Exeter book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The riddles are of particular interest to students of old english poetry and anglosaxon culture, to archeologists, anthropologists, and folklorists. Natural world in the exeter book riddles boydell and brewer. In the first line agile of body is from the other text of this riddle in exeter book. The riddles are one of the most wellknown works in the exeter book, and they focus on an eclectic mix of themes. 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 1. 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. 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. Some of them are double entendres, such as riddle 25 below. After much discussion, the consensus now is that 1 is a separate riddle and 2 and 3 are a single riddle by a different author, in four parts and a conclusion. Pause the video each time the screen fades to black to try to guess the answers to the riddles.
It seems likely they were composed in the 700s when riddles were popular in english monasteries. Baum, and numbered according to the edition by krapp and dobbie. Housed in exeter cathedral since it was given to the institution by its first bishop, leofric, in the 11th century, the exeter book was written around 970. The natural world in the exeter book riddles ebook, 2017. This is unsurprising considering the exeter book was donated to a.
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. Riddles 1 to 3 are quite clearly thematically linked, and it is because of this that they have also been read as one very long riddle especially because riddle 2 and the sections of riddle 3 begin with the same word. Reading the exeter book riddles as lifewriting the. Ranging from natural phenomena such as icebergs and storms at sea to animal. The exeter book riddles have yet to be fully appreciated as pieces of lifewriting, despite the recent surge in critical interest in the theory and practice of the genre, as well as in historical ideas of life cycles. Riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i follow. The storm riddles have pride of place not only because they stand first in the exeter book, but also because they outrank all the rest in poetic merit.
Ranging from natural phenomena to animal and bird life, from the christian concept of creation to prosaic domestic objects, the riddles are. Among the other texts in the exeter book, there are over ninety riddles. Encoded references in exeter book birdriddles medieval. The solution to riddle 61 hasnt proved as problematic as some of the other exeter book poems. This, of course, throws off the riddle numbering system which you should note is an editorial practice and does not appear in the exeter book. Several of these poems and riddles can only be found in the exeter book. Which of you heroes is so sharpwitted and so mindcrafty, who can speak aloud about who impels me on this mission. Exeter book, the largest extant collection of old english poetry. The husbands message project gutenberg selfpublishing. Exeter book study guide contains literature essays, quiz questions. The riddles in the exeter book were probably authored by multiple people and are difficult to date. It includes contributions from a hundred contemporary poets, among them alan brownjohn, gillian clarke, vicki feaver, michael longley, roger mcgough and kit wright. In her bookthe riddle of creation, ruth wehlau asserts that the exeter book riddles play with torment, turning it into an entertainment.
There may have been an attempt to assemble 100 riddles in the exeter book like in some latin collections. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book, 1963 online. Scholars often refer to riddles 1, 2, and 3 as the storm riddles because they depict natural phenomena like thunderstorms, wind, and other atmospheric occurrences. Exeter book riddles anglosaxon narrative poetry project. The lack of riddles in the beowulf, junius, or vercelli manuscripts makes the interpretation of the riddles in codex exoniensis a unique challenge. The exeter book medieval studies oxford bibliographies.
The exeter book is a 10 thcentury anthology of poetry in old english and is of major importance to exeter cathedral, the cathedral library and english literature itself exeter dean and chapter manuscript 3501, usually known as the exeter book, was written down by a single scribe no doubt a monk in about 970. But this is not to say that some of the riddles arent, quite frankly, bawdy and rude. The anthropomorphism that serves as the birds disguise reveals social commentary regarding the practice of fostering, which may cast light. Also,many of the riddles, in the clear and readable translations and relating to everyday objects and circumstances, still amuse and test the mind today. Corinne dale this book examines the depiction of the nonhuman world in the exeter book riddle collection, investigating humanitys action with, and attitudes towards, the rest of creation using the fields of.
The natural world in the exeter book riddles book, 2017. The bibliography in that volume is adequate for anyone undertaking to read everything relevant to the riddles. It is frequently shown using, shaping and binding the physical world in which it lives. The most famous anglosaxon riddles are in old english and found in the tenthcentury exeter book, while the preeminent anglosaxon composer of latin riddles was the seventh to eighthcentury scholar aldhelm. If multiple possibilities are possible, ill give the best or most likely. They are written in the style of anglosaxon poetry and range in topics from the religious to the mundane. Many of the riddles in the exeter book bear this out and i am indebted to michael alexander, and his excellent pocket translation of anglosaxon verse, the earliest english poems penguin classics, for this observation. The riddle was a major, prestigious literary genre in anglosaxon england, and riddles were written both in latin and old english verse. 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. Three of the riddles in the exeter book, usually numbered 1, 2, and. Ranging from natural phenomena such as icebergs and storms at sea to. Which of you heroes is so sharpwitted and so mindcrafty, who can speak. In some very few instances, my idea of the solution differs from the generally accepted range.
The original exeter book resides in you guessed it exeter castle in the united kingdom. Solutions storm numbered as aspr, but taken as one poem 4 bell. The consensus of opinion is that these riddles use the language of double entendre. Riddle 74 and the majesty of the storm let us begin with the shorter riddle.
Among those who have sought to undo the gates of the treasurehouses of the exeter book riddles e. Which of you heroes is so sharpwitted and so mindcrafty, who can speak aloud about who impels me on this mission, when i mount up strong, sometimes ferocious. It is one of the four major anglosaxon literature codices, along with the vercelli book, nowell codex and the c. Storm 1 storm 2 swallows 19 swan 21 sword 51 sun 17 sun and moon 3. 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. In the manuscript the riddles appear in no particular order. 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. Shielded behind glass it will be a little hard to place ones pint of guinness on its covers once more. 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. Exeter book riddle 7 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. This is a translation of the 96 anglosaxon poems from the 11thcentury exeter book. The best anglosaxon riddles interesting literature.
The natural world in the exeter book riddles on jstor. Unesco lists exeter book among worlds principal cultural. 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 riddle 7 medieval studies research blog. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter bookindex of solutions. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary. An intriguing riposte to the famous collection of anglosaxon riddles in the original exeter book. Two historical riddles of the old english exeter book.
Well, whoever composed riddle 61 sure seems to have done. The ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems. The language of the anglosaxon riddles is often difficult, and even those who are fairly familiar with old english cannot read them readily. They are all commonly solved as storm or wind, but this doesnt come. Use the buttons on the right to navigate to each set of riddles. Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary, by frederick tupper by tupper, frederick, 18711950. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary and. Audens poem the wanderer is inspired by the poem the wanderer found in the exeter book. Thp5 sexual riddles of the exef er book the exeter book contains six riddles with explicit sexual content.
Jump to navigation jump to search riddle 20 riddles of the exeter book 1963 translated by paull franklin baum. I am aware that this is an important, historic document that in the words of the translator, page 11, constitues a delightful and informative entree into the anglosaxon world. The exeter book riddles kevin crossleyholland isbn. Riddles are commonly referred to as the storm riddles because they. Made by the artist michael fairfax, it has alternate wings with verses from the exeter riddles which date from the circa 960ad, exeter book, the earliest. Here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. The exeter book riddles of the four surviving old english poetic codices, only the exeter book contains anglosaxon riddles, 95 in all. 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. 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. The exeter book riddles have the following solutions according to the riddle ages blog and paull f. Humanity is a dominant presence in the exeter book riddle collection. This folded stainlesssteel triangular sculpture is the latest addition to exeter high street.
Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative. As demonstrated, the riddles offer notions of life courses which at times align neatly with patterns detected by scholars. The following translations have been grouped according to subject. In many cases, answers are just provisional, and still the subject of some discussion. The riddles of the exeter book almost 100 riddles solution not given in the title. 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. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the. The riddles depict master and craftsman and use the familiar human world as a point.