The Intellectual Foundations of the English Benedictine Reform (Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, Series Number 25)

This book explores the foundations of the intellectual renaissance in tenth-century England, including both the English Benedictine reform and the establishment by Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester (963–84), of the most influential school in late Anglo-Saxon England. The vital early stages of Æthelwold's scholarly career are explored for the first time, particularly his formative years in King Æthelstan's entourage and his period of study at Glastonbury. Light is shed on the contribution which Æthelstan's cosmopolitan court made to intellectual and spiritual life. Based on a wide range of evidence Dr Gretsch assigns to Æthelwold two influential texts: an interlinear translation of the psalter and a vast corpus of Old English glosses to Aldhelm's prose De virginitate. These glosses are shown to have played a pivotal role in the development of the vernacular as a medium for scholarly discourse. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 11 1 Introduction......Page 15 2 Psalters and psalter glosses in Anglo-Saxon England......Page 20 THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT......Page 21 THE PSALTER......Page 27 The manuscripts......Page 31 The textual recensions of the psalter......Page 35 The textual affliations of the Old English psalter glosses......Page 40 The marginal commentary in Royal 2. B. V......Page 42 The Royal Psalter gloss and the A-type glosses......Page 47 3 The vocabulary of the Royal Psalter......Page 56 LEXICAL VARIATION AND DOUBLE GLOSSES......Page 58 The glosses for refugium......Page 60 Double glosses......Page 63 LOANWORDS......Page 65 UNUSUAL WORDS AND STYLISTIC EMBELLISHMENTS......Page 68 The translation of christus......Page 87 The stylistic background......Page 93 4 The Royal Psalter and the Rule: lexical and stylistic links......Page 103 LEXICAL LINKS......Page 104 Winchester vocabulary......Page 107 'corona' and 'coronare'......Page 112 'ecclesia'......Page 118 The Rule......Page 127 The preface to the Rule......Page 135 ÆTHELWOLD AND ALDHELM......Page 139 Interlaced word-order......Page 141 The couplets......Page 142 CONCLUSIONS......Page 144 THE GLOSSES IN BRUSSELS 1650......Page 146 THE TRANSMISSION OF THE OLD ENGLISH ALDHELM GLOSSES......Page 151 A LOST MANUSCRIPT AND ITS AFFLIATIONS......Page 153 THE TEXTUAL CRITICISM OF THE GLOSSES TO THE PROSE DE VIRGINITATE......Page 156 Salisbury group......Page 157 Manuscripts belonging neither to the Abingdon nor to the Salisbury group......Page 158 BRUSSELS 1650: THE LAYERS OF GLOSSES......Page 160 THE CLEOPATRA GLOSSARIES......Page 163 THE CORPUS GLOSSARY......Page 168 THE VOCABULARY OF THE BRUSSELS GLOSSES......Page 172 Historiographus: wyrdwritere ('a writer of fate or destiny') Chronographus: tidwritere ('a writer about times')......Page 174 Urbanitatis disertudo: burhspæc (`elegant speech, courtly speech', lit. 'speech which is used in a burh')......Page 177 Dialectica: flitcræft......Page 179 Geometrica: eorðcræft, eorðgemet......Page 181 Leuiathan, palatum, Europa, Alpes, pelta......Page 182 The Etymologiae, glossaries and Isidorian scholia......Page 183 Gymnosophistae......Page 185 Sophisma......Page 191 Poetic words......Page 193 Summary: the vocabulary......Page 196 CONCLUSIONS......Page 197 6 Word usage in the Royal Psalter, the Rule and the Aldhelm glosses......Page 199 WYNDREAM, DREAM, DRYMAN AND MUSICAL TERMINOLOGY......Page 202 DÆGRED, DÆGREDSANG, GLÆTERUNG, GLÆTERIAN......Page 214 THE GLOSSES FOR LATIN HONOR......Page 217 WORDS FOR 'SACRIFICE'......Page 219 HOSP 'SCORN, OPPROBRIUM, INSULT' AND HYSPAN' TO MOCK, SCORN, DERIDE, REVILE'......Page 221 SCRUDNIAN `TO EXAMINE, INVESTIGATE, SCRUTINIZE, MEDITATE ON', ASCRUDNIAN 'TO SEARCH (THROUGH)', SCRUDNUNG `INVESTIGATION.........Page 225 FURTHER AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PSALTER, THE RULE AND THE ALDHELM GLOSSES......Page 233 CONCLUSION......Page 238 THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE OLD ENGLISH RULE......Page 240 THE DATE OF THE OLD ENGLISH RULE......Page 247 The evidence of Æthelwold's career......Page 249 The textual recensions of the `Regula'......Page 255 The early Glastonbury years and the evidence of CCCC 57......Page 265 The `Expositio in Regulam S. Benedicti'......Page 269 Winchester vocabulary......Page 273 8 Æthelwold and the Royal Psalter......Page 275 ÆTHELWOLD AS TEACHER......Page 276 Royal 2. B. V......Page 278 The evidence of the eleventh-century Winchester psalters......Page 281 A fresh translation of the Book of Psalms......Page 283 The Creed......Page 287 The continental psalters......Page 288 The gloss......Page 291 The 'Benedictine' reading......Page 294 The 'Psalterium Romanum' as the exemplar for the Royal gloss......Page 301 THE ART HISTORICAL EVIDENCE......Page 310 Posuisti in capite eius coronam de lapide pretioso......Page 311 Christus–rex–cyning......Page 318 The Galba Psalter......Page 324 The Junius Psalter......Page 329 The Junius gloss and the evidence of dialect features in the tenth century......Page 330 The Junius gloss and the Royal Psalter......Page 339 KING ÆTHELSTAN'S COURT......Page 346 'Æthelstan A'......Page 348 The continental background......Page 350 Oda......Page 353 The Alfredian roots......Page 355 The Æthelstan acrostic......Page 358 Æthelstan and Malmesbury......Page 361 Conclusions......Page 362 THE MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE......Page 363 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson C. 697......Page 364 Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 183......Page 366 BL, Royal 7. D. XXIV, part ii, fols. 82–168......Page 373 BL, Cotton Cleopatra A. iii......Page 381 Conclusions......Page 382 ARCHBISHOP ODA......Page 384 ABBOT DUNSTAN......Page 386 THE EVIDENCE OF LATER MANUSCRIPTS......Page 390 CONCLUSIONS......Page 395 10 French and German loan influence......Page 398 OLD SAXON AND OLD HIGH GERMAN INFLUENCE......Page 401 Galsmære and agælan......Page 404 æwicness 'eternity'......Page 406 orgeldream......Page 408 cildgeong 'young'......Page 411 ofearmian, ofearmung (misereri, miseratio)......Page 413 OLD FRENCH LOANWORDS AND WEST FRANKISH INFLUENCE......Page 417 Iugelere, tudenard, coittemære......Page 420 scrudnian (Lat. scrutari)......Page 421 Old English 'prud' and the terminology for 'superbia'......Page 424 CONCLUSIONS......Page 437 11 Conclusion......Page 439 APPENDIX I Æthelwold's life and career......Page 442 APPENDIX II The Royal Psalter at Canterbury......Page 444 APPENDIX III The Gernrode fragments of an Old Saxon psalm commentary......Page 446 Bibliography......Page 451 Index of Old English words......Page 465 Index of Latin words glossed in Old English or translated......Page 474 General index......Page 478 This Book Explores The Foundations Of The Intellectual Renaissance In Tenth-century England, Which Is Marked By The Benedictine Reform And The Establishment Of The Most Influential School In Late Anglo-saxon England By Aethelwold, Bishop Of Winchester (963-84). The Vital Early Stages Of Aethelwold's Scholarly Career Are Traced For The First Time, Particularly His Formative Years In King Aethelstan's (924-39) Entourage And His Period Of Study, Together With The New Benedictines, At Glastonbury. After Assessing A Wide Range Of Evidence From The Fields Of Philology, History, Liturgy, Textual Criticism, Palaeography And Art History, Mechthild Gretsch Definitively Assigns To Aethelwold And His Circle Two Influential Texts: An Interlinear Translation Of The Psalter And A Vast Corpus Of Old English Glosses To Aldhelm's Prose De Uirginitate. These Glosses Are Shown To Have Played A Pivotal Role In The Development Of English As A Medium For Scholarly Discourse. New Light Is Also Shed On The Contribution Which King Aethelstan's Cosmopolitan Court Culture Made To Intellectual And Spiritual Life In Late Anglo-saxon England.--book Jacket. Mechthild Gretsch. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book explores the foundations of the intellectual renaissance in late-tenth-century England, including both the English Benedictine reform and the establishment by Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, of his influential school. The early stages of Æthelwold's scholarly career are explored and new light is shed on the role which King Æthelstan's cosmopolitan court played. Two widely influential Old English texts are definitively attributed to Æthelwold and his circle, which attest to the importance that the reformers attached to the vernacular. This book explores the intellectual foundations of the Benedictine reform in tenth-century England. It examines the importance of the vernacular at Bishop AEthelwold's influential Winchester school. AEthelwold's early career is also examined, showing the influence King AEthelstan's court had on intellectual and spiritual thought. This book explores the intellectual foundations of the Benedictine reform in tenth-century England. It examines the importance of the vernacular at Bishop Æthelwold's influential Winchester school. Æthelwold's early career is also examined, showing the influence King Æthelstan's court had on intellectual and spiritual thought.