The dating of "Beowulf" has been a central question in Anglo-Saxon studies for the past two centuries, since it affects not only the interpretation of "Beowulf", but also the trajectory of early English literary history. By exploring evidence for the poem's date of composition, the essays in this volume contribute to a wide range of pertinent fields, including historical linguistics, Old English metrics, onomastics, and textual criticism. Many aspects of Anglo-Saxon literary culture are likewise examined, as contributors gauge the chronological significance of the monsters, heroes, history, and theology brought together in "Beowulf". Discussions of methodology and the history of the discipline also figure prominently in this collection. Overall, the dating of "Beowulf" here provides a productive framework for evaluating evidence and drawing informed conclusions about its chronological significance. These conclusions enhance our appreciation of "Beowulf" and improve our understanding of the poem's place in literary history.
Author(s): Leonard Neidorf (ed.)
Series: Anglo-Saxon Studies, 24
Publisher: D. S. Brewer
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 262
City: Cambridge
List of Tables vii
List of Illustrations viii
List of Contributors ix
Acknowledgements x
Introduction / Leonard Neidorf 1
1. "Beowulf" and Language History / R. D. Fulk 19
2. Germanic Legend, Scribal Errors, and Cultural Change / Leonard Neidorf 37
3. Names in Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon England / Tom Shippey 58
4. The Limits of Conservative Composition in Old English Poetry / Megan E. Hartman 79
5. The Date of Composition of "Beowulf" and the Evidence of Metrical Evolution / Thomas A. Bredehoft 97
6. "Beowulf" and the Containment of Scyld in the West Saxon Royal Genealogy / Dennis Cronan 112
7. History and Fiction in the Frisian Raid / Frederick M. Biggs 138
8. "Give the People What They Want": Historiography and Rhetorical History of the Dating of "Beowulf" Controversy / Michael D. C. Drout with Phoebe Boyd and Emily Bowman 157
9. A Note on the Other Heorot / Joseph Harris 178
10. "Beowulf" and Conversion History / Thomas D. Hill 191
11. Material Monsters and Semantic Shifts / Rafael J. Pascual 202
12. Scandals in Toronto: Kaluza's Law and Transliteration Errors / George Clark 219
13. Afterword: "Beowulf" and Everything Else / Allen J. Frantzen 235
Index 249
