Old English Literature: A Guide to Criticism with Selected Readings

The Anglo–Saxons produced a stunning array of writings both in Latin and, importantly, in the English language of their time.  By the end of the Middle Ages, however, Old English literature had fallen into oblivion.  It was not until the Renaisance and later times that shcolars began to bring many of these works back to light.  Today they are a precious part of the world′s literary heritage, even while provoking a wide range of critical responses, the laws, chronicles, and other writings of Anglo–Saxon England have  had a lasting influence on modern social institutions. Angl–Saxon Studies offers readers a fascinating account of the sometimes contentious process by which knowledge of the literature of this period was recovered, and how Anglo–Saxon England became and remains a "useful past" for scholars, artists, creative writers and thinkers. The book thus offers a wide–ranging assessment of the history of Anglo–Saxon studies as a discipline, starting from its post–Conquest beginnings and continuing to the present day.  After establishing the earlier history of the field, the book delves into an analysis of the recent criticism of Old English literature, featuring excerpts from ground–breaking essays that illustrate the most important critical trends of the past fifty years, and show the field′s continuing dynamic evolution. Anglo–Saxon Studies provides a valuable critical overview for anyone interested in early medieval literature and culture.

John D. Niles is Professor of Humanities at the University of Winsconsin, Madison.  He is a specilist in Old English language and literature and, more generally, the early medieval culture of the British Isles.  The author or editor of a dozen books relating to Beowulf and other works of Old English literature, he has also conducted field research into living traditions of oral literature.  He is the current President of the International Society of Anglo–Saxonists (2010–2012)