ancient performance poetry
To hear the above verse from ‘Widsith’. check out the AUDIO page on the links above.
Image of the Exeter Book reproduced by kind permission
of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter
‘The Makar’s Wierd, is to be a wanderer. The poets of mankind go through the many countries, speak their needs, say their thanks. Always, they meet with someone in the south lands or the north, who understands their art. An open handed man, who would not have his fame fail among the guard, nor rest from an earl’s deeds before the end cuts off light and life together. Lasting honour shall be his, a name that shall never die beneath the stars...’
The above image is from The Exeter Book, one of the four codices of Anglo-Saxon poetry that yet remain, and the one with the richest variety of works recorded from the oral tradition of the Dark Ages. The passage is from the poem called Widsith, by some thought to date from C7th Mercia, and the oldest poem in what we would now recognize as English. It sums up the poet’s position perfectly - praise singer, harpist, evening’s entertainmemt, newsbringer, newsgatherer, media, tribal historian, wanderer, itinerant or King’s right hand...
Widsith the Scop means Far Journey the Poet, and the Makar’s Wierd is the Poet’s Destiny.
This is not the place to learn about Anglo Saxon poetry, for that, check out Widsith’s Links. But it is the place to hear and commission Anglo Saxon performance poetry done as theatre, in fine modern English translations! - See the links below.
Translation of the above passage is taken from the Michael Alexander translations.
Widsith the Scop
aka S.V.Wolfland
of The Poetry Theatre
and Widsith & Deor
Storytelling Theatre
For details, availability & bookings e-mail;
