The Book of Exeter is the oldest extant collection of Old English literature. The copy in Exeter Cathedral was made after the year 975; so it's well over a thousand years old. Some of the poems it contains have been dated back to the seventh century. It was presented to the the Cathedral by Bishop Leofric who died in 1072.
It contains religious verse's and many riddles, some of which are full of cheeky double entendres that would make you blush so it's a strange mix of the spiritual and the secular side-by-side!
Here's one more:
I am a wondrous creature for women in expectation, a service for neighbours. I harm none of the citizens except my slayer alone. My stem is erect, I stand up in bed, hairy somewhere down below. A very comely peasant's daughter, dares sometimes, proud maiden, that she grips at me, attacks me in my redness, plunders my head, confines me in a stronghold, feels my encounter directly, woman with braided hair. Wet be that eye.
Scroll down for the answer!
Answer: An onion!
Yes, wet be the eye - and stinging.. I would have never guessed that one, although, now it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's not what I would've guessed it was about!
ReplyDeleteHi Bazza - glad I got the bookworm right ... but the Dementia idea was a good one. On this one I was off on the line of foxgloves ... but the onion makes perfect sense - I just had to cheat to find out!! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHello Bazza, No wonder punishments were so severe in the Middle Ages--whoever wrote that onion riddle obviously had to be kept in line!
ReplyDelete--Jim
Arleen: They do seem simple when you learn the answer but it certainly surprised me.
ReplyDeleteSherry: No, the double entendre was no accident. Who would have thought they were like that so long ago?
ReplyDeleteHilary: 'Perfect sense' once you learn the answer!
ReplyDeleteJim: It seems odd that religious works were side-by-side with the naughty ones! Sacred and profane...
ReplyDelete"My stem is erect, I stand up in bed, hairy somewhere down below". My teenage grandson knew immediately what this was... and it wasn't an onion :)
ReplyDeleteHels: Yes, the entendre was far from being single!
ReplyDelete