Apr 12, 2017 the verse riddles of the tenthcentury exeter book, around ninety in number, have on occasion been recognized as tending toward a form of biography. Here is a list of solutions for the exeter book riddles as numbered in the translation. The riddle sculpture by michael fairfax, which stands in exeters high street, incorporates some of the books 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. The book was donated to the library of exeter cathedral by leofric, the first. Encoded references in exeter book birdriddles medieval. Riddle numbers are taken from muirs exeter anthology 1994, though i follow williamson in considering the first three as parts of a single. In some very few instances, my idea of the solution differs from the generally accepted range. As edited by krapp and dobbie in the anglosaxon poetic records series, riddle 27 runs. Several of these poems and riddles can only be found in the exeter book. Exeter book riddle 7, exeter cathedral library ms3051 f. Jan 30, 2017 the old english riddles of the exeter book chapel hill.
The old english riddles of the exeter book chapel hill. A selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. Use the buttons on the right to navigate to each set of riddles. The text can be found online within the internet sacred text archive.
Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary and. Its poems and elegies such as the wanderer and the seafarer are among its best known compositions, and have inspired writers from ezra pound to j. 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. Scholars believe that a number were composed in the the exeter book riddles. The ninetysix anglosaxon riddles in the eleventhcentury exeter book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Read the fulltext online edition of anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book 1963. Shielded behind glass it will be a little hard to place ones pint of guinness on its covers once more. This folded stainlesssteel triangular sculpture is the latest addition to exeter high street. The original exeter book resides in you guessed it exeter castle in the united kingdom. The riddle genre among the many genres that make an appearance in the exeter book beautifully encapsulates all of this variety. Exeter book riddle 8, exeter cathedral library ms3051, f. The exeter book project college of humanities university. I thought it a curious chance, when i heard of that wonder, that the worm devoured some. Emphasis on this aspect exceeds even its treatment in the previous riddle.
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. 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 known example of anglo saxon poetry in existence. 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 riddles in the exeter book were probably authored by multiple people and are difficult to date. Riddle hero play and poetry in the exeter book riddles. Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary, by frederick tupper by tupper, frederick, 18711950. Here are two of these anglosaxon riddles, both in old english and. The verse riddles of the tenthcentury exeter book, around ninety in number, have on occasion been recognized as tending toward a form of biography. The anglosaxon riddle tradition riddles are some of the most fascinating early english literary texts, in part because so very.
Riddles tend to be metaphorical indeed, the trick is to discern what the metaphor signifies and, in that. Riddle 53, commonly solved as battering ram, opens with a scene of growing wood, which water and earth nourished beautifully wudu. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the free. The date of authorship of many of the riddles is unclear. This is a translation of the 96 anglosaxon poems from the. Exeter book riddles anglosaxon narrative poetry project. In the book twisty little passages, a work focused on contemporary forms of interactive literature, game theorist and poet nick montfort cites the riddle as one of the earliest. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus.
May 01, 2011 riddle 23 is one of the rare riddles of the exeter book that gives its answer. Exeter book riddles an open companion for british literature i. Anglosaxon exeter book old english riddle 26 riddles solutions. The exeter book riddles in context the british library. The riddles are of particular interest to students of old english poetry and anglosaxon culture, to archeologists, anthropologists, and folklorists. Exeter book, or the codex exoniensis, is a 10th century book, or codex, that contains most of the surviving anglosaxon poetry. 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. 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 bookindex of solutions. If multiple possibilities are possible, ill give the best or most likely. Among those who have sought to undo the gates of the treasurehouses of the exeter book riddles e. The exeter book medieval studies oxford bibliographies.
Obscene riddles of the exeter book everything english. The anglosaxon riddle tradition riddles are some of the most fascinating early english literary texts, in part because so very many of them have survived the test of time. 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 ninetyodd riddles in anglosaxon which have come down to us in a single manuscript are naturally a miscellaneous collection of varying merit. 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. Only four collections of old english verse exist, out of which the exeter book is the largest and most impressive. The damage to the manuscript offers several possible reconstructions of the riddles final lines. Exeter book riddle 7 medieval studies research blog. Reading the exeter book riddles as lifewriting the. The exeter book, an important collection of anglosaxon poetry from the 10 th century, includes a fair number of them. The old english riddles of the exeter book magdalena gracka, janmichael stube. 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. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative.
Audens poem the wanderer is inspired by the poem the wanderer found in the exeter book. Below, ive included some of the best anglosaxon riddles from the exeter book, followed by the most commonly proposed solutions. The best anglosaxon riddles interesting literature. In many cases, answers are just provisional, and still the subject of some discussion. 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. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. It is one of the four major anglosaxon literature codices, along with the vercelli book, nowell codex and the c. Riddles are rooted deeply in the western literary tradition. This absence is notable, for in other exeter book riddles which pertain to birds riddle 7 swan, riddle 8 nightingale, riddle 24 jay, and riddle 57 arguably swallowsvoices figure prominently.
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 to foster active play over a passive reception of editorially delimited solutions. Some of them are double entendres, such as riddle 25 below. In my discussion of exeter book riddle 9, i aim to show two of the games that can be played not only during but also after its solution has been found. Aug 03, 2016 the exeter book also contains ninetyfive riddles. Jan 31, 2018 the riddle genre among the many genres that make an appearance in the exeter book beautifully encapsulates all of this variety.
Riddle 12 is something of a peculiarity among its fellows and is consequently quite. 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. It seems likely they were composed in the 700s when riddles were popular in english monasteries. Exeter book riddles 1, 2, 3, 25, 44, 45, 47, 72 summary. The bookworm riddle can be found in the exeter book, one of the greatest literary treasures to survive from anglosaxon england. The lack of riddles in the beowulf, junius, or vercelli manuscripts makes the interpretation of the riddles in. 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.
Solutions storm numbered as aspr, but taken as one poem 4 bell. Its interpretation has occasioned a range of scholarly investigations, but clearly has something to do with ice. Jan 09, 20 perhaps it is plausible i am merely reading these double entendres into the text. 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. Riddle 26 in the exeter book the carmelite library. The exeter book, the largest extant collection of old english writing, contains punning, rhymes, and riddles in the form of kennings, or compound words serving as a metaphors for a single word whaleroad translates to the sea. Mar 07, 2014 a selection of riddles from the exeter book riddles. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book wikisource, the. Exeter book, they must be read with the entirety of the collection, more specifically, the riddles that share the same answer. Two historical riddles of the old english exeter book. 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.
This is the third in a series of pieces about the book in poetry released at this blogspot. In the past ten years, the exeter books hitherto somewhat overlooked riddle 12 has become rather a cause celebre in the realm of old english poetic scholarship, thanks to the combination of its apparently sensational, and salacious, subject matter with critical issues of class, sex, and gender. 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. There may have been an attempt to assemble 100 riddles in the exeter book like in some latin collections. Feb 26, 2012 anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book 1963 translated by paull franklin baum 1190586 anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book paull franklin baum 1963 index of solutions. Exeter book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Far from being idle brainteasers to divert people for half an hour during their lunch break or provide a topic of conversation at christmas dinner, the riddle, to the anglosaxons, was a serious and enigmatic poetic form, designed to defamiliarise and alienate by depriving a thing of its name or giving an animal a voice with which to.
In the book twisty little passages, a work focused on contemporary forms of interactive literature, game theorist and poet nick montfort cites the riddle as one of the earliest forms of interactive fiction, or literature that readers. Dec 06, 2019 like riddle 7, the speaker of exeter book riddle 8 is clearly also some kind of songbird. Anglosaxon riddles of the exeter book, 1963 online research. Beyond tolkien using them in the hobbit, riddles in verse are an ancient literary game. 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. Exeter book riddles solutions anglosaxon narrative poetry.
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