To check the commentary volume of Bernard J. Muir’s magisterial The Exeter Anthology of Old English Poetry: An Edition of Exeter Dean and Chapter MS 3501 (1994) one might be forgiven for concluding that the primary issue with this gnomic, gnarled half-line is a matter of grammar: “Mitchell-Robinson (p. 271) translates, ‘Fate is wholly inexorable’.” … Continue reading “Wyrd bið ful aræd” (The Wanderer, line 5b)…
What’s New?
More Riddles revised
Did just a few more Riddles tonight — #60-65. #60 (“Reed Pen”) is interesting because it sits in a group of just riddles (following a slightly different version of #30 (“Wood”), not translated here), but also because it is considered by some to be categorizable with the so-called “Elegies.” Following Kathleen Davis’s chapter in the … Continue reading More Riddles revised…
First batch of Riddles revised!
The first batch of riddles in the Exeter Book, one through fifty-nine, have been fully revised. Not too many changes made this time, but just a few that I think make them read better. One big mistake I corrected: in the “Body and Soul” riddle (#43), I misrecognized “agan” for the preterite-present verb meaning “to … Continue reading First batch of Riddles revised!…
Riddle revisions to #38
Just a bit more work done on revising the Riddles, so I’ve gotten up to #38. That means the next two are the big Nature-Creation-World riddles which are so interesting but not often put forward as the best examples of the Riddles, though they are both definitely written as riddles (unlike say, #1-3 (Storm) or, … Continue reading Riddle revisions to #38…
Disclaimer Page added!
I added a new page “An Important Disclaimer” to the collection. This is intended to head off some of the more aggravating types of comments I get. I have no interest in affirming your ahistorical faith or supporting your white power fever dreams. Doubt anybody will actually read it before sending me these things, and … Continue reading Disclaimer Page added!…
Riddle Revisions to #31
I finally got back to revising and checking over the Exeter Book Riddles pages, starting at #19 and reaching #31, especially interested in reconciling the ASPR-based text on the Sacred Texts website used to generate the first draft of the translation (convenient for travel and generally as accurate as could be hoped) with the Bernard Muir … Continue reading Riddle Revisions to #31…