The Exeter Book’s Fish in the River Riddle and its Contemplative Turn

Abstract The Exeter Book’s fish in the river riddle, here entitled Nis Min Sele Swige , derives from a simple Latin riddle with a ready solution. The Old English version changes the riddle, putting it into the voice of the fish, who adds several lively details along with a concluding reference to death. This article begins by reviewing this riddle’s previous editions and proposes a revised version, using a diplomatic approach. From there it develops a metaphorical reading of this riddle, based on an episode in Evagrius’s Vita of St Antony, where the saint likens monks to fish, who perish if they linger on the dry land of worldly conversation. The metaphorical reading of the riddle takes on a spiritual bearing and becomes an exhortation to contemplation and prayer.