The Anglo-Saxon Elegies

The Anglo-Saxon elegies are some of my all-time favourite poems. They are an extremely beautiful form of Old English poetic verse that is full of loss, longing, and lamentation. The poems often explore things like personal grief, the transience of life, and the inevitability of fate. Sounds cheery, right? Let’s get started!

First of all, who were the Anglo-Saxons?...

The Anglo-Saxons were the dominant cultural force in England from the fifth to the eleventh centuries. They lived in a landscape marked by the remnants of the once-mighty Roman empire. The Anglo-Saxons were made up of migrating Germanic tribes: the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. Renowned for their warrior culture, intricate artistry, and rich oral traditions, the Anglo-Saxons shaped the early medieval landscape of England.

Now, lets look at some of the Elegies…

First up is The Wanderer, a poem that reflects on themes of exile, loss, and the transient nature of human life.

Often the solitary one Finds grace for himself The mercy of the Lord Although he, sorry-hearted Must for a long time Move by hand Along the waterways Along the ice-cold sea Tread the paths of exile

These are the opening lines of lines of the poem. They perfectly capture the sense of longing, melancholy, and introspection that permeates The Wanderer.

And so he knows it, he who must Forgo for a long time The counsels Of his beloved lord Then sorrow and sleep Both together Often tie up The wretched solitary one He thinks in his mind That he embraces and kisses His lord And on his knees lays His hands and his head Just as, at times before In days gone by He enjoyed the gift-seat Then the friendless man Wakes up again

The poet laments the life he has lost. He dreams of it. But it is gone. His lord is gone. His kin are gone. He pines for past joys and longs for the companionship he once knew.

Where is the horse gone? Where is the rider? Where the giver of treasure? Where are the seats at the feast? Where are the revels in the hall? Alas for the bright cup! Alas for the mailed warrior! Alas for the splendor of the prince! How that time has passed away Dark under the cover of night As if it had never been!

In this verse, the poet laments the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures and human connections. The penultimate verse of this elegy only emphasises this further:

All is troublesome In this earthly kingdom The turn of events changes The world under the heavens Here money is fleeting Here friend is fleeting Here man is fleeting Here kinsman is fleeting All the foundation of this world Turns to waste!

Another of my favourite elegies is The Seafarer. The Seafarer reflects on themes of exile, the harshness of the sea, the fleeting nature of earthly life, and the quest for spiritual fulfilment.

The elegy opens with the poet describing the physical and emotional hardships of life at sea:

I can make a true song About me myself Tell my travels How I often endured Days of struggle Troublesome times Have suffered Grim sorrow at heart Have known in the ship Many worries The terrible tossing of the waves Where the anxious night watch Often took me

In the elegy, there is a stark contrast between the poet's harsh existence at sea and the security of life on land.

The one who has the joys of life Dwells in the city Far from terrible journey Proud and wanton with wine How I, weary, often Have had to endure In the sea-paths.

The Seafairer then takes a more spiritual turn. It begins to contemplate the poet's journey as a metaphor for the soul’s journey towards God:

Indeed hotter for me are The joys of the Lord Than this dead life Fleeting on the land I do not believe That the riches of the world Will stand forever.

This shift from physicality to spirituality reflects the poet’s realisation that true fulfilment lies not in earthly pleasures but in spiritual devotion. The elegy ends with the following lines:

Let us ponder Where we have our homes And then think How we should get thither And then we should all strive That we might go there To the eternal Blessedness That is a belonging life In the love of the Lord Joy in the heavens Let there be thanks to God That he adored us The Father of Glory The Eternal Lord For all time. Amen.

Finally, the last elegy I will mention is The Ruin. This poem reflects on the decay of a once-great city. The poem vividly describes the remnants of the city, revelling in its former glory but lamenting how it has decayed:

Wondrous is this wall-stead, wasted by fate Battlements broken, giant’s work shattered Roofs are in ruin, towers destroyed Broken the barred gate, rime on the plaster

Walls gape, torn up, destroyed Consumed by age. Earth-grip holds The proud builders, departed, long lost And the hard grasp of the grave, until a hundred generations Of people have passed. Often this wall outlasted Hoary with lichen, red-stained, withstanding the storm One reign after another, the high arch has now fallen.

As the elegy goes on, the poet shifts to a more reflective tone. It is as if they have come to accept the transience of human existence:

And so these halls are empty And the curved arch sheds its tiles Torn from the roof. Decay has brought it down Broken it to rubble. Where once many a warrior High of heart, gold-bright, gleaming in splendor Proud and wine-flushed, shone in armor Looked on a treasure of silver, on precious gems On riches of pearl...

Final Thoughts

The Anglo-Saxon elegies are all about the ineffability of life, the inevitability of fate, and a profound sense of longing. Each poem I’ve mentioned offers a unique perspective on the human condition. The Wanderer delves into the sorrow of exile and the search for wisdom amidst life’s fleeting joys. The Seafarer, with its harsh depiction of life at sea, shows us the existential quest for meaning. The Ruin is a sombre testament to the ravages of time, mourning the decay of once-great achievements. These elegies not only reflect the harsh realities of the Anglo-Saxon world, but they also explore what it is to be human.

The Wanderer Full Text

The Seafarer Full Text

The Ruin Full Text