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 Say what I am?
Exeter Book riddles plus a charm  a selection
Riddle 25
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, wifum on hyhte, I am a wonderful help to women,
neahbuendum nyt; nćngum sceþþe The hope of something to come. I harm
burgsittendra, nymþe bonan anum. No citizen except my slayer.
Staþol min is steapheah, stonde ic on bedde, Rooted I stand on a high bed.
5 neoþan ruh nathwćr. Neþeð hwilum I am shaggy below. Sometimes the beautiful
ful cyrtenu ceorles dohtor, Peasant s daughter, an eager-armed,
modwlonc meowle, þćt heo on mec gripeð, Proud woman grabs my body,
rćseð mec on reodne, reafað min heafod, Rushes my red skin, holds me hard,
fegeð mec on fćsten. Feleþ sona Claims my head. The curly-haired
10 mines gemotes, seo þe mec nearwað, Woman who catches me fast will feel
wif wundenlocc. Wćt bið þćt eage. Our meeting. Her eye will be wet.
Riddle 33
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Wiht cwom ćfter wege wrćtlicu liþan, An awesome beauty angled the wave;
cymlic from ceole cleopode to londe, The deep-throated creature called to land,
hlinsade hlude; hleahtor wćs gryrelic, Laughed loud-lingering, struck terror
egesful on earde, ecge wćron scearpe. Home to men. Her blades honed sharp,
5 Wćs hio hetegrim, hilde to sćne, She was slow to battle but battle-grim,
biter beadoweorca; bordweallas grof, Savage wound-worker. The slaughterer
heardhiþende. Heterune bond, Struck ship-walls, carried a curse.
sćgde searocrćftig ymb hyre sylfre gesceaft: The cunning creature said of herself:
"Is min modor mćgða cynnes  My mother, who comes from the kind of women
10 þćs deorestan, þćt is dohtor min Dearest and best, is my daughter grown
eacen up liden, swa þćt is ćldum cuþ, Great and pregnant; so it is known to men
firum on folce, þćt seo on foldan sceal On earth that she shall come and stand
on ealra londa gehwam lissum stondan." Gracefully on the ground in every land .
Riddle 44
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Wrćtlic hongað bi weres þeo, A small miracle hangs near a man s thigh,
frean under sceate. Foran is þyrel. Full under folds. It is stiff, strong,
Bið stiþ ond heard, stede hafað godne; Bold, brassy, and pierced in front.
þonne se esne his agen hrćgl When a young lord lifts his tunic
5 ofer cneo hefeð, wile þćt cuþe hol Over his knees, he wants to greet
mid his hangellan heafde gretan With the hard head of this hanging creature
þćt he efenlang ćr oft gefylde. The hole it has long come to fill.
Riddle 45
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Ic on wincle gefrćgn weaxan nathwćt, I heard of something rising in a corner,
þindan ond þunian, þecene hebban; Swelling and standing up, lifting its cover.
on þćt banlease bryd grapode, The proud-hearted bride grabbed at the boneless
hygewlonc hondum, hrćgle þeahte Wonder with her hands; the prince s daughter
5 þrindende þing þeodnes dohtor. Covered that swelling thing with a swirl of cloth.
Riddle 46
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Wer sćt ćt wine mid his wifum twam A man sat down to feast with his two wives,
ond his twegen suno ond his twa dohtor, Drank wine with two daughters, supped with two sons.
swase gesweostor, ond hyra suno twegen, The daughters were sisters with their own two sons,
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freolico frumbearn; fćder wćs þćr inne Each son a favoured, first-born prince.
5 þara ćþelinga ćghwćðres mid, The father of each prince sat with his son,
eam ond nefa. Ealra wćron fife Also the uncle and nephew of each.
eorla ond idesa insittendra. In that room s reach was a family of five!
Riddle 54
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Hyse cwom gangan, þćr he hie wisse
The young man came over to the corner
stondan in wincsele, stop feorran to,
Where he knew she stood. He stepped up,
hror hćgstealdmon, hof his agen
Eager and agile, lifted his tunic
hrćgl hondum up, hrand under gyrdels
With hard hands, thrust through her girdle
5 hyre stondendre stiþes nathwćt,
Something stiff, worked on the standing
worhte his willan; wagedan buta.
One his will. Both swayed and shook.
þegn onnette, wćs þragum nyt
The young man hurried, was sometimes useful,
tillic esne, teorode hwćþre
Served well, but always tired
ćt stunda gehwam strong ćr þon hio,
10 werig þćs weorces. Hyre weaxan ongon Sooner than she, weary of the work.
under gyrdelse þćt oft gode men
Under her girdle began to grow
A hero s reward for laying on dough.
ferðþum freogað ond mid feo bicgað.
Riddle 62
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Ic eom heard ond scearp, hingonges strong, I am the hard punch and pull of power,
forðsiþes from, frean unforcuð, Bold thrusting out, keen coming in,
wade under wambe ond me weg sylfa Serving my lord. I burrow beneath
ryhtne geryme. Rinc bið on ofeste, A belly, tunneling a tight road.
5 se mec on þyð ćftanweardne, My lord hurries and heaves from behind
hćleð mid hrćgle; hwilum ut tyhð With a catch of cloth. Sometimes he drags me
of hole hatne, hwilum eft fareð Hot from the hole, sometimes shoves me
on nearo nathwćr, nydeþ swiþe Down the snug road. The southern thruster
suþerne secg. Saga hwćt ic hatte. Urges me on. Say who I am.
Riddle 63
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Oft ic secga seledreame sceal Gleaming with joy, glad with gold,
fćgre onþeon, þonne ic eom forð boren I am carried to the hall where I serve
glćd mid golde, þćr guman drincað. Bold heroes carousing together.
Hwilum mec on cofan cysseð muþe Sometimes in a chamber as I come full-
5 tillic esne, þćr wit tu beoþ, Bodies to a palate, a man may kiss me,
fćðme on folm... ...grum þyð, Press me boldly with his cupped hand,
wyrceð his willa... ...ð l... Work his will, drink desire,
fulre, þonne ic forð cyme Mouth on mine, in a delicate spill
...... * * *
10 Ne mćg ic þy miþan, So the light shows what I bear in my belly
...an on leohte * * *
...... swylce eac bið sona So the reckless man raises this treasure,
...r... ...te getacnad, hwćt me to Drinks deep of my own dark pleasure.
15 ...leas rinc, þa unc geryde wćs.
Riddle 90
(translated by Craig Williamson)
Min heafod is homere geþuren, My head is struck by a forging hammer,
searopila wund, sworfen feole. Sheared close by a shaping blade,
Oft ic begine þćt me ongean sticað, Hones smooth by a fierce file.
þonne ic hnitan sceal, hringum gyrded, Sometimes I swallow my tempered foe,
5 hearde wið heardum, hindan þyrel, When bound by rings, I heave from behind,
forð ascufan þćt mines frean Thrust a long limb through a hard hole,
modwyn [mod.W.] freoþað middelnihtum. Catch hard the keeper of the heart s pleasure,
Hwilum ic under bćc bregde nebbe, Twist with my tongue and turn back
hyrde þćs hordes, þonne min hlaford wile The midnight guardian of my lord s treasure
10 lafe þicgan þara þe he of life het When the conquering warrior comes to hold
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wćlcrćfte awrecan willum sinum. The gift of slaughter, the joy of gold.
Charm 1  For unfruitful land, Lacnunga, BL, Harley 585, late 10th c. Translated by Karen Jolly
Here is the remedy, how you may better your land, if it will not grow well or if some harmful thing has been done to it
by a sorcerer [dry] or by a poisoner [lyblace]. Take then at night, before dawn, four sods from four sides of the land, and
mark where they were before. Then take oil and honey and yeast, and milk of each animal that is on the land, and a
piece of each type of tree that grows on the land, except hard beams, and a piece of each herb known by name, except
burdock [glappan] only, and put then holy water thereon, and drip it three times on the base of the sods, and say then
these words:
Crescite, grow, et multiplicamini, and multiply, et replete, and fill, terre, the earth. In nomine patris et filii et spiritus
sancti sit benedicti. [In the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit be blessed.] And the Pater noster [Our
Father] as often as the other.
And then bear the sods into church, and let a masspriest sing four masses over the sods, and let someone turn the green
[sides] to the altar, and after that let someone bring the sods to where they were before, before the sun sets. And have
made for them four signs of Christ [crosses] of quickbeam and write on each end: Matthew and Mark, Luke, and John.
Lay that sign of Christ in the bottom of the pit [where each sod had been cut out], saying then: crux Matheus, crux
Marcus, crux Lucas, crux sanctus Iohannes. Take then the sods and set them down there on [the crosses], and say then
nine times these words, Crescite [grow], and as often the Pater noster, and turn then to the east, and bow nine times
humbly, and speak then these words:
Eastwards I stand, for mercies I pray,
I pray the great domine [lord], I pray the powerful lord,
I pray the holy guardian of heaven-kingdom,
earth I pray and sky
and the true sancta [holy] Mary
and heaven's might and high hall,
that I may this charm [galdor] by the gift of the lord
open with [my] teeth through firm thought,
to call forth these plants for our worldly use,
to fill this land with firm belief,
to beautify this grassy turf, as the wiseman said
that he would have riches on earth who alms
gave with justice by the grace of the lord.
Then turn thrice with the sun's course, stretch then out lengthwise and enumerate there the litanies and say then:
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus to the end. Sing then Benedicite with outstretched arms and Magnificat and Pater noster
thrice, and commend it [the land] to Christ and saint Mary and the holy cross for praise and for worship and for the
benefit of the one who owns that land and all those who are serving under him.4 When all that is done, then let a man
take unknown seed from beggars and give them twice as much as he took from them, and let him gather all his plough
tools together; then let him bore a hole in the beam [of the plough, putting in] incense and fennel and hallowed soap and
hallowed salt. Take then that seed, set it on the plough's body, say then:
Erce, Erce, Erce, earth's mother,
May the all-ruler grant you, the eternal lord,
fields growing and flourishing,
propagating and strengthening,
tall shafts, bright crops,
and broad barley crops,
and white wheat crops,
and all earth's crops.
May the eternal lord grant him,
and his holy ones, who are in heaven,
that his produce be guarded against any enemies whatsoever,
and that it be safe against any harm at all,
from poisons [lyblaca] sown around the land.
Now I bid the Master, who shaped this world,
that there be no speaking-woman [cwidol wif] nor artful man [craeftig man]
that can overturn these words thus spoken.
Then let a man drive forth the plough and the first furrow cuts, say then:
Whole may you be [Be well] earth, mother of men!
May you be growing in God's embrace,
with food filled for the needs of men.
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Take then each kind of flour and have someone bake a loaf [the size of] a hand's palm and knead it with milk and with
holy water and lay it under the first furrow. Say then:
Field full of food for mankind,
bright-blooming, you are blessed
in the holy name of the one who shaped heaven
and the earth on which we live;
the God, the one who made the ground, grant us the gift of growing,
that for us each grain might come to use.
Say then thrice Crescite in nomine patris, sit benedicti [Grow in the name of the father, be blessed]. Amen and Pater
noster three times.