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. The elegies of the exeter book the british library. This is the third in a series of pieces about the book in poetry released at this blogspot. We do not have the names of any of these poets, though there is no reason to doubt that some may have cunningly hidden their names in the text. 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. Jul 01, 2008 the ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Exeter book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The exeter book riddles of the four surviving old english poetic codices, only the exeter book contains anglosaxon riddles, 95 in all. Aug 03, 2016 here are ten things you should know about the exeter book. Encoded references in exeter book birdriddles medieval. The exeter books riddles were never published with the answers. Most of the editors have been shy about their double meanings. 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. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the.
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. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the free. Though some of the best have been translated in scattered places, and there is a prose lineforline translation in the e. In some very few instances, my idea of the solution differs from the generally accepted range. 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. Mar 07, 2014 a selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. The original exeter book resides in you guessed it exeter castle in the united kingdom. It was not feasible to arrange them by types, because the typical forms of the riddle are not clearly fixed and the anglosaxon riddles are too few to illustrate many types. Full text of the riddles of the exeter book internet archive.
Exeter book riddle 69 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, 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. Which of you heroes is so sharpwitted and so mindcrafty, who can speak aloud about who impels me on this. If multiple possibilities are possible, ill give the best or most likely. 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. Modern scholars have responded enthusiastically to the challenge of solving the riddles, but have generally examined them individually. Join britannicas publishing partner program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work. Jan 31, 2018 the riddles from the exeter book are almost unique within the wider genre, because they are written in the vernacular in old english, rather than latin apart from one latin riddle, which sits towards the end of the book. Translating exeter book riddles medieval studies research. 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 i imagine that solving riddle 43 would have been fairly easy for most anglosaxon readers of the exeter book, especially if were to picture this riddling taking place in a monastic setting. Exeter book, or the codex exoniensis, is a 10th century book, or codex, that contains most of the surviving anglosaxon poetry. Riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i follow williamson in considering the first three as parts of a single. Riddle 45 also sounds like it is referring to a mans genitals, but it is actually a description of bread dough.
May 12, 2016 pause the video each time the screen fades to black to try to guess the answers to the riddles. Riddle 26 in the exeter book the carmelite library. Here are two of these anglosaxon riddles, both in old english and. Far from being idle brainteasers to divert people for half an hour during their lunch break or provide a. The lack of riddles in the beowulf, junius, or vercelli manuscripts makes the interpretation of the riddles in codex exoniensis a unique challenge. Obscene riddles of the exeter book everything english. The bookworm riddle can be found in the exeter book, one of the greatest literary treasures to survive from anglosaxon england. Performed by jefferson reardon produced by timmie vitz. In many cases, answers are just provisional, and still the subject of some discussion. Some of them have been dated as far back as the 7 th century. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book, 1963 online. The riddles are of particular interest to students of old english poetry and anglosaxon culture, to archeologists, anthropologists, and folklorists. The riddles in the exeter book were probably authored by multiple people and are difficult to date. Some of them are double entendres, such as riddle 25 below.
Indeed, these ninetyfive old english riddles have become so popular that they have even been featured on posters for the london underground and have inspired a sculpture in downtown exeter. Riddles tend to be metaphorical indeed, the trick is to discern what the metaphor signifies and, in that. Exeter book riddles an open companion for british literature i. The exeter book riddles in context the british library. Jan 31, 2018 the poems in the exeter book known as the old english elegies focus on loss, separation and the transience of earthly things. The date of authorship of many of the riddles is unclear.
The best anglosaxon riddles interesting literature. The obscene riddles encompass an area of study littered with double meanings throughout the text. 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. Only four collections of old english verse exist, out of which the exeter book is the largest and most impressive. Dec 06, 2019 in continuing my discussion of cryptic information encoded in runes in the exeter book riddles, in which i argue runic literacy functions as a form of esotericism, i wish to expand the conversation by considering the variety of specialized information contained in a group of old english riddles featured in the collection riddles 710.
Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary, by frederick tupper by tupper, frederick, 18711950. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article requires login. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative. Pause the video each time the screen fades to black to try to guess the answers to the riddles. Use the buttons on the right to navigate to each set of riddles. Oct 08, 2012 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. And depending on who in the scholarly world you talk to, the numbers of riddles, and the translation of those riddles is quite different. Riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i follow williamson in considering the first three as parts of a single riddle.
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 itself. Obscene is a troublesome word for both legal and lay minds, but there is nothing uncertain about these few anglosaxon riddles which go under that name. The exeter book was created by the first bishop of exeter in the eleventh century, when he collected poetry and riddles into a single tome. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary.
It is one of the four major anglosaxon literature codices, along with the vercelli book, nowell codex and the c. Jan 09, 20 nevertheless, in working with the old english text of the exeter book, i chose to pay close attention to the obscene riddles and how they differ from riddles with the same answer. In the manuscript the riddles appear in no particular order. There is much to be gained from interpreting the tenthcentury exeter book riddles as a characteristically biographical group of texts. This is a translation of the 96 anglosaxon poems from the 11thcentury exeter book. The riddles are one of the most wellknown works in the exeter book, and they focus on an eclectic mix of themes. Exeter book riddles anglosaxon narrative poetry project. Thus, the answers in this book are not necessarily what the anglosaxons intended, but just accepted answers. As the oldest extant collection of vernacular riddles in western europe, the ninetyfive old englishriddlesof the exeter book exeter, cathedral library, ms 3501 occupy a unique place within both the history of the genre and the literary heritage of anglosaxon england. Sep 01, 2016 the language of the anglosaxon riddles is often difficult, and even those who are fairly familiar with old english cannot read them readily. There may have been an attempt to assemble 100 riddles in the exeter book like in some latin collections. 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.
The following translations have been grouped according to subject. The old english riddles of the exeter book magdalena gracka, janmichael stube. Frederick tupper, the riddles of the exeter book new york, 1911. Jan 17, 2020 in my my most recent blog, encoded references in the exeter book birdriddles, 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. Its interpretation has occasioned a range of scholarly investigations, but clearly has something to do with ice and is likely indeed to have the solution ice. A selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. Shielded behind glass it will be a little hard to place ones pint of guinness on its covers once more. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary and. 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. Two historical riddles of the old english exeter book. They comprise a rich source of information for the study of anglosaxon concepts of life courses and life stages, but have yet to be treated as such despite current enthusiasm surrounding the study of historical life cycles.