The Exeter Book, one of the four major manuscripts containing Old English poems, includes 95 verse riddles. In these riddle the speakers describe themselves and leave the reader to guess who or what they are.
More information
More information
Sites 20
Karl Young's modern English translation of Riddles 93, 51, 26, 60, and 47, with notes. Includes a discussion of the riddles as a literary genre and interprets their significance in Anglo-Saxon life.
A modern English translation of all the riddles by Paull F. Baum. Some of the translations are accompanied by the Old English text. Includes introduction.
A description of the riddles from Wikipedia. Describes the sources, form and style, and contents of the riddles. Also includes a list of possible solutions for each riddle.
Modern English translations of all the riddles by Aaron Hostetter.
Modern English translations of all the riddles together with answers. At the Technozen site.
A chronological list of works relating to the Riddles. Covers items published between 1970 and 2002. Also Includes a selection of items from before 1970 and indexes by author and journal.
A study of the riddles by Megan Cavell. Includes a discussion of gender issues. From the British Library.
A list of answers to the riddles as numbered in Aaron Hostetter's "Exeter Book Riddles." In cases where his numbering differs from that in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, the ASPR numbering is given in parentheses.
Jonathan Glenn's modern English translation of Riddles 14, 16, 26, 47, and 60.
Craig Williamson's introduction provides extensive background information organized into eight topical divisions.
Old English texts and modern English translations by Craig Williamson of Riddles 45, 76, 25, 23, and 27. The equivalent riddle numbers in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records (ASPR) are 47, 80, 27, 25, and 29. Includes explanatory and glossarial notes, commentaries, recordings, and master glossary.
Old English texts and parallel modern English translations by Craig Williamson of Riddles 3, 23-26, 45, and 89 The equivalent riddle numbers in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records (ASPR) are 5, 25-28, 47, and 93. Includes commentary on each riddle.
[PDF]
Argues that the riddles are biographical in nature and represent the different stages of human and non-human life cycles. By Harriet Soper.
Includes the Old English text, modern English translation by Richard Hamer, and commentary.
Contains the manuscript text, edited text, and modern English translation of the poem in three parallel columns, together with a sound recording. The site also contains other Old English texts.
Contains the Old English text, parallel modern English translation, and commentary on each Exeter Book riddle. Also contains the same apparatus for Latin riddles by known Anglo-Saxon authors and for collections of anonymous Latin riddles.
R.K. Gordon's modern English translations of 45 riddles: 1-3, 5-9, 11, 14-17, 20-24, 26-29, 32-35, 37-38, 40, 43, 47-48, 50-53, 57, 60, 66, 77, 80-81, 85-86, and 91.
Modern English translations of Riddles 47, 57, 5, 10, 27, 16, and 21. Also includes translations of Maxims II, Maxims I (excerpts), and the Fortunes of Men. Explanatory material follows the translations. From "Early English Poems" by Henry S. Pancoast and John Duncan Spaeth.
An edition by Frederick Tupper. Includes an introduction, notes, glossary, and index of solutions. The introduction gives a great deal of background information about the riddles.
Glossed texts of Riddles 5, 8, 29, 30a, 35, and 46. Hover over any word in a riddle and click it to see a modern English definition and a notation of grammatical form.
Contains the Old English text, parallel modern English translation, and commentary on each Exeter Book riddle. Also contains the same apparatus for Latin riddles by known Anglo-Saxon authors and for collections of anonymous Latin riddles.
A study of the riddles by Megan Cavell. Includes a discussion of gender issues. From the British Library.
Glossed texts of Riddles 5, 8, 29, 30a, 35, and 46. Hover over any word in a riddle and click it to see a modern English definition and a notation of grammatical form.
Old English texts and modern English translations by Craig Williamson of Riddles 45, 76, 25, 23, and 27. The equivalent riddle numbers in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records (ASPR) are 47, 80, 27, 25, and 29. Includes explanatory and glossarial notes, commentaries, recordings, and master glossary.
Old English texts and parallel modern English translations by Craig Williamson of Riddles 3, 23-26, 45, and 89 The equivalent riddle numbers in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records (ASPR) are 5, 25-28, 47, and 93. Includes commentary on each riddle.
[PDF]
Contains the manuscript text, edited text, and modern English translation of the poem in three parallel columns, together with a sound recording. The site also contains other Old English texts.
Includes the Old English text, modern English translation by Richard Hamer, and commentary.
A description of the riddles from Wikipedia. Describes the sources, form and style, and contents of the riddles. Also includes a list of possible solutions for each riddle.
Argues that the riddles are biographical in nature and represent the different stages of human and non-human life cycles. By Harriet Soper.
An edition by Frederick Tupper. Includes an introduction, notes, glossary, and index of solutions. The introduction gives a great deal of background information about the riddles.
R.K. Gordon's modern English translations of 45 riddles: 1-3, 5-9, 11, 14-17, 20-24, 26-29, 32-35, 37-38, 40, 43, 47-48, 50-53, 57, 60, 66, 77, 80-81, 85-86, and 91.
Karl Young's modern English translation of Riddles 93, 51, 26, 60, and 47, with notes. Includes a discussion of the riddles as a literary genre and interprets their significance in Anglo-Saxon life.
Modern English translations of Riddles 47, 57, 5, 10, 27, 16, and 21. Also includes translations of Maxims II, Maxims I (excerpts), and the Fortunes of Men. Explanatory material follows the translations. From "Early English Poems" by Henry S. Pancoast and John Duncan Spaeth.
Jonathan Glenn's modern English translation of Riddles 14, 16, 26, 47, and 60.
A chronological list of works relating to the Riddles. Covers items published between 1970 and 2002. Also Includes a selection of items from before 1970 and indexes by author and journal.
A modern English translation of all the riddles by Paull F. Baum. Some of the translations are accompanied by the Old English text. Includes introduction.
A list of answers to the riddles as numbered in Aaron Hostetter's "Exeter Book Riddles." In cases where his numbering differs from that in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, the ASPR numbering is given in parentheses.
Modern English translations of all the riddles by Aaron Hostetter.
Modern English translations of all the riddles together with answers. At the Technozen site.
Craig Williamson's introduction provides extensive background information organized into eight topical divisions.
