A longstanding literary mystery—one that puzzled scholars for over a century—has finally been unravelled by two Cambridge researchers. James Wade and Seb Falk have reinterpreted the only surviving fragment of the lost Song of Wade, revealing it to be a chivalric romance rather than a tale of elves and monsters.
The breakthrough, published in The Review of English Studies, centres on a sermon manuscript discovered in 1896 by famed scholar M.R. James. For 130 years, experts struggled to make sense of the few lines quoted in English within an otherwise Latin sermon. The text had long been assumed to describe supernatural creatures—“elves,” “sprites,” and the like—but Wade and Falk now argue that a scribal error misled generations of scholars.
“Changing elves to wolves makes a massive difference,” Falk explained. “It shifts this legend away from monsters and giants into the human battles of chivalric rivals.”
By correcting three key transcription errors—particularly a confusion between the letters ‘y’ and ‘w’—the scholars transformed a confusing passage into something far more coherent:
‘Thus they can say, with Wade: ‘Some are wolves and some are adders; some are sea-snakes that dwell by the water. There is no man at all but Hildebrand.’
The mention of Hildebrand, Wade’s legendary father, further supports the theory that the Song of Wade was part of the medieval romance tradition, rather than a folkloric epic. While earlier interpretations painted Hildebrand as a giant, this new reading suggests he was seen as a formidable knight—one of the few men who could rival the cunning and ferocity of the animalistic foes described in the sermon.
Chaucer and the Legend of Wade
James Wade (left) and Seb Falk (right) with Peterhouse MS 255 open at the sermon, in the University Library in Cambridge. Image courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse / University of Cambridge
The Song of Wade may be lost, but its main character was famous in the Middle Ages, appearing alongside legendary knights such as Lancelot and Gawain. Geoffrey Chaucer, writing in the late 14th century, twice invoked Wade in his poetry—but until now, the meaning of those references had remained obscure.
In Troilus and Criseyde, the character Pandarus tells the “tale of Wade” to Criseyde—a moment that now seems more intentional. Wade and Falk argue that this reference was a deliberate attempt to stir romantic tension, drawing on a story that would have been familiar and emotionally charged for Chaucer’s audience.
In The Merchant’s Tale, one of the parts of The Canterbury Tales, an elderly knight named January alludes to “Wade’s boat” during a speech on marriage. This, too, takes on new meaning when read through the lens of courtly romance rather than fantastical folklore.
“This reveals a characteristically Chaucerian irony at the heart of his allusion to Wade’s boat,” Wade noted, suggesting that Chaucer used the story’s romantic connotations to comment subtly on his characters’ desires and delusions.
A Medieval Sermon Meets Pop Culture
Part of the sermon mentioning Wade in Peterhouse MS 255. The word ‘Wade’ appears 4 lines up, 3rd word from right. ‘Lupi’ (wolf) appears in the bottom line, 5 words from the left. Image courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse / University of Cambridge
The manuscript that preserved the fragment is a 12th-century sermon known as Humiliamini, housed in MS 255 in the Peterhouse Library at Cambridge. According to Falk and Wade, previous scholars failed to examine the sermon in its full context—a mistake the pair have now corrected.
Far from being a dry theological text, the sermon appears to have been a creative and engaging piece of preaching. The preacher’s use of the Wade story is striking not only because of its popular appeal but also because chivalric romances were often condemned by church leaders for their scandalous content—adultery, violence, and worldly passions. That a sermon would draw on such material to teach a moral lesson is, as Wade put it, “surprising.”
Falk likened the medieval preacher’s tactic to a modern attempt to seem relevant by quoting pop culture: “I once went to a wedding where the vicar, hoping to appeal to an audience who he figured didn’t often go to church, quoted the Black Eyed Peas’ song ‘Where is the Love?’ in an obvious attempt to seem cool. Our medieval preacher was trying something similar to grab attention and sound relevant.”
The sermon explores the theme of humility by comparing fallen humanity to various animals. Some people, the preacher suggests, become like wolves—greedy and violent. Others are like snakes or water-dwelling creatures—deceitful and hidden. The reference to Wade’s quote underscores the idea that human nature, not mythical monsters, poses the greatest danger.
If you caught me & James Wade (no relation) in the newspapers or on the radio & were wondering where’s the real academic article, wonder no longer!
Here it is, complete with the full transcription & translation so you can decide for yourself what it’s all about
The preacher also includes a vivid story about Hugh of Gournay, a knight and crusader who switched allegiances multiple times during the Anglo-French wars. In a powerful scene, Hugh repents by tying a noose around his own neck and surrendering to the French king—a rare and dramatic tale not found in any other surviving source.
“It’s a bold image,” said Falk. “The repentant Hugh wrapping a noose around his neck and throwing himself on the mercy of the French king is a powerful and really fresh symbol of chivalric humility.”
The researchers now believe the sermon may have been written by the respected scholar Alexander Neckam (1157–1217), based on stylistic analysis and the themes it explores. Even if not penned by Neckam himself, they argue, the author was almost certainly familiar with the Song of Wade and confident that his audience would be too.
“This sermon demonstrates new scholarship, rhetorical sophistication, and inventiveness, and it has strategic aims,” said Falk. “It’s the ideal vehicle for the Wade quotation, which served an important purpose.”
Rediscovering Wade
The research of Wade and Falk not only resolves a major Chaucerian puzzle but also offers a fresh look at how medieval audiences engaged with romance literature. Far from being confined to elite courts or secular gatherings, tales like the Song of Wade were known well enough to be referenced in church sermons—evidence of a medieval literary culture that was far more interconnected and vibrant than once thought.
And for a mystery that baffled even M.R. James, the revelation feels long overdue. “Lots of very smart people have torn their hair out over the spelling, punctuation, literal translation, meaning, and context of a few lines of text,” said Wade. Thanks to this new reading, he and Falk believe the mystery has finally been unravelled.
The article, “The Lost Song of Wade: Peterhouse 255,” by Seb Falk and James Wade is published in The Review of English Studies. Click here to read it.
A longstanding literary mystery—one that puzzled scholars for over a century—has finally been unravelled by two Cambridge researchers. James Wade and Seb Falk have reinterpreted the only surviving fragment of the lost Song of Wade, revealing it to be a chivalric romance rather than a tale of elves and monsters.
The breakthrough, published in The Review of English Studies, centres on a sermon manuscript discovered in 1896 by famed scholar M.R. James. For 130 years, experts struggled to make sense of the few lines quoted in English within an otherwise Latin sermon. The text had long been assumed to describe supernatural creatures—“elves,” “sprites,” and the like—but Wade and Falk now argue that a scribal error misled generations of scholars.
“Changing elves to wolves makes a massive difference,” Falk explained. “It shifts this legend away from monsters and giants into the human battles of chivalric rivals.”
By correcting three key transcription errors—particularly a confusion between the letters ‘y’ and ‘w’—the scholars transformed a confusing passage into something far more coherent:
‘Thus they can say, with Wade: ‘Some are wolves and some are adders; some are sea-snakes that dwell by the water. There is no man at all but Hildebrand.’
The mention of Hildebrand, Wade’s legendary father, further supports the theory that the Song of Wade was part of the medieval romance tradition, rather than a folkloric epic. While earlier interpretations painted Hildebrand as a giant, this new reading suggests he was seen as a formidable knight—one of the few men who could rival the cunning and ferocity of the animalistic foes described in the sermon.
Chaucer and the Legend of Wade
The Song of Wade may be lost, but its main character was famous in the Middle Ages, appearing alongside legendary knights such as Lancelot and Gawain. Geoffrey Chaucer, writing in the late 14th century, twice invoked Wade in his poetry—but until now, the meaning of those references had remained obscure.
In Troilus and Criseyde, the character Pandarus tells the “tale of Wade” to Criseyde—a moment that now seems more intentional. Wade and Falk argue that this reference was a deliberate attempt to stir romantic tension, drawing on a story that would have been familiar and emotionally charged for Chaucer’s audience.
In The Merchant’s Tale, one of the parts of The Canterbury Tales, an elderly knight named January alludes to “Wade’s boat” during a speech on marriage. This, too, takes on new meaning when read through the lens of courtly romance rather than fantastical folklore.
“This reveals a characteristically Chaucerian irony at the heart of his allusion to Wade’s boat,” Wade noted, suggesting that Chaucer used the story’s romantic connotations to comment subtly on his characters’ desires and delusions.
A Medieval Sermon Meets Pop Culture
The manuscript that preserved the fragment is a 12th-century sermon known as Humiliamini, housed in MS 255 in the Peterhouse Library at Cambridge. According to Falk and Wade, previous scholars failed to examine the sermon in its full context—a mistake the pair have now corrected.
Far from being a dry theological text, the sermon appears to have been a creative and engaging piece of preaching. The preacher’s use of the Wade story is striking not only because of its popular appeal but also because chivalric romances were often condemned by church leaders for their scandalous content—adultery, violence, and worldly passions. That a sermon would draw on such material to teach a moral lesson is, as Wade put it, “surprising.”
Falk likened the medieval preacher’s tactic to a modern attempt to seem relevant by quoting pop culture: “I once went to a wedding where the vicar, hoping to appeal to an audience who he figured didn’t often go to church, quoted the Black Eyed Peas’ song ‘Where is the Love?’ in an obvious attempt to seem cool. Our medieval preacher was trying something similar to grab attention and sound relevant.”
The sermon explores the theme of humility by comparing fallen humanity to various animals. Some people, the preacher suggests, become like wolves—greedy and violent. Others are like snakes or water-dwelling creatures—deceitful and hidden. The reference to Wade’s quote underscores the idea that human nature, not mythical monsters, poses the greatest danger.
A Crusader’s Confession and a Possible Author
The preacher also includes a vivid story about Hugh of Gournay, a knight and crusader who switched allegiances multiple times during the Anglo-French wars. In a powerful scene, Hugh repents by tying a noose around his own neck and surrendering to the French king—a rare and dramatic tale not found in any other surviving source.
“It’s a bold image,” said Falk. “The repentant Hugh wrapping a noose around his neck and throwing himself on the mercy of the French king is a powerful and really fresh symbol of chivalric humility.”
The researchers now believe the sermon may have been written by the respected scholar Alexander Neckam (1157–1217), based on stylistic analysis and the themes it explores. Even if not penned by Neckam himself, they argue, the author was almost certainly familiar with the Song of Wade and confident that his audience would be too.
“This sermon demonstrates new scholarship, rhetorical sophistication, and inventiveness, and it has strategic aims,” said Falk. “It’s the ideal vehicle for the Wade quotation, which served an important purpose.”
Rediscovering Wade
The research of Wade and Falk not only resolves a major Chaucerian puzzle but also offers a fresh look at how medieval audiences engaged with romance literature. Far from being confined to elite courts or secular gatherings, tales like the Song of Wade were known well enough to be referenced in church sermons—evidence of a medieval literary culture that was far more interconnected and vibrant than once thought.
And for a mystery that baffled even M.R. James, the revelation feels long overdue. “Lots of very smart people have torn their hair out over the spelling, punctuation, literal translation, meaning, and context of a few lines of text,” said Wade. Thanks to this new reading, he and Falk believe the mystery has finally been unravelled.
The article, “The Lost Song of Wade: Peterhouse 255,” by Seb Falk and James Wade is published in The Review of English Studies. Click here to read it.
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