Arts & Sciences

Riddle 1 (Old English)

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century

From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. Krapp and Dobbie, vol. III (1936)

Arts & Sciences

Hwylc is hæleþa þæs horsc ond þæs hygecræftig
þæt þæt mæge asecgan, hwa mec on sið wræce,
þonne ic astige strong, stundum reþe,
þrymful þunie, þragum wræce
fere geond foldan, folcsalo bærne,
ræced reafige? Recas stigað,
haswe ofer hrofum. Hlin bið on eorþan,
wælcwealm wera, þonne ic wudu hrere,
bearwas bledhwate, beamas fylle,
holme gehrefed, heahum meahtum
wrecen on waþe, wide sended;
hæbbe me on hrycge þæt ær hadas wreah
foldbuendra, flæsc ond gæstas,
somod on sunde. Saga hwa mec þecce,
oþþe hu ic hatte, þe þa hlæst bere.

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Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 1 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/72/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 1 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/72/.

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