Sep 01, 2010 riddle 66 from the exeter book, read in the original old english. Every time a work is analyzed or interpreted, we get a little closer to figuring it out simply by producing new ideas and applying different lenses. Widsith, old english poem, probably from the 7th century, that is preserved in the exeter book, a 10thcentury collection of old english poetry. Exeter book riddle 7 medieval studies research blog.
While the poetry of the exeter book is mainly anonymous, some of the authors composing latin riddles are named. In fact, this form of poetry is one of the oldest in english literature. Produced at some point in the late 10th century, the manuscript written mainly in old english and exclusively in verse brings together poems as short as one line and as long as 25 pages. Widsith is an idealized selfportrait of a scop minstrel of the germanic heroic age who wandered widely and was welcomed in many mead halls, where he. Jan 09, 20 perhaps it is plausible i am merely reading these double entendres into the text. There are around 100 riddles and kennings in the exeter book, the oldest surviving poetry anthology in the english language. They are written in the style of anglosaxon poetry and range in topics from the religious to the mundane. Exeter book riddle 83 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book.
Here are two of these anglosaxon riddles, both in old english and translated into modern english. Exeter book study guide contains literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of the poems in. It should be noted that e mailcoat is a translation of aldhelms riddle 33 see lapidge and rosier 1985, p. Riddle 75 kd 26 74 kd 25 im a wonderful thing, a joy to women, to neighbors useful. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the. In analyzing riddle 12, i am hoping to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of anglosaxon england as a whole, the riddles in the exeter book, and the ox riddle. Megan cavells translation of this riddle has provided the wonderfully specific, bodily doubleentendre for sexual intercourse from the peniss perspective. Obscene riddles of the exeter book everything english. There may have been an attempt to assemble 100 riddles in the exeter book like in some latin collections. Old english riddles swarthmore home swarthmore college. Some of them have been dated as far back as the 7 th century. This list of work on the riddles attempts to be comprehensive after 1977, the publication of craig williamsons the old english riddles of the exeter book, chapel hill. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book25 wikisource, the. Exeter book riddle 25 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book.
The exeter book contains almost 100 riddles and several saints lives. It is one of the four major anglosaxon literature codices, along with the vercelli book, nowell codex and the c. On riddle 12 see williamson, the old english riddles of the exeter book, 1667. The somewhat enigmatic character of this poem has given rise to various conjectures. Straight from the inappropriate touching of root vegetables to animal martyrs and religious book making in one fell swoopno one ever said the exeter book compiler was a person of limited interests. These riddles are descriptions or characterizations of objects, from which the object itself, which is not named, must be guessed. The exeter book riddles in context the british library. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative.
Riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i. Here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. Perhaps it is plausible i am merely reading these double entendres into the text. The 17 lines of riddle 60 do not contain the contradictions that are found in the other riddles of the exeter book which are seemingly meant to confound the reader. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary and. The ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book74 wikisource, the. Jan 31, 2018 the bookworm riddle can be found in the exeter book, one of the greatest literary treasures to survive from anglosaxon england. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book, 1963 online. Use the buttons on the right to navigate to each set of riddles. Within the starvationlevel living conditions for most.
Some critics think the poem is part of a pair along with the husbands message, another anglosaxon poem, and others think it may actually not be a poem at all, but a riddle. The exeter books riddles were never published with the answers. The four strange beings, if you were wondering, are a pen and the three fingers which hold it. Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, wifum on hyhte, neahbuendum nyt. In addition to approximately 95 old english riddles from the exeter book, we have hundreds of latin poetic and prose enigmata by anglosaxon authors that survive in english and european manuscripts. I accept the old english solution swon swan as the poems solution based. Exeter book riddle 74 and the play of the text john d. Reading the exeter book riddles as lifewriting the. I am a wonderful thing, a pleasure to women, useful to the neighbors. Ranging from natural phenomena to animal and bird life, from the christian concept of creation to prosaic domestic objects, the riddles are full of sharp observation and earthy humour.
Notably, riddle 25 is not an i saw riddle but an example of prosopopoeia. There has, therefore, been little debate about the solution. Aug, 2014 riddle from the exeter book translation an enemy came, claiming my life. Though some of the best have been translated in scattered places, and there is a prose lineforline translation in the e. This is the 26th riddle from the exeter book translation an enemy came, claiming my life. The texts transcription emulates the insular script, a style of the latin alphabet of irish origin, used in most old english manuscripts. The isidorian context of aldhems lorica and exeter riddle 35 abstract exeter riddle 35, a translation of aldhelms engima 33, lorica, has attracted much attention from scholars interested in anglosaxon practices of translation. The bibliography in that volume is adequate for anyone undertaking to read everything relevant to the riddles.
The isidorian context of aldhems lorica and exeter riddle 35. For the full text of the exeter book and an english translation, thorpe 1842. The best anglosaxon riddles interesting literature. While most latin riddles of the period are preserved with their answers, no answers accompany the exeter book riddles, and many scholars have found it a pleasurable occupation to puzzle out the solutions to the more obscure ones. The article on the exeter book focuses on its origin, time of production, and contents, providing basic background information for audiences of all ages and education levels. We do not have the names of any of these poets, though there is no reason to doubt that some may. The husbands message project gutenberg selfpublishing. The riddler pokes fun at the pedantic worm, transformed into wordwolf or midnight marauder, who devours the substance without the spirit. This is one of the 95 riddles found in the exeter book exeter, cathedral library ms 3501, a book of old english poetry which was given to exeter cathedral by bishop leofric in the eleventh century and has remained there ever since. In his 1842 edition and translation of the exeter book, for example. Robinson remark, scholars have suggested answersbut none satisfies all the conditions set forth in the poem. Riddle hero play and poetry in the exeter book riddles eric. However, the exact number is unknown because some pages are illegible or missing.
Jun 26, 2014 anglosaxon exeter book old english riddle 25 riddles solutions. Jul 03, 2014 just a little content warning to begin with. If youve already read riddle 25s translation, youre probably aware that theres some pretty obvious body humour going on in this poem. Its interpretation has occasioned a range of scholarly investigations, but it is taken to mean oregoldmetal, with most commentators preferring precious metal or gold, and john d. Riddle 63 in the exeter book is a companion onion riddle without the bawdy overtones. Some of them are double entendres, such as riddle 25 below. The modern english translation of the riddle is a rendering into alliterative verse by charles w. My worldly strength he stripped, then wet me, drowned me in water then drew me out, set me in sunshine, where soon i lost the hair i had. Niles riddle 74 is one of a handful of old english riddles of the exeter book that have stubbornly resisted a. The riddles are of particular interest to students of old english poetry and anglosaxon culture, to archeologists, anthropologists, and folklorists. Among the other texts in the exeter book, there are over ninety riddles. In the exeter book is preserved a collection of some ninety riddles in alliterative verse.
Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary. In my my most recent blog, encoded references in the exeter book bird riddles, i discuss arcane references in the exeter book riddles and build on a previous piece, reading runes in the exeter book riddles, which explores the cryptic use of runes in this old english riddle collection. Some comments on anglosaxon attitudes toward sexuality in women based on four exeter book riddles, texas quarterly 181975, 4655. I also read the riddle in translation, since i am not an oe scholar. From wikisource oct 08, 2012 in fact, this form of poetry is one of the oldest in english literature. Both of these blogs note how certain riddles contained in the exeter book exeter cathedral library. In many cases, answers are just provisional, and still the subject of some discussion. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book25 wikisource, the free. But why, oh why, are you so sure were dealing with religious book. The old english riddles of the exeter book magdalena gracka, janmichael stube.
There is much to be gained from interpreting the tenthcentury exeter book riddles as a characteristically biographical group of texts. Thorpe, the first editor of the exeter book, recognizing the similarity between the opening of the poem and many of the riddles, interpreted the first portion to l. The riddle is one of a number to include runes as clues. And depending on who in the scholarly world you talk to, the numbers of riddles, and the translation of those riddles. Thomas klein, the old english translation of aldhelms riddle lorica, res, 48 1997, 345. The exeter book, an important collection of anglosaxon poetry from the 10 th century. Exeter book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. It seems likely they were composed in the 700s when riddles were popular in english monasteries. The anthropomorphism that serves as the birds disguise reveals social commentary regarding the practice of fostering, which may cast light on the heros childhood in. This is a riddle from the year old exeter book manuscript in exeter cathedral in devonshire. D clothes make no sound when i tread ground or dwell in dwellings or disturb the flow. The exeter book riddles of the four surviving old english poetic codices, only the exeter book contains anglosaxon riddles, 95 in all. Here are ten things you should know about the exeter book. Thus, the answers in this book are not necessarily what the anglosaxons intended, but just accepted answers.
While the answers to latin riddles were given by their titles the latin riddles being rhetorical word games rather than true enigmas, few of the old english riddles provide solutions. The riddles in the exeter book were probably authored by multiple people and are difficult to date. Below, ive included some of the best anglosaxon riddles from the exeter book, followed by the most commonly proposed solutions. At the end of the exeter book, there are almost a hundred riddles or enigmata, a dozen or so. Having recently translated exeter book riddle 7 in my recent blog on esotericism in a sequence of old english riddles encoded references in exeter book bird riddles, i have decided to add my translation and recitation of this poetic enigma for our ongoing medieval poetry translation and recitation project. Exeter book riddles riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i follow williamson in considering the first three as parts of a single riddle riddle songs of the storm.
Overing eds, class and gender in early english literature. Suggested solutions have included hemp, leek, onion, rosehip, mustard and phallus, but the consensus is that the solution is onion. I injure no one who lives in a village save only my slayer. So prepare yourself to read the word phallus more times in one post than perhaps you would prefer. Riddle 23 is one of the rare riddles of the exeter book that gives its answer. The exeter book, the largest and probably the best known of the four great miscellanies of anglosaxon poetry, receives its name from the fact that it is preserved in the library of exeter cathedral, having been given to the cathedral by leofric, the fist bishop of exeter, who died in 1072. The riddle or, as they are sometimes called by academics, enigmatica is a developed form in anglosaxon poetry, the most important collection of riddles being the exeter book. This is a translation of the 96 anglosaxon poems from the 11thcentury exeter book. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative poetry.
Exeter book riddles solutions here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. Exeter book riddle 24 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. Shielded behind glass it will be a little hard to place ones pint of guinness on its covers once more. Ideology and figuration in the sexual riddles of the exeter book in britton j. The author discusses the exeter book riddles, some of the earliest poems in english. Ive numbered them first, second, third, and so on, for the sake of matching riddle to solution, but in the exeter book they have different numbers. Two historical riddles of the old english exeter book. Translated and introduced by kevin crossleyholland. Riddle 74 is one of a handful of old english riddles of the exeter book that have stubbornly resisted a solution. The exeter book, a late tenthcentury manuscript of early old english poetry, is an anthology of religious homiletic verse, elegiac poetry, and ninetyone lyric riddles. The exeter book, exeter cathedral library ms 3501, also known as the codex exoniensis, is a tenthcentury book or codex which is an anthology of anglosaxon poetry. If youve already read riddle 25s translation, youre probably aware. Jul 01, 2008 the ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Ranging from natural phenomena such as icebergs and storms at sea to animal and bird life, from the christian concept of the creation to prosaic domestic objects such as a rake and a pair of bellows, and from weaponry to the peaceful pursuits of music and writing, they are.
Riddle 73 riddles of the exeter book 1963 translated by paull franklin baum. Exeter book riddles anglosaxon narrative poetry project. Riddle 66 from the exeter book, read in the original old english. This riddle is from the exeter book, circa 960990 a. Aug 03, 2016 here are ten things you should know about the exeter book. The original exeter book resides in you guessed it exeter castle in the united kingdom. Mother tongue wrung exeter book riddle translation. Its inclusion in exeter book with 92 other riddles offers some support for this viewpoint, although the evidence is not strong. The lack of riddles in the beowulf, junius, or vercelli. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book74 wikisource. If youve already read riddle 25 s translation, youre probably aware that theres some pretty obvious body humour going on in this poem. The best anglosaxon riddles and kennings kenning definition, history and examples. Riddlesare generally thought to end once a solution has been found, but exeter book riddle 9, although apparently straightforward and only twelve lines long, has more to offer than a disguised description of a cuckoo. Exeter book riddle 74 and the play of the text anglosaxon.