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Riddling Meaning From Oe - Haga Compounds, Jeff Massey Ph.D., Karma Degruy

Faculty Works: ENG (1995-2016)

Although the Anglo-Saxon compound anhaga (appearing in Beowulf, The Wanderer, Andreas, Elene, Phoenix, Maxims II, and Riddle 5 of the Exeter Book) is often translated as “loner” or “solitary one,” such paraphrases seem to ignore half of the compound (an: “one” or “lone”) at the expense of the other (haga: “hedge” or “haw”). A survey of various -haga compounds (gemærhaga, swinhaga, turfhaga, wighaga, cumbolhaga, bordhaga, and færhaga) underscores the importance of both elements and suggests that modern translators place more emphasis upon the “hedge” half of anhaga as well. Since haga may describe the Anglo-Saxon shield-wall formation composed of individual …