Dig Into History – April 2019

H

ere’s ariddle:I hold a priceless treasure. I am more than

1,000 years old. And I was used as a drink coaster and a

cutting board. What am I?

Give up? The answer: a book! Namely, theExeter Book,

considered the oldest book of English literature in existence. The

treasure it holds is a collection of Anglo-Saxon poems and riddles.

They were all written down by a scribe, most likely a monk, in

970 C.E.The book was given to Exeter Cathedral, in southwest

England, in 1072C.E.by the cathedral’s firstbishop, Leofric. And

it is still there in the cathedral’s library, stored in scientifically

monitored conditions. Previous owners were not so careful.

Someone set a mug of beer on the book, which left spills and

stains on some pages. Knife cuts show that the book was even

used as a bread board. Some pages are missing, and other pages

have burn marks.

Despite this damage, almost 100 riddles survive. They describe

a familiar object in unfamiliar ways, challenging the reader to

guess its identity. (TheExeter Bookincludes no answers.) Usually,

the descriptions are written in a way that leads the reader to think

the object itself is speaking.Did you know?These riddles are

also a window into Anglo-Saxon life, describing war, weapons,

seafaring, nature, farming, and more.

by Sarah Novak, illustrated by Tim Oliphant

35

Here are some Exeter Book riddles.

Can you solve them? (Answers are on

page 53.)

1. I am on my own: injured by iron,

slashed by sword, beaten down by blades.

Often I face fierce fighting. What am I?

2.I must constantly struggle against

the waves and fight with the wind, both

together, when I go to the ground beneath

the sea. My own land is foreign to me.

What am I?

3.I bite no man unless he bites me.

Many there are who bite me! What am I?

Sarah Novak is a writer who explores the less

traveled byways of history and tells tales from folklore

and legend.

A riddle is a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question

that is posed as a problem to be solved or guessed.

A bishop is a clergyman of high rank in the Roman

Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches.

DIDYOU

K

Anglo-Saxon

Riddles