The Voyage of Ohthere
1 Ohthere sæde his hlaforde, ælfrede cyninge, þæt he ealra Norðmonna norþmest bude.
2 He cwæþ þæt he bude on þæm lande norþweardum wiþ þa Westsæ.
3 He sæde þeah þæt þæt land sie swiþe lang norþ þonan;
4 Ac hit is eal weste, buton on feawum stowum styccemælum wiciaþ Finnas, on huntoþe on wintra, and on sumera on fiscaþe be þære sæ.
6 He sæde þæt he æt sumum cirre wolde fandian hu longe þæt land norþryhte læge, oþþe hwæþer ænig mon be norþan þæm westenne bude.
9 þa for he norþryhte be þæm lande.
10 Let him ealne weg þæt weste land on þæt steorbord, ond þa widsæ on þæt bæcbord þrie dagas.
11 þa wæs he swa feor norþ swa þa hwælhuntan firrest faraþ.
12 þa for he þa giet norþryhte swa feor swa he meahte on þæm oþrum þrim dagum gesiglan.
13 þa beag þæt land þær eastryhte, oþþe seo sæ in on þæt lond, he nysse hwæþer, buton he wisse þæt he þær bad westan windes ond hwon norþan, ond siglde þa east be lande swa swa he meahte on feower dagum gesiglan.
17 þa sceolde he þær bidan ryhtnorþanwindes, for þæm þæt land beag þær suþryhte, oþþe seo sæ in on þæt land, he nysse hwæþer.
19 þa siglde he þonan suþryhte be lande swa swa he mehte on fif dagum gesiglan.
20 þa læg þær an micel ea up in on þæt land.
21 þa cirdon hie up in on þa ea, for þæm hie ne dorston forþ bi þære ea siglan for unfriþe; for þæm þæt land wæs eall gebun on oþre healfe þære eas.
23 Ne mette he ær nan gebun land, siþþan he from his agnum ham for; ac him wæs ealne weg weste land on þæt steorbord, butan fiscerum and fugelerum ond huntum, ond þæt wæron eall Finnas; ond him wæs a widsæ on þæt bæcbord.
27 þa Beormas hæfdon swiþe wel gebun hira land: ac hie ne dorston þæron cuman.
28 Ac þara Terfinna land wæs eal weste, buton þær huntan gewicodon, oþþe fisceras, oþþe fugeleras.
31 Fela spella him sædon þa Beormas ægþer ge of hiera agnum lande ge of þæm landum þe ymb hie utan wæron, ac he nyste hwæt þæs soþes wæs, for þæm he hit self ne geseah. þa Finnas, him þuhte, & þa Beormas spræcon neah an geþeode.
34 Swiþost he for ðider, toeacan þæs landes sceawunge, for þæm horshwælum, for ðæm hie habbað swiþe æþele ban on hiora toþum. þa teð hie brohton sume þæm cyninge, & hiora hyd bið swiðe god to sciprapum.
38 Se hwæl bið micle læssa þonne oðre hwalas: ne bið he lengra ðonne syfan elna lang—
39 ac on his agnum lande is se betsta hwælhuntað: þa beoð eahta and feowertiges elna lange, & þa mæstan fiftiges elna lange—
41 þara he sæde þæt he syxa sum ofsloge syxtig on twam dagum.
43 He wæs swyðe spedig man on þæm æhtum þe heora speda on beoð, þæt is on wildrum.
44 He hæfde þa gyt, ða he þone cyningc sohte, tamra deora unbebohtra syx hund. þa deor hi hatað hranas; þara wæron syx stælhranas. ða beoð swyðe dyre mid Finnum, for ðæm hy foð þa wildan hranas mid.
47 He wæs mid þæm fyrstum mannum on þæm lande; næfde he þeah ma ðonne twentig hryðera & twentig sceapa & twentig swyna, & þæt lytle þæt he erede he erede mid horsan.
50 Ac hyra ar is mæst on þæm gafole þe ða Finnas him gyldað.
51 þæt gafol bið on deora fellum & on fugela feðerum & hwales bane & on þæm sciprapum þe beoð of hwæles hyde geworht & of seoles.
54 æghwilc gylt be hys gebyrdum. Se byrdesta sceall gyldan fiftyne mearðes fell & fif hranes & an beran fel & tyn ambra feðra & berenne kyrtel oððe yterenne & twegen sciprapas; ægþer sy syxtig elna lang: oþer sy of hwæles hyde geworht, oþer of sioles.
59 He sæde ðæt Norðmanna land wære swyþe lang & swyðe smæl.
60 Eal þæt his man aþer oððe ettan oððe erian mæg, þæt lið wið ða sæ; & þæt is þeah on sumum stowum swyðe cludig, & licgað wilde moras wið eastan & wið uppon, emnlange þæm bynum lande.
63 On þæm morum eardiað Finnas; & þæt byne land is easteweard bradost & symle swa norðor swa smælre.
65 Eastewerd hit mæg bion syxtig mila brad oþþe hwene brædre; & middeweard þritig oððe bradre; & norðeweard, he cwæð, þær hit smalost wære, þæt hit mihte beon þreora mila brad to þæm more, & se mor syðþan, on sumum stowum swa brad swa man mæg on twam wucum oferferan, & on sumum stowum swa brad swa man mæg on syx dagum oferferan.
72 þonne is toemnes þæm lande suðeweardum, on oðre healfe þæs mores, Sweoland, oþ þæt land norðeweard; & toemnes þæm lande norðeweardum Cwena land.
74 þa Cwenas hergiað hwilum on ða Norðmen ofer ðone mor, hwilum þa Norðmen on hy.
76 & þær sint swiðe micle meras fersce geond þa moras, & berað þa Cwenas hyra scypu ofer land on ða meras & þanon hergiað on ða Norðmen; hy habbað swyðe lytle scypa & swyðe leohte.
80 Ohthere sæde þæt sio scir hatte Halgoland þe he on bude.
81 He cwæð þæt nan man ne bude be norðan him. þonne is an port on suðeweardum þæm lande, þone man hæt Sciringesheal.
83 þyder he cwæð þæt man ne mihte geseglian on anum monðe, gyf man on niht wicode, & ælce dæge hæfde ambyrne wind; & ealle ða hwile he sceal seglian be lande.
85 & on þæt steorbord him bið ærest Iraland, & þonne ða igland þe synd betux Iralande & þissum lande.
87 þone is þis land oð he cymð to Scirincgesheale, & ealne weg on þæt bæcbord Norðweg.
89 Wið suðan þone Sciringesheal fylð swyðe mycel sæ up in on ðæt lond; seo is bradre þonne ænig man ofer seon mæge.
92 Seo sæ lið mænig hund mila up in on þæt land.
93 & of Sciringesheale he cwæð þæt he seglode on fif dagan to þæm porte þe mon hæt æt Hæþum; . Se stent betuh Winedum, & Seaxum, & Angle, & hyrð in on Dene.
95 ða he þiderweard seglode fram Sciringesheale, þa wæs him on þæt bæcbord Denamearc, & on þæt steorbord widsæ þry dagas; & þa, twegen dagas ær he to Hæþum come, him wæs on þæt steorbord Gotland, & Sillende, & iglanda fela.
99 On þæm landum eardodon Engle, ær hi hider on land coman.
100 & hym wæs ða twegen dagas on ðæt bæcbord þa igland þe in Denemearce hyrað.