The Husband's Message
E503408
The Husband's Message is an Old English lyric poem in which an exiled husband sends a wooden staff bearing runic symbols to summon his wife to join him across the sea.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| The Husband’s Message | 1 |
Statements (44)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Old English poem
ⓘ
exile poem ⓘ lyric poem ⓘ |
| addresseeRole | wife ⓘ |
| approximateDateOfComposition | 10th century ⓘ |
| approximateDateOfManuscript | late 10th century ⓘ |
| contains | runic passage ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | England ⓘ |
| form | monologue ⓘ |
| genre |
elegiac poetry
ⓘ
lyric poetry ⓘ |
| invitesAction | wife should cross the sea to join her husband ⓘ |
| language | Old English ⓘ |
| literaryCategory | Exeter Book elegy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| literaryDevice | prosopopoeia ⓘ |
| literaryPeriod | Old English literature ⓘ |
| literarySignificance | important example of Old English love and exile poetry ⓘ |
| manuscriptRepository | Exeter Cathedral Library NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| manuscriptShelfmark | MS 3501 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| mediumOfMessage | wooden staff ⓘ |
| meter | Old English alliterative meter ⓘ |
| motif |
messenger
ⓘ
runic inscription ⓘ wooden staff ⓘ |
| narrativeVoice | first person ⓘ |
| originalScript | Insular minuscule ⓘ |
| plotSummary | An exiled husband sends a wooden staff bearing runic symbols to summon his wife to join him across the sea. ⓘ |
| primaryManuscript | Exeter Book NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| protagonistRole | exiled husband ⓘ |
| relatedWork | The Wife's Lament NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| scholarlyDebate |
The identity of the speaker is debated.
ⓘ
The relationship between this poem and The Wife's Lament is debated. NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| scholarlyField | Old English studies ⓘ |
| setting |
exile in a foreign land
ⓘ
sea voyage ⓘ |
| studiedIn | medieval English literature courses ⓘ |
| theme |
exile
ⓘ
journey over the sea ⓘ loyalty ⓘ marital fidelity ⓘ reunion ⓘ separation of lovers ⓘ |
| usesRunes | true ⓘ |
| writtenInVerseForm | alliterative verse ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
The Husband’s Message