Uhtceare meant 'worry before dawn'. Uht was the time before dawn and ceare meant care. The Anglo Saxons were sorely afflicted by uhtceare, especially the wives.
Drat! 
Being the weblog of Mark Forsyth
Being the weblog of Mark Forsyth
Drat!
Very much enjoying reading the book. Used it in my own blog: http://barryh2.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/from-uhtceare-to-lychnobios-deadlines-and-procrastination/
ReplyDeleteMy daughter found your blog and "gave" me the word Uhtceare, as I suffer from it and did not know it by name. I have since written a poem about it (crediting you for the definition) and posted it on my blog, Sauviloquy.wordpress.com , which has started going so viral that it is now in second position on google searches of the word! (second only to you!)
ReplyDeleteI feel I ought to say thankyou!
Fantastic! I thought it was just me doing this, now I find it has a name!!
ReplyDeleteMark, I had a terrible bout of ‘Uhtceare’ this morning and then on finally getting out of bed I was struck with the solution to my worry!
ReplyDeleteIs there a lost word for ceasing to ‘Uhtceare’?
The word 'UHTCEARE' appears in an Anglo Saxon poem called 'The Wife's Lament'. It is recorded ton the 10th century Exeter Book. The seventh line translated to modern English reads "...how many gut-wretched nights ground over me...". Here https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/the-wifes-lament/
ReplyDeleteThe word 'Uhtceare' appears in the poem "The Wife's Lament" - from 10th century Old English Exeter Book. Translated here - https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/the-wifes-lament/ (Line 7)
ReplyDeleteSee the piece "Uhtceare" by John Jeremiah Sullivan in the Spring issue of The Paris Review.
ReplyDelete