Books in the Anglo-Saxon Studies series

A radical new interpretation of the Anglo-Saxon episcopate, bringing to light previously unused evidence.

An examination of the Old English medical collections, arguing that these texts are products of a learned intellectual culture.Four complete medical collections survive from Anglo-Saxon England. These were first edited by Oswald Cockayne in the nineteenth century and came to be known by the names Bald's Leechbook, Leechbook III, the Lacnunga, and the Old English Pharmacopeia. Together these works represent the earliest complete collections of medical material in a western vernacular language. This book examines these texts as products of a learnedliterary culture. While earlier scholarship tended to emphasise the relationship of these works to folk belief or popular culture, this study suggests that all four extant collections were probably produced in major ecclesiasticalcentres. It examines the collections individually, emphasising their differences of content and purpose, while arguing that each consistently displays connections with an elite intellectual culture. The final chapter considers the fundamentally positive depiction of doctors and medicine found within literary and ecclesiastical works from the period and suggests that the high esteem for medicine in literate circles may have favoured the study and translation of medical texts. EMILY KESLING gained her DPhil from the University of Oxford; she is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo.

Edition, translation and full critical study of a hitherto marginalised text, bringing it to full attention for the first time.The Old English poem known popularly as the Descent into Hell, found on folios 119v to 121v of the Exeter Book, has to date received little critical attention, perhaps owing to various contextual problems and lacunae on theleaves that contain it. This first full-length study offers a full account of the poem, together with an edition of the text and facing translation. It aims to resolve some of the poem's vexing issues and provides a varietyof possible interpretations of the poem. The in-depth literary analysis seeks to enrich modern scholarly perceptions of the poem, suggest a more appropriate title, and contribute to continued scholarly discussion and analysis of the Exeter Book and its compilation. It provides a guide towards understanding the poem's main theme, presents the text in light of its position in ecclesiastical history, and sheds fresh light into its place and significance within the corpus of Old English poetry. M.R. Rambaran-Olm received her PhD from the University of Glasgow.

A strikingly original approach to Beowulf, linking its structure to the dynastic life-cycle.

First full-length study of the notion and concept of old age in early medieval England.

An exploration of Anglo-Saxon charters, bringing out their complexity and highlighting a range of broad implications.

Examinations of the date of Beowulf have tremendous significance for Anglo-Saxon culture in general.

An examination of the liturgical rituals of the high festivals of the year and their reflection in the secular church.

Analysis of a group of images of kingship and queenship from Anglo-Saxon England explores the implications of their focus on books, authorship and learning.

A history of monastic foundations in East Anglia, from the middle Anglo-Saxon period to the Normans.

A full and accessibly-written survey of Bede and his works, including a chapter on his legacy for subsequent history.

A consideration of the theme of demons as teachers in early English literature.

The newest research on a major Anglo-Saxon site paints a vivid picture of the beginnings of England.

Extensive study of the entire corpus of Anglo-Saxon button brooches, looking at their design, origins and development.

The role of pastoral care reconsidered in the context of major changes within the Anglo-Saxon church.

A fresh approach to the works and manuscripts of this influential monk, whose writings synthesised some of the finest minds of the period.

A wide-ranging study of the significance of swords throughout the whole Anglo-Saxon period, offering valuable insights into the meaning of and attitude towards swords.

Multi-disciplinary investigation of Anglo-Saxon funerary traditions.

Fresh perspectives on the English clergy, their books, and the wider Anglo-Saxon church.

Drawing on sources from archaeology and written texts, the author brings out the full significance of trees in both pagan and Christian Anglo-Saxon religion.

Essays on the depiction of animals, birds and insects in early medieval material culture, from texts to carvings to the landscape itself.

An examination of the linguistic and cultural construction of one of the texts of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Examination and analysis of one of the most important artefacts of Anglo-Saxon society, the cruciform brooch, setting it in a wider context.

Essays examining how punishment operated in England, from c.600 to the Norman Conquest.

A fresh approach to the implications of obtaining, preparing, and consuming food, concentrating on the little-investigated routines of everyday life.

Argues for a new reading of Beowulf in its contemporary context, where honour and violence are intimately linked.

A powerful exploration of trees in both the real and the imagined Anglo-Saxon landscape.

The origins of England's regional cultures are here shown to be strongly influenced by the natural environment and geographical features.