Metod

m. A word found only in poetry (the phrase se metoda drihten occurs twice in Ælfric's Homilies, but in alliterative passages). The earlier meaning of the word in heathen times may have been fate, destiny, death (cf. metan), by which Grein would translate metod in Wald. 1, 34; Val. 1, 19 :-- Ðý ic ðé metod ondréd ðæt ðú tó fyrenlíce feohtan sóhtest (Stephens here takes metod as vocative with the meaning of prince); in this sense it seems to be used in its compounds, and in the Icelandic mjötuðr weird, bane, death (Cl. and Vig. mjötuðr, II). Could this be the meaning in the phrase se metoda drihten used of Christ in the following passages?-Ne dorston ða deóflu, ðá ðá hí ádrǽfde wǽron, intó ðám swýnum, gif hé him ne sealde leáfe, ne intó nánum men forðan se metoda drihten úre gecynd hæfde on him sylfum genumen, Homl. Th. ii. 380, 4-7. Gemyndig on móde hú se metoda drihten cwæþ on his godspelle be his godcundan tócyme, 512, 27. But the word, which occurs frequently, is generally an epithet of the Deity as the O. Sax. metod; so too Icel. mjötuðr (Cl. and Vig. mjötuðr, I) is applied to heathen gods :-- Metod engla, lífes brytta, Cd. 6; Th. 8, 9; Gen. 136. Blíðheort cyning, metod alwihta monna cynnes, 10; Th. 12, 29; Gen. 193. Hine forwræc metod mancynne fram, Beo. Th. 220; B. 110. Metud O Lord! Elen. Kmbl. 1634; El. 819. Middangeardes meotud, Exon. 116 b; Th. 449, 2; Dóm. 65. Cyninga wuldor, meotud mancynnes, Andr. Kmbl. 343; An. 172. Sóðfæst meotud, 772; An. 386. Meotod hæfde miht ðá hé gefestnade foldan sceátas, Cd. 213; Th. 265, 3; Sat. 2. Meotod mancynnes, 223; Th. 293, 22; Sat. 459. Meotod alwihta, 228; Th. 308, 24; Sat. 697. Mægencyninga meotod, Exon. 21 b; Th. 58, 29; Cri. 943. Cf. metend, metten. metod,-metod