Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Anglo-Saxon Humour

In the days we imagine they had elegant elves, gruff dwarves, mighty warriors, glorious knights, hidden princes and disguised princesses running around lobbing off limbs and casting spells, all in the name of saving the world from dreaded ugly evil things, they just had bad sanitary, no deodorant and bawdy riddles. A bog roll to the first to solve 'em.

Riddle 46
Wer sæt æt wine mid his wifum twam

ond his twegen suno ond his twa dohtor,
swase gesweostor, ond hyra suno twegen,
freolico frumbearn; fæder wæs þær inne

þara æþelinga æghwæðres mid,
eam ond nefa. Ealra wæron fife
eorla ond idesa insittendra.

Riddle 86
Wiht cwom gongan þær weras sæton
monige on mæðle, mode snottre;
hæfde an eage ond earan twa,
ond II fet, XII hund heafda,

hrycg ond wombe ond honda twa,
earmas ond eaxle, anne sweoran
ond sidan twa. Saga hwæt ic hatte.

Riddle 44
Wrætlic hongað bi weres þeo,
frean under sceate. Foran is þyrel.
Bið stiþ ond 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.

Riddle 45
Ic on wincle gefrægn weaxan nathwæt,
þindan ond þunian, þecene hebban;
on þæt banlease bryd grapode,
hygewlonc hondum, hrægle þeahte

þrindende þing þeodnes dohtor.