Anglo-Saxon Literature: Epic Poems and Historical Texts
The Voyage of Ohthere
Ohthere told his lord, King Alfred, that he dwelt northmost of all Scandinavians. He said that he dwelt north on the land by the west sea. He said, however, that the land is very long to the north; but it is all deserted, except for in a few places, here and there, where Finns reside, for hunting in winter, and in summer for fishing in the sea. He said that at a certain time, he wished to find out how far the land lay right north, or whether any man dwelt to the north of the inhabited land. Then he went right north near the land: he left, all the way, the waste land on the right, and the wide sea on the left. Then was he as far north as Whale-hunters furthest go. He then went yet right north, as far as he could in the next three days. Then the land bent there right east, or the sea in on the land, he knew not; but he knew that he there waited for a western wind, or a little to the north, and sailed eastward by the land, as far as he could sail in four days. Then he must wait there for a right north wind, because the land bent there right south, or the sea in on the land, he knew not whether.
The Whale
Now I will next reveal a story about a kind of fish, by the art of poetry, verse, from my memory, about the great Whale. It, dangerous and cruel, is often met with unwillingly by seafarers. To it the name Fastitocalon, floater of ancient seas, is given by all men.
The shape of it is like rough stone as if it wandered by sand dunes of the seashore surrounded by sea-reeds so that voyagers think that they gaze at a certain island with their eyes and then they hide their high-prowed ships in the supposed land by anchor-ropes, they put their sea-horses at the edge of the sea and then disembark on that island.
The bold-spirited, secure ships remain by the shore, surrounded by the tide. Then, the weary-hearted sailors encamp, not expecting danger on that island. They kindle a high fire, set alight, the weary men are joyful, pleased to rest. When, skilled in treachery, it feels that the sailors settle in secure encampment, lie enjoying the weather, then suddenly it departs daringly towards the salty sea.
The ghost sets out for the bottom of the sea and then holds ships with men in the hall of death by drowning them.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
991
In this year Ipswich was attacked, and very soon after that the nobleman Byrtnoth was killed at Maldon. And in that year, it was decided that they paid a first tribute to the Danish men for the great terror they brought along the coast. That was first ten thousand pounds, Archbishop Sigeric devised this plan.
992
Here the blessed archbishop Oswald abandoned his life and reached the heavenly one, and the nobleman Aethelwine died in the same year. Then the king and all his counsellors decided to gather the ships that were of any value at London. And the king appointed the nobleman Aelfric to lead the army and Earl Thored, bishop Ifstan, and bishop Aescwig, and they should try, if they could, entrap the enemy anywhere abroad. Then the nobleman Aelfric sent and ordered to warn the army the night of the day that they should come together; he got away from the army at night to his own great disgrace, and the army got away except one ship where everyone was killed. And the host was found by the East Anglia and London fleet and there they made great slaughter and captured the ship completely armed and equipped on which the nobleman had been.
Beowulf
I have heard my people, men of this country, counsellors in the hall, say that they saw such two great border hunters, rulers of the moors, spirits from elsewhere.
There was another, as far as they certainly might know, with a likeness to a woman, or grotesque in the form of a man, trod the paths of exile. Nevertheless, he was bigger than any other man, people called him Grendel many years ago, they did not know whether he had a father, was once born from a mysterious spirit.
They inhabit a little-known land, retreat of wolves, windy headlands, perilous paths, there a mountain stream downwards departs to the darkness of the headlands. It is not far from there measured in miles, that the lake stands with forests covered with frost, woods, firm in the roots, the water overshadow.
There, each night, a fearful being may be seen, fire on water, no wise men’s son lives as to know the bottom, although the moor-stalker harried by dogs, deer with strong horns will seek the forest chased from afar, he will give up life to the spirit on shore rather than go in and hide his head. It is not a pleasant place.
After that when the wind stirs up a hateful storm, the commingly of the waves ascends black to the sky, until the air becomes gloomy, the heavens weep.
The Killing of Holofernes by Judith
Then her spirit rose within her, the holy one’s hope was renewed; she took, then, the heathen warrior fast by the hair of his head, drew him with her hands towards her with scorn, and the evil designer artfully laid she, the hated brute, where best she might handle him, take care of the creature. Then, the curly-locked lady with flashing falchion smote the foeman detested, the hostile-hearted one, that she half cut through, then severed his neck, that swooning he lay there drunken and wounded. Not dead was he yet, now, with might and main, the mood-valiant woman smote the heathen hound that his head whirled rapidly forth on the floor; lay the foul carcase lifeless behind, his spirit departed down amid the damned in dire abasement, even thereafter in agony fettered, with serpents bewound, in torments bound, firmly fastened in the flames of perdition, when death took him off. Not e’er might he hope, now encompassed with darkness to come away thence, leave that dragon-hall, but shall dwell in its horrors forever and ever, in endless perdition, in that horrid home, hopeless, wretched.
The Wife’s Lament
I sing this song about me, fully sad, about my own fate. I can tell what hardships I have experienced since I grew up, recently or long ago, never more than now I ever suffered the torment of my exile. First, my lord departed from here, from these people over the tumult of the waves; I had nocturnal grief about where on earth my land was.
Then I departed on my own, I set out to seek my companionship, as a friendless wanderer, for my desperate plight when my man’s kinsmen began to plan through secret devices, that they would separate us so that we should live as apart as possible in the whole world, in most wretched fashion, and that afflicted me with longing.
My lord ordered me to take up my abode here; I possessed few loyal friends in this land; therefore my heart is sad. Then I found a very fitting man, unfortunate, distressed, hiding murderous plans in his heart, but with a friendly demeanour; very often we had vowed that nothing would separate us but death alone, nothing else. Afterwards, that has changed, and it is now as if our friendship had never existed.
Shall I, far and near, suffer the feud of my beloved husband? He commanded me to dwell in this forest groove, in this earthy cave beneath an oak tree. This cave is old and I am completely overcome with longing, the dales are dark, the mountains high, fierce surrounding hedges of briars grown all over, the place is devoid of joy. Very often here the departure of my lord cruelly takes hold of me.
Juliana
There was a man of noble kind, powerful reeve; wielded a fortified town, ever protected his homeland always held his treasure in the camp of Nicomedia, often he sought heathen idols, against the word of God, eagerly and frequently [he practised] idolatry. The name given to him was Eleusius, he had a great and illustrious supremacy. Then his heart began to love a woman, (his desire broke [into him]), Juliana. She cherished holy faith in spirit, eagerly determined, that her purity of any sin preserved for the pure love of Christ.
Then the maid was, after her father’s will, betrothed to the wealthy man; not completely knew her destiny, how she despised his friendship, young at heart. Her fear of God was more in her thought than all the treasures that laid in the possessions of the prince.
Then the rich, wealthy man was eager in his mind, about the nuptials, that the man straight away prepared the maid for him, a bride for the household. She steadfastly strove against the love of the nobleman although he possessed treasures over the earth, under a coffer, a countless number of jewels. She despised all that, and this word spoke in the assembly of men: ‘I can say to thee that you need not to afflict yourself any more; if you love the true God and believe and exalt his glory, understand Protection of the spirits, soon I am resolutely ready to your will.
Likewise I tell thee, if you entrust lesser to God through idolatry deed, command heathen sacrifice, you might not have me, nor take by threatening wife to thee; you be never prepare such a cruel torment of hard punishment, through violent anger, so that you turn me from these words’.