The Fortunes of Men

E505433

The Fortunes of Men is an Old English poem that reflects on the unpredictable and varied destinies allotted to humans, preserved in the Exeter Book manuscript.

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Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Old English poem
didactic poem
anonymous true
approximateDateOfComposition 10th century
approximateDateOfManuscript late 10th century
audience Anglo-Saxon Christian audience
catalogues different deaths and life paths of men
collection Exeter Book NERFINISHED
containedIn Exeter Book folios (specific folio numbers vary by edition)
countryOfOrigin England
emphasizes dependence of human life on God’s will
focus lot assigned to individuals by God
varied destinies of men
form verse
genre wisdom literature
language Old English
literaryDevice contrast
enumeration
gnomic statement
literaryTradition Anglo-Saxon literature
manuscript Exeter Book NERFINISHED
meter alliterative verse
mode didactic-gnomic
originalScript Old English runic and Latin alphabet mixture is not used; it uses Latin alphabet
period early medieval
preservationStatus extant in a single manuscript
primaryConcern moral instruction through examples of fortune
reflectsBeliefSystem Christian worldview
Germanic heroic tradition
relatedWork Maxims I NERFINISHED
Maxims II NERFINISHED
The Gifts of Men NERFINISHED
repository Exeter Cathedral Library NERFINISHED
scholarlyField Old English studies
medieval English literature
script Insular minuscule
setting generalized human society rather than specific locale
structure catalogue of different life outcomes
theme death
divine providence
fate
human destiny
moral reflection
social roles
unpredictability of life

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Exeter Book content The Fortunes of Men