‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England
By Ciaran Arthur
The Boydell Press
ISBN: 9781783273133
Examining how charms – a set of instructions that allows someone to use ‘magic’ – were connected to Christianity in early medieval England. It aims to show that there is deeper spiritual significance to these charms than previous historians have given these writings.
Excerpt:
In this book I argue that ‘charms’ were written down as experimental Christian rituals in late Anglo-Saxon England. Even the most obscure features of these texts – particularly their use of ‘gibberish’ writing – can be understood as belonging to Christian philosophical traditions that were being taught in late Anglo-Saxon minsters. Once ‘charms’ are re-read in their manuscript contexts, they reveal information about the particular ecclesiastical milieus in which they were written, they raise critical questions about Anglo-Saxon paganism, and they offer important insights into early English Christianity. In order to reconsider ‘charms’ , it is first necessary to outline how these texts have been understood and classified to date. This introductory chapter provides an overview of the historiography of this genre before plotting important historical events that seem to have influenced perceptions of ritual practices when these texts were written down.
Who is this book for?
Historians of medieval Christianity and medieval magic will want to read this book, especially as it brings these two topics closer together. Those more generally interested in early medieval England will also find this book useful.
“Arthur moves us closer to understanding the mystery of charm literature and helps make sense of the incorporation of seemingly unorthodox rituals and gibberish in mainstream, ecclesiastical writings.” ~ book review by Martha Rampton
“‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites is an interesting book that presents a compelling and thought-provoking series of arguments. The text is well-written and accessible, something that is not easy to do when discussing topics like the complexities of Christian liturgy in medieval manuscripts.” ~ book review by Ethan Doyle White
The author
Ciaran Arthur is an Executive Assistant at the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literatures. Click here to view his Academia.edu page.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England
By Ciaran Arthur
The Boydell Press
ISBN: 9781783273133
Examining how charms – a set of instructions that allows someone to use ‘magic’ – were connected to Christianity in early medieval England. It aims to show that there is deeper spiritual significance to these charms than previous historians have given these writings.
Excerpt:
In this book I argue that ‘charms’ were written down as experimental Christian rituals in late Anglo-Saxon England. Even the most obscure features of these texts – particularly their use of ‘gibberish’ writing – can be understood as belonging to Christian philosophical traditions that were being taught in late Anglo-Saxon minsters. Once ‘charms’ are re-read in their manuscript contexts, they reveal information about the particular ecclesiastical milieus in which they were written, they raise critical questions about Anglo-Saxon paganism, and they offer important insights into early English Christianity. In order to reconsider ‘charms’ , it is first necessary to outline how these texts have been understood and classified to date. This introductory chapter provides an overview of the historiography of this genre before plotting important historical events that seem to have influenced perceptions of ritual practices when these texts were written down.
Who is this book for?
Historians of medieval Christianity and medieval magic will want to read this book, especially as it brings these two topics closer together. Those more generally interested in early medieval England will also find this book useful.
“Arthur moves us closer to understanding the mystery of charm literature and helps make sense of the incorporation of seemingly unorthodox rituals and gibberish in mainstream, ecclesiastical writings.” ~ book review by Martha Rampton
“‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites is an interesting book that presents a compelling and thought-provoking series of arguments. The text is well-written and accessible, something that is not easy to do when discussing topics like the complexities of Christian liturgy in medieval manuscripts.” ~ book review by Ethan Doyle White
The author
Ciaran Arthur is an Executive Assistant at the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literatures. Click here to view his Academia.edu page.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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