Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures

Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures
Author: Richard North
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 1415
Release: 2020-11-26
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1000154084

The Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures provides a scholarly and accessible introduction to the literature which was the inspiration for many of the heroes of modern popular culture, from The Lord of the Rings to The Chronicles of Narnia, and which set the foundations of the English language and its literature as we know it today. Edited, translated and annotated by the editors of Beowulf and Other Stories, the anthology introduces readers to the rich and varied literature of Britain, Scandinavia and France of the period in and around the Viking Age. Ranging from the Old English epic Beowulf through to the Anglo-Norman texts which heralded the transition Middle English, thematically organised chapters present elegies, eulogies, laments and followed by material on the Viking Wars in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Vikings gods and Icelandic sagas, and a final chapter on early chivalry introduces the new themes and forms which led to Middle English literature, including Arthurian Romances and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Laying out in parallel text format selections from the most important Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman works, this anthology presents translated and annotated texts with useful bibliographic references, prefaced by a headnote providing useful background and explanation.

Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures

Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures
Author: Richard North
Publisher:
Total Pages: 886
Release: 2011
Genre:
ISBN:

This new anthology sits at the forefront of the discipline of Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic literatures, brought to us by an author team highly respected in the field. It is the first to fully incorporate multi-cultural aspects of medieval British literature. This is the only anthology to present Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman literatures alongside Old English as an integral part of the literary and cultural tradition in the British Isles before Chaucer. Uniquely, an expanded selection of material is also available for those teaching large courses who wish to create a bespoke anthology.

Beowulf and Other Stories

Beowulf and Other Stories
Author: Joe Allard
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 591
Release: 2014-04-23
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 131786042X

Beowulf & Other Stories was first conceived in the belief that the study of Old English – and its close cousins, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman – can be a genuine delight, covering a period as replete with wonder, creativity and magic as any other in literature. Now in a fully revised second edition, the collection of essays written by leading academics in the field is set to build upon its established reputation as the standard introduction to the literatures of the time. Beowulf & Other Stories captures the fire and bloodlust of the great epic, Beowulf, and the sophistication and eroticism of the Exeter Riddles. Fresh interpretations give new life to the spiritual ecstasy of The Seafarer and to the imaginative dexterity of The Dream of the Rood, andprovide the student and general reader with all they might need to explore and enjoy this complex but rewarding field. The book sheds light, too, on the shadowy contexts of the period, with suggestive and highly readable essays on matters ranging from the dynamism of the Viking Age to Anglo-Saxon input into The Lord of the Rings, from the great religious prose works to the transition from Old to Middle English. It also branches out into related traditions, with expert introductions to the Icelandic Sagas, Viking Religion and Norse Mythology. Peter S. Baker provides an outstanding guide to taking your first steps in the Old English language, while David Crystal provides a crisp linguistic overview of the entire period. With a new chapter by Mike Bintley on Anglo-Saxon archaeology and a revised chapter by Stewart Brookes on the prose writers of the English Benedictine Reform, this updated second edition will be essential reading for students of the period.

Runes and Roman Letters in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts

Runes and Roman Letters in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts
Author: Victoria Symons
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2016-10-24
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 3110492776

This book presents the first comprehensive study of Anglo-Saxon manuscript texts containing runic letters. To date there has been no comprehensive study of these works in a single volume, although the need for such an examination has long been recognized. This is in spite of a growing academic interest in the mise-en-page of early medieval manuscripts. The texts discussed in this study include Old English riddles and elegies, the Cynewulfian poems, charms, Solomon and Saturn I, and the Old English Rune Poem. The focus of the discussion is on the literary analysis of these texts in their palaeographic and runological contexts. Anglo-Saxon authors and scribes did not, of course, operate within a vacuum, and so these primary texts are considered alongside relevant epigraphic inscriptions, physical objects, and historical documents. Victoria Symons argues that all of these runic works are in various ways thematically focused on acts of writing, visual communication, and the nature of the written word. The conclusion that emerges over the course of the book is that, when encountered in the context of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, runic letters consistently represent the written word in a way that Roman letters do not.

The Life Course in Old English Poetry

The Life Course in Old English Poetry
Author: Harriet Soper
Publisher:
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2023-11-29
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1009315137

In the first book-length study of the whole lifespan in Old English verse, Harriet Soper reveals how poets depicted varied paths through life, including their staging of entanglements between human life courses and those of the nonhuman or more-than-human. While Old English poetry sometimes suggests that uniform patterns shape each life, paralleling patristic traditions of the ages of man, it also frequently disrupts a sense of steady linearity through the life course in striking ways, foregrounding moments of sudden upheaval over smooth continuity, contingency over predictability, and idiosyncrasy over regularity. Advancing new readings of a diverse range of Old English poems, Soper draws on an array of supporting contexts and theories to illuminate these texts, unearthing their complex and fascinating depictions of ageing through life. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Studying Literature in English

Studying Literature in English
Author: Dominic Rainsford
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 219
Release: 2014-06-27
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1135053170

Studying Literature in English provides the ideal point of entry for students of English Literature. This book is an accessible guide for Literature students around the world. This book: Grounds literature and the study of literature throughout by referencing a selection of well-known novels, plays and poems Examines the central questions that readers ask when confronting literary texts, and shows how these make literary theory meaningful and necessary Links British, American and postcolonial literature into a coherent whole Discusses film as literature and provides the basic conceptual tools in order to study film within a literature-course framework Places particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity by examining the connections between the study of literature and other disciplines Provides an annotated list of further reading From principal literary genres, periods and theory, to strategies for reading, research and essay-writing, Dominic Rainsford provides an engaging introduction to the most important aspects of studying literature in English. This book is invaluable reading for anyone studying literature in English.

Literature in English

Literature in English
Author: Dominic Rainsford
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2020-05-19
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1000062953

Literature in English: How and Why is an accessible guide for students. It deals with the fundamental concepts of literary form and genre; the history of English-language literature from the medieval period to the present; relations between the study of literature and other disciplines; literary theory; researching a topic; and writing a paper. This new edition contains a brand new chapter which takes literary theory to another level, using it to link literature to the issues that concern us most, whether in our own lives or in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The book has also been fully updated throughout, with significant additions to the introduction and further reading sections. Overall, Literature in English: • Grounds the study of literature throughout by referencing a selection of well-known novels, plays and poems • Examines the central questions that readers ask when confronting literary texts, and shows how these make literary theory meaningful and necessary • Links British, American and postcolonial literature into a coherent whole • Discusses film as literature and provides the basic conceptual tools needed to study film within a literature-course framework • Places particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity by examining the connections between the study of literature and other disciplines • Links literary theory to current global challenges, placing special emphasis on new and evolving approaches such as ecocriticism, new materialism and the spatial turn • Provides extensive guidance on further reading. Written in a clear and engaging style, this is an essential guide for literature students around the world.

News from the Raven

News from the Raven
Author: Darci Hill
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2014-06-02
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1443861197

This volume, edited from the proceedings of a unique conference held at Sam Houston State University, offers the reader an independent Texas-style celebration of Medieval and Renaissance culture and thought. In the opening article, Richard North reveals some ways in which medieval literature pioneered the modern novel. The following essays, drawing from philosophy, literature, music, art, architecture, history, and linguistics, include studies of the portrayal of women in medieval literature and art; discussions surrounding the hero of Paradise Lost; explorations into the thought of Thomas Aquinas; explications of linguistic puzzles in Beowulf; analyses of Shakespeare’s plays; considerations of renaissance architecture and instrumental music; and an investigation into the influence of rhetoric on musical composition.

The Ruthwell Cross and its Texts

The Ruthwell Cross and its Texts
Author: Kerstin Majewski
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2022-10-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 3110785447

The Ruthwell Cross is one of the finest Anglo-Saxon high crosses that have come down to us. The longest epigraphic text in the Old English Runes Corpus is inscribed on two sides of the monument: it forms an alliterative poem, in which the Cross itself narrates the crucifixion episode. Parts of the inscription are irrevocably lost. This study establishes a historico-cultural context for the Ruthwell Cross’s texts and sculptures. It shows that The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem is an integral part of a Christian artefact but also an independent text. Although its verses match closely with lines of The Dream of the Rood in the Vercelli Book, a comparative analysis gives new insight into their complex relationship. An annotated transliteration of the runes offers intriguing information for runologists. Detailed linguistic and metrical analyses finally yield a new reconstruction of the lost runes. All in all, this study takes a fresh look at the Ruthwell Cross and provides the first scholarly edition of the reconstructed Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem—one of the earliest religious poems of Anglo-Saxon England. It will be of interest to scholars and students of historical linguistics, medieval English literature and culture, art history, and archaeology.