Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was an early form of the English language spoken in England between the 5th and 11th centuries. During this period, English absorbed a significant amount of vocabulary from Old Norse and Norman French. This included several words referring to supernatural beings and phenomena, such as the word for “ghost”.
In Old English, the most common word for ghost was “gast”. This came from the Proto-Germanic “*gaistaz”, which also produced similar words in Old Norse (“geist”), Old High German (“geist”) and Gothic (“gaists”). The spelling and pronunciation of “gast” evolved over time before arriving at the modern English word “ghost”.
Below we will explore the origins, meanings and uses of “gast” in Old English texts to understand how this ancient society conceived of ghosts and spirits. Tracing this linguistic history provides insight into the folk beliefs and mythological ideas of early medieval England.
The Etymology of Old English “Gast”
The Old English term “gast” has its roots in Proto-Germanic, the reconstructed common ancestor language of the Germanic family which emerged during the first millennium BC. The Proto-Germanic form “*gaistaz” is derived from the verb “*gaisijaną”, meaning “to frighten, terrify”. This reflects the fearful connotations ghosts had in early Germanic culture.
Related words appear in other Germanic languages such as Old Norse “geist”, Old Saxon “gēst”, Old Frisian “jēst”, Old High German “geist” and Gothic “gaists”. Similar reflexes are also found in the Proto-Indo-European descendant languages Latin (“spiritus”) and Sanskrit (“heḍa”). All these point back to an ancestral Proto-Indo-European root “*gheis-“, denoting “fright” or “anger”.
The spelling “gast” arises from the sound shifts that occurred between Proto-Germanic and Old English. The Germanic “*ai” diphthong developed into Old English “ā” while the “s” became “st” through a process known as rhotacism.
So by the time Old English texts were first written down in the 8th century AD, the word had transformed into “gast”. It was variously glossed as “spirit, ghost, demon” in Old English translations of Latin texts.
The Meanings of “Gast” in Old English
The primary meaning of “gast” in Old English relates to the spectral apparition of a dead person, i.e. a ghost. One translation offers “gast” for the Latin “imago”, reflecting the belief that ghosts were images or manifestations of the dead.
However, “gast” could refer to supernatural beings more broadly. Christian writings use “gast” to translate the Latin “spiritus” meaning the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the devil and demonic beings were denoted by “gast”.
Both angels and more generic disembodied spirits inhabiting the world fell under the umbrella of “gast” in Old English too. So while the core sense was “ghost”, the term encompassed spiritual beings in a general sense.
There are a few instances where “gast” refers to otherworldly entities from pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon folklore. In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel is described as a “grimma gast”, indicating associations with monsters and beasts. So “gast” had a wide range of uses in both Christian and pagan contexts.
Key Old English Texts Mentioning “Gast”
We can trace many examples of “gast” in Old English texts to gain a fuller understanding of how early English societies understood ghosts and spirits. Below are some of the most significant works highlighting usages of “gast”:
The Vespasian Psalter – This late 8th century illuminated manuscript contains an Old English translation of the first 50 Psalms. The Latin “spiritus” is rendered as “gast” throughout.
The Paris Psalter – The Old English gloss added to this 10th century Latin Psalter uses “gast” in Psalms that describe God’s spirit.
The Lindisfarne Gospels – This beautifully illuminated Latin Gospel manuscript has the Old English word “gast” interlined above “spiritus” and “daemonia”.
Ælfric’s Homilies – The homilies of Abbot Ælfric use “gast” extensively in Old English translations of passages concerning the Holy Spirit and angels.
The Blickling Homilies – References to the Holy Ghost and angels as “gast” appear in this important 10th century collection of anonymous homilies.
Beowulf – As noted above, the monster Grendel is described as a “grimma gast”, highlighting supernatural associations.
So by examining these diverse sources, from Psalters to homilies to epic poems, we can build up a profile of “gast” in cultural context. The vernacular flavour added by “gast” demonstrates how concepts like the Holy Ghost were rendered more familiar and comprehensible.
Differences Between “Gast” and “Gāst”
In Old English manuscripts, “gast” is sometimes found with a macron over the ‘a’ – “gāst”. It is important to distinguish the meanings of these two variant forms.
“Gāst” generally carries a more specific sense relating to the “soul” or “life spirit” as opposed to a disembodied ghost. The root is Proto-Germanic “*gaistaz” indicating “anger, zeal, passion”. So “gāst” refers to qualities of vigor and vitality, similar to Gothic “usgaisjan” meaning “to terrify”.
This nuance led to “gāst” becoming a synonym for “life” and the immortal soul granted by God. By contrast, “gast” focuses on the spectral appearance of the dead. So while linked, “gāst” conveys spiritual essence compared to “gast” as ghostly manifestation. Examining these lexical choices provides insight into early medieval metaphysics.
Decline of “Gast” in Middle and Modern English
The word “gast” was the common Germanicinherited term for “ghost” right through the Old English period. But from Middle English onwards, “gast” faced competition from Anglo-Norman loanwords like “spirit”, “phantom” and “spectre”.
Though “gast” remained in use into the 14th century, the native term increasingly fell out of fashion. By the 15th century, “ghost” became the standard word, influenced by changed pronunciations. The Old English “gast” shifted towards Modern English “ghost” through intermediate forms like “goost”.
Nowadays “gast” survives only in some regional dialects, poetic archaisms and surnames. But rediscovering this “gast” provides insight into medieval metaphysics and the evolution of English vocabulary across time. The ancient Germanic inheritance embedded in “gast” preserves mythic beliefs in ghosts and spirits from the age of Beowulf into the modern ghost story.
Conclusion
In the Old English vernacular, “gast” served as the common word indicating both literal ghosts and broader supernatural spirits. Derived from Proto-Germanic “*gaistaz”, it emerged from roots meaning “fright” and “anger”, encapsulating early medieval associations of ghosts with terror.
Christian writings used “gast’ to translate the Latin “spiritus”, reflecting angels, demons and the Holy Ghost. But folkloric entities like Grendel also fell under the umbrella of “gast” in Old English texts. Examining this vocabulary in context illuminates the cosmology of early medieval England, with its mingling of Christian and pagan ideas.
While declining in Middle English, “gast” represents a Germanic survival from Anglo-Saxon runes into the age of Chaucer. The evolution of “gast” towards Modern English “ghost” encapsulates centuries of changing beliefs, shedding light on the ghostly imagination through linguistic history.