A History of Old English Literature [Paperback]

• Introduces Old English texts and considers their relation to Anglo-Saxon culture.
  
• Responds to renewed emphasis on historical and cultural contexts in the field of medieval studies.
  
• Treats virtually the entire range of textual types preserved in Old English.
  
• Considers the production, reception and uses of Old English texts.
  
• Integrates the Anglo-Latin backgrounds crucial to understanding Old English literature.
  
• Offers very extensive bibliographical guidance.
  
• Demonstrates that Anglo-Saxon studies is uniquely placed to contribute to current literary debates.

List of Illustrations vi

Preface vii

Introduction

Anglo-Saxon England and Its Literature: A Social History 1

1 The Chronology and Varieties of Old English Literature 36

2 Literature of the Alfredian Period 48

3 Homilies 70

4 Saints’ Legends, by Rachel S. Anderson 87

5 Biblical Literature 106

6 Liturgical and Devotional Texts 120

7 Legal, Scientific, and Scholastic Works 148

8 Wisdom Literature and Lyric Poetry 164

9 Germanic Legend and Heroic Lay 193

Conclusion

Making Old English New: Anglo-Saxonism and the Cultural Work of Old English Literature 225

Notes 235

Works Cited 269

Index 339