The Infinite Erthe Loop

Erthe toc of erthe erthe wyth woh;
Erthe other erthe to the erthe droh;
Erthe leyde erthe in erthene throh;
Tho hevede erthe of erthe erthe ynoh.

(*Erthe toc of erthe*, MS Harley 2253, Art. 24b)

I remember reading this poem in college.

This particular version was transcribed in the late 1200s or 1300s.

Though I’ve long forgotten whatever (mis)conceptions I had about it in the past, it sprang into my mind recently.

It has something to do with the earthly cycle of life —

• Life (”erthe”) springs forth from the earth (”erthe”);

• Life gives rise to other life;

• Life lays life to rest;

• Earth (”life”) returns to earth.

Everything is Erthe

We’re “erthe,” and the Earth is “erthe,” and everyone begins and ends life the same way, with the newer life laying the older life to rest "in erthene throh."

"throh" = a tomb, coffin (Middle English Compendium)

Balance is maintained in this way. It's sad, but it's also beautiful in an odd way.

The life that brings new life into the world first turns the page on those that gave them life. Then they birth new erthe.

New erthe that will someday lay them (also erthe) in the erthe — the source and destination of all life, which has its own origin and cessation stories, the latter of which is still being written.

Though I suppose the Earth's final "throh" is among the stars.

A Zoomed-Out Version

A broader-scale version of the above poem about the Earth itself (not the "erthe" that exists within the "erthe" might look something like:

Stars took form from stars with distress;
Stars created other stars;
Stars laid stars amongst the stars;
The stars had had enough of the stars.

A Final Note

There are certainly other ways to interpret this poem. This is just one of them, brought into my head due to ongoings around me.