Preface and Acknowledgements viii Abbreviations xii Part I Main Currents in Twentieth-Century Criticism 1 1 Old English Studies 1901-1975 3 The Earlier Twentieth Century 4 Literary Criticism: A Slow Start 8 Two Scholars Representative of their Eras 10 New Directions after the Second World War 16 Changing Currents in Beowulf Studies 20 Key Works from the Early Seventies 32 Part II AngloÂ-Saxon Lore and Learning 41 2 Literacy and Latinity 43 AngloÂ-Latin Literature: Background or Mainstream? 44 Education in Two Languages 52 The Student in the Classroom 55 The Venerable Bede 58 A Selection from the Criticism 62 Excerpt: Joyce Hill, 'Learning Latin in AngloÂ-Saxon England: Traditions, Texts and Techniques, (2003) 64 3 Textuality and Cultural Transformations 76 The AngloÂ-Saxon Book: Icon or Pragmatic Object? 78 Writerly SelfÂ-Reflexivity 81 Reading Old English Texts in their Manuscript Context 85 Authors and Scribes: The Flux of Texts 88 From Latin to Old English: Translation or Transformation? 92 Source Studies and the Culture of Translation 96 A Selection from the Criticism 100 Excerpt: M.B. Parkes, 'The Palaeography of the Parker Manuscript of the Chronicle, Laws, and Sedulius, and Historiography at Winchester in the Late Ninth and Tenth Centuries' (1976) 101 4 Orality 112 Parry, Lord, and their Legacy 116 Oral Poetics and Noetics 120 A Selection from the Criticism 126 Selection: Donald K. Fry, 'The Memory of Cædmon' (1981) 127 5 Heroic Tradition 136 Short Poems on Legendary Themes 139 Brunanburh, Maldon, and the Critics 142 Beowulf and the Critics 149 Indeterminacy and its Discontents 167 A Selection from the Criticism 171 Selection: Ernst Leisi, 'Gold and Human Worth in Beowulf ', first published as 'Gold und Manneswert im Beowulf ' (1952) 173 Part III Other Topics and Approaches 185 6 Style 187 A Selection from the Criticism 192 Selection: J.R. Hall, 'Perspective and Wordplay in the Old English Rune Poem' (1977) 194 7 Theme 203 A Selection from the Criticism 207 Selection: Hugh Magennis, 'Images of Laughter in Old English Poetry, with Particular Reference to the Hleahtor Wera of The Seafarer' (1992) 209 8 Genre and Gender 222 Genre 223 Gender 227 A Selection from the Criticism 230 Selection: Lisa M.C. Weston, 'Women's Medicine, Women's Magic: The Old English Metrical Childbirth Charms' (1995) 232 9 Saints' Lives and Christian Devotion 246 A Selection from the Criticism 254 Selection: Edward B.

Irving, Jr, 'Crucifixion Witnessed, or Dramatic Interaction in The Dream of the Rood ' (1986) 256 10 Ælfric 267 A Selection from the Criticism 274 Excerpt: Malcolm Godden, 'Apocalypse and Invasion in Late AngloÂ-Saxon England' (1994) 276 11 Translating, Editing, and Making it New 290 Translating 290 Editing 295 Making it New 297 A Selection from the Criticism 299 Selection: Joshua Byron Smith, 'Borges and Old English' 301 Afterword 319 Selection Bibliography 321 Index of Modern Authors Cited 329 General Index 336.