Exeter Book Riddles – Wikipedia

Folios Solutions (1-88 Riddle Ages, 89-95 Baum unless otherwise states) Numbering (Krapp and Dobbie) Numbering (Williamson) Numbering (Baum) 101r Storm, Wind, etc. 1 1a 1 101r Storm, Wind, etc. 2 1b 2 101v-102v Storm, Wind, etc. 3 1c 102v Bell, Bucket, Plough-team, etc. 4 2 35 102v Shield (most widely supported), Chopping Block, Guilt 5 3 49 102v-103r Sun 6 4 17 103r Swan 7 5 21 103r Nightingale (likely), Pipe or Flute, all manner of other birds, etc. 8 6 22 103r-v Cuckoo 9 7 20 103v Barnacle Goose 10 8 23 103v Wine or Cup of Wine 11 9 18 103v-104r Ox, Ox-hide, Leather (object), etc. 12 10 24 104r Flock of sheep,^[19] ten chickens (this is the generally accepted one), ten pheasants, butterfly cocoon, alphabet, moth, fingers and gloves 13 11 28 104r Horn 14 12 53 104v Badger, Fox, Porcupine, Hedgehog, Weasel 15 13 29 104v-105r Anchor 16 14 57 105r Ballista, Fortress, Quiver, Bee-skep, etc. 17 15 52 105r Jug, Amphora, Cask, Leather bottle, Inkhorn, Phallus 18 16 105r Ship, Falconry/Horseman and hawk [sometimes with wagon/servant] and Writing 19 17 71 105r-105v Sword, Falcon/Hawk, Phallus 20 18 51 106r Plough 21 19 32 106r-106v Ursa Major, (days of the) month, bridge, New Year, stars 22 20 63 106v Bow 23 21 46 106v Jay, Magpie, Woodpecker 24 22 69 106v-107r Onion, leek, mustard, phallus, etc 25 23 76 107r-107v Book, Bible, Gospel Book 26 24 43 107v Mead, Whip, Sleep 27 25 59 107v John Barleycorn, Wine cask, Beer, Ale, Mead, Harp, Stringed instrument, Tortoise lyre, Yew horn, Barrow, Trial of soul, Pattern-welded sword, Parchment, Biblical codex 28 26 60 107v-108r Sun and moon, swallow and sparrow, cloud and wind, bird and wind 29 27 3 108r Beam, Cross, Wood, Tree, Snowflake 30 a and b 28 a and b 14 108r-108v Psaltery and Quill-pick, Quill-pen and Fingers, Bagpipe, Fiddle, Portable Organ, Organistrum, Harp, Cithara 31 29 44 108v Ship, Wagon, Millstone, Wheel, Wheelbarrow 32 30 58 108v-109r Iceberg, Ice, Ice-floe 33 31 6 109r Rake 34 32 31 109r-109v Mail-coat (i.e. armour) 35 33 50 109v Ship; Man woman horse; Two men, woman, horses, dog, bird on ship; Waterfowl hunt; Pregnant horse, two pregnant women; Hunting; Sow and five piglets 36 34 73 109v Bellows, Wagon 37 35 81 109v (Young) Ox, Bullock 38 36 26 109v-110r Dream, Death, Cloud, Speech, Faith, Day, Moon, Time, Comet 39 37 4 110r-111v Creation 40 38 11 112r Water, Wisdom, Creation 41 39 112r N N Æ A A H H = hana & hæn, or Cock and Hen 42 40 70 112r-112v Soul and Body 43 41 10 112v Key and lock, Phallus, Dagger sheath 44 42 75 112v Dough 45 43 77 112v Lot and his Daughters 46 44 64 112v-113r Book-worm, Book-moth, Maggot and psalter 47 45 42 113r Paten, Chalice, Sacramental vessel 48 46 15 113r Oven, Beehive, Falcon Cage, (Book)case, Pen and ink, Barrow, Sacrificial altar, Millpond and sluice 49 47 38 113r Fire, Anger, Dog 50 48 8 113r-113v Pen and fingers 51 49 40 113v Buckets, Broom, Flail, Yoked oxen 52 50 66 113v Battering Ram is the most common solution, but Cross and Gallows have also been suggested 53 51 47 113v-114r Butter churn, Baker’s boy and oven 54 52 78 114r Shield, Scabbard, Harp, Cross, Gallows, Sword rack, Sword box, Hengen 55 53 13 114r Loom, Lathe 56 54 37 114r-114v Swifts, Swallows, Crows, Jackdaws, Starlings, House martins, Letters, Musical notes, Gnats, Stormclouds, Hailstones, Raindrops, Bees, Midges, Damned souls, or Demons 57 55 19 114v Well-sweep 58 56 34 114v-115r Chalice 59 57 16 122v-123r Reed (pen), Rune staff 60 58 41 124v Shirt/Kirtle/Tunic, Garment, Helmet 61 59 79 124v-125r Poker, Boring tool, Phallus 62 60 80 125r Glass beaker, Flask, Flute 63 61 84 125r Man on horseback; falconry; ship; scribe; writing 64 62 72 125r Onion, Leek, Chives 65 63 39 125r-125v Creation, God 66 64 12 125v Bible, Religious Book 67 65 125v Ice, Iceberg, Icicle, Frozen Pond 68, 69 66 7 125v-126r (Church) Bell, Shawm/Shepherd’s Pipe, (Double) Flute, Harp, Lyre, Organistrum, Shuttle; Lines 5-6 as a separate riddle: Lighthouse, Candle 70 67, 68 45 126r Cupping-glass, Iron Helmet, Iron Shield, Bronze Shield, Sword or Dagger, Sword-hilt, Iron Ore, Retainer 71 69 126r Ox, Heifer, Cow 72 70 25 126r-126v Spear, bow, cross 73 71 48 126v Cuttlefish, Boat and oak, Quill pen, Ship’s figurehead, Siren, Water 74 72 67 127r Hound, Piss, Hound and Hind, Christ 75, 76 73 74, 27 127r Oyster 77 74 30 127r Crab, Oyster, Fish, Lamprey 78 75 127r Horn, Falcon, Hawk, Spear, Sword, Scabbard 79, 80 76 54 127v Weathercock, Ship, Visored helmet 81 77 36 127v Crab, harrow 82 78 127v Ore; metal; gold; coins; revenant; spirit 83 79 9 127v-128v Water 84 80 5 128v Fish and River, Body and Soul 85 81 62 128v-129r One-eyed Seller of Garlic 86 82 61 129r-129v Bellows 87 83 129v Antler, Inkhorn, Horn, Body and Soul 88 84, 85 55 129v ? 89 86 129v ? (a Latin text, arguably not actually a riddle)^[20] 90 129v-130r Key 91 87 33 130r ? 92 88 130r Inkhorn 93 89 56 130r-130v Creation 94 90 130v The sun;^[21] jay, magpie? 95 91 68