POEM | TRANSLATION
MADELEINE HOWARD
INTRODUCTION
A multi-faith prayer for women, to be spoken aloud, ‘Peaceweaver’ was created by translating and collating three Old English poems from the 10th century Exeter Manuscript. The poem explores the Anglo-Saxon concept of the freoðuwebbe (pronounced “frey-oth-ooh-web”, translated “peace-weaver”). The freoðuwebbe was the ideal role for powerful Anglo-Saxon women as she weaved solidarity between tribes through diplomacy, marriage and motherhood. I wanted to resituate this philosophy of femininity in a new context and this ‘Peaceweaver’ shrugs off a purely patriarchal route for a woman to find power: the plot, woven from three anonymous poems, instead represents a woman’s journey from exile to finding her voice and joining a community.
One thousand years later, these unclaimed words still retain relevance. My hope is it could be a comfort and a philosophical rumination. The Anglo-Saxon sounds, which are kept alive in the translation, hopefully make the poem a pleasure to read aloud.
The three poems used are ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’, ‘Riddle 8’ and ‘The Husband’s Message’ (this last is missing words where the manuscript was partially destroyed by a fire).
PEACEWEAVER
A multi-faith prayer for women, to be spoken aloud, ‘Peaceweaver’ was created by translating and collating three Old English poems from the 10th century Exeter Manuscript. The poem explores the Anglo-Saxon concept of the freoðuwebbe (pronounced “frey-oth-ooh-web”, translated “peace-weaver”). The freoðuwebbe was the ideal role for powerful Anglo-Saxon women as she weaved solidarity between tribes through diplomacy, marriage and motherhood. I wanted to resituate this philosophy of femininity in a new context and this ‘Peaceweaver’ shrugs off a purely patriarchal route for a woman to find power: the plot, woven from three anonymous poems, instead represents a woman’s journey from exile to finding her voice and joining a community.
One thousand years later, these unclaimed words still retain relevance. My hope is it could be a comfort and a philosophical rumination. The Anglo-Saxon sounds, which are kept alive in the translation, hopefully make the poem a pleasure to read aloud.
The three poems used are ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’, ‘Riddle 8’ and ‘The Husband’s Message’ (this last is missing words where the manuscript was partially destroyed by a fire).
PEACEWEAVER
how unlike we are!
wulf on one island I on another
how unlike we are!
I wander after wulf my hope a thorn
in rainy weather there I sit and mourn
suddenly held fast in a fighter’s arms⸺
first pleasure then pain! how I am torn.
wulf, my wulf, my faith in you made me ill
food could never fill my hungry heart⸺
you never come.
can you hear me?
you see how a man may easily rend
what we could not join and could not mend⸺the song of us together.
my mouth speaks many many voices
the tone of my song turns, weaves and bends
at the top of my voice I cry out loud!
and she should proudly hold my wisdom not hide her song inside.
a crowd gathers to listen to this old bird of late nights and evensong
in busy joy of cities I can be found loud!
I steer up a storm while people sit fast through the night. so say my name!
illuminate! I’ll show you the way, girl-wise.
speak loud like the men, the preachers, the teachers
and it welcomes many things⸺the song of us together!
now. I cross the sea shout from the bottom of the well.
like any child of humankind I was born grew
moved house….maybe country….
….there are gaps in the record….
….sssssalt streams
I often searched for my lord of men my ______________.
from flats and stately homes you come here now,
carried in a ship’s hold, you will know now,
how you are hugged fast by my lady’s love
and hopefully I dare cry out loud!
that your⸺given respect⸺will find faith.
hey! when alone you prayed for a message carved into this woodbeam.
and you: beautiful self-conscious
with a hoard of wisdom, promises and warnings
you two: used to speak often
when you were allowed to in the busy, boozy city
committed to home, before his battles pushed him out
now he rules another roost, shares his pleasure
you stirred up a storm when you heard from the margins
sad songs from the cuckoo in the woods.
you couldn’t stop time lost the love of your life.
begin. take the sea seek the seagull
steer south from here fly away
what can you find? imagine? devise?
with hope and faith, the lord is mine is my mind this he said to me
shh….
together find faith in heroes and friends, keep just enough treasures to
grow golden.
together your home is every culture
a common eden.
here my friend’s ship was driven out of sight
and in the young waves….
one had to
float away prepared to depart
to weave salt streams, blood, salt, tears. now one has
wishwashed things clean overwon the evil thorn
happy, drinking with friends, no longer torn.
daughters are needed we weave together with a secret song
when it is sung friendship feels near life feels long!
tie it up with your own words now⸺the song of us together!
wulf on one island I on another
how unlike we are!
I wander after wulf my hope a thorn
in rainy weather there I sit and mourn
suddenly held fast in a fighter’s arms⸺
first pleasure then pain! how I am torn.
wulf, my wulf, my faith in you made me ill
food could never fill my hungry heart⸺
you never come.
can you hear me?
you see how a man may easily rend
what we could not join and could not mend⸺the song of us together.
my mouth speaks many many voices
the tone of my song turns, weaves and bends
at the top of my voice I cry out loud!
and she should proudly hold my wisdom not hide her song inside.
a crowd gathers to listen to this old bird of late nights and evensong
in busy joy of cities I can be found loud!
I steer up a storm while people sit fast through the night. so say my name!
illuminate! I’ll show you the way, girl-wise.
speak loud like the men, the preachers, the teachers
and it welcomes many things⸺the song of us together!
now. I cross the sea shout from the bottom of the well.
like any child of humankind I was born grew
moved house….maybe country….
….there are gaps in the record….
….sssssalt streams
I often searched for my lord of men my ______________.
from flats and stately homes you come here now,
carried in a ship’s hold, you will know now,
how you are hugged fast by my lady’s love
and hopefully I dare cry out loud!
that your⸺given respect⸺will find faith.
hey! when alone you prayed for a message carved into this woodbeam.
and you: beautiful self-conscious
with a hoard of wisdom, promises and warnings
you two: used to speak often
when you were allowed to in the busy, boozy city
committed to home, before his battles pushed him out
now he rules another roost, shares his pleasure
you stirred up a storm when you heard from the margins
sad songs from the cuckoo in the woods.
you couldn’t stop time lost the love of your life.
begin. take the sea seek the seagull
steer south from here fly away
what can you find? imagine? devise?
with hope and faith, the lord is mine is my mind this he said to me
shh….
together find faith in heroes and friends, keep just enough treasures to
grow golden.
together your home is every culture
a common eden.
here my friend’s ship was driven out of sight
and in the young waves….
one had to
float away prepared to depart
to weave salt streams, blood, salt, tears. now one has
wishwashed things clean overwon the evil thorn
happy, drinking with friends, no longer torn.
daughters are needed we weave together with a secret song
when it is sung friendship feels near life feels long!
tie it up with your own words now⸺the song of us together!
MADELEINE HOWARD is a writer, teacher and philosopher (when there is time). She is a Masters graduate of the University of Manchester and this poem was written during her studies of Anglo-Saxon poetry and culture.