(HM) is an anonymous Old English poetic text included in Exeter, Cathedral Library 3501, the Exeter Book [see separate entry on the Exeter Book]. No convincing evidence for dating the poem has been provided so far and proposals range from the 8th century to the mid-10th, when the manuscript was copied. The mutilated state of the last pages of the Exeter Book – affected by burn damage – as well as the absence of headings and the similar design of capital letters and end-punctuation in folios 122b to 123b have provided problems for editors, who do not agree on the number of poems contained in this section of the manuscript. Some believe that
The Husband's Messageextends from line 18 in folio 122b to line 21 in 123b, and that the poem exhibits, from beginning to…
1792 words
Citation: Conde-Silvestre, Juan Camilo. "The Husband's Message". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 December 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=545, accessed 19 April 2024.]
