EXETER
BOOK
RIDDLE 11
(90 riddles) 1)“WINE” - 21 LINES
2) “RIDDLE” – 25 LINES
3) “ONION & RIDDLE”
4) “DOUGH”
EXETER BOOK (OR) CODEX EXONIENSIS (1842)-10TH CENTURY
BOOK – CONTAINS COLLECTION OF ANGLO SAXON POETRY
ANGLO SAXON POETRY:
* OLD ENGLISH POETRY, HEROIC ACTIONS, CODES OF
CONDUCT, CHRISTIAN IDEALS, RICH IN LITERARY FEATURES,
MULTIPLE FIGURES OF SPEECH
* ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD OF BRITISH HISTORY
* COLD, DARK, EUROPEAN NORTH OF THE MIDDLE AGES
*TWO TYPES – THE HEROIC & THE CHRISTIAN
* FEATURES – CAESURA (to cut, slight pauses made to read a
verse, a break or interruption), ALLITERATION, STRESSED &
UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES, ABSENCE OF ENDRHYMES,
KENNING (a metaphorical phrase used to replace a concrete
noun in Old Germanic/Old English poetry Eg: Book Worm,
Whale Home), ELEGIAC THEME (elegy –mourning, loss,
reflection) , DREAM VISION
I AM A WONDROUS CREATURE, A
ONION & RIDDLE – JOY TO WOMEN,
RIDDLE 25 A HELP TO NEIGHBOURS; I HARM
NONE
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, wifum on OF THE CITY-DWELLERS, EXCEPT
hyhte, FOR MY KILLER.
neahbuendum nyt; nængum sceþþe MY BASE IS STEEP AND HIGH, I
burgsittendra, nymþe bonan anum. STAND IN A BED,
Staþol min is steapheah, stonde ic SHAGGY SOMEWHERE BENEATH.
SOMETIMES VENTURES
on bedde,
THE VERY BEAUTIFUL
neoþan ruh nathwær. Neþeð hwilum DAUGHTER OF A CHURL,
ful cyrtenu ceorles dohtor, A MAID PROUD IN MIND, SO THAT
modwlonc meowle, þæt heo on mec SHE GRABS HOLD OF ME,
gripeð, RUBS ME TO REDNESS, RAVAGES
MY HEAD,
ræseð mec on reodne, reafað min
FORCES ME INTO A FASTNESS.
heafod, IMMEDIATELY SHE FEELS
fegeð mec on fæsten. Feleþ sona MY MEETING, THE ONE WHO
mines gemotes, seo þe mec CONFINES ME,
nearwað, THE CURLY-LOCKED WOMAN.
wif wundenlocc. Wæt bið þæt eage. WET WILL BE THAT EYE.
BODY HUMOUR, PHALLIC UNDERTONES
ONION PLANT’S SHAPE EXPLAINS THE RIDDLE’S REFERENCE TO “STEEP-
HIGH FOUNDATION”
BED OF HAIR/BED OF VEGGIES/ROUGHNESS /SHAGGINESS IN ONION’S
ROOTS/HAIRS
ONION-READING, EYE-WATERING
POEM JUDGES A WOMAN’S ASSERTIVENSS/DAUGHTER OF A
FREEMAN/CHURL– SO HER AGGRESSIVE APPROACH MAY BE RELATED TO
CLASS PREJUDICES
CURLY/BRAIDED HAIR IS CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT
VERSIFICATION OF FAMOUS APOCRYPHAL STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO
DECAPITATED THE LEADER OF AN INVADING ARMY (JUDITH)
ACCORDING TO SHAW, HAIR IS SITUATED “WITHIN A RICH INTERTEXTUAL
MATRIX OF IDEAS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY VERSUS HEATHENISM”
(UNCIVILISED OR NOT RELIGIOUS)
ISSUES OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY A BIG CONCERN OF OLD ENGLISH
LITERATURE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
EVIDENCE
TRANSPORTATION OF
LIQUIDS IN POTTERY
“WINE” VESSELS
Riddle 18 NO WOODEN CASKS UNTIL
I am a wonderful creature NORMAN CONQUEST
but I cannot speak,
orating among men— FORMULAIC THEORY OF
I do have a mouth OLD ENGLISH POETRY
and a wide belly…. (PROCESS DEFINING HOW
I was on a ship ORAL POETS IMPROVISE
with more of my brood. POETRY; ADHERING TO
SET OF METRIC RULES)
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht; ne mæg word EXISTENCE OF MISSING
sprecan, HALF LINE IN OLD
mældan for monnum, þeah ic muþ hæbbe,
ENGLISH POETRY
wide wombe
Ic wæs on ceole ond mines cnosles ma.
“DOUGH” REFERS TO WOMAN OF HIGH
STATUS, DAUGHTER OF
I know something
‘RULER’, ‘LORD’,
‘HLAFDIGE’(LOAF KNEADER
IN OLD ENGLISH) –ROOT OF
that grows on its OUR MODERN ENGLISH WORD
“LADY”
own, becoming WOMAN IS REFERED TO AS
HYGEWLONC (PROUD IN
thicker and fatter MIND) – OFTEN ASSOCIATED
WITH SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN
until a girl takes
OLD ENGLISH
DOUGH – SYMBOL THAT A
that boneless thing WOMAN USES TO NOURISH
HER FAMILY-RICH SYMBOL OF
and covers it with WOMAN’S POWER WITHIN
HOME
her dress/apron. RISING OF THE DOUGH
(EROTIC/SEXUAL METAPHOR)-
FOETAL DEVELOPMENT –
RISING BELLY
