Exeter Book Riddle 44/75

 The following was first published on the Ealdríce Théodish Fellowship’s old blog on the 19^th of January 2019.

One of the many hall-joys oft heard in the Ealdríce’s halls is that of riddling. Indeed, hardly a gathering goes by without some giddy guildsmen or guest offering a riddle to the hall. Whilst many of these riddles are new, the work of the guildsman’s own wit, sometimes they are old, yore-old even, being some of the same riddles told by our Anglo-Saxon fore-elders so many hundredtides (centuries) ago.

Þórbeorht has wended one such yore-old riddle, that found above, from Old English to Modern English.  Mind you, the answer to the riddle is not what it first seems. 

“Wondrously it hangs by a man’s thigh, under the lord’s clothes. Before it is a hole. It is stiff and hard and hath a good stead when the man lifts his own tunic over his knees. He wants that well known hole, and with his hanging-thing’s head, to greet that which he, full length, has often filled before.”

-Riddle 44/75 of the Exeter Book, as wended from Old English by Þórbeorht

Lay Wending (Verse Translation)
Wondrously it hangs by a man’s thigh
under the lord’s clothes. Before it is a hole.
It is stiff and hard and hath a good stead
when the man, his own tunic,
lifts over his knees. He wants that well known hole,
and with his hanging-thing’s head, to greet
that which he, full length, has often filled before.

Old English Reading (Version)
Wrætlic hongað bi weres þeo
frean under sceate foran is þyrel
bið stiþ ⁊ heard stede hafað godne
þonne se esne his agen hrægl
ofer cneo hefeð wile þæt cuþe hol
mid his hangellan heafde gretan
þæt he efenlang ær oft gefylde

Answer

Highlight here: It's a "key," of course. What else would it be?

Exteter Book Riddle 29

Originally posted to the Ealdríce Théodish Fellowship’s old blog on the 23rd of January 2019.

Lay Wending (Verse Translation) by Þórbeorht
I saw a wondrous wight (being), laden with war-takings between its horns, a shining sky-vat, craftily bedecked.  The takings of the battle-march, it sought to bring home. There it would a-timber (build) a bower in the burg (stronghold) and skillfully set it so…if it might.

Then came another wondrous wight over the wall’s roof, known to all bondsmen of the earth. It freed the war-takings and drove the wretch, against its will, to its home.  Then west, to fare in its feud, it hastened forth.  Dust rose to heaven, dew fell on earth, night went away. None amongst men wist (knew) the wight’s wayfaring thereafter.

Old English Reading
Ic wiht geseah     wundorlice
horna abitweonun     huþe lædan
lyftfæt leohtlic     listrum gegierwed
huþe to þam ham     of þā heresiþe
walde hyre on þære byrig     bur atimbram
searwum asettan     gif hit swa meahte ·
ða cwom wundorlicu wiht     ofer wealles hrof
seo is eallum cuð     eorðbuendum
ahredde þa þa huþe     ⁊ to ham bedræf
wreccan ofer willan     gewat hyre west þonan
fæhþum feran     forð onetteð
dust stonc to heofonum     deaw feol on eorþan niht forð gewat     nænig siþþan
wera gewiste     þære wihte sið

Answer
Highlight here for the riddle’s answer: The first wight is the Moon, who has stolen the Sun’s light. His “horns” are the moon’s crescents.  The second wight is the Sun, who rises in the sky’s horizon (over the wall’s roof) to reclaim the light.