black bile makes men deceitful
together with hot-temper, miserly,
timid, sorrowful, sleepy, envious.
they often have black scars on
their feet.]
6. flegma facit homines corpore
compositos, vigilantes, intra se
cogitantes, cito adferentes canos in
capite, minus audaces.79 (488:15–
489:2)
[Phlegm makes the body of men
well-built, alert, reflective, quick to
get grey hairs on the head, un-
daring.]
7. qui quattuor umores habitant vel
dominantur in suis locis. sanguis
dominatur in dextro latere in
epate quod iecur vocamus.80 sed et
cholera rubea ibidem dominatur. in
sinistro vero latere id est in splene
76 Euchymos = wholesome, plump, see “εὔχῡμος” in Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English
Lexicon, with references to Hippocrates, Galen and Ptolemy.
77 cum iracundia] − PS.
78 on the translation of “suarta bloð,” see footnote 74.
79 minus audaces] − PS.
80 in epate quod iecur vocamus] − PS, + uirtus est circa cor PS.