Middle English Dictionary Entry
hēthenes(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hēthenes(se n. Also hethenis(se, hethines(se, hedinesse, ethinesse, hethnes(se, heithenes, hathenes(se & hethennes(se, ethennesse, hethiennes & hethenenesse, haithinenes & (early) hæðenesse, hædenesse, heaþenesse, heaþennisse. |
| Etymology | OE hǣþen(n)es paganism, pagan country. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The state or condition of being pagan; paganism, heathenism; (b) pagan beliefs or practices.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12734 : Heo þencheð ufele don, to fallen þæne cristindom & turne to heðenesse [Otho: heþennisse] þa hæȝe & þa læsse.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)435/35 : Suþþe, al in heþenesse, sein Denis bicas com.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)7.137 : Þe discripcioun of prestez, of dekens of yrael, & of men takyn from heyþenes [vr. hethenes] to þe ryte of iewes [L proselytorum].
- c1410 Medit.SSelf (UC 97)442 : How menye..han be suffred..to lyue in here hethenesse to here [deth]-day, and so to be dampned to eendeles peyne?
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Par.22.2 : And he [David] comaundide that alle conuersis fro hethenesse to the lawe of Israel [L omnes proselyti] schulden be gaderid of the lond of Israel.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)35 : I had leyde be-syde me þe errour of hethenesse and was entred into þe sacramentys of crist.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29388 : Buten he libben wolden his lif in þraldome, and for-saken godes mæsse and luuien hædenesse.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)27/27 : Hit is al ȝedwoll and of haðenesse ȝiet wiðhealden.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1677 : Þus com lo in to þis lond verst cristendom, Ac þoru..dioclician it was suþþe ibroȝt to grunde & heþenesse ybroȝt aȝen.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Judith 14.6 : Thanne Achior..laft the custum of his hethenenesse [L gentilitatis ritu], leeuede to God.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)239 : Hethynnesse [Win: heðnnesse]: Pagania.
- a1450 Form Excom.(1) (Cld A.2)66 : Also alle þat turneth fro crystendome to ethennesse.
- ?a1500 Trin-C.LEDict.Suppl.(Trin-C O.5.4)599 : Pagania: hethnesse.
2.
(a) Territory inhabited or ruled by pagans, a heathen country; also, Moslem territory or country; (b) pagan (or Moslem) lands in general; the non-Christian portion of the world; ?also, pagan people [quot.: Towneley].
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Greg.(LdMisc 108)33 : Þo marchaunz seiden, 'al engelond is puyr heþenesse.' 'Alas,' seide seint Gregori.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9874 : Saladin nom þe holi croys & to heþenesse it ber.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.452 : A þef stale it in þat stede..To heþenesse [Cai: to Alexandrye] he it bare.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)42 : Al cristendom, more & lasse, He þouȝte to maken heþennesse.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1112 : Sende me namoore vnto noon hethenesse.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2102 : Asie..es þe best, for þar in es Bath haly land and hethyennes [Frf: hethenes; Göt: hathenes].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.435 : Al was hethenesse some tyme Ingelond and Wales, Til Gregory gerte clerkes to go here and preche.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)109 : The amerayle dowȝter of heþennes Made þys cloth.
- a1500 God of hewine (Tit A.26)147 : Godfray whane Ieruzalem And myche of hethenesse whythem.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)16631 : Þe wes in hæðenesse [Otho: and in heaþennisse was a] king of muchele mæhte, Agag wes ihaten.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)19/10 : Bi dei sum time oder bi niht gederið in ower heorte alle..þe cristene þe beoð in heaðenesse [Nero: heþinesse].
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)214/8 : Si sterre was seauinge of his beringe, swo apierede te þo þrie kinges of heþenesse tojanes þo sunne risindde.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)5 : Of londone is fader was..Ake is Moder was of heþenesse.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)44/513 : Icham an harpour of heþenisse [vrr. heþenes, hethynes].
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)33 : In heþenesse þer nas no king, Þat ne hel[d] of him sum þing.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)121 : Hit is on þe grettest kyng for soþ þat dwelleþ in heþenisse.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2187 : In al heþenis ys no Sarsyn wikkeder þan is he.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.49 : And ther to hadde he riden, no man ferre, As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse [vrr. hethnesse, heyþennesse].
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.36 : Also ȝef ony broþer of sister deye in straunge cuntre, in cristendom or in hethenesse, þe breþeren sshollen..doun a messe of requiem.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)195/53 : Al wo and werres he schal a-cese..And turne to Cristyndam al heþynes.
- a1440 Fasc.Zizan.(BodeMus 86)367 : Illis qui juvant exercitum eorum ad interficiendum populum christianum, in longinquis terris, pro temporali lucro, sicut et nos vidimus, milites qui currunt ad ethnicos, id est, into ethynesse.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)583 : And sett ȝone povre palmere ther-in, That he to me telle maye What tydans that he hase herde and sene In haythynenes, whare he hase bene.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)14444 : Kynges sone he was of Aufryk, Þat is in heþenesse a ful fer stryk.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5383 : The cheff Sawdon of Heþenysse [vr. Heythynnesse] To Babyloyne was flowen jwysse.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)99 : Ther gooth a grete company of kynghtes wel aparelled out of Englonde in to hethenes: vadunt grandis turma militum bene apparati ab Anglia in paganam.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)712 : Kynges foure with-outen fayle were went out to seche batayle; Off hedynesse thay were.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)197 : To seeke the worlde more and lesse, Bothe Crystendome and hethynnesse, Ther ys none so bryght of blee.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)79/26 : For I [Caesar Augustus] am he that myghty is, And hardëly all hathennes Is redy at my wyll.
- a1500 Mandev.(3) (Rwl D.99)473 : Vnder the ffirmament is non in erthe so gret a lorde..in cristendome, ne in hethnesse, as is the Gret Caan of Tartarye.