Page:Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book (1963).djvu/85

 ## s78 ##

Often a goodly damsel, a lady, locked me close in a chest. Sometimes with her hands she took me out and gave me to her lord, a fine chieftain, as he commanded her. Then he thrust his head well inside me, up from below, into the narrow part. If the strength prevailed of him who received me, adorned as I was, something or other rough was due to fill me. Guess what I mean.

The answer is an ornamented Shirt, which the man pulls over his head. Up to a point this is innocent enough; but a twist at the end, emphasized by the unusual formula, &ldquo;Guess what I mean,&rdquo; conveys the double entendre.


 * 1) s79 ##

I am hard and sharp, strong in entering, bold in coming out, good and true to my lord. I go in underneath and myself open up the proper way. The warrior is in haste who pushes me from behind a hero with his dress. Sometimes he draws me out, hot from the hole. Sometimes I go back in the narrow place&mdash; I know not where. A southern man drives me hard. Say what my name is.

The answer is Gimlet or Poker. &ldquo;Southern&rdquo; is a literal translation, meaning perhaps a skilled workman as opposed to the cruder man from northern districts; or one who works from below.


 * 1) s80 ##

I saw the thing; its belly was at the back hugely puffed out. A servant attended it, a man of might. And much had it suffered