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 the leaves 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 variety of 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.
Author(s): Mary R. Rambaran-Olm
Series: Anglo-Saxon Studies, 21
Publisher: D. S. Brewer
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: X+250
List of Illustrations vi
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations ix
Introduction 1
1. Paleography, Codicology and Language 11
2. The Descensus Motif 31
3. Literary Analysis 53
4. Selected Comparative Studies and Analogous Literature 104
Afterword 142
Text and Translation 145
Commentary 161
Appendix 1. The Doctrine of the Descensus according to Post-Apostolic and Medieval Commentators from the First Century to the End of the Eleventh Century 179
Appendix 2. Scriptural References 197
Appendix 3. Other Sources and Analogues 200
Appendix 4. Transcription and Images of fol. 120r 202
Glossary 211
Bibliography 225
Index 243
