Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Exeter Cathedral Library 3501, folio 107r

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Exeter Cathedral Library 3501, folio 107r

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

What is a manuscript?

• Latin manus = ‘hand’• Latin scriptus = ‘text, book’

A manuscript is a book written by hand.

Eadwine Psalter (12th century)

Parchment

• A writing material made from the skins of sheep, calves, or other animals

• Vellum = specifically parchment made from calf skin

(Latin vitellus = calf)

Exeter Book, folio 106v.

Wax tablet from Novgorod, Russia (11th c.)

wax writing tablet

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

“Hair and Flesh”

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

“circulus”

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

‘lunellum’

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

quires or gatherings

Rowan Watson, Illuminated Manuscripts and their Makers

(London: V&A Publications, 2003), 63.

Why Are Books Shaped The Way They Are?

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted

me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground

away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over

me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

quills and reed pensAn enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted

me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground

away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over

me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Hildebert and the pessime mus ‘wretched mouse’

Prague, Metropoloitan Library, A. XXI/1, folio 153v. (12th century)

An enemy came and took away my life

And my strength also in the world; then wetted me,

Dipped me in water; then took me thence;

Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair.

The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;

Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delight

With swift drops made frequent traces

Over the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dye

With a measure of liquid; travelling across me,

Left a dark track. A good man covered me

With protecting boards, with stretched skin over me;

Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smiths

Decorated me with strands of woven wire.

Now may the ornaments and the red dye

And the precious possessions everywhere honor

The Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly.

…Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

oak gallsAn enemy came and took away my life

And my strength also in the world; then wetted me,

Dipped me in water; then took me thence;

Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair.

The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;

Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delight

With swift drops made frequent traces

Over the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dye

With a measure of liquid; travelling across me,

Left a dark track. A good man covered me

With protecting boards, with stretched skin over me;

Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smiths

Decorated me with strands of woven wire.

Now may the ornaments and the red dye

And the precious possessions everywhere honor

The Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly.

…Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)Image taken from Christopher de Hamel, Medieval Craftsmen: Scribes and Illuminators (Toronto: University of Toronto Press,1992).

Christopher de Hamel, Medieval Craftsmen: Scribes and Illuminators (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992).

Book of Hours (circa. 1450). Photograph by Patrick Murphy.

An enemy came and took away my life

And my strength also in the world; then wetted me,

Dipped me in water; then took me thence;

Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair.

The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;

Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delight

With swift drops made frequent traces

Over the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dye

With a measure of liquid; travelling across me,

Left a dark track. A good man covered me

With protecting boards, with stretched skin over me;

Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smiths

Decorated me with strands of woven wire.

Now may the ornaments and the red dye

And the precious possessions everywhere honor

The Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly.

…Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

An enemy came and took away my life

And my strength also in the world; then wetted me,

Dipped me in water; then took me thence;

Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair.

The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;

Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delight

With swift drops made frequent traces

Over the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dye

With a measure of liquid; travelling across me,

Left a dark track. A good man covered me

With protecting boards, with stretched skin over me;

Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smiths

Decorated me with strands of woven wire.

Now may the ornaments and the red dye

And the precious possessions everywhere honor

The Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly.

…Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

Gold leaf

Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Ashmole 1511, 6v

Exeter Book Riddle 26

An enemy came and took away my lifeAnd my strength also in the world; then wetted me,Dipped me in water; then took me thence;Placed me in the sun, where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me--its impurities ground away;Fingers folded me. And the bird’s delightWith swift drops made frequent tracesOver the brown surface; swallowed the tree-dyeWith a measure of liquid; travelling across me,Left a dark track. A good man covered meWith protecting boards, with stretched skin over me; Adorned me with gold. Then the work of smithsDecorated me with strands of woven wire. Now may the ornaments and the red dyeAnd the precious possessions everywhere honorThe Guardian of peoples. It were otherwise folly. …Ask me my name…

(Translation by Paull F. Baum)

parchment durability

Book of Hours (circa. 1450) Homeric Dictionary (1870)

peat bog psalter

W h a t e v e r h a p p e n e d

t o m e d ie v a l

m a n u s c r ip t s ?

British Library, Cotton Vitellius A.xv: “The Beowulf-Manuscript”

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