Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/56

The answer is Inkhorn, its history from its beginning as an antler to its use in writing. The lines are ambitiously elaborate and leave the impression that the writer&rsquo;s reach exceeded his grasp. A paraphrase will make the text clearer: &ldquo;The stag on which I grew ranged the woodland, shed its antlers, and new ones grew in their place. The stag was killed and I was cut from its head and hollowed out to make an inkhorn. But I do not complain or seek vengeance, though I was sorely hurt by the iron instrument&mdash;what had, or might have, cut into battle shields&rdquo; (or, as Wyatt interprets, &ldquo;was pierced by the nails which fastened it to the stand&rdquo;). The foe is the scribe with his quill pen (the feather of a raven, the wolf&rsquo;s companion in battle) writing on the stiff vellum.