Article: A Case of Editorial Hypercorrection in Exeter Riddle 35 (8b).(Critical Essay)

Riddle 35 is a special case within the Exeter collection, as its text can also be found in a Northumbrian counterpart (the so-called Leiden Riddle) and the Latin version (no. 33) of Aldhelm's enigmata.(1) The presence of the title-solution ("Lorica") in the Latin riddle and its textual resemblance to the two vernacular variants prove that Exeter Riddle 35 unmistakably hides the answer "mail coat," as Dietrich (16) first pointed out. In fact, the three versions develop the paradox of an unusually manufactured garment, since the mail shirt is not "woven" in the way ordinary clothes are. This idea gives rise to the description of the process of weaving in Exeter Riddle ...