In this thesis, the reception of classical mythology in the Old English adaptation of Boethius' 'De consolatione philosophiae' is analysed. It demonstrates that the author of the Old English...Show moreIn this thesis, the reception of classical mythology in the Old English adaptation of Boethius' 'De consolatione philosophiae' is analysed. It demonstrates that the author of the Old English Boethius is familiar with classical mythology, and that he has consciously adapted his material to make it more suitable for his Christian Anglo-Saxon audience unfamiliar with classical mythology.Show less
Gold, jewels and a cross that is able to speak: these elements are nowhere to be found in the Biblical story about the crucifixion of Christ, but they do appear in the Old English poem The Dream of...Show moreGold, jewels and a cross that is able to speak: these elements are nowhere to be found in the Biblical story about the crucifixion of Christ, but they do appear in the Old English poem The Dream of the Rood. This poem is a retelling of the Biblical story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and there are three characters in this poem: the Dreamer, the Cross and Christ. These characters are linked, because they all experience one or multiple physical or mental transformations. The poet intended for these transformations to be an inspiration for the reader of the poem. Especially the transformation of the Dreamer is supposed to be inspirational, because the Dreamer is the most relatable character for the reader through the focus on their human nature. The question that is discussed in this thesis is: what does the transformation of the Dreamer look like and why can it be inspirational for the reader? The suggested answer to this question is that the poet of The Dream of the Rood used the character of the Dreamer to illustrate the life-changing effect that knowledge of the Bible and following the example of Christ can have on a human being. The reader of the poem is encouraged to follow in the footsteps of the Dreamer, the first step being reading The Dream of the Rood.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
