Exeter Book Riddle 51 (or 49): Ic seah wrætlice wuhte feower samed siþian… / I saw four weird fellows traveling together as one…

An Old English riddle from the tenth century, set to new music.
Composed and performed by Hanna Marti.

Old English text:
Ic seah wrætlice   wuhte feower
samed siþian   swearte wæran lastas
swaþu swiþe blacu   swift wæs on fore
fulgum framra   fleotgan lyfte
deaf under yþe   dreag unstille
winnende wiga   se him wægas tæcneþ
ofer fæted gold   feower eallum.

Translation:
I saw four weird fellows traveling together as one.
Dark were their tracks, the path very black.
They moved quickly, faster than birds:
Flew through the air, dove under waves.
The fighting warrior who showed them the way
over plated gold – all of the four.

SOLUTION: Various solutions have been proposed. Stef and Hanna like: hand writing with a quill-pen.

Click here to read more about the riddle (and see possible solutions), on Megan Cavell’s brilliant ‘The Riddle Ages’ blog. And click here to see an alternative translation.