"Widsith" (
Old English: Wīdsīþ, "far-traveller", lit. "wide-journey"), also known as "The Traveller's Song",[1] is an
Old English poem of 143 lines. It survives only in the Exeter Book (pages 84v–87r), a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late-10th century, which contains approximately one-sixth of all surviving Old English poetry. "Widsith" is located between the poems "
Vainglory" and "
The Fortunes of Men". Since the donation of the Exeter Book in 1076, it has been housed in
Exeter Cathedral in southwestern England. The poem is for the most part a survey of the people, kings, and heroes of Europe in the
Heroic Age of Northern Europe.
Date of original composition
There is some controversy as to when "Widsith" was first composed. Some historians, such as
John Niles, argue that the work was invented after
King Alfred's rule to present "a common glorious past", while others, such as
Kemp Malone, have argued that the piece is an authentic transcription of old heroic songs.[2]: 181 Among the works appearing in the Exeter Book, there are none quite like "Widsith",[2]: 182 which may be by far the oldest extant work that gives a historical account of the
Battle of the Goths and the Huns, recounted as legends in later Scandinavian works such as the Hervarar saga.[2]: 179 Archaeologist
Lotte Hedeager argues that "Widsith" goes back to
Migration Age-history—at least part of it was composed in the 6th century, and that the author demonstrates familiarity with regions outside of Britain, including
Denmark and the
Baltic coast.[2]: 184–186 Hedeager is here in agreement with
R.H. Hodgkin[3] and
Leonard Neidorf, who argues that "when situated within the history of Anglo-Saxon culture and identity, 'Widsith' clearly belongs to a time prior to the formation of a collective Anglo-Saxon identity, when distinct continental origins were remembered and maintained by the Germanic migrants in the British Isles".[4]
Contents
Excluding the introduction of the scop Widsith, the closing, and brief comments regarded by some scholars as interpolations, the poem is divided into three 'catalogues', so-called
thulas. The first thula runs through a list of the various kings of renown, both contemporary and ancient ("Caesar ruled the Greeks"), the model being '(name of a king) ruled (name of a tribe)'. The second thula contains the names of the peoples the narrator visited, the model being 'With the (name of a tribe) I was, and with the (name of another tribe)'. In the third and final thula, the narrator lists the heroes of myth and legend that he has visited, with the model '(Hero's name) I sought and (hero's name) and (hero's name)'.
The poem refers to a group of people called the Wicinga cynn, which may be the earliest mention of the word "
Viking" (lines 47, 59, 80). It closes with a brief comment on the importance and fame offered by poets like Widsith, with many pointed reminders of the munificent generosity offered to tale-singers by patrons "discerning of songs".
Hroþwulf ond Hroðgar heoldon lengest
sibbe ætsomne suhtorfædran,
siþþan hy forwræcon Wicinga cynn
ond Ingeldes ord forbigdan,
forheowan aet Heorote Heaðobeardna þrym.
Hroðulf and
Hroðgar held the longest
peace together, uncle and nephew,
since they repulsed the Viking-kin
and
Ingeld to the spear-point made bow,
hewn at
HeorotHeaðobards' army.
—lines 45–49
The widely travelled poet Widsith (his name simply means "far journey") claims himself to be of the house of the
Myrgings, who had first set out in the retinue of "Ealhild, the beloved
weaver of peace, from the east out of
Angeln to the home of the king of the glorious Goths,
Eormanric, the cruel troth-breaker". The
Ostrogoth[dubious –
discuss] Eormanric was defeated by the
Huns in the 4th century. It is moot whether Widsith literally intends himself, or poetically means his lineage, either as a Myrging or as a poet, as when "the fictive speaker
Deor uses the rhetoric of first-person address to insert himself into the same legendary world that he evokes in the earlier parts of the poem through his allusions to
Wayland the Smith,
Theodoric the Goth, Eormanric the Goth, and other legendary figures of the Germanic past".[5] Historically, we know that one speaker could not travel to see all of these nations in one lifetime. In a similar vein, "I was with the Lidwicingas, the Leonas, and the Langobards", Widsith boasts,
with heathens and heroes and with the
Hundingas.
I was with the Israelites and with the Assyrians,
with the Hebrews and the Indians, and with the Egyptians...
The forests of the Vistula[6] in the ancient writing tradition (Widsith, v. 121) are the homeland of the
Goths, the material remains of which are generally associated with the
Wielbark Culture.[7]
Wulfhere sohte ic ond Wyrmhere; ful oft þær wig ne alæg,
þonne
Hræda here heardum sweordum,
ymb Wistlawudu wergan sceoldon
ealdne eþelstol Ætlan leodum.
I sought Wulfhere and Wyrmhere; there battle did not abate
when the Gothic army with their sharp swords,
in the
Vistula woods had to defend
their ancient seat against
Attila's host.
—lines 121–
The poem that is now similarly titled "
Deor", also from the Exeter Book, draws on similar material.
Tribes of Widsith
The list of kings of tribes is sorted by "fame and importance", according to Hedeager, with Attila of the
Huns coming first, followed immediately by
Eormanric of the
Ostrogoths; by contrast, the
Byzantine emperor is number five.[2]: 187
Widsið maðelode,
wordhord onleac,
se þe monna mæst
mægþa ofer eorþan,
folca geondferde;
oft he on flette geþah
mynelicne maþþum.
Him from Myrgingum
Widsith spake,
he unlocked his treasure of words.
He who among men
had travelled most in the world,
through peoples and nations;
he had often in the hall
earned valuable treasures.
He among the
Myrgings
5.
æþele onwocon.
He mid Ealhhilde,
fælre freoþuwebban,
forman siþe
Hreðcyninges
ham gesohte
eastan of Ongle,
Eormanrices,
wraþes wærlogan.
Ongon þa worn sprecan:
had his descent.
He together with Ealhhilde,
the good weaver of peace
for the first time
sought the home
of the
Hreð-king,
east of the
Angles, Ermanaric,
wrathful against traitors.
He then began to speak:
...
15
ond Alexandreas
ealra ricost
monna cynnes,
ond he mæst geþah
þara þe ic ofer foldan
gefrægen hæbbe.
ætla weold Hunum,
Eormanric Gotum,
Becca Baningum,
Burgendum Gifica.
Offa weold Ongle,
Alewih Denum;
se wæs þara manna
modgast ealra,
no hwæþre he ofer Offan
eorlscype fremede,
ac Offa geslog
ærest monna,
cnihtwesende,
cynerica mæst.
Offa ruled the Angles, Alewih the Danes;
he was among those men;
the bravest of all,
yet he did not more than Offa,
practise earlship,
as Offa conquered,
earliest of men,
still a lad
the greatest of kingdoms.
40
Nænig efeneald him
eorlscipe maran
on orette.
Ane sweorde
merce gemærde
wið Myrgingum
bi Fifeldore;
heoldon forð siþþan
Engle ond Swæfe,
swa hit Offa geslog.
None of his age
showed greater earlship.
With a single sword
he increased his borders.
Against the Myrgings
marked the bound
by
Fiveldor.
Henceforth 'twas held
by Suebi and Angles
as Offa won it.
45
Hroþwulf ond Hroðgar
heoldon lengest
sibbe ætsomne
suhtorfædran,
siþþan hy forwræcon
Wicinga cynn
ond Ingeldes
ord forbigdan,
forheowan æt Heorote
Heaðobeardna þrym.
Hrothwulf and
Hrothgar
held longest
the kinship together,
uncle and nephew,
since they repulsed
the kin of
Vikings
and
Ingeld's
spear-point subdued;
they struck down at
Heorot
the host of the
Heathobards.
...
55
mænan fore mengo
in meoduhealle
hu me cynegode
cystum dohten.
Ic wæs mid Hunum
ond mid Hreðgotum,
mid Sweom ond mid Geatum
ond mid Suþdenum.
Mid Wenlum ic wæs ond mid Wærnum
ond mid wicingum.
relate before the company
in the mead-hall,
how my worthy patrons
with treasure availed me.
I was with Huns
and with
Hreiðgoths,
and with
Swedes and with
Geats
and with south-Danes.
With
Vandals I was and with
Varni
and with Vikings.
60
Mid Gefþum ic wæs ond mid Winedum
ond mid Gefflegum.
Mid Englum ic wæs ond mid Swæfum
ond mid ænenum.
Mid Seaxum ic wæs ond Sycgum
ond mid Sweordwerum.
Mid Hronum ic wæs ond mid Deanum
ond mid Heaþoreamum.
Mid þyringum ic wæs
ond mid þrowendum,
ond mid Burgendum,
þær ic beag geþah;
me þær Guðhere forgeaf
glædlicne maþþum
songes to leane.
Næs þæt sæne cyning!
Mid Froncum ic wæs ond mid Frysum
ond mid Frumtingum.
Mid Rugum ic wæs ond mid Glommum
ond mid Rumwalum.
and with
Burgundians,
there I received a torc:
there
Guthere gave me
joyful, treasure,
as a reward for my song.
He was not a bad king!
With Franks I was and with
Frisians
and with
Frumtings.
With
Rugians I was and with
Gloms
and with
Rome-
Wales.
70
Swylce ic wæs on Eatule
mid Ælfwine,
se hæfde moncynnes,
mine gefræge,
leohteste hond
lofes to wyrcenne,
heortan unhneaweste
hringa gedales,
beorhtra beaga,
bearn Eadwines.
Likewise was I in Italy
with
Alboin too:
of mankind he had,
as I have heard,
the readiest hand
to do brave deeds,
the most generous heart
in giving out rings
and shining torcs, Audoin's son.
75
Mid Sercingum ic wæs
ond mid Seringum;
mid Creacum ic wæs ond mid Finnum
ond mid Casere,
se þe winburga
geweald ahte,
wiolena ond wilna,
ond Wala rices.
Mid Scottum ic wæs ond mid Peohtum
ond mid Scridefinnum;
With the
Saracens I was
and with
Seres.
With the
Greeks I was and with the Finns
and with
Caesar,
he who of a grand fortress
held power,
over treasures and female slaves,
and the
empire of the Wales.
With the
Scots I was and with
Picts
and with
Ski-Finns.
80
mid Lidwicingum ic wæs ond mid Leonum
ond mid Longbeardum,
mid hæðnum ond mid hæleþum
ond mid Hundingum.
Mid Israhelum ic wæs
ond mid Exsyringum,
mid Ebreum ond mid Indeum
ond mid Egyptum.
Mid Moidum ic wæs ond mid Persum
ond mid Myrgingum,
ond Mofdingum
ond ongend Myrgingum,
ond mid Amothingum.
Mid Eastþyringum ic wæs
ond mid Eolum ond mid Istum
ond Idumingum.
Ond ic wæs mid Eormanrice
ealle þrage,
þær me Gotena cyning
gode dohte;
Pascual, Rafael (April 2016). "Old English Metrical History and the Composition of Widsið". Neophilologus. 100 (2): 289–302.
doi:
10.1007/s11061-015-9460-6.
S2CID161170093.
Foys, Martin et al.Old English Poetry in Facsimile Project (Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-); digital facsimile edition and Modern English translation
Old English text, digitised from George Philip Krapp and Elliott Van Kirk Dobbie (eds), The Exeter Book, The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, 3 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1936)