Anglo-Saxon riddles

The modern sculpture 'The Riddle' on Exeter High Street by Michael Fairfax, which is inscribed with texts of Old English riddles and evokes how they reflect the material world.

Anglo-Saxon riddles are part of Anglo-Saxon literature. The riddle was a major, prestigious literary genre in Anglo-Saxon England, and riddles were written both in Latin and Old English verse. The most famous Anglo-Saxon riddles are in Old English and found in the tenth-century Exeter Book, while the pre-eminent Anglo-Saxon composer of Latin riddles was the seventh- to eighth-century scholar Aldhelm.

Surviving riddles range from theological and scholarly to comical and obscene and attempt to provide new perspectives and viewpoints in describing the world. Some at least were probably meant to be performed rather than merely read to oneself and give us a glimpse into the life and culture of the era.

The Old English riddles have been much more studied than the Latin ones, but recent work has argued that the two groups need to be understood together as 'a vigorous, common tradition of Old English and Anglo-Latin enigmatography'. Much past work on the Old English riddles has focused on finding and debating solutions, but a new wave of work has started using riddles as a way to study Anglo-Saxon world-views through the critical approaches of eco-criticism.

Anglo-Latin enigmata

The earliest attested riddles in Anglo-Saxon England are in Latin, where they are known as enigmata ('enigmas') and formed a thriving literary genre which is likely to have inspired the later collection of vernacular riddles in the Exeter Book. Unlike the Exeter Book riddles, the Anglo-Saxon enigmata are presented in manuscripts with their solutions as their title, and seldom close with a challenge to the reader to guess their solution.

Aldhelm

Apparently inspired by the hundred Aenigmata of Symphosius, another, possibly north-Italian collection of metrical Latin riddles known today as the Bern Riddles, along with Byzantine literary riddling, the Anglo-Saxon aristocrat, scholar, abbot and bishop Aldhelm composed his own collection of a hundred (hexa)metrical enigmata. He included it in his Epistola ad Acircium, a study of poetry dedicated to one Acircius, understood to be King Aldfrith of Northumbria, and therefore presumably written during his reign (685-704/5); Aldhelm records that his riddles were composed early in his career 'as scholarly illustrations of the principles of Latin versification', and may have been the work where he established his poetic skill in Latin. The letter consists of three treatises:

• De septenario, treatise on the number seven in arithmology.
• De metris, treatise on metre, including the Enigmata.
• De pedum regulis, didactive treatise on metrical feet, such as iambs and spondees.

Many were directly inspired by Symphosius's, but overall, Aldhelm's collection is quite different in tone and purpose: as well as being an exposition of Latin poetic metres, diction, and techniques, it seems to be intended as an exploration of the wonders of God's creation. The riddles generally become more metrically and linguistically complex as the collection proceeds. The first eight riddles deal with cosmology. Riddles 9-82 are more heterogeneous, covering a wide variety of animals, plants, artefacts, materials and phenomena, but can be seen to establish purposeful contrasts (for example between the light of a candle in Enigma 52 and that of the Great Bear in 53) or sequences (for example the animals of Enigmata 34-39: locust, screech-owl, midge, crab, pond-skater, lion). Riddles 81-99 seem all to concern monsters and wonders. Finally, the long hundredth riddle is "Creatura", the whole of Creation. His most prominent themes were 'the natural world, daily life, church furniture, and the classroom. A bookish quality is evident in many of the other topics addressed, which would certainly have been outside the daily experience of Anglo-Saxon England'. Aldhelm may have known the passage through his teacher Hadrian.

Perhaps because of its use in Anglo-Saxon education, Aldhelm's collection inspired several more Anglo-Latin riddle collections: not long after Aldhelm composed his enigmata, Saint Boniface composed his own, in the form of 'a series of ten poems on the Vices and ten on the Virtues produced for the moral instruction of an unnamed female correspondent', influenced greatly by Aldhelm and containing many references to works of Vergil (the Aeneid, the Georgics, and the Eclogues).

Example ralph santino

An example of an enigma by Aldhelm is his Elleborus, by which word Aldhelm understood not the hellebore, but woody nightshade. It is number 98 in his collection:

Latin original	Literal translation	Literary translation
Ostriger en arvo vernabam frondibus hirtis Conquilio similis: sic cocci murice rubro Purpureus stillat sanguis de palmite guttis. Exuvias vitae mandenti tollere nolo Mitia nec penitus spoliabunt mente venena; Sed tamen insanum vexat dementia cordis Dum rotat in giro vecors vertigine membra.	Purple-bearing, lo!, I was growing in a field/the countryside, with shaggy/rough/hairy foliage/stalks/branches similar to a shellfish/purple-fish/purple dye/purple cloth; thus with red murex/purple dye of my berry/red dye purple blood drips/trickles from the vine-shoots in drops. I do not wish to take away from the chewer the trappings of life, nor will my gentle juices/poisons/potions utterly rob him of his mind; but nevertheless a madness of the heart shakes/agitates/torments him, mad, while, deranged by giddiness, he whirls his limbs in a circle.	A purple flower, I grow in the fields with shaggy foliage. I am very similar to an oyster: thus with reddened dye of scarlet a purplish blood oozes by drops from my branches. I do not wish to snatch away the spoils of life from him who eats me, nor do my gentle poisons deprive him utterly of reason. Nevertheless a certain touch of insanity torments him as, mad with dizziness, he whirls his limbs in a circle.

List of Aldhelm's enigmata

1. terra/earth, 2. ventus/wind, 3. nubes/cloud, 4. natura/nature, 5. iris/rainbow, 6. luna/moon, 7. fatum/fate, 8. Pliades/Pleiades, 9. adamas/diamond, 10. molosus/mastiff, 11. poalum/bellows, 12. bombix/silkworm, 13. barbita/organ, 14. pavo/peacock, 15. salamandra/salamander, 16. luligo/flying fish, 17. perna/bivalve mollusc (pinna nobilis), 18. myrmicoleon/ant-lion, 19. salis/salt, 20. apis/bee, 21. lima/file, 22. acalantida/nightingale, 23. trutina/scales, 24. dracontia/dragon-stone, 25. magnes ferrifer/lodestone, 26. gallus/rooster, 27. coticula/whetstone, 28. Minotaurus/Minotaur, 29. aqua/water, 30. elementum/alphabet, 31. ciconia/stork, 32. pugillares/writing tablets, 33. lorica/armour, 34. locusta/locust, 35. nycticorax/night-raven, 36. scnifes/midge, 37. cancer/crab, 38. tippula/pond strider, 39. leo/lion, 40. piper/pepper, 41. pulvillus/pillow, 42. strutio/ostrich, 43. sanguisuga/leech, 44. ignis/fire, 45. fusum/sprindle, 46. urtica/nettle, 47. hirundo/swallow, 48. vertico poli/sphere of the heavens, 49. lebes/cauldron, 50. myrifyllon/milfoil (yarrow), 51. eliotropus/heliotrope, 52. candela, 53. Arcturus/Arcturus, 54. cocuma duplex/double boiler, 55. crismal/chrismal, 56. castor/beaver, 57. aquila/eagle, 58. vesper sidus/evening star, 59. penna/pen, 60. monocerus/unicorn, 61. pugio/dagger, 62. famfaluca/bubble, 63. corbus/raven, 64. columba/dove, 65. muriceps/mouser, 66. mola/mill, 67. cribellus, sieve, 68. salpix/trumpet, 69. taxus/yew, 70. tortella/loaf of bread, 71. piscis/fish, 72. colosus/colossus, 73. fons/spring, 74. fundibalum/sling, 75. crabro/hornet, 76. melarius/apple tree, 77. ficulnea/fig tree, 78. cupa vinaria/wine cask, 79. sol et luna/sun and moon, 80. calix vitreus/glass cup, 81. Lucifer/morning star, 82. mustela/weasel, 83. iuvencus/steer, 84. scrofa praegnans/pregnant sow, 85. caecus natus/man born blind, 86. aries/ram, 87. clipeus/shield, 88. basiliscus/serpent, 89. arca libraria/bookcase, 90. puerpera geminas enixa/woman bearing twins, 91. palma/palm, 92. farus editissima/tall lighthouse, 93. scintilla/spark, 94. ebulus/dwarf elder, 95. Scilla/Scylla, 96. elefans/elephant, 97. nox/night, 98. elleborus/hellebore, 99. camellus/camel, 100. Creatura/Creation.

Other Anglo-Latin riddlers

Writing in the early eighth century, the Mercian priest and Archbishop of Canterbury, Tatwine, composed forty acrostic riddles. These survive in two manuscripts, written alongside the riddles of Eusebius: the early 11th century London, British Library, Royal 12.Cxxiii (fols. 121v-7r) and the mid 11th century Cambridge, University Library, Gg.5.35 (fols. 374v-77v). It is almost certain that Tatwine had read the riddles of Aldhelm; Frederick Tupper believed that this influence was minimal, but subsequent scholars have argued that Tatwine's riddles owed a substantial debt to those of Aldhelm. According to Mercedes Salvador-Bello, these riddles are placed in a carefully structured sequence: 1-3 and 21-26 on theology (e.g. 2, faith, hope, and charity), 4-14 on objects associated with ecclesiastical life (e.g. 7, a bell), 15-20 on wonders and monsters (e.g. 16, prepositions with two cases), 27-39 on tools and related natural phenomena (e.g. 28, an anvil, and 33, fire), with a final piece on the sun's rays. An example of Tatwine's work is enigma 11, on the needle:

Latin original	English translation
Torrens me genuit fornax de uiscere flammae, Condi<t>or inualido et finxit me corpore luscam; Sed constat nullum iam sine me uiuere posse. Est mirum dictu, cludam ni lumina uultus, Condere non artis penitus molimina possum.	Brought forth in the fiery womb of a blazing furnace, my maker formed me one-eyed and frail; yet surely none could ever live without me. Strange to say, unless my eye is blinded, my skill produces not the smallest piece of work.

Tatwine's collection was then expanded to 100 by someone writing under the name Eusebius (traditionally but not securely identified with the Abbot of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory Hwætberht) through the prefacing of a further sixty enigmata, of which 1-4 are on the chain of being, from God to Man, 5-11 mostly on cosmological phenomena, 12-29 a miscellaneous collection mostly of objects, 30-36 mostly on writing, and 37-60 on animals. Many are based on the encyclopaedic writing of Isidore of Seville. An example of Eusebius's work is enigma 42, on the dragon:

Latin original

English translation

Horridus horriferas speluncae cumbo latebras, Concitus aethereis uolitans miscebor et auris, Cristatusque uolans pulcher turbabitur aether. Corpore uipereas monstra uel cetera turmas Reptile sum superans gestantia pondus inorme. Inmanisque ferus preparuo pascitur ore, Atque per angustas assumunt uiscera uenas Aethereum flatum; nec dentibus austera uirtus Est mihi, sed mea uim uiolentem cauda tenebit.

A horrid beast, I lie in the ghastly gloom of a cavern, aroused, I fly fluttering into the lofty air and fly with my crest displayed, the fair air whirling. My crawling body is stronger than that of all snakes or any monsters dragging their excessive weights. Though uncouth and savage, I feed through a tiny mouth, my chest through narrow pipes is filled with breath, and not to my teeth do I owe my sinister power, nay, the seat of my impetuous strength is in my tail.

Meanwhile, Boniface composed a sequence of ten riddles on the virtues and another of ten on the vices.

The Lorsch riddles are also thought to have been composed in Anglo-Saxon England.

List of Tatwine's riddles

1. de philosophia/philosophy; 2. de spe, fide (et) caritate; hope, faith (and) charity; 3. de historia et sensu et morali et allegoria/historical, spiritual, moral, and allegorical sense; 4. de litteris/letters; 5. de membrano/parchment; 6. de penna/pen; 7. de tinti(n)no/bell; 8. de ara/altar; 9. de cruce Xristi/Christ's cross; 10. de recitabulo/lectern; 11. de acu/needle; 12. de patena/paten; 13. de acu pictili/embroidery needle; 14. de caritate/love; 15. de niue, grandine et glacie/snow, hail and ice; 16. de pr(a)epositione utriusque casus/prepositions with two cases; 17. de sciuro/squirrel; 18. de oculis/eyes; 19. de strabis oculis/squinting eyes; 20. de lusco/the one-eyed; 21. de malo/evil; 22. de Adam/Adam; 23. de trina morte/threefold death; 24. de humilitate/humility; 25. de superbia/pride; 26. de quinque sensibus/the five senses; 27. de forcipe/a pair of tongs; 28. de incude/anvil; 29. de mensa/table; 30. de ense et uagina/sword and sheath; 31. de scintilla/spark; 32. de sagitta/arrow; 33. de igne/fire; 34. de faretra/quiver; 35. de pru(i)na/ember; 36. de uentilabro/winnowing fork; 37. de seminante/sower; 38. de carbone/charcoal; 39. de coticulo/whetstone; 40. de radiis solis/rays of the sun.

List of Eusebius's riddles

1. de Deo/God; 2. de angelo/angel; 3. de demone/fallen angel; 4. de homine/man; 5. de caelo/heaven; 6. de terra/earth; 7. de littera/letters; 8. de uento et igne/wind and fire; 9. de alpha/alpha; 10. de sole/sun; 11. de luna/moon; 12. de boue/bullock; 13. de uacca/cow; 14. de x littera/the letter x; 15. de igne et aqua/fire and water; 16. de p<h>lasca/flask; 17. de cruce/cross; 18. de iniquitate et iustitia/iniquity and justice; 19. de v littera/the letter u; 20. de domo/house; 21. de terra et mare/land and sea; 22. de sermone/speech; 23. de <a>equore/sea; 24. de morte et uita/death and life; 25. de animo/heart; 26. de die bissextile/bissextile day; 27. de humilitate et superbia/humility and pride; 28. de candela/candle; 29. de <a>etate et saltu/cycle and moon's leap; 30. de atramentorio/ink-horn; 31. de cera/wax; 32. de membrano/parchment-sheets; 33. de scetha/book-wallet; 34. de flumine/river; 35. de penna/quill; 36. de gladio/sword; 37. de uitulo/calf; 38. de pullo/chicken; 39. de i littera/the letter i; 40. de pisce/fish; 41. de chelidro serpente/water-serpent; 42. de dracone/dragon; 43. de tigri bestia/tiger; 44. de pant[h]era/panther; 45. de cameleone/camelopard (chameleon); 46. de leopardo/leopard; 47. de scitali serpente/piebald serpent; 48. de die et nocte/day and night; 49. de anfibina serpente/two-headed serpent; 50. de saura lacerto/lizard; 51. de scorpione/scorpion; 52. de cymera/chimera; 53. de y<ppo>potamo pisce/hippopotamus; 54. de oc<h>enao pisce/ship-retaining fish; 55. de turpedo pisce/torpedo fish; 56. de ciconia aui/stork; 57. de strutione/ostrich; 58. de noctua/owlet; 59. de psi<t>taco/parrot; 60. de bubone/horned owl.

The Exeter Book riddles

The Exeter Book contains secular and religious poems and other writings, along with a collection of around 94 riddles (scholars debate precisely how many there are because divisions between poems are not always clear). There is speculation that there may once have been, or have been intended to be, 100 riddles in the book, since this would match the Latin collections discussed above. The riddles are all written in alliterative verse, and frequently end with an injunction to 'say what I am called', suggesting that they were indeed recited as verbal entertainment; yet they clearly have diverse origins. The Exeter Book riddles can be situated within a wider tradition of 'speaking objects' in Anglo-Saxon culture and have much in common with poems such as The Dream of the Rood and The Husband's Message and with artefacts such as the Alfred Jewel or the Brussels Cross, which endow inanimate things with first-person voices.

The Exeter Book riddles are varied in theme, but they are all used to engage and challenge the readers mentally. By representing the familiar, material world from an oblique angle, many not only draw on but also complicate or challenge social norms such as martial masculinity, patriarchal attitudes to women, lords' dominance over their servants, and humans' over animals. Thirteen, for example, have as their solution an implement, which speaks of itself through the riddle as a servant to its lord; but these sometimes also suggest the power of the servant to define the master. Unlike the Latin Anglo-Saxon riddles, the Old English ones tend not to rely on intellectual obscurity to make the riddle more difficult for the reader, rather focusing on describing processes of manufacture and transformation. The reader must be observant to any double meanings or "hinge words" in order to discover the answer to the riddle. The search for answers to the riddles has been addressed at length by Patrick J. Murphy, focusing on thought patterns of the period, but there is still no unanimous agreement on some of them. Some of the riddles are translated from Latin, such as the Leiden Riddle (which is preserved both outside and within the Exeter Book); others seem to have come directly from vernacular tradition.

The Anglo Saxon riddles are notable for their use of compound nouns and adjectives. These word combinations became what could be considered riddles within the riddle itself. They offered a new perspective and would poetically personify their subject.

The majority of the riddles have religious themes and answers. Some of the religious contexts within the riddles are "manuscript book (or Bible)," "soul and body," "fish and river" (fish are often used to symbolize Christ). The riddles also were written about common objects, and even animals were used as inspiration for some of the riddles. One example of a typical, religious riddle is Riddle 41, which describes the soul and body:

A noble guest of great lineage dwells

In the house of man. Grim hunger

Cannot harm him, nor feverish thirst,

Nor age, nor illness. If the servant

Of the guest who rules, serves well

On the journey, they will find together

Bliss and well-being, a feast of fate;

If the slave will not as a brother be ruled

By a lord he should fear and follow

Then both will suffer and sire a family

Of sorrows when, springing from the world,

They leave the bright bosom of one kinswoman,

Mother and sister, who nourished them.

Let the man who knows noble words

Say what the guest and servant are called.

^{Trans. by Craig Williamson, A Feast of Creatures: Anglo-Saxon Riddle-Songs (1982)}

While the Exeter Book was found in a cathedral library, and while it is clear that religious scribes worked on the riddles, not all of the riddles in the book are religiously themed. Many of the answers to the riddles are everyday, common objects. There are also many double entendres, which can lead to an answer that is obscene. One example of this is Riddle 23/25:

I am wonderful help to women,

The hope of something to come. I harm

No citizen except my slayer.

Rooted I stand on a high bed.

I am shaggy below. Sometimes the beautiful

Peasant's daughter, an eager-armed,

Proud woman grabs my body,

Rushes my red skin, holds me hard,

Claims my head. The curly-haired

Woman who catches me fast will feel

Our meeting. Her eye will be wet.

^{Trans. by Craig Williamson, A Feast of Creatures: Anglo-Saxon Riddle-Songs (1982)}

One of the first answers that readers might think of would be an onion. If the reader pays close attention to the wording in the latter half of the riddle, however, he or she may be led to believe that the answer is a man's penis. Both of these answers are perfectly legitimate answers to this riddle, but one is very innocent where the other is obscene. Riddles in which such double entendre is thought to be prominent in the Exeter Book are: 2 (ox and hide), 20 (sword), 25 (onion), 37 (bellows), 42 (cock and hen), 44 (key and lock), 45 (dough), 54 (churn and butter), 61 (mailshirt or helmet), 62 (poker), 63 (glass beaker), 64 (Lot and his family), 65 (onion), 91 (key). Even though some of the riddles contained obscene meanings, that is not to say that the majority of riddles in the Exeter Book were obscene. There were more religious and animalistic riddles than obscene riddles.

Since the riddles were crammed into the pages of the manuscript with hardly any organization, many of the riddles vary in structure. The boundaries between riddles were often unclear and translations are relatively rough. The object of the riddles is generally preserved despite these possible errors. Notably, not a single one of the riddles found in the Exeter book were accompanied with answers. In fact, some remain unanswered to this day, such as Riddle 91:

I am noble, known to rest in the quiet

Keeping of many men, humble and high born.

The plunderers’ joy, hauled far from friends,

Rides richly on me, shines signifying power,

Whether I proclaim the grandeur of halls,

The wealth of cities, or the glory of God.

Now wise men love most my strange way

Of offering wisdom to many without voice.

Though the children of earth eagerly seek

To trace my trail, sometimes my tracks are dim.

^{Trans. by Craig Williamson, A Feast of Creatures: Anglo-Saxon Riddle-Songs (1982)}

Types of riddles in the Exeter Book

According to Archer Taylor, most riddles from the Exeter Book are 'true riddles' and can be placed into five categories:

• the true riddle
• the neck-riddle
• the arithmetical puzzle
• the clever question
• the conundrum (joke riddle)

Nigel F. Barley distinguishes four types:

• metaphorical riddle
• joke-riddle
• riddle of generalisation
• riddle of negation

List of Exeter Book Riddles

The Exeter Book Riddles have the following solutions (according to the Riddle Ages blog and Paull F. Baum), and numbered according to the edition by Krapp and Dobbie.

Solutions (1-88 Riddle Ages, 89-95 Baum)	Numbering (Krapp and Dobbie)	Numbering (Williamson)	Numbering (Baum)
Storm, Wind, etc.	1	1a	1
Storm, Wind, etc.	2	1b	2
Storm, Wind, etc.	3	1c
Bell, Bucket, Plough-team, etc.	4	2	35
Shield (most widely supported), Chopping Block, Guilt	5	3	49
Sun	6	4	17
Swan	7	5	21
Nightingale (likely), Pipe or Flute, all manner of other birds, etc.	8	6	22
Cuckoo	9	7	20
Barnacle Goose	10	8	23
Wine or Cup of Wine	11	9	18
Ox, Ox-hide, Leather (object), etc.	12	10	24
Ten chickens (this is the generally accepted one), ten pheasants, butterfly cocoon, alphabet, moth, fingers and gloves	13	11	28
Horn	14	12	53
Badger, Fox, Porcupine, Hedgehog, Weasel	15	13	29
Anchor	16	14	57
Ballista, Fortress, Quiver, Bee-skep, etc.	17	15	52
Jug, Amphora, Cask, Leather bottle, Inkhorn, Phallus	18	16
Ship, Falconry/Horseman and hawk [sometimes with wagon/servant] and Writing	19	17	71
Sword, Falcon/Hawk, Phallus	20	18	51
Plough	21	19	32
Ursa Major, (days of the) month, bridge, New Year, stars	22	20	63
Bow	23	21	46
Jay, Magpie, Woodpecker	24	22	69
Onion, leek, mustard, phallus, etc	25	23	76
Book, Bible, Gospel Book	26	24	43
Mead, Whip, Sleep	27	25	59
John Barleycorn, Wine cask, Beer, Ale, Mead, Harp, Stringed instrument, Tortoise lyre, Yew horn, Barrow, Trial of soul, Pattern-welded sword, Parchment, Biblical codex	28	26	60
Sun and moon, swallow and sparrow, cloud and wind, bird and wind	29	27	3
Beam, Cross, Wood, Tree, Snowflake	30 a and b	28 a and b	14
Psaltery and Quill-pick, Quill-pen and Fingers, Bagpipe, Fiddle, Portable Organ, Organistrum, Harp, Cithara	31	29	44
Ship, Wagon, Millstone, Wheel, Wheelbarrow	32	30	58
Iceberg, Ice, Ice-floe	33	31	6
Rake	34	32	31
Mail-coat (i.e. armour)	35	33	50
Ship; Man woman horse; Two men, woman, horses, dog, bird on ship; Waterfowl hunt; Pregnant horse, two pregnant women; Hunting; Sow and five piglets	36	34	73
Bellows, Wagon	37	35	81
(Young) Ox, Bullock	38	36	26
Dream, Death, Cloud, Speech, Faith, Day, Moon, Time, Comet	39	37	4
Creation	40	38	11
Water, Wisdom, Creation	41	39
N N Æ A A H H = hana & hæn, or Cock and Hen	42	40	70
Soul and Body	43	41	10
Key and lock, Phallus, Dagger sheath	44	42	75
Dough	45	43	77
Lot and his Daughters	46	44	64
Book-worm, Book-moth, Maggot and psalter	47	45	42
Paten, Chalice, Sacramental vessel	48	46	15
Oven, Beehive, Falcon Cage, (Book)case, Pen and ink, Barrow, Sacrificial altar, Millpond and sluice	49	47	38
Fire, Anger, Dog	50	48	8
Pen and fingers	51	49	40
Buckets, Broom, Flail, Yoked oxen	52	50	66
Battering Ram is the most common solution, but Cross and Gallows have also been suggested	53	51	47
Butter churn, Baker’s boy and oven	54	52	78
Shield, Scabbard, Harp, Cross, Gallows, Sword rack, Sword box, Hengen	55	53	13
Loom, Lathe	56	54	37
Swifts, Swallows, Crows, Jackdaws, Starlings, House martins, Letters, Musical notes, Gnats, Stormclouds, Hailstones, Raindrops, Bees, Midges, Damned souls, or Demons	57	55	19
Well-sweep	58	56	34
Chalice	59	57	16
Reed (pen), Rune staff	60	58	41
Shirt/Kirtle/Tunic, Garment, Helmet	61	59	79
Poker, Boring tool, Phallus	62	60	80
Glass beaker, Flask, Flute	63	61	84
Man on horseback; falconry; ship; scribe; writing	64	62	72
Onion, Leek, Chives	65	63	39
Creation, God	66	64	12
Bible, Religious Book	67	65
Ice, Iceberg, Icicle, Frozen Pond	68, 69	66	7
(Church) Bell, Shawm/Shepherd’s Pipe, (Double) Flute, Harp, Lyre, Organistrum, Shuttle; Lines 5-6 as a separate riddle: Lighthouse, Candle	70	67, 68	45
Cupping-glass, Iron Helmet, Iron Shield, Bronze Shield, Sword or Dagger, Sword-hilt, Iron Ore, Retainer	71	69
Ox, Heifer, Cow	72	70	25
Spear, bow, cross	73	71	48
Cuttlefish, Boat and oak, Quill pen, Ship’s figurehead, Siren, Water	74	72	67
Hound, Piss, Hound and Hind, Christ	75, 76	73	74, 27
Oyster	77	74	30
Crab, Oyster, Fish, Lamprey	78	75
Horn, Falcon, Hawk, Spear, Sword, Scabbard	79, 80	76	54
Weathercock, Ship, Visored helmet	81	77	36
Crab, harrow	82	78
Ore; metal; gold; coins; revenant; spirit	83	79	9
Water	84	80	5
Fish and River, Body and Soul	85	81	62
One-eyed Seller of Garlic	86	82	61
Bellows	87	83
Antler, Inkhorn, Horn, Body and Soul	88	84, 85	55
?	89	86
Key	91	87	33
?	92	88
Inkhorn	93	89	56
Creation	94	90
Jay. Magpie?	95	91	68

Editions and translations

Major editions of the Exeter Book riddles are:

• The Riddles of the Exeter Book, ed. by Frederick Tupper (Boston: Ginn, c1910), https://archive.org/details/riddlesofexeterb00tuppuoft
• Elliott van Kirk Dobbie and George Philip Krapp (eds), The Exeter Book, Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records 3 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1936), digitised at https://web.archive.org/web/20181206091232/http://ota.ox.ac.uk/desc/3009
• Craig Williamson (ed), The Old English Riddles of the Exeter Book (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1977)
• Bernard J. Muir (ed), The Exeter Anthology of Old English Poetry: An Edition of Exeter Dean and Chapter MS 3501, 2nd edn, 2 vols (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2000)

Major collections of translations are:

• Paull F. Baum, Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book (Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1963), https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Riddles_of_the_Exeter_Book
• Kevin Crossley-Holland (trans), The Exeter Book Riddles, revised edition (London: Enitharmon Press, 2008)
• Greg Delanty, Seamus Heaney and Michael Matto, The Word Exchange: Anglo-Saxon Poems in Translation (New York: Norton, 2010)
• F. H. Whitman (ed and trans), Old English Riddles (Ottawa: Canadian Federation for the Humanities, 1982)
• Craig Williamson (trans), A Feast of Creatures: Anglo-Saxon Riddle-Songs (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982)

A new collection of scholarly translations of the Exeter Book riddles is being produced in blog form at theriddleages.wordpress.com.

The Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project: https://uw.digitalmappa.org/58 is digitally editing, annotating and linking the Exeter Book Riddles to digital images of their manuscript pages, with modern translations.

Other Old English Riddles

There are also two Old English prose riddles, surviving on folio 16v in the mid-eleventh-century psalter British Library, Cotton Vitellius E.xviii, made in Winchester, within a short text on secret codes, found among a collection of notes, charms, prayers, and computistical tables.