Exeter Riddle 'Ale'

The riddle is a no. 28 in the Exeter Book of Riddles. It is a predecessor of the ballad 'John Barleycorn'.

Although more usually this Anglo-Saxon riddle (dating from the eleventh century and perhaps earlier) has the solution 'beer', it should more properly be 'ale', since beer is not introduced into England until a few centuries later (the difference being that ale consists solely of water, malt and yeast, whereas beer has these ingredients plus hops - a distinction now lost). There is a translation at the end of it.

Biþ foldan dæl fægre gegierwed

mid þy heardestan ond mid þy scearpestan

ond mid þy grymmestan gumena gestreona,

corfen, sworfen, cyrred, þyrred,

bunden, wunden, blæced, wæced,

frætwed, geatwed, feorran læded

to durum dryhta. Dream bið in innan

cwicra wihta, clengeð, lengeð,

þara þe ær lifgende longe hwile

wilna bruceð ond no wið spriceð,

ond þonne æfter deaþe deman onginneð,

meldan mislice. Micel is to hycganne

wisfæstum menn, hwæt seo wiht sy.

Exeter Riddle 'Ale' (translation)

The following translation of one of the Anglo-Saxon Exeter Riddles (11th Century, possibly earlier) occurs in John Bickerdyke's Curiosities of Ale and Beer, but he does not cite the source. It is clearly a predecessor to 'The Ballad of John Barleycorn'.

A part of the earth is

Prepared beautifully,

With the hardest,

And with the sharpest,

And with the grimmest

Of the productions of men,

Cut and . . . .

Turned and dried,

Bound and twisted,

Bleached and awakened,

Ornamented and poured out,

Carried afar

To the doors of the people,

It is joy in the inside

Of living creatures,

It knocks and slights

Those, of whom while alive

A long while

It obeys the will,

And expostulateth not,

And then after death

It takes upon it to judge,

To talk variously.

It is greatly to seek,

By the wisest man,

What this creature is.