SELIM. Journal of the Spanish Society for Medieval English Language and Literature

Introduction

2024-06-22T21:56:50+00:00

Introduction to the special issue "New Readings in Alfredian Literature"

Poetic Style and Poetic Sources in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Common Stock Annals

2024-04-19T16:43:07+00:00

This article explores the evidence for the use of Old English poetry as a source in the annals of the common stock of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (to c. 892). The possibility that the compilers of the Chronicle either directly or indirectly derived information from vernacular poetry for entries of the late fifth and early sixth centuries was first raised by Henry Sweet. This essay reviews Sweet’s argument and widens the exploration of the annals, including the Cynewulf and Cyneheard episode in annal 757, for features such as alliteration and poetic vocabulary, suggestive of poetic sources and style.

Robbing Woodchester: Narrative Strategies in Bishop Wærferth’s Dispute Memorandum, Sawyer 1441

2024-01-03T12:15:14+00:00

Since Simon Keynes’s line-by-line exegesis (1992), the Fonthill Letter (S 1445) has been subject to a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including linguistic, palaeographical, historical, and literary analysis. It is evident that other vernacular documents generated by processes of litigation during the Alfredian period would benefit from a Keynes-style interpretative commentary. This article conducts a close reading of the language employed by Worcester charter draftsmen in the dispute memorandum, also known as Sawyer 1441, that records the dispute settled between Bishop Wærferth of Worcester and the priest Æthelwald concerning the woodland at Woodchester. This study establishes the importance of reading early English charters through the lens of narrative strategy by focusing on two phrases: bereafian, meaning "to rob" or "to seize" and geniman, which can be translated as "to take away" or "to seize." Worcester’s charter draftsmen consciously selected vocabulary that would protect their leased properties and positioned Worcester as victim to greedy rival claimants. By exploring the meaning and function of these phrases in contemporary Alfredian literature and earlier Latin diplomas, this study demonstrates that Alfredian charters were not written in abstract and interacted with what would now be considered as literary contexts.

Personal Eschatology in the Old English Dialogues of Gregory the Great: Text and Translation

2024-04-07T14:02:52+00:00

This article considers two monuments from early medieval England—the line drawings in Stowe 944 (the New Minster Liber vitae) and chapter 37 from the Old English translation of Gregory the great’s Dialogues, through the lens of James T. Palmer’s recent work on apocalypticism in the Middle Ages. Palmer (2014) argues that texts (and drawings like the ones in Stowe 944) can and should be considered apocalyptic, even though they present as depictions of individual, personal post-mortem events. They moreover serve a definite didactic purpose, and as such provide a clue as to the motivation behind the translation of Gregory’s Latin text into Old English.

Steering the Ship of the Mind: Politics and Theology in the Nautical Expression of the Layered Mind in the Alfredian Translations

2024-04-20T09:21:36+00:00

Following Gregory the Great, the Alfredian translator(s) make us of a metaphor where the mind is conceptualised as a ship, with Reason at the helm. The ship must navigate the dangerous waters of worldly temptation and at times is steered by God. The interchangeability of God and Reason at the helm suggests that Reason is, in some way, a God-like faculty. The ship of the mind is a common image in patristic texts, but its origin is Pre-Christian, and has its basis in Plato; in Phaedrus, rather than a ship, a chariot with headstrong horses is steered by the part of the mind known as the steersman of the soul (Emlyn-Jones and Preddy 2022, 416). This essay will attempt to trace the possible sources for the prevalence of this image in Gregory and in the Alfredian translations, with a particular focus on Hierdeboc or Pastoral Care, and the Old English Boethius. Although the Pastoral Care is a close rendering of the original, the Alfredian translator has added details which show an in-depth knowledge of contemporary sailing techniques. This essay will argue that the use of the ship of the mind metaphor not only taps into Christian Neoplatonic theology fashionable at the Carolingian court, but also styles King Alfred as a man of action, a competent sailor versed in the latest techniques of sailing and a competent hand on the tiller of state, where he is implicitly compared with God.

Educating King and Court: The Exeter Book and the Transmission of Poetic Anthologies in the (Post-)Alfredian Period

2024-01-03T12:04:49+00:00

Taking as a starting point Asser’s De gestis Alfredi regis (XXIII)—which mentions that Alfred was given a book containing English verse—this article sets out to consider the existence of vernacular poetic anthologies as early as this period. If Asser’s episode is true, the book in question must have been a collection of Old English poetry, of which the Exeter Book may have been a later reflex, since it has been argued that this codex contains an anthology (Muir 1994). The design of the manuscript could then be in line with that of the Anthologia Latina, the most important model of the early Middle Ages. This compendium originated in Africa in the sixth century and eventually found its way to various European countries, including England. It may thus have become the prototype for autochthonous poetic collections of the kind mentioned in Asser’s history. In this light, this paper is the first to seriously consider the hypothesis that the Exeter Book may have been compiled during King Alfred’s period, or perhaps not much later (Sisam 1953). In doing so, it envisages the use of vernacular anthologies as educational tools for both the king and the courtiers in early medieval England.

Runcofa and the Inner Temple in the Alfredian Metres of Boethius

2024-01-11T12:30:35+00:00

This article will argue that the author of the Old English Metres of Boethius enhanced the mystical themes of the B text (the prose text) in the light of ideas articulated in John Scottus Eriugena’s Periphyseon, permeated by the Greek thought of Gregory of Nyssa, pseudo-Dionysius and Maximus the Confessor. In particular, it presents a mystical reading of the unique poetic compound runcofa, “the mystery chamber,” which appears in Metre 22 paired with incofa, “an inner chamber,” proposing that these terms bear the mark of what Eriugena terms adyta, “the inner sanctuary,” the dwelling place of “obscurissimas tenebras excellentissimae lucis,” “the uttermost darkness of the most excellent Light” (Eriugena, Periphyseon V, 983B). Interpreting Metre 22 as a theophany, the article focuses on Mod’s descent into the innermost heart— runcofa—the place of mystical union.

Boffey, Julia, and A. S. G. Edwards, eds. 2023. The Oxford History of Poetry in English. Volume 3. Medieval Poetry: 1400–1500. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiv + 566. ISBN 9780198839682.

2023-09-18T13:55:33+00:00

Book review of Boffey, Julia, and A. S. G. Edwards, eds. 2023. The Oxford History of Poetry in English. Volume 3. Medieval Poetry: 1400–1500. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiv + 566. ISBN 9780198839682.

Brantley, Jessica. 2022. Medieval English Manuscripts and Literary Forms. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press. Pp. xiv + 346. ISBN 9780812253849.

2023-09-05T09:00:56+00:00

Book review of Brantley, Jessica. 2022. Medieval English Manuscripts and Literary Forms. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press. Pp. xiv + 346. ISBN 9780812253849.

Breeze, Andrew. 2023. The Historical Arthur and the “Gawain” Poet: Studies on Arthurian and Other Traditions. London: Lexington Books. Pp. x + 153. ISBN 978166692956.

2024-05-29T07:54:54+00:00

Book review of Breeze, Andrew. 2023. The Historical Arthur and the “Gawain” Poet: Studies on Arthurian and Other Traditions. London: Lexington Books. Pp. x + 153. ISBN 978166692956.

Brown, Michelle P. 2023. Bede and the Theory of Everything. London: Reaktion Books. Pp. 312. ISBN 9781789147889.

2024-05-15T14:10:17+00:00

Book review of Brown, Michelle P. 2023. Bede and the Theory of Everything. London: Reaktion Books. Pp. 312. ISBN 9781789147889.

Burns, Rachel A., and Rafael J. Pascual, eds. 2022. Tradition and Innovation in Old English Metre. Leeds: Arc Humanities Press. Pp. xii + 281. ISBN 1802700250.

2024-05-31T13:20:28+00:00

Book review of Burns, Rachel A., and Rafael J. Pascual, eds. 2022. Tradition and Innovation in Old English Metre. Leeds: Arc Humanities Press. Pp. xii + 281. ISBN 1802700250.

Cervone, Cristina Maria, and Nicholas Watson, eds. 2023. What Kind of a Thing Is a Middle English Lyric? Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Pp. xvi + 546. ISBN 9780812253900.

2023-10-19T09:50:09+00:00

Book review of Cervone, Cristina Maria, and Nicholas Watson, eds. 2023. What Kind of a Thing Is a Middle English Lyric? Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Pp. xvi + 546. ISBN 9780812253900.

Cooper, Helen. 2023. The Canterbury Tales. Oxford Guides to Chaucer. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiii + 484. ISBN 978019882142.

2024-06-04T17:54:18+00:00

Book review of Cooper, Helen. 2023. The Canterbury Tales. Oxford Guides to Chaucer. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiii + 484. ISBN 978019882142.

Cooper, Helen, and Robert R. Edwards, eds. 2023. The Oxford History of Poetry in English. Volume 2. Medieval Poetry: 1100–1400. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xxiii + 523. ISBN 9780198827429.

2023-12-18T12:39:10+00:00

Book review of Cooper, Helen, and Robert R. Edwards, eds. 2023. The Oxford History of Poetry in English. Volume 2. Medieval Poetry: 1100–1400. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xxiii + 523. ISBN 9780198827429.

Ensley, Mimi. 2023. Difficult Pasts. Post-Reformation Memory and the Medieval Romance. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Pp. 242. ISBN 9781526157898

2023-08-04T13:14:57+00:00

Book review of Ensley, Mimi. 2023. Difficult Pasts. Post-Reformation Memory and the Medieval Romance. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Pp. 242. ISBN 9781526157898.

Fletcher, Rachael, Thijs Porck, and Oliver M. Traxel, eds. 2022. Old English Medievalism: Reception in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. Pp. 312. ISBN 9781843846505.

2023-10-18T08:20:13+00:00

Book review of Fletcher, Rachael, Thijs Porck, and Oliver M. Traxel, eds. 2022. Old English Medievalism: Reception in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. Pp. 312. ISBN 9781843846505.

Goering, Nelson. 2023. Prosody in Medieval English and Norse. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiii + 375. ISBN 9780197267462.

2024-03-04T17:27:40+00:00

Book review of Goering, Nelson. 2023. Prosody in Medieval English and Norse. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiii + 375. ISBN 9780197267462.

Tolkien, J. R. R. 2023. The Battle of Maldon Together with the Homecoming of Beorhtnoth. Edited by Peter Grybauskas. London: Harper Collins. Pp. 188. ISBN 9780008465827.

2024-06-03T19:07:18+00:00

Book review of Tolkien, J. R. R. 2023. The Battle of Maldon Together with the Homecoming of Beorhtnoth. Edited by Peter Grybauskas. London: Harper Collins. Pp. 188. ISBN 9780008465827.

Houlik-Ritchey, Emily. 2023. Imagining Iberia in English and Castilian Medieval Romance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Pp. xi + 237. ISBN 9780472133352.

2024-02-26T11:50:43+00:00

Book review of Houlik-Ritchey, Emily. 2023. Imagining Iberia in English and Castilian Medieval Romance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Pp. xi + 237. ISBN 9780472133352.

Irvine, Susan, ed. 2023. Alfredian Prologues and Epilogues. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xi + 296. ISBN 9780199692101.

2024-06-01T03:57:42+00:00

Book review of Irvine, Susan, ed. 2023. Alfredian Prologues and Epilogues. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xi + 296. ISBN 9780199692101.

Johannesson, Nils-Lennart, and Andrew Cooper, eds. 2023. The Ormulum. 2 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xxviii + 655. ISBN 9780192890436.

2023-11-03T14:22:57+00:00

Book review of Johannesson, Nils-Lennart, and Andrew Cooper, eds. 2023. The Ormulum. 2 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xxviii + 655. ISBN 9780192890436.

Krueger, Roberta L., ed. 2023. The New Cambridge Companion to Medieval Romance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xviii + 308. ISBN 9781108749589.

2024-02-29T16:35:26+00:00

Book review of Krueger, Roberta L., ed. 2023. The New Cambridge Companion to Medieval Romance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xviii + 308. ISBN 9781108749589.

Nees, Lawrence. 2023. Illuminating the Word in the Early Middle Ages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xxx + 558. ISBN 9781009193863.

2024-05-23T15:14:45+00:00

Book review of Nees, Lawrence. 2023. Illuminating the Word in the Early Middle Ages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xxx + 558. ISBN 9781009193863.

Neidorf, Leonard. 2023. The Art and Thought of the “Beowulf” Poet. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Pp. 216. ISBN 9781501766909.

2024-01-31T19:04:42+00:00

Book review of Neidorf, Leonard. 2023. The Art and Thought of the “Beowulf” Poet. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Pp. 216. ISBN 9781501766909.

Pons-Sanz, Sara M., and Louise Sylvester, eds. 2023. Medieval English in a Multilingual Context: Current Methodologies and Approaches. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 549. ISBN 9783031309465.

2024-02-22T15:11:01+00:00

Book review of Pons-Sanz, Sara M., and Louise Sylvester, eds. 2023. Medieval English in a Multilingual Context: Current Methodologies and Approaches. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 549. ISBN 9783031309465.

Scase, Wendy. 2022. Visible English: Graphic Culture, Scribal Practice, and Identity, c. 700–c. 1500. Turnhout: Brepols. Pp. xvii + 408. ISBN 9782503589420.

2024-01-31T08:59:42+00:00

Book review of Scase, Wendy. 2022. Visible English: Graphic Culture, Scribal Practice, and Identity, c. 700–c. 1500. Turnhout: Brepols. Pp. xvii + 408. ISBN 9782503589420.

Shippey, Tom, trans., and Leonard Neidorf, ed. 2023. Beowulf: Translation and Commentary. London: Uppsala Books. Pp. ii + 418. ISBN 9781961361003.

2024-02-01T08:19:50+00:00

Review of Shippey, Tom, trans., and Leonard Neidorf, ed. 2023. Beowulf: Translation and Commentary. London: Uppsala Books. Pp. ii + 418. ISBN 9781961361003.

Singh, Devani. 2023. Chaucer’s Early Modern Readers: Reception in Print and Manuscript. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xiv + 272. ISBN 9781009231114.

2023-10-27T08:59:28+00:00

Book review of Singh, Devani. 2023. Chaucer’s Early Modern Readers: Reception in Print and Manuscript. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xiv + 272. ISBN 9781009231114.

Soper, Harriet. 2024. The Life Course in Old English Poetry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. i + 267. ISBN 9781009315111.

2024-06-03T06:02:42+00:00

Book review of Soper, Harriet. 2024. The Life Course in Old English Poetry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. i + 267. ISBN 9781009315111.

Warren, Michelle R. 2022. Holy Digital Grail. A Medieval Book on the Internet. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Pp. xiii + 342. ISBN 9781503608009.

2024-05-27T06:29:35+00:00

Book review of Warren, Michelle R. 2022. Holy Digital Grail. A Medieval Book on the Internet. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Pp. xiii + 342. ISBN 9781503608009.

Nu is þeo Leore For-Leten: Conventionality, Complexity and Substitution Sets in Historical English Spelling

2024-04-18T11:03:07+00:00

This paper considers some assumptions about historical English spelling, in particular the idea that historical orthographies, in the absence of standardisation, naturally tend to a close spelling-sound correspondence. It focuses on the group of Early Middle English texts copied by the Tremulous Hand of Worcester in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, and addresses the question to what extent it is fair to consider them representative of an archaising strategy, a product of antiquarian interest. It is suggested that, while the texts copied by the Tremulous Hand, like most Middle English copied texts, are likely to carry over some features from their exemplars, they reflect a competent use of English as a living written medium and are consistent with other twelfth- and thirteenth-century writing systems. Accordingly, there seems to be no reason to assume a specifically antiquarian motivation behind the Tremulous Hand’s spelling choices. Rather, they reflect three basic features that are present throughout the history of English writing: conventionality, complexity and the use of substitution sets.