Page:Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book (1963).djvu/36



A thing came marvelously   moving over the waves, comely from the keel up. It called out to the land, loudly resounding. Its laughter was horrible, awful in its place. Its edges were sharp; hateful it was,    and sluggish to battle, bitter in its hostile deeds. It dug into shield-walls, hard, ravaging. It spread mischievous spells. It spoke with cunning craft    about its creation: &ldquo;Dearest of women     is indeed my mother; she is my daughter     grown big and strong. It is known to men of old,    among all people, that she shall stand up beautifully     everywhere in the world.&rdquo;

Iceberg, slow but deadly as it damages ships. The mother–daughter relationship is simple: water into ice, ice into water.

I saw the wight   going on its way. It was splendidly,    wonderfully arrayed. The wonder was on the wave;    water became bone.

Possibly Running Water, becoming ice in winter. The original has wiht (wight), which may be a thing or a creature; and there may be a pun in w&#277;g, with a short, meaning way, and w&#275;g with a long , meaning wave. Moreover, the scribe placed the usual sign marking the end of a riddle after the second line as well as after l. 3; and further, since the first two lines are almost the same as those of 72 (K-D 36), q.v., it has been held that they represent the beginning of a riddle the rest of which is lost. The third line alone would then be a riddle by itself; which Tupper calls &ldquo;admirably complete.&rdquo; Norman E. Eliason (Philologica, Malone Anniversary Studies, Baltimore, 1949, pp. 18–19) has argued for a single riddle, describing Christ walking on the water; but later he withdrew the suggestion.