Widsith is
an alliterative poem of 142 lines (slightly
abridged here) that provides a kind of
inventory of the peoples and characters,
both historical and fictitious, who comprise
the world of early Germanic literature — most
of which is lost to us. There is a brief
introduction to its speaker, a prototypical
Germanic scop who provides what
was probably a mnemonic list of tribes
and rulers, followed by a résumé of
the tribes and courts he has visited, interspersed
with praise and rewards he has received
for his performances. It closes with a
brief comment on the importance and fame
of poets like Widsith.
Although the poem is primarily
a catalog, Widsith opens a window — or
rather a peephole — on the oral tradition
of Germanic poetry. Like so many of the brief
allusions to stories in Beowulf — for
example, the feud between the Danes and the
Heathobards or the story about Offa's
taming of his haughty bride — the poem
tantalizes and frustrates the modern reader
with the desire to know more about the tales
known to Widsith's audiences. We have
italicized names that also occur in Beowulf.
The translation is by S. A.
J. Bradley from Anglo-Saxon Poetry (London:
J. M. Dent, 1982).
Widsith spoke forth, and unlocked the treasury
of his words, he who had traveled through
most of the peoples, nation and tribes upon
the earth; many a time on the floor of the
hall he had received some commemorative treasure.
His family were sprung from the Myrgingas,
and he had in the first instance gone with
Ealhild, the beloved weaver of peace, from
the east out of Anglen to the home of the
king of the glorious Goths, Eormanric,
the cruel troth-breaker. He began then to
say many things.
"I have heard tell about many men ruling
over nations. Every prince ought to live
ethically — one man governing the land
in succession to the other — who presumes
to receive its princely throne. . . .
"Attila ruled the Huns, Eormanric the
Goths, Becca the Baningas, Gifica the Burgundians,
Caesar ruled the Greeks and Cælic the
Finns, Hagena the Holmrygas, and Heoden the
Glommas, Witta ruled the Swabians, Wade the
Hælsingas, Meaca the Myrgingas, Mearchealf
the Hundingas. Theodoric ruled the Franks,
Thyle the Rondingas, Breoca the Brondingas,
Billing the Wernas. Oswine ruled the Eowan
and Gefwolf the Jutes; Finn son of Folcwalda the
tribe of the Frisians. Sigehere ruled
the Sea-Danes for a very long while, Hnæf the Hocingas,
Helm the Wulfingas, Wald the Woingas,
Wod the Thuringians, Sæferth the Secgan, Ongendtheow the Swedes,
Sceafthere the Ymbras, Sceafa the Longbeardan,
Hun the Hætwere and Holen the
Wrosnas. . . .
"Offa ruled Anglen, Alewih the
Danes, who was the most spirited of all those
people; he did not, however, accomplish heroic
achievements beyond those of Offa,
for of these men Offa, being in his
youth, first conquered the greatest of kingdoms.
No one contemporary with him made a greater
heroic achievement in battle. With his lone
sword he defined a frontier against the Myrgingas
at Fifeldor. From then on the Angles and
the Swabians maintained it as Offa had
conquered it.
"Hrothwulf Hrothgar, nephew
and uncle, kept peace together for a very
long while, after they had driven off the
tribe of the Wicingas and humiliated the
vanguard of Ingeld and cut down the
host of Heathobardan at Heorot.
"Thus I journeyed through many foreign
lands throughout this spacious earth. Good
and evil I experienced there; separated from
family, distant from noble kinsmen, I served
far and wide. I can sing, therefore, and
tell a tale, and mention before the assemblage
in the mead-hall how royal benefactors have
been generously kind to me. . . .
"And I was with Eormanric for
quite a while, where the king of the Goths
was graciously kind to me. He, the ruler
of the city-dwellers, gave me a collar in
which there was six hundred coins' worth
of pure gold, counted by shillings. This
I gave to Eadgils, my lord and protector,
to keep when I arrived home as a reward to
the beloved man because he, the lord of the
Myrgingas, gave me land, the ancestral home
of my father. And then Ealhhild, Eadwine's
daughter, the queen of the people, gave me
another. Her praise extended through many
lands, whenever I was to say in song where
below the sky I best knew a queen ornate
with gold, bestowing gifts. Whenever Scilling
and I with clear eloquence upraised a song
before our victorious lord and my voice rang
out melodiously and loud to the lyre, then
many people high-mettled of mind, those who
were well informed, have said they never
heard better singing. . . .
"I have always found it to be so in
my journeying, that the man most acceptable
to the country's inhabitants is the one
to whom God gives the government of the people
to uphold for the time that he lives here."
So the people's entertainers go wandering
fatedly through many lands; they declare
their need and speak words of thanks. Always,
whether south or north, they will meet someone
discerning of songs and unniggardly of gifts
who desires to exalt his repute and sustain
his heroic standing until everything passes
away, light and life together. This man deserves
glory; he will keep his lofty and secure
renown here below the heavens.