'And You Shall Know That I am the Lord': The Wanderer and the Book of Ezekiel

The ruined-city motif in the Old English poem The Wanderer (lines 73-87) has long been read as a reflex of traditional Germanic diction, and as a symbol of material transience. In line with more recent biblical readings of the poem, this paper identifies a number of analogues and possible sources for both the excidio urbis image and other images of transience, in the biblical Book of Ezekiel. Among these correspondences between The Wanderer and the prophetic biblical narrative are references to scavenging animals, traditionally read as Germanic 'beasts of battle' when encountered in the Old English elegies. Reading this passage alongside Gregory the Great's Homilies on Ezekiel further illuminates how the poem's structure and changing use of tense corresponds with contemporary thought on the revelatory processes of prophecy. It is here proposed that the Old English poet has chosen to use images and devices which resonate with both biblical and traditional vernacular poetic diction.

Automated summary

The motif of a ruined city in the Old English poem The Wanderer has traditionally been seen as a reflection of Germanic language and a symbol of material impermanence. However, this paper argues that there are parallels and possible sources for this image and other symbols of transience in the biblical Book of Ezekiel. By examining references to scavenging animals and comparing the poem with Gregory the Great's Homilies on Ezekiel, the author suggests that the Old English poet intentionally used images and devices that resonate with both biblical and traditional vernacular poetic language.