Riddles of the Anglo-Saxon Era
English Literature or literature produced in England is from the introduction of Old English by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century to the present. The works of those Irish and Scottish authors who are closely identified with English life and letters are also considered part of English literature.
This period extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman-French conquest of England. The Germanic tribes from Europe who overran England in the 5th century (after the Roman withdrawal) brought with them the Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, language, which is the basis of Modern English. They brought also a specific poetic tradition, the formal character that remained surprisingly constant until the termination of their rule by the Norman-French invaders six centuries later.
Most Old English poetry and riddles were probably intended to be chanted, with harp accompaniment, by the Anglo-Saxon scop, or bard. Often bold and strong, but also mournful and elegiac in spirit, this poetry emphasizes the sorrow and ultimate futility of life and the helplessness of humans before the power of fate. Almost all this poetry is composed without rhyme, in a characteristic line, or verse, of four stressed syllables alternating with an indeterminate number of unstressed ones. This line strikes strangely on ears adapted to the usual modern pattern, in which the rhythmical unit, or foot, supposedly consists of a constant number (either one or two) of unaccented syllables that always precede or follow any stressed syllable. Another unfamiliar but equally striking feature in the formal character of Old English poetry is structural alliteration, or the use of syllables beginning with similar sounds in two or three of the stresses in each line. The author that wrote this riddle represnts the Anglo-Saxon period of time because it was not written with rhyme and is highly structured as in the example:
"Our world is lovely in different
ways,"
"Hung with beauty and works of hands."
"Its work is useful," and "Its belly with
food."
"poor and to rich," and "year after year"
"Our world is lovely in different ways," does not rhyme with "Hung with beauty and works of hands." However, most of the words with two or three stressed syllables have similar sounds. One example that represents this style is, "Its work is useful," and "Its belly with food." They have similar sounds and each contains four syllables. Another illustration of this method is, "poor and to rich," and "year after year," as exemplified in the riddle. It is very difficult to play and instrument, such as a harp, along with a poem or riddle when it does not rhyme. The similar sounding syllables make it possible to keep a continous beat that sounds excellent.
