The consensus of opinion is that these riddles use the language of double entendre. Exeter book riddles, however, has lead me to conclude that. I accept the old english solution swon swan as the poems solution based. The husbands message project gutenberg selfpublishing.
She has published on several of the riddles and is currently working on a book about them. Obscene riddles of the exeter book everything english. Exeter riddle 17 10 explication and past solutions 10 vikings and their ships linguistic analysis 19 i am the protector. Mar 07, 2014 a selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. From wikisource 40 of the exeter book according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records. 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. 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 poets care over each stage of this bookmaking is admiring and affirmative. The ninetyodd riddles in anglosaxon which have come down to us in a single manuscript are naturally a miscellaneous collection of varying merit. The exeter book riddles occupy a unique place in old english literary history. Jul 01, 2008 the ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. I hope that youve all enjoyed reading the marathon of a poem that is riddle 40. Aldhelms poem is distinguished by its elegant structure, but also by its debt to isidores etymologies, a debt that has not yet been recognized by the poems modern r.
May 12, 2016 pause the video each time the screen fades to black to try to guess the answers to the riddles. I thought it a curious chance, when i heard of that wonder, that the worm devoured some mans song, the thief in the dark, mighty word and. This is one of the best, and offers several possibilities for expostulation and reply. Read the fulltext online edition of anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book 1963. Although its common to find several riddles with the same answer or which seem to have the same answer the creation riddles are unusual because they are all versions of the same riddle, just edited a bit. The text can be found online within the internet sacred text archive. The poems in the exeter book known as the old english elegies focus on loss, separation and the transience of earthly things. Shielded behind glass it will be a little hard to place ones pint of guinness on its covers once more.
Select captions to enable english subtitlescc in a collaboration with one of our favorite blogs, the riddle ages, brad performs riddle 47. Howe 1985 discusses riddle 40 in the context of the rest of the exeter riddles, and steen 2008 also includes a lengthy discussion of exeter 40 and its source, aldhelms creatura, in chapter 5. Exeter book riddles anglosaxon narrative poetry project. Apr 12, 2017 turning to specific instances, riddle 35 stays close to aldhelms lorica, as does the very similar leiden riddle with which the exeter book text shares its opening lines. These questions date back to the 10th century and have been chosen from the 96 riddles in the exeter book, a tome kept safe in exeter cathedral. Exeter book riddle 47 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the most famous of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. Exeter book riddles solutions here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. Riddle 40 was given unusual prominence by the scribe of the exeter book, and might in an exemplar of the manuscript have stood as the culmination of a collection of 40 old english riddles. Exeter book riddles an open companion for british literature i. Riddle 66 from the exeter book, read in the original old english. The bibliography in that volume is adequate for anyone undertaking to read everything relevant to the riddles. The exeter book, an important collection of anglosaxon poetry from the 10 th century, includes a fair number of them.
Aug, 2014 anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book 40. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book41 wikisource. Which of you heroes is so sharpwitted and so mindcrafty, who can speak. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book41 wikisource, the. Book details, anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book. But the text history of aldhelms enigma creatura offers evidence that makes it unlikely that the two old english translations were contemporary. Medieval book manufacture is a timeconsuming, arduous, and expert business, at every stage of the process. Thp5 sexual riddles of the exef er book the exeter book contains six riddles with explicit sexual content. First, it is unusual for a riddle to carry a secret message for us two alone. Widsith, old english poem, probably from the 7th century, that is preserved in the exeter book, a 10thcentury collection of old english poetry. It seems likely they were composed in the 700s when riddles were popular in english monasteries. Riddle 40 kd 66 1189062 anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book paull franklin baum 1963 39 kd 65.
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. The complete corpus of anglosaxon poetry genesis a, b exodus daniel christ and satan andreas the fates of the apostles soul and body i homiletic fragment i dream of the rood elene. In this weeks dispatches from the secret library, dr oliver tearle ponders some of the best of the anglosaxon riddles from the exeter book the anglosaxon riddles are especially interesting. Unfortunately its ending is lost due to a missing bifolium in the manuscript. Pause the video each time the screen fades to black to try to guess the answers to the riddles. This is the 26th riddle from the exeter book translation an enemy came, claiming my life. Jan 09, 20 perhaps it is plausible i am merely reading these double entendres into the text. 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 book, 1963 online.
May 17, 2011 exeter riddle 35, a translation of aldhelms enigma 33, lorica, has attracted much attention from scholars interested in anglosaxon practices of translation. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book46 wikisource. The riddle is usually solved as reed pen, although such pens were not in use in anglosaxon times, rather being roman technology. Far from being idle brainteasers to divert people for half an.
I became a translator of anglosaxon riddles and kennings after falling in love with wulf and eadwacer, a stunning ancient poem from the exeter book. In some very few instances, my idea of the solution differs from the generally accepted range. For previous suggestions of continuity between riddle 60 and the husbands message, see particularly blackburn, f. Two historical riddles of the old english exeter book. Exeter book riddle 7 medieval studies research blog. Importance of exeter book the exeter book riddles 1 1 5 organization and goals of ths study 7 chapter 2. Aug 17, 2015 riddle 43s commentary is once again by the terribly clever james paz, lecturer in early medieval english literature at the university of manchester. The exeter book christ a, b, c guthlac a, b azarias the phoenix juliana the wanderer the gifts of men. The ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Whereas the subject matter of most of the extant verse derives from traditions of christian latinity and germanic legend, many of the riddles refer us to the social body of anglosaxon england. Mike bintley explores these poems, which include the wanderer and the wifes lament, and highlights the parallels between the elegies and the riddles in the exeter book.
There is a link to my translations of the poem at the bottom of this page. 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. 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. However, the description evokes a penis becoming erect. Sep 26, 2017 riddle 66 is the second of the three creation riddles in the exeter book riddles 40, 66 and 94. Exeter book riddle 27 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book39 wikisource. Peter orton has recently suggested that the composition of the second block of riddles in the exeter book manuscript riddles 6195 may have been informed by a reading of the first block riddles 159. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative poetry. Riddle 47 or 45 exeter book riddles in modern english. The riddles are one of the most wellknown works in the exeter book, and they focus on an eclectic mix of themes. The exeter book christ a, b, c guthlac a, b azarias the phoenix juliana the wanderer the gifts of men precepts the seafarer vainglory widsith the fortunes of men.
Powerful is the steersman and king by right, allruling over everything, the earth and the heavens, holding and directing, as he orbits about them from without. Beyond tolkien using them in the hobbit, riddles in verse are an ancient literary game. Im sure youll agree with me that nothing helps pass the time like some honesttogoodness smut and when the anglosaxon church was responsible for collating it, you know youre onto something special. In many cases, answers are just provisional, and still the subject of some discussion. Four social functions of the exeter book riddles difficult as it is to determine with certainty what some of them are about, the old english riddles of the exeter book seem, without much doubt, to have served at least three important social purposes. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book20 wikisource. I have tried to suggest this trick by the form uuob.
Riddle 55 of the exeter book i saw in the hall, where heroes drank, carried onto the floor a wondrous woodtree of four kinds and wound gold, cunningly fastened treasure, and part of silver 5 and the sign of the cross, which he raised the ladder for us to heaven before he stormed the city of the inhabitants of hell. 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. The bachelorwarrior of exeter book riddle 20 by tanke. The original exeter book resides in you guessed it exeter castle in the united kingdom. Riddle 43s commentary is once again by the terribly clever james paz, lecturer in early medieval english literature at the university of manchester. The riddles in the exeter book were probably authored by multiple people and are difficult to date. Exeter book riddle 44 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. Riddle 66 is the second of the three creation riddles in the exeter book riddles 40, 66 and 94. You may remember her from her brilliant translation and commentary of riddle 9. Use the buttons on the right to navigate to each set of riddles. Reading the exeter book riddles as lifewriting the. The best anglosaxon riddles interesting literature.
There may have been an attempt to assemble 100 riddles in the exeter book like in some latin collections. The exeter book riddles of the four surviving old english poetic codices, only the exeter book contains anglosaxon riddles, 95 in all. The elegies of the exeter book the british library. Riddle 42 or 40 this riddle translation comes to us from jennifer neville, reader in anglosaxon literature at royal holloway university of london. Similarly, riddle 40 uses cennan to parallel generare in aldhelms creatura.
Jump to navigation jump to search riddle 19 riddles of the exeter book 1963 translated by paull franklin baum. The lack of riddles in the beowulf, junius, or vercelli. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative. 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. If multiple possibilities are possible, ill give the best or most likely. Exeter book riddle 60 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. 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. The isidorian context of aldhems lorica and exeter riddle 35. Where else do you hear seamlessly poetic phrasing like. The physicality of the natural world and human action upon nature are noticed in every line of this anglosaxon riddle. A selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. The four things are two fingers, thumb, and quill or as in parallel riddles three fingers and pen.
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. Riddle 45 is yet another example of a riddle thats simply throbbing with double entendre. Exeter book riddle 45 according to the numbering of the anglosaxon poetic records is one of the old english riddles found in the later tenthcentury exeter book. Performed by jefferson reardon produced by timmie vitz. Three, exeter book riddle 35 and riddles 40 66, are in origin translations of riddles by aldhelm and riddle 35 the only old english riddle to be attested in another manuscript besides the exeter book. Exeter book, the largest extant collection of old english poetry. This page collects some of the very best anglosaxon riddles and kennings. Exeter book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary. Riddle 40 riddle 41 riddle 42 riddle 43 riddle 44 riddle. While the exeter book preserves both riddle 40 and a version of aldhelms. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter bookindex of solutions. 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. Some of them have been dated as far back as the 7 th century. After it rises, the woman in the riddle kneads and shapes it and then puts a piece of cloth over. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book40 wikisource, the. The exeter book riddles in my anglosaxon literature recommendations blog post, i gave an overview of the exeter book riddles and included some of my favourites. Here are ten things you should know about the exeter book. Jul 04, 2008 buy the exeter book riddles revised ed.
Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book40 wikisource. The exeter book, exeter cathedral library ms 3501, also known as the codex exoniensis, is a tenthcentury 1 book or codex which is an anthology of anglosaxon poetry. Here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. It reaches a grand total of 109 lines before a missing manuscript page deprives us of its no doubt beauteous ending. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary and.