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2nd Edition. — Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sāo Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City: Cambridge University Press, 1991. — 314 p. — ISBN 978-0-521-19332-0. This book introduces students to the literature of Anglo-Saxon England, the period from 600-1066, in a collection of fifteen specially commissioned essays. The chapters are written by experts, but designed to be accessible to students who may be unfamiliar with Old English. The emphasis throughout is on placing texts in their contemporary context and suggesting ways in which they relate to each other and to the important events and issues of the time. With the help of maps and a chronological table of events the first chapters describe briefly the political, social and ecclesiastical history of the period and how poetry and prose in Latin and in the vernacular developed and flourished. A succinct account of Old English provides beginners with a handy guide to the rules of spelling, grammar and syntax. Subsequent chapters explore the range of Anglo-Saxon writing under different thematic headings. A final bibliography gives guidance on further reading. The social and political background. The Old English language. The nature of Old English verse. The Anglo-Saxon world view. Germanic legend in Old English literature. Values and ethics in heroic literature. Pagan survivals and popular belief. Beowulf. Preaching and teaching. Perceptions of transience. Perceptions of eternity. Biblical literature: the Old Testament. Biblical literature: the New Testament. The saintly life in Anglo-Saxon England. Literacy and the uses of the vernacular. The world of Anglo-Saxon learning. Old English after 1066.
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t h e ca m b r i d g e c o m p a ni o n t o o ld e ng l i s h l i t er a t ur e Second edition This Companion has been thoroughly revised to take account of recent scholarship and to provide a clear and accessible introduction for those encountering Old English literature for the first time. Including seventeen essays by distinguished scholars, this new edition provides a discussion of the literature of the period 600– 1066 in the context of how Anglo-Saxon society functioned. New chapters cover topics including preaching and teaching, Beowulf, and literacy, and a further five chapters have been revised and updated, including those on the Old English language, perceptions of eternity and Anglo-Saxon learning. An additional concluding chapter on Old English after 1066 offers an overview of the study and cultural influences of Old English literature to the present day. Finally, the bibliography has been overhauled to incorporate the most up-to-date scholarship in the field and the latest electronic resources for students. malcolm godden is Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor emeritus of AngloSaxon at the University of Oxford. michael lapidge is Elrington and Bosworth Professor emeritus of Anglo-Saxon, University of Cambridge, and Notre Dame Professor of English emeritus, University of Notre Dame. A complete list of books in the series is at the back of this book
THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO
OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE SECOND EDITION
MALCOLM GODDEN AND
MICHAEL LAPIDGE
cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 8ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521193320 © Cambridge University Press 2013 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception And to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.