Anglo‐Saxon Manuscripts

The study of Anglo‐Saxon literature begins with the study of Anglo Saxon manuscripts. The art of manuscript production was introduced to the Anglo‐Saxons by the first missionaries, both from the north and from the south. This dual influence is especially apparent in the book hands and decorative ele...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inA History of Old English Literature pp. 58 - 82
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford John Wiley & Sons 20.05.2013
Subjects
Anglo‐Saxon literature
Anglo‐Saxon manuscripts
critical edition
diplomatic edition
manuscript production
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Summary:The study of Anglo‐Saxon literature begins with the study of Anglo Saxon manuscripts. The art of manuscript production was introduced to the Anglo‐Saxons by the first missionaries, both from the north and from the south. This dual influence is especially apparent in the book hands and decorative elements of early Anglo‐Saxon manuscripts. There is no single correct way to put into print the contents of an Anglo‐Saxon manuscript. A broad distinction is generally drawn between two types of edition, the diplomatic and the critical, though in reality the two types represent the opposite ends of a spectrum of editorial practices. Two of the basic handbooks for the study of manuscripts are the catalogues of N. Ker and Gneuss. The chapter mentions briefly some of the more significant surviving Anglo‐Saxon books. Two early manuscripts of Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum are of particular interest and importance.
ISBN:1118453239
9781118453230
DOI:10.1002/9781118441138.ch2