Foreword.

The Saga literature of 13th century Iceland and the Shakespeare literature of Elizabethan England have dazzled the world with literary brilliance and puzzled it with an authorship question.

In Brennu-Njálssaga, the question arises at the end, „Ok lýk ek þar Brennu-Njálssögu“ (e. And there I conclude Saga of Burnt Njáll) but in the Shakespeare opus it is manifested in more subtle ways.

The great majority of modern Shakespeare scholars, who do not doubt their own subtlety, seem to believe – or want to believe – that what they do not know about William Shakespeare is not worth knowing.

More subtle researchers have long since concluded that the case is overwhelming that the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford – Edward de Vere a.k.a. Edward Oxenford – was the author of Shakespeares Sonnets and the original texts of most (but not all) plays published in the First Folio of 1623.

My interest in the subject matter arose by accident. While researching so-called epistemological aspects of modern physical science in the mid-1970s, I acquainted myself with Francis Bacon’s contributions in that field and found myself, as it were, next door to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

A few years later, I was introduced to the Oxfordian side of the Authorship Question through Charlton Ogburn’s fine book, The Mysterious William Shakespeare – The Myth & the Reality. More recently, Mark Anderson’s „Shakespeare“ By Another Name drove in the last nail for the coffin of orthodox Stratfordian scholarship.

In previous blog entries, I have sketched salient aspects of my own research in the field of the Shakespeare Authorship Question and refer to those for additional background.

Below is what I submit is as convincing evidence as there is likely to be found in the written record about Edward Oxenford behind the pen name „William Shakespeare“.

I. Promise of Eternitie

                Saga Myth

1000 = Light of the World

10125 = Sannr Maðr ok Sannr Guð¹

11125

Dedication of Shakespeares Sonnets

10233 = TO THE.ONLIE.BEGETTER.OF.

11550 = THESE.INSUING.SONNETS,

9775 = Mr. W.H., ALL HAPPINESSE

7932 = AND.THAT.ETERNITIE.

4480 = PROMISED.

541 = BY.

10347 = OUR EVER-LIVING POET.

5122 = WISHETH.

9575 = THE WELL-WISHING.

6780 = ADVENTURER.IN

7354 = SETTING.FORTH.

1846 = T.T.

85535

                   Edward Oxenford’s leave-taking

18733 = And thus wishinge all happines to yow,

13574 = and sume fortunat meanes to me,

19549 = wherby I myght recognise soo diepe merites,

13775 = I take my leave this 7th of October

11101 = from my House at Hakney 1601.

15668 = Yowre most assured and louinge

4605 = Broother

7936 = Edward Oxenford

104941

As in 11125 + 85535 + 104941 = 201601.

¹ Sannr Maðr ok Sannr Guð – 13th century Icelandic term for Jesus Christ.

II. Shakespeare’s Physical, Mythical and Literary Monuments

               Inscription on Shakespeare’s Stratford Statue 1768

7938 = Take him for all in all.

16533 = We shall not look upon his like again.

21078 = The Corporation and Inhabitants of Stratford

20379 = Assisted by The munificent Contributions

19782 = of the Noblemen and Gentlemen in the Neighbourhood

14687 = Rebuilt this Edifice in the Year 1768.

22845 = The Statue of Shakespear and his Picture within

13366 = were given by David Garrick Esq.

136608

           Mythical All in All

666 = Man-Beast

432 = Right Measure of Man

100 = The End

1198

            Literary Monument – First Folio 1623.

16746 = The Workes of William Shakespeare,

17935 = Containing all his Comedies, Histories, and

13106 = Tragedies: Truely set forth,

16008 = according to their first Originall.

63975

As in 136608 + 1198 + 63795 = 201601.

***

A cipher calculator is posted on the internet at

http://www.light-of-truth.com/ciphersaga.htm