Translating German

**Juggernawt** · October 22, 2007, 07:58 AM

I was wondering if anyone could give me a decent translation of these 2 texts, both found on and inside a medieval church near where I live. Many thanks in advance!

**theniggl** · October 22, 2007, 09:08 AM

the second one means something like this:
what god wants, has to be, even if heaven and earth melt away because of it.

i don't know how to say it better in english

i'm sorry but i can't really read the first one :hmmm:

**joerd9** · October 22, 2007, 09:30 AM

Wow, that's difficult.

I try a transcription of 1 first:

Anno 1622, den 8 Febr ist der edler gestrenger / Erenu(ert?)ester und Manhaffter Conradt Oxkuell(=Uexküll, Lettland) / von padenor (?) Erhgeselle(n) auff steninge(n) Ko. (königlich?) Ma. / zu(m) Schwe. bestalter Rittmeister in gott entschlaffen.

Can't really translate this one for you, since many words are names of places that are unclear to me (padenor/steningen), but it's an epitaph for the "noble, austere, most honorable and manly" Conrad of Uexküll (Latvia) of [something else], who was a cavalry captain, probably royal service, and died peacefully Feb. 8, 1622.

**Juggernawt** · October 22, 2007, 02:18 PM

Ah, excellent. Many thanks!
Had terrible luck with reading the script on the 2nd one. The whole f/s thing really confuses. Steninge is a castle not far from here so the information is really usefull!

**ThiudareiksGunthigg** · October 23, 2007, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by joerd9

Can't really translate this one for you, since many words are names of places that are unclear to me (padenor/steningen), but it's an epitaph for the "noble, austere, most honorable and manly" Conrad of Uexküll (Latvia) of [something else], who was a cavalry captain, probably royal service, and died peacefully Feb. 8, 1622.

"Uexkill" was the German name for the Latvian city of Ikšķile. It was a fortress and trading centre of the Teutonic knights in the Middle Ages.

**Trax** · October 23, 2007, 05:23 PM

Ikšķile is a Livonian name to be more precise, meaning One Village, the Baltic-German noble family carried the German version Uexkuell/Üxküll.

**joerd9** · October 24, 2007, 04:21 AM

The f/s thing is actually rather simple. S comes as a straight line with a hook to the right on top. F, while looking similar, has a short horizontal bar in the upper third. They're easy to distinguish in inscriptions, it's manuscripts where things can get messy...

**kev-o** · October 24, 2007, 03:43 PM

I'll ask my german professor. He studies germanic languages from a wide range in history.

**SorelusImperion** · October 24, 2007, 08:59 PM

pfffffff... it is very difficult to decypher the first text

something about an event wich happened to some Conrad on February 8th 1622. I think I can identify adjectives wich describe the mentioned Conrad as noble, austere and manful/brave and he seems to have beared the title of an Rittmeister wich was an military rank. The last word seems to be "entschlaffen" so I guess the mentioned Conrad, probably a soldier or a noble, died peacefully at this place on the mentioned date.

The second one is easy to read but I have yet to think about what it actualy means.