The Nowell Codex is popularly known as a book of monsters. It was a fascination with the monstrous which conceivably motivated the medieval compilers to assemble the codex's current constituent...Show moreThe Nowell Codex is popularly known as a book of monsters. It was a fascination with the monstrous which conceivably motivated the medieval compilers to assemble the codex's current constituent parts. This thesis argues for another unifying theme, that of 'community', which connects all of the Old English texts. As such, each text is subjected to a close reading centred around communal affairs such as the Germanic warband, kingship and hospitality in order to highlight their central importance to the understanding of the individual texts and the codex as a whole. Taken together, these close readings strengthen the main claim of the thesis that community represented a crucial driving force behind the compilation of the Nowell Codex.Show less
J.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English...Show moreJ.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English works such as "Beowulf" and "The Battle of Maldon". He admired the Germanic heroic tradition, yet condemned its pagan nature. This comparative paper discusses four works of heroic literature - i.e. "Beowulf", "The Battle of Maldon", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Children of Húrin" - focusing on the heroes of each work and how their actions reflect their ethics. The author emphasises Tolkien's disapproving views of Anglo-Saxon heroism found in "The Children of Húrin" in which its prideful hero Túrin brings about disaster and tragedy upon himself and those around him.Show less
Modern Beowulf scholarship found its origin in 1815 with the publication of the Latin translation of Beowulf by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelín. Although not the first to...Show moreModern Beowulf scholarship found its origin in 1815 with the publication of the Latin translation of Beowulf by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelín. Although not the first to tackle the Old English Beowulf, as Sharon Turner had in fact translated a selection of the poem to Modern English as early as 1805, Thorkelín was the first to provide a complete translation of Beowulf in any language. As such, he was the first to introduce its cast of characters to the critics and other translators. Since then, Beowulf has received sustained critical attention. The fact that Beowulf has been available for critical review for such a long period of time makes it impossible for a single person to read, discuss, or even just be aware of all the critical works published on Beowulf. Consequently, the current study cannot cover all that has been written on Grendel’s mother and her representation; it does, however, attempt to paint a picture of the evolving scholarly reception of Grendel’s mother by discussing some of its major developments.Show less
This thesis aims to fill this gap in the scholarship by studying all five Rune Poems side by side in order to establish whether they contain any shared elements. Chapter 1 discusses the different...Show moreThis thesis aims to fill this gap in the scholarship by studying all five Rune Poems side by side in order to establish whether they contain any shared elements. Chapter 1 discusses the different runic alphabets and links between ‘runic literacy’ and Christianity. Chapter 2 features an analysis and comparison of the five Rune Poems, focussing on structural features found in eddic verse lists. In Chapter 3 a new theory on the function of rune names is proposed, linking rune names to an ancient teaching method to learn children to read and write, stretching back to the twelfth century BC. This thesis will build on Clunies Ross’ pioneering work and expand on her analysis by including all surviving Rune Poems in a comparative analysis. The insights gained from this thesis will expand our knowledge on the surviving Rune Poems’ didactic properties. Furthermore, this thesis proposes that the function of rune names is part of a didacic method to teach reading and writing, and to consider the surviving Rune Poems as pedagogical tools.Show less
While the Anglo-Saxon medical text corpus has received increasing scholarly attention over the past few decades, no in-depth study of the Anglo-Saxon understanding of the diseases that are known...Show moreWhile the Anglo-Saxon medical text corpus has received increasing scholarly attention over the past few decades, no in-depth study of the Anglo-Saxon understanding of the diseases that are known today under the umbrella term “cancer” has yet been conducted. The Anglo-Saxon text corpus contains a substantial number of texts that deal with the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. This thesis examines what materials were available to the Anglo-Saxon læce [leech] when encountering cancer. Using both literary and medical texts as sources, my thesis explores the understanding the Anglo-Saxons had of different types of cancer, what remedies they used, and how effective these remedies can be said to have been in light of today’s medical knowledge.Show less
This thesis traces the ideal of Anglo-Saxon counsellorship in the Old English biblical poem 'Daniel.' To begin with, the thesis describes the ideal of Anglo-Saxon counsellorship according to a...Show moreThis thesis traces the ideal of Anglo-Saxon counsellorship in the Old English biblical poem 'Daniel.' To begin with, the thesis describes the ideal of Anglo-Saxon counsellorship according to a number of major Anglo-Saxon authors, like Wulfstan and Ælfric. Next, the study connects the Anglo-Saxon ideal of counsellorship to the Old English 'Daniel.' The study shows that the poem's depiction of good counsellors is remarkably similar to the ideal for Anglo-Saxon counsellors as described by the important Anglo-Saxon authors. Both the poem and these authors depict the ideal counsellor as righteous, wise and selfless. Therefore, the thesis argues that the Old English 'Daniel' should be read as a mirror for counsellors.Show less
This thesis focusses on the portrayal of King Alfred the Great in Vita Alfredi. The first chapter will focus on the Germanic Heroic code, the second chapter is about King Alfred as the ideal...Show moreThis thesis focusses on the portrayal of King Alfred the Great in Vita Alfredi. The first chapter will focus on the Germanic Heroic code, the second chapter is about King Alfred as the ideal Christian leader, and the third chapter describes the influence of disease on King Alfred's image.Show less
Dysentery was a common disease in medieval England. This thesis entails a comparison of the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dysentery in Old English and Middle English medical texts, as well...Show moreDysentery was a common disease in medieval England. This thesis entails a comparison of the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dysentery in Old English and Middle English medical texts, as well as an analysis of the various remedies’ effectiveness against this disease. The methodology consists of a comparative analysis between early and late medieval medical texts, in the light of relevant scholarship on medieval medicine and modern medical research, based on close readings of these texts.Show less
Inspiration drawn from the Middle Ages can be found in many forms of modern pop culture. In fact, so-called ‘neomedievalism’ has emerged onto the global scene, and has become almost as widespread...Show moreInspiration drawn from the Middle Ages can be found in many forms of modern pop culture. In fact, so-called ‘neomedievalism’ has emerged onto the global scene, and has become almost as widespread and as often referenced as when the Roman and Greek cultures were rediscovered during the Italian Renaissance. Neomedievalism is described as the postmodern ‘use’ of medieval cultures which often deliberately denies historical accuracy and is usually a nostalgic or romanticized version - or a crude representation - of medieval culture. This way of appropriating medieval themes and stories is possible because it is still “productive in the contemporary imagination”. This claim is substantiated by the popularity of countless medieval-inspired TV-series, films, medieval-styled ‘role playing games’, books such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book and TV series - and of course music containing neomedievalist themes. This thesis will explore the role of neomedievalism in Viking Metal, Anglo-Saxon Metal and Neofolk, to find out how neomedievalism fits in with the counter-culture of these music subgenres.Show less
This thesis analyses George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire from a medievalist perspective. By comparing Martin’s representation of several significant themes to his medieval...Show moreThis thesis analyses George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire from a medievalist perspective. By comparing Martin’s representation of several significant themes to his medieval and medievalist sources, we can see how he deviates from his sources to problematize the medieval. Firstly, Martin’s portrayal of women is discussed, highlighting strong female characters such as Daenerys. Another important aspect that is addressed is chivalry, discussing both the romantic side of chivalry and court life, as well as chivalry in regards to honour and righteousness. Altogether, this thesis analyses how Martin’s depiction of gender roles and chivalry may be interpreted as subverting the medieval ideals that Martin so clearly based himself on.Show less
The Early Anglo-Saxons did not split Middle-Earth in continents like we divide the earth now. This thesis will attempt to answer the question of how the influx of Christian and Greco-Latin...Show moreThe Early Anglo-Saxons did not split Middle-Earth in continents like we divide the earth now. This thesis will attempt to answer the question of how the influx of Christian and Greco-Latin literature influences the representation of Africa and Asia in Anglo-Saxon England.Show less
Despite the lack of a physical description on the poet’s part, Grendel’s mother is more often than not depicted as a monstrosity. Yet her monstrous nature is the topic of much scholarly debate (e.g...Show moreDespite the lack of a physical description on the poet’s part, Grendel’s mother is more often than not depicted as a monstrosity. Yet her monstrous nature is the topic of much scholarly debate (e.g., Carlson 1967; Kiernan 1984). Generally, scholars group the mother together with her son Grendel and the dragon, and paint her as a monstrous being consumed by evil intent. However, this traditional view has recently been called into question. Hennequin (2008), for instance, reads Grendel’s mother as a human female fighter, disregarding the ‘monster tradition’ of earlier scholars. The aim of the current study is to look closely at arguments both for and against the humanity of Grendel’s mother, before presenting its own critical view on this subject to strengthen the case that she should not be read as a monster but, indeed, as a human. Analysing the poem through a psychoanalytical lens and using Freud’s theory of the id, the ego and the superego shows that the text of Beowulf constructs the female antagonist as a human rather than a monster. Debating this ‘monster tradition’ and accepting Grendel’s mother as human will pave the way for new explorations of Beowulf and its characters, medieval conventions of ‘otherness’ and femininity.Show less
Being J. R. R. Tolkien’s most celebrated work, The Lord of the Rings has been subject to a myriad of academic studies and analyses regarding both its language and its contents. For instance,...Show moreBeing J. R. R. Tolkien’s most celebrated work, The Lord of the Rings has been subject to a myriad of academic studies and analyses regarding both its language and its contents. For instance, scholars such as Provost have studied how the language elucidates the central conflict. Additionally, Agøy and Drout have examined the story’s themes through its stylistic attributes, as well as the general aesthetic effects of these stylistic choices. Meanwhile, feminist readings like those of Enright and Green discuss the number and roles of female characters in the books, countering common criticisms that their paucity betrays Tolkien’s supposed sexist stance. However, the language and contents of the trilogy have yet to be combined into a single systematic study, which is where this thesis comes in. Using the stylistic approach to Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson), Speech-Act Theory (Searle), and keynoting (Carter and Nash), this thesis will examine the text surrounding female characters in an attempt to reveal how stylistic choices affect their presentation. By focussing on stylistic choices, this study aims to clarify how the characters are portrayed, which may not be as obvious from their actions or their role in the plot. This way, this study explores whether the criticism of too few bland female characters in The Lord of the Rings holds true by examining how language contributes to nuances in their characterization.Show less
