Widsith

Widsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines. It is from the 6th or 7th century. It first appeared in the Exeter Book.

The poem contains the first mention of the Vikings by name (lines 47, 59, 80).

lines 45–59:
Hroþwulf ond Hroðgar heoldon lengest	Hrothwulf and Hrothgar held the longest
sibbe ætsomne suhtorfædran,	peace together, uncle and nephew,
siþþan hy forwræcon wicinga cynn	since they repulsed the Viking-kin
ond Ingeldes ord forbigdan,	and Ingeldes to the spear-point made bow,
forheowan aet Heorote Heaðobeardna þrym.	hewn at Heorot Heathobeard's army.

External links

A Verse Translation by Douglas B. Killings (http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ballc/oe/widsith-trans.html)
The original text of the verse. (http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/library/oe/texts/a3.11.html)

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