Codex Exoniensis - The Exeter Book. A Collection of Anglo-Saxon Poetry


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The Exeter Book (Codex Exoniensis). This book was presented to his Cathedral by Leofric, the first Bishop of Exeter, about the middle of the 11th century. It is preserved in the Cathedral Library at Exeter; the first leaves are missing, and the last leaves are injured; the handwriting of the MS belongs probably to the first half of the 11th century.

In the catalogue of Leofric’s donations to his cathedral, this volume is entered as 'one great English book on various subjects, composed in verse'.

The Exeter Book is the largest extant manuscript of Old English literature and containing approximately one sixth of the Old English poetry that survives.

The most striking characteristics of Anglo-Saxon Poetry are: inversion of phrase; redundance of metaphor; “parallelism,” or repetition in synonymous terms of the same act or idea. Both rhyme and alliteration are found in Anglo-Saxon Poetry, but rhyme is less generally introduced. The structure of the verse is trochaic; the line is divided into two halves by the Caesura, each half line having two stressed syllables, the, unstressed syllables varying in number; the half lines are associated by alliteration, one stressed syllable at least in each half line beginning with a similar consonant, or vowel. Usually the alliteration falls on the two stressed syllables in the first half line and the first stressed syllable in the second. (Summary by Marian Edwardes and Preface) (8 hr 7 min)

Chapters

To Jesus Christ 3:54 Read by InTheDesert
To the Virgin Mary 9:00 Read by Stefan Von Blon
On the Nativity 6:22 Read by Devorah Allen
On the same 5:43 Read by Devorah Allen
To the Trinity 2:28 Read by Larry Wilson
On the Nativity 1:41 Read by Larry Wilson
On the Nativity and Ascension 5:18 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
On the Ascension and the Harrowing of Hell 5:06 Read by Devorah Allen
Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving 5:14 Read by czandra
Hymn in continuation of the foregoing 5:14 Read by czandra
Poems on the Day of Judgment, I-III. 23:54 Read by Emma Charlotte
On the Crucifixion 7:25 Read by TR Love
On the Day of Judgment, I-II. 12:07 Read by czandra
On the Crucifixion etc. 6:44 Read by Larry Wilson
Of Souls after Death etc., I-II. 10:45 Read by Vinny Lerin
Poem, Moral and Religious 3:35 Read by Christine Bowden
The Legend of St. Guthlac Part 1 22:05 Read by czandra
The Legend of St. Guthlac Part 2 21:17 Read by czandra
The Legend of St. Guthlac Part 3 22:14 Read by czandra
The Story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah paraphrased 11:32 Read by Belinda McReynolds
The Phoenix Part 1 14:05 Read by Vinny Lerin
The Phoenix Part 2 21:26 Read by Vinny Lerin
The Legend of St. Juliana Part 1 20:25 Read by Adrian Stephens
The Legend of St. Juliana Part 2 23:53 Read by Adrian Stephens
The Wanderer 7:33 Read by Ehsan Ahmed Mehedi
On the Endowments and Pursuits of Men 6:19 Read by czandra
A Father’s Instruction to his Son 5:45 Read by czandra
The Seafarer 8:23 Read by Ehsan Ahmed Mehedi
Monitory Poem 4:44 Read by czandra
The Scop or Scald’s Tale 8:57 Read by czandra
On the Various Fortunes of Men 5:21 Read by czandra
Gnomic Verses, I-III. 19:23 Read by earl
On the Wonders of the Creation 5:48 Read by czandra
Riming Poem 6:27 Read by Devorah Allen
The Panther 4:04 Read by czandra
The Whale 4:28 Read by czandra
A Fragment 1:29 Read by Christine Bowden
A Departed Soul's Address to the Body, I. 7:09 Read by Christine Bowden
A Departed Soul's Address to the Body, II. 2:53 Read by Christine Bowden
Deor the Scald's Complaint 2:39 Read by czandra
Riddles Part 1 18:52 Read by Adrian Stephens
Riddles Part 2 18:53 Read by Adrian Stephens
Riddles Part 3 18:00 Read by Adrian Stephens
The Exile's Complaint 3:50 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
On the Day of Judgment 6:45 Read by InTheDesert
A Supplication 6:59 Read by czandra
On the Resurrection and the Harrowing of Hell 8:43 Read by Vinny Lerin
Religious Poem 1:10 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
A Fragment 1:11 Read by Rebecca Eden Walker
The Lord’s Prayer paraphrased 1:30 Read by Rebecca Eden Walker
Maxims 1:41 Read by czandra
Riddles 2:43 Read by czandra
A Fragment 3:20 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
The Ruin 3:01 Read by czandra
Riddles 17:42 Read by Hansen1021