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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wod(e)nes, n. Also: vodnes, woudnes, woodnes(se, woidnes, widnes. [ME and e.m.E. wodnes(s (both Rolle), woodnesse (Chaucer), wodenes (Destr. Troy), OE wódnes.]

1. Madness, insanity, mental derangement; frenzy. b. Mental disturbance caused by (for) grief. c. An episode or instance of madness. a1400 Leg. S. ii 704.
Nero wes brocht In sa mekill wodnes [L. vesania] of thocht, That he his awne modir gert sla a1400 Leg. S. iii 413.
Full of wodnes [L. insanus] is thi woce, Prechand the turment of the corse c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1144 (C) (see Wod(e adj. 1). 1456 Hay I 227/22.
Sen he was inymy in his hele … and wald rycht sa be and he war hale, quhy suld he nocht be sa haldin in his woodnes inymy? 1513 Doug. iv xi 21.
Quhat wodnes [L. insania] fey Dydo, movis thi mynd? 1513 Doug. v viii 87.
Onsylle wight, quhou dyd thi mynd invaid Sa gret wodnes [L. dementia]? c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxvi 24 (see Letter n. 8 (1)). 1535 Stewart 20499.
In his wodnes ane lang knyfe furth he drew, Quhairwith … him awin self he slew 1570 Leslie 34.
The saide lord of the Ylis [etc.] … wer … strikin … with frenessie and wodnes … and come thame selfes to saint Bridis kirk in Athole for recovering of thaire health 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Insania, mentis alienatis, woodnesse 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Vecordia, soliditas, amentia, woodnes 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 87.
He tuik bed with ane extreme hevie seiknes and wodnes 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 18b.
It is otherwise to be said of him, quha hes manifest intermission or staying of the woodnes and furie: as of him, quha is lunatickb. c1420 Wynt. iv 2057.
A gret multytude Off wemen, rageand in wodenes, And fallyn for dule in hewynesc. 1456 Hay I 227/1.
[He] takis a woodnes and a ramysdnes in his hede, sa that unwittand his ost he passis … in the woddis [etc.] 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 236.
The said guidwyffe tuik ane wodnes … and hir toung schot out of hir heid, and swallit lyke ane pott

2. Recklessness, frenzy, esp. in battle; extreme fury or anger. b. An instance of this.Quot. Pitsc. may belong in 3. a1400 Leg. S. vii 133.
Thai wrekyt thar wodnes … [L. persecutionis suæ tyrannidem] … In this Jamis a1400 Leg. S. xxi 606.
[They] sad til hyme in gret wodnes [L. furore]: ‘Thu art a wondir bysnyng beste’ ?1438 Alex. ii 5455.
‘I sall gang reif him … In myddis … of his menȝe' … [they] said amang thame that he was Full of wodnes and foly c1400 Troy-bk. ii 885.
Gregeois, in thare wodnes Perseverand, in thar wyckydnes All the gret palaas Illioune … They studyit … It till oure-tyrve 1456 Hay I 84/20.
He that assailis … dois in a breth of wodenes and ire … and nocht be deliberacioun of purposit vertu 1490 Irland Mir. III 61/33.
That he war almaist commovit to wodnes agane thaim he is sa terrible in his punicioun 1494 Loutfut MS 30b.
He that first bure it in armes … wes sa full of fureur & vodnes that [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece I 170.
How thay war than to fecht … but virtew and movit to battall be wodnes and fury 1533 Boece 456b.
This mekillwort … having liquour provocative to sleip or to furye and wodnes 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1318.
The … empreour … in wodnes and furour Without the law hes put his sone to deid a1578 Pitsc. II 75/7.
O immortall God, how lang sall thow suffer the wodnes and great cruelltie of the wngodlie to exerceis thair furie upoun the servantis quhilk do furder Thy worde? 1596 Dalr. II 430/2.
Quhen tha war about to cast doune the monasteris … thair furie and wodnes is vtterlie stayet be Leslie the larde of Balquhaneb. 1533 Boece 545a.
Felloun murthure … was maid … apoun wemen barnis & agit folkis … Treulie this may be callit ane cruell wodnes

3. Utterly unreasonable behaviour, extreme folly, chiefly consisting in failure to adhere to accepted, usu. Christian, beliefs or practice, the state thus adopted (of sinning, heresy or the like). a1400 Leg. S. xliii 572.
That wedand wodnes [L. amentiam] do away, & sacryfy oure godis til c1420 Wynt. v 3891 (C).
Lof God … This is bot hailsum medicyne For the wodnes [W. woundis] of my syn a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1475 (Asl.).
Quhat may this maker meyne To lichtlie wertew for synnis sensuale … Reforme … thi raifand rudnes O creatur quhilk suld be ressonable How is thi wit thus wastit with wodnes 1513 Doug. ii i 55.
‘O wrachit pepil,’ gan he cry, ‘Quhou gret wodnes [L. insania] is this at ȝe now meyn, … this engyne [sc. the wooden horse] is byggit to our skaith' 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 150.
The preist … quhilk is rynnegat fra his religioun and makis ane monsterous mariage … and ȝit he wyl … saye that all that he dois is for the glore of God … O intollerabyl blasphematioun, fury, and wodnes! a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 126/13.
Quhat blindnes, quhat ignorance, fure and vodnes is this, quhilk … ryngis in the hartes of men in thir miserabil days quhilk mowis them to refuise the godlye doctrine of the kirke 1562-3 Winȝet II 21/3.
In the tyme of Donatus … quhen a grete part of Aphrik had wappit doun the self in the furious rage of his errour and quhen it … præferrit the cursit fuilhardines of ane man to the kirk of Christe [etc.] … the helth of al mot be præferrit to the wodnes of ane or always of few 1562-3 Winȝet II 23/32.
Scatterit be a cruel storme of a suddane hæresie, to the auld faith fra the new vnfaithfulnes, to the auld helth of mynd fra the neu woudnes [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 108/24.
Quhene I had inioyned me in airmour witht they tratouris [etc.] … Willfull and foolehardie interpryse and subtell and temerarieous purpose O heigh furies and woidnes 1573-1600 King Cat. in Cath. Tr. 208/3.
It is extreme vodnes to doubt quhither thay [sc. Easter etc.] ar to be kept haly or nocht a1599 Rollock Wks. I 439.
For quhat can cum of ane body gif he die wodnes [1634 For what can become of a body that dieth in madness]?

4. Of an animal. a. Ferocity, fury. Also in fig. context. b. Madness, rabidity.a. c1475 Wall. xi 198.
A fell lyoun … Off wodnes he excedyt all the layff 1494 Loutfut MS 18a.
The wolf is a rauisant best … and for the wodnes of reiff & rapacite he deuouris [etc.]fig. a1578 Pitsc. II 72/23.
Than the revenning wollffis ar turnit into widnes and said, ‘Quhairto lat we him speik ony farther?’b. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 9.
Siclyk volfis entering in ane toune with continuall molestatioun is signe of vodnes, for ouer greit audacitie schawis phreneisie

5. Of the wind: Fury, ferocity. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 229.
Be this the lord of wyndis, wyth wodenes, God Eolus his bugill blew c1600 Montg. Suppl. iv 25.
The vehement wodnes of the wind, Or rageing of the roring sey