Anglo–Saxon Keywords

Anglo–Saxon Keywords offers 75 essays written by leading medievalist, Allen J. Frantzen, about a wide range of topics that link modern culture to the central concepts of Anglo–Saxon literature, language, and material culture. These keywords, many adapted from the famous work by Raymond Williams, will enable students at any level, generalists, and specialists working outside the period to become better acquainted with Anglo–Saxon texts and cultural forces. Anglo–Saxonists already familiar with these concepts will find that the book offers new connections to recent intellectual and social traditions.

Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations x Introduction xii A 1 Aesthetics 1 Agriculture 4 Alcohol 8 Anglo–Saxonism 11 Animals 15 Apocalypse 19 Art 22 Author 26 B 30 Behavior 30 Bible 34 Book 37 Borough 41 C 45 Charters 45 Children 48 Christianity 52 Coinage 56 Cross 59 D 63 Danelaw 63 Death 67 Diet 70 Drama 73 Dreams 77 E 81 Easter 81 Emotions 84 Environment 88 Exile 92 F 96 Fashion 96 Femininity 99 Fishing 103 Franks 106 Friendship 110 G 114 Gender 114 Genre 118 H 122 Hall 122 History 125 Hoard 129 Homeland 133 Homily 136 Hunting 140 I 144 Identity 144 Individuality 148 Ireland 151 L 156 Labor 156 Law 159 Literacy 163 Liturgy 166 M 171 Marriage 171 Masculinity 175 Medicine 178 Mind 182 Music 185 N 190 Nature 190 Norman Conquest 193 O 198 Orality 198 P 202 Paganism 202 Peace 206 Peace–weaver 209 Penance 213 Piety 216 R 221 Race 221 Recreation 224 Reform 228 Rome 231 S 236 Scandinavia 236 Settlement 240 Sex 244 Slavery 247 T 252 Technology 252 Thegn 256 Trade 259 Tradition 263 Translation 266 Trifunctional model 270 V 274 Viking 274 W 278 War 278 Works Cited 283 Index 319

Allen J. Frantzen is Professor of English and Faculty Scholar at Loyola University Chicago. He has written several books on early English culture and literature, including Desire for Origins: New Language, Old English, and Teaching the Tradition ; Before the Closet: Same Sex Love from "Beowulf" to "Angels in America" , and Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War .

“Summing Up: Recommended.  Graduate students and researchers/faculty.”  ( Choice , 1 November 2012)