World famous are the " Merseburger of charms " and the "Ladegast organ"  in the cathedral.

A charm serves for it, " by the power of the engaged word the magic forces which the person wants to make himself serveable to utilise " (Rudolf Simek, encyclopaedia of the Germanic mythology, 2-nd edition in 1995). Charms are delivered, especially from the Germanic language area, in big number. However, most of these sayings come from the Middle Ages and are marked, hence, like a Christian or influenced. In most cases they were taped in ecclesiastical documents.

Nevertheless, there are two big exceptions. In 1841 the historian Dr. Waitz in the library of the Merseburger cathedral chapter examined a theological collective writing from the 9/10-th century. With this investigation he bumped into two spells into Old High German language, the prechristian origin were. Up to the today are of these contents pagan the only Old High German charms which were delivered in writing.

The sensational finding was presented for the investigation to the famous researcher Jakob Grimm, to one of both brothers Grimm who have attained, in the meantime, worldwide fame by her fairy tale collections and count as a founder of the German studies. Jakob Grimm valued the finding before the royal academy of the sciences in Berlin as follows: " Conveniently between Leipzig, Halle, Jena the extensive library of the cathedral chapter has been often visited to Merseburg by scholars and has been used. Everything has passed a Codex which seemed to grant only known ecclesiastical pieces to them, if they took him closer to the hand, now, however, appreciated after his whole contents, a jewel will form to which the most famous libraries nothing have to place to the side ... ". By this assessment both spells became not least known quickly worldwide. Today because of her finding place they are called the " Merseburger of charms ".

The first Merseburger Charm

The first Merseburger charm is a quatrain. He is in the original:

Eiris sâzun idisi, sâzun hêra duoder.
suma hapt heptidun, suma heri lezidun,
suma clûbôdun umbi cuoniouuidi:
insprinc haptbandum, inuar uîgandun !

Here a translation into today's German:

Once virgins / Idisen sat down, sat down here... Some fixed custody, some restrained the army. Some tugged in the chains. Arise from the custody gangs, slip out the enemies!

The charm describes how a number "Idisen" (Valkyries-like women, perhaps, identically with the Disen, female divinities from the northern mythology) on the battlefield releases caught warriors. In this respect it concerns a "Lösesegen", should be released by the prisoner from her captivity. The last line " Arise to the custody gangs, slip out the enemies! " is the real magic component, she contains the model action.

The second Merseburger Charm

The second Merseburger charm is longer than the first one:

Phol ende Uuôdan uuorun zi holza.
Dû uuart demo Balderes uolon sîn uuoz birenkit.
thû biguol en Sinthgunt, Sunna era suister,
thû biguol en Frîia, Uolla era suister;
thû biguol en Uuôdan sô hê uuola conda:
sôse bênrenkî, sôse bluotrenkî,
sôse lidirenkî:
bên zi bêna, bluot zi bluoda,
lid zi geliden, sôse gelimida sin!

Here a translation into today's German:

Phol and Wodan rode in the wood. There the foot was dislocated to the foal Balders. There discussed him Sinthgunt (and) Sunna, her sister. There discussed him Frija (and) Volla, her sister. There discussed him Wodan how (only) he understood it: So Knochenrenke like Blutrenke Like Gliedrenke: Leg to leg, blood to blood, limb to limbs, as if glued they are! (or: the fact that they are agile!)

The meaning of the charm is evident: the dislocated leg of a horse or foal should be cured. Suitable representations are often found on Brakteaten from the 5./6. Century. On many Brakteaten from this time Wotan is illustrated as he cures a horse who has an ill leg (mostly the front run). In this respect the saying is clear.

However, till this day among experts controversially are the god's names which are called in the text. Unambiguously are identified only "Uuôdan" (Wodan, Wotan, Odin) and "Frîia" (Freya, his spouse). With "Phol" (Vol? Fol.?) deny some scholars that it concerns a god's name. Also Balder is not interpreted by some as a name of the God Balder (Baldur), but as "man", in this case it would refer to Wotan. Sinthgunt and Sunna are mentioned only here, also Volla. The latter is equated by most experts with the goddess Fulla, a lady's maid of the Frigg. The Swedish linguist Erik Brate (1857-1924) interpreted Phol and Volla as a brothers and sisters pair, analogously to Freya and Freyr. However, this is only one hypothesis, particularly as Phol is called only here.

An absolute highlight and quite crowning end in the visit of our wonderful cultural city is a visit in the Indian restaurant

"TAJ MAHAL".