description Exeter Book Overview
The Exeter Book is a late tenth-century manuscript and the largest surviving collection devoted to Old English poetry. It contains religious verse, elegies such as The Wanderer and The Seafarer, narrative poems, saints' lives, and a celebrated group of riddles. Leofric, the first bishop of Exeter, gave the volume to Exeter Cathedral in the eleventh century, and it remains there as a primary resource for readers and scholars of Anglo-Saxon language, literature, and culture.
insights Ranking position
Exeter Book ranks #15 of 243 in the Manuscript ranking, behind Vienna Dioscurides, ahead of The Book of Lindisfarne (Digital Zoom Tool).
help Exeter Book FAQ
What famous poems survive only in the Exeter Book?
The manuscript preserves major Old English elegies including The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Wife's Lament, and The Ruin. Several of these works survive nowhere else.
How many riddles are in the Exeter Book?
Scholars usually count about 95 riddles, although the total varies because some divisions and damaged passages are disputed. Their subjects range from animals and weather to tools, weapons, and suggestive everyday objects.
Who gave the Exeter Book to Exeter Cathedral?
Leofric, the first bishop of Exeter, donated it to the cathedral library in the 11th century. The manuscript itself was copied during the previous century.
Why is the Exeter Book physically damaged?
The volume was not always treated as a rare literary treasure and suffered stains, cuts, and missing leaves. A particularly famous mark is associated with a cup or vessel having been placed on the book.
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