Blackwell Guides to Literature, Volume 15 : The Anglo Saxon Literature Handbook

The Anglo-saxon Literature Handbook Presents An Accessible Introduction To The Surviving Works Of Prose And Poetry Produced In Anglo-saxon England, From Ad 410-1066. This Book: Makes Anglo-saxon Literature Accessible To Modern Readers ; Helps Readers To Overcome The Linguistic, Aesthetic And Cultural Barriers To Understanding And Appreciating Anglo-saxon Verse And Prose ; Introduces Readers To The Language, Politics, And Religion Of The Anglo-saxon Literary World ; Presents Original Readings Of Such Works As Beowulf, The Battle Of Maldon, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, And The Anglo-saxon Chronicle.--publisher's Website. Part 1. Anglo-saxon England: Backgrounds And Beginnings : Political History ; Ecclesiastical History ; Intellectual History ; Linguistic History ; Literary History ; Traditions: Oral And Literate ; A Note On Dating Anglo-saxon Texts --^ Part 2. Anglo-saxon Prose : The Writings Of King Alfred The Great : Alfred's Translation Of Pope Gregory The Great's Pastoral Care; Alfred's Translation Of Boethius's Consolation Of Philosophy; Alfred's Translation Of St. Augustine's Soliloquies; Alfred's Translations Of The Prose Psalms Of The Paris Psalter; Alfred's Preface To Wærferth's Translation Of Pope Gregory's Dialogues ; The Vercelli Homilies ; The Blickling Homilies ; The Anglo-saxon Chronicle ; The Old English Orosius ; Bede's Ecclesiastical History Of The English People ; Apollonius Of Tyre ; The Old English Martyrology ; The Life Of St. Guthlac; The Wonders Of The East, The Letter Of Alexander To Aristotle, And The Life Of St. Christopher ; Bald's Leechbook And Leechbook Iii ; The Writings Of Wulfstan, Archbishop Of York ; The Writings Of Ælfric Of Eynsham : Catholic Homilies; Lives Of Saints; Colloquy On The Occupations; Ælfric As Author --^ ^part 3: Anglo-saxon Poetry : The Anglo-saxon Poetic Tradition ; Cædmon's Hymn ; Bede's Death Song ; The Junius Manuscript : Genesis; Genesis A; Genesis B; Exodus; Daniel; Christ And Satan ; The Poems Of The Vercelli Book : Andreas; Fates Of The Apostles; Soul And Body I (and Ii); Homiletic Fragment I; The Dream Of The Rood; Elene ; The Exeter Book : The Advent Lyrics (christ I); The Ascension (christ Ii); Christ In Judgement (christ Iii); Life Of St Guthlac; Guthlac A; Guthlac B; Azarias; The Phoenix; Juliana; The Wanderer; The Gifts Of Men; Precepts; The Seafarer; Vainglory; Widsið; The Fortunes Of Men; Maxims (i); The Order Of The World; The Rhyming Poem; The Panther, The Whale,^ The Partridge (the Old English Physiologus); Soul And Body Ii (and I); Deor; Wulf And Eadwacer; The Exeter Book Riddles; The Wife's Lament; Judgement Day I; Resignation (a And B); The Descent Into Hell; Almsgiving; Pharaoh; The Lord's Prayer I; Homiletic Fragment Ii; The Husband's Message; The Ruin ; The Poems Of Cotton Vitellius A.xv : Beowulf; Judith ; Poems From Various Manuscripts : The Metres Of Boethius; The Metrical Psalms Of The Paris Psalter; Solomon And Saturn I And Ii; The Menologium; The Rune Poem; The Poems Of The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; The Battle Of Brunanburh; The Battle Of Maldon; The Fight At Finnsburh; Waldere; Durham. -- Part 4: Critical Approaches : The Alterity Of Anglo-saxon Literature ; Source Studies ; Manuscript Studies ; Grammatical And Syntactic Studies ; Theoretical Perspectives -- Part 5. Themes : Anglo-saxon Thematics ; Heroism ; The End Of The World ; The Transitory Nature Of Life ; Fate ; Wisdom ; Otherness ; Oral-traditional Themes. Mark C. Amodio. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The Anglo-Saxon Literature Handbook 5 Copyright 6 Contents 9 Preface 13 Acknowledgments 17 Note on the Text 19 List of Abbreviations 21 Part 1 Anglo-Saxon England: Backgrounds and Beginnings 23 Political History 25 Ecclesiastical History 33 Intellectual History 37 Linguistic History 42 Literary History 46 Traditions: Oral and Literate 49 A Note on Dating Anglo-Saxon Texts 52 Part 2 Anglo-Saxon Prose 55 The Writings of King Alfred the Great 57 King Alfred’s Translation of Pope Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Care 58 Alfred’s Translation of Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy 64 King Alfred’s Translation of St Augustine’s Soliloquies 69 King Alfred’s Translations of the Prose Psalms of the Paris Psalter 73 King Alfred’s Preface to Wærferth’s Translation of Pope Gregory’s Dialogues 76 The Vercelli Homilies 78 The Blickling Homilies 84 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 89 The OE Version of Paulus Orosius’s Historiarium adversum Paganos Libri Septem [Seven Books of History against the Pagans] 94 Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People 100 Apollonius of Tyre 109 The Old English Martyrology 114 The Life of St Guthlac 118 The Wonders of the East, The Letter of Alexander to Aristotle, and The Life of St Christopher 121 Bald’s Leechbook and Leechbook III 127 The Writings of Wulfstan, Archbishop of York 131 The Writings of Ælfric of Eynsham 138 Catholic Homilies 144 Lives of Saints 148 Colloquy on the Occupations 149 Ælfric as Author 152 Part 3 Anglo-Saxon Poetry 157 The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Tradition 159 Cædmon’s Hymn 169 Bede’s Death Song 174 The Junius Manuscript 176 Genesis 177 Genesis A 178 Genesis B 179 Exodus 184 Daniel 189 Christ and Satan 192 The Poems of the Vercelli Book 198 Andreas 199 Fates of the Apostles 207 Soul and Body I (and II) 210 Homiletic Fragment I 214 The Dream of the Rood 214 Elene 219 The Exeter Book 224 The Advent Lyrics 225 The Ascension 228 Christ in Judgement 231 The Life of St Guthlac 234 Guthlac A 235 Guthlac B 237 Azarias 241 The Phoenix 243 Juliana 247 The Wanderer 251 The Gifts of Men 255 Precepts 256 The Seafarer 257 Vainglory 259 Widsið 262 The Fortunes of Men 264 Maxims (I) 266 The Order of the World 268 The Rhyming Poem 269 The Panther, The Whale, The Partridge (The Old English Physiologus) 271 Soul and Body II (and I) 274 Deor 275 Wulf and Eadwacer 277 The Exeter Book Riddles 279 The Wife’s Lament 282 Judgement Day I 284 Resignation (A and B) 287 The Descent into Hell 289 Almsgiving 290 Pharaoh 291 The Lord’s Prayer I 292 Homiletic Fragment II 292 The Husband’s Message 293 The Ruin 295 The Poems of Cotton Vitellius A.xv 298 Beowulf 299 Judith 316 Poems from Various Manuscripts 322 The Metres of Boethius 322 The Metrical Psalms of the Paris Psalter 327 Solomon and Saturn I and II 329 The Menologium 333 The Rune Poem 335 The Poems of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 337 The Battle of Brunanburh 339 The Battle of Maldon 341 The Fight at Finnsburh 345 Waldere 348 Durham 351 Part 4 Critical Approaches 355 The Alterity of Anglo-Saxon Literature 357 Source Studies 361 Manuscript Studies 364 Grammatical and Syntactic Studies 365 Theoretical Perspectives 367 Part 5 Themes 383 Anglo-Saxon Thematics 385 Heroism 387 The End of the World 390 The Transitory Nature of Life 392 Fate 394 Wisdom 396 Otherness 398 Oral-Traditional Themes 400 Bibliography 403 Index 423 Index of Manuscripts 433 The Anglo-Saxon Literature Handbook presents an accessible introduction to the surviving works of prose and poetry produced in Anglo-Saxon England, from AD 410-1066.

• Makes Anglo-Saxon literature accessible to modern readers
• Helps readers to overcome the linguistic, aesthetic and cultural barriers to understanding and appreciating Anglo-Saxon verse and prose
• Introduces readers to the language, politics, and religion of the Anglo-Saxon literary world
• Presents original readings of such works as Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle