Riddles at Work in the Early Medieval Tradition Words, Ideas, Interactions Manchester Literature and Culture

The first collection devoted solely to early medieval riddles, Riddles at work showcases recent research in this popular, new field. It brings together studies of Old English and Latin riddles, authors at various stages of their careers and a range of approaches, aiming to map out both the state of the field now and its future directions. Riddles at work assembles multiple scholarly voices to explore the vibrant, poetic riddle tradition of early medieval England and its neighbours. The chapters present a wide range of traditional and experimental methodologies. They treat the riddles both as individual poems and as parts of a tradition, but, most importantly, they address Latin and Old English riddles side-by-side, bringing together texts that originally developed in conversation with each other but have often been separated in scholarship. Following the introduction, which situates the book in its scholarly context, Part I (Words) presents philological approaches to early medieval riddles – interpretations rooted in close readings of texts – since riddles work by making readers question what words really mean. However, while reading carefully may lead to elegant solutions, such solutions are not the end of the riddling game. Part II (Ideas) therefore explores how riddles work to make readers think anew about objects, relationships, and experiences, using literary theory to facilitate new approaches. Part III (Interactions) then looks at how riddles work through connections with other fields, languages, times, and places. Together, the chapters reveal that there is no single, right way to read these texts but rather a multitude of productive paths – some explored here, some awaiting future work. Riddles at work will appeal to students and scholars of early medieval studies. It features a mixture of new and established voices, including Jonathan Wilcox, Mercedes Salvador-Bello, and Jennifer Neville. Capitalising on developments in the field over the past decade, Riddles at work provides an up-to-date microcosm of research on the early medieval riddle tradition. The book presents a wide range of traditional and experimental methodologies. The contributors treat the riddles both as individual poems and as parts of a tradition, but, most importantly, they address Latin and Old English riddles side-by-side, bringing together texts that originally developed in conversation with each other but have often been separated by scholarship. Together, the chapters reveal that there is no single, right way to read these texts but rather a multitude of productive paths. This book will appeal to students and scholars of early medieval studies. It contains new as well as established voices, including Jonathan Wilcox, Mercedes Salvador-Bello and Jennifer Neville.