The literature of war in English claims its origin from the Homeric epics, and the medieval accounts of chivalry and the crusades.
The Early Medieval Cutting Edge of Technology
January 8, 2015 By
Comparison of knives from England, Dublin and Europe revealed that the Vikings had little direct impact on England’s knife manufacturing industry, although there was a change in manufacturing methods in the 10th century towards the mass produced sandwich welded knife.
Sweotol Tacen / A Clear Token: The Anglo-Saxon Tacen and the Medieval Donor’s Model
December 26, 2014 By
The Anglo-Saxon patron often commissioned images in which he or she bears a visual rendering of his or her donation.
Domiciling the Evangelists in Anglo-Saxon England: a Fresh Reading of Aldred’s colophon in the Lindisfarne Gospels
December 20, 2014 By
What is actually reliable about this highly literary colophon is Aldred’s purpose in writing the gloss: to give the Evangelists a voice to address ‘all the brothers’− particularly the Latinless.
The Anglo-Saxon runic poem: a critical reassessment
November 30, 2014 By
I consider the runic poem in its most basic form, as a runic alphabet, and compare its runes and rune-names with the other Anglo-Saxon runic material collected in the Thesaurus.
The Lindisfarne Gospels: A Living Manuscript
November 30, 2014 By
This article questions how current and previous owners have marked the Lindisfarne Gospels, created 1,300 years ago. Their edits, which would be frowned upon today, are useful for historians to understand how the Gospels have been valued by previous owners and thus why they are so treasured today.
Alfred the Great, King of Wessex
November 23, 2014 By
Therefore a man never attains virtue and excellence through his power; rather he attains power and authority through his virtue… Study wisdom, therefore, and when you have learned it, do not neglect it, for I say to you without hesitation that you can attain authority through wisdom
The Prologue to Alfred’s Law Code: Instruction in the Spirit of Mercy
November 9, 2014 By
The Prologue to Alfred’s Law Code: Instruction in the Spirit of Mercy Michael Treschow Florilegium: Volume 13 (1994) Abstract Alfred’s law code tends to receive scant attention in discussions of the char- acter of his reign. It lacks the distinctive stamp of his other writings and acts. It is a conservative code that seeks not […]
Eadburh, Queen of the West Saxons
November 6, 2014 By
Whether she deserved it or not, Eadburh of the West Saxons is infamous for being an evil queen.
Who Would You Fight for in 1066?
November 4, 2014 By
It’s the year 1066. Edward, the King of England, has just died. Edward named his successor as Harold Godwinson, but Edward’s cousin, Duke William of Normandy, claims the king had promised him the crown. As William plans to invade England, there is another invasion brewing to claim the throne – led by Harald Hardrada, the King of Norway. It’s a time of turmoil, betrayal and bloodshed… who would you fight for?
The Hero’s Journey: Beowulf, Film, and Masculinity
November 2, 2014 By
Beowulf is one of many examples of a story that employs the rhetoric of the hero. The plight of the main character Beowulf is the focus of the tale, and the tasks that he must overcome throughout the course of the poem provide insight into the development of the character of the hero.
Soldier saints and holy warriors: Warfare and sanctity in Anglo-Saxon England
November 2, 2014 By
This study examines hagiographers’ changing literary tropes as subtle but important reflections of medieval Christianity’s evolution from rejecting the sword to tolerating and even wielding it. H
An aspect of Alcuin: ‘Tuus Albinus’ – peevish egotist? or parrhesiast?
October 28, 2014 By
In over 270 letters from about a decade and a half, alcuin of york (†804) informed, advised, consoled and admonished contemporaries, reacted to current events, and maintained a circle of friends and partners in reciprocal prayer that extended from Jerusalem to Ireland and from rome to salzburg. Alcuin left york in the 780s to become a friend and chief advisor to Charlemagne.
The Gold of the Staffordshire Hoard
October 27, 2014 By
Research carried out on the Staffordshire Hoard has revealed that Anglo-Saxon goldsmiths were sophisticated enough to make gold appear more golden.
The Anglo-Saxon War-Culture and The Lord of the Rings: Legacy and Reappraisal
October 26, 2014 By
Considering the scarcity of the Anglo-Saxon influence in modern war-literature in general, one may wonder and stop by a work like The Lord of the Rings or Silmarillion, which few would be willing to categorise as serious war-literature.
The Goddess Frig: Reassessing an Anglo-Saxon Deity
October 25, 2014 By
The world of the Anglo-Saxon gods will forever remain a mystery to us, existing just beyond the reach of written history.
‘Sons of athelings given to the earth’: Infant Mortality within Anglo-Saxon Mortuary Geography
October 25, 2014 By
For 20 or more years early Anglo-Saxon archaeologists have believed children are under-represented in the cemetery evidence.
10 Terrifying Reads for Halloween!
October 23, 2014 By
Here are some spooky medieval books for you to celebrate with over Halloween!
Judith in Late Anglo-Saxon England
October 20, 2014 By
Judith makes two spectacular appearances in the Old English corpus: she is the brave heroine of a poem which is included in one of the most famous manuscripts of the late Anglo-Saxon period, the Nowell Codex, which also contains the heroic epic, Beowulf.
Ten Great Anglo-Saxon Girls’ Names
October 6, 2014 By
We’ve come up with our ten favourite girls’ names – if you are considering a different type of baby name, perhaps you will pick one of these!
Osburh, Mother of King Alfred the Great
October 2, 2014 By
What little we know about Alfred the Great’s mother comes to us from the biography of Alfred written by his great friend, Bishop Asser.
Fast and Feast – Christianization through the Regulation of Everyday Life
September 7, 2014 By
This article will illustrate that an important part of rulers’ wish to create a Christian society was the introduction of Christian legislation.
Anglo-Saxon Portraits: King Raedwald
September 6, 2014 By
In less than ten days the team unearthed Britain’s richest ever grave – 263 objects of gold, silver, bronze, iron, gems, leather, wood, textiles, feathers and fur, laid out in a wooden chamber at the centre of a buried ship. It was a sensation that attracted a police guard and an article in the Illustrated London News.
The Bayeux Tapestry: The Case of the Phantom Fleet
September 1, 2014 By
There is a large bibliography of secondary works concerning the Bayeux Tapestry, but when one reads much of the published material it is clear that a high proportion of this comment, as one would expect, copies and builds on previous authors.
Anglo-Saxon smiths and myths
September 1, 2014 By
Knowledge of the metalworking and jewellery-making abilities of the Anglo-Saxons has been much enhanced in recent years by metallurgical and other technical studies.
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