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The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England
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Expected 15 Apr 78The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England is a major reference-work covering the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 - 1066 AD).
556 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 31, 2013
This is a major reference tool that should be in the bookcase of anyone seriously interested in Anglo Saxon England. Whether you are reading the the Anglo Saxon Chronicle or Bede, this book will prove to be a valuable guide around a difficult and at times obscure period of history.
I have nostalgic memories of the buzz the publication caused and can remember me and a friend rushing to our local Blackwells store and the pair of us emerging with nice hardcover editions and thinking I had finally witnessed the publication of a major work in Anglo Saxon studies. I wasn't born in time for Klaeber or Ker's catalogue, was too young for Mitchell's syntax but I managed to get a copy of this encyclopaedia on its release day.
The Encyclopaedia is set out in an A-Z format with an appendix which lists the Anglo Saxon rulers. Entries contain a substantial amount of information on everything to do with the Anglo Saxons from key persons and events in history to their language and literature. Contribution come from at least a hundred different scholars with Michael Lapidge, John Blair, Simon Keynes and Donald Scragg taking up editorial roles as well as contributing their own entries to the book.
The value of this work for me resides in its ability to shed light on obscure characters and events that are mentioned in works such as Bede and the Chronicle.
A must!
I have nostalgic memories of the buzz the publication caused and can remember me and a friend rushing to our local Blackwells store and the pair of us emerging with nice hardcover editions and thinking I had finally witnessed the publication of a major work in Anglo Saxon studies. I wasn't born in time for Klaeber or Ker's catalogue, was too young for Mitchell's syntax but I managed to get a copy of this encyclopaedia on its release day.
The Encyclopaedia is set out in an A-Z format with an appendix which lists the Anglo Saxon rulers. Entries contain a substantial amount of information on everything to do with the Anglo Saxons from key persons and events in history to their language and literature. Contribution come from at least a hundred different scholars with Michael Lapidge, John Blair, Simon Keynes and Donald Scragg taking up editorial roles as well as contributing their own entries to the book.
The value of this work for me resides in its ability to shed light on obscure characters and events that are mentioned in works such as Bede and the Chronicle.
A must!
April 24, 2020
The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, Edited by Lapidge, Blair, Keynes and Scragg (with contributions from anyone who is anyone), 2001, 499 pages, plus appendices,
This is a beast of a book and frankly only an idiot would read an encyclopaedia all of the way from Abbo to York. To be perfectly honest, I didn't read every entry. I read possibly 95% of them, though. The ones that I skipped were the poetry ones, some of the literature entries and esoteric religious ones. Basically mostly stuff that would come under the brown category in trivial pursuit.
The entries are written by various specialists with an * denoting another reference and each is closed with a list of further reading. Some are more engagingly written than others. Sean Miller was a revelation. I wasn't familiar with him, but he wrote consistently clear, yet detailed entries. John Blair, Ann Willians, R Abels and B Yorke were all stand outs. There were a few whose style was a bit of a bind, but that's to be expected in a book of this size. It was surprising how often it was possible to guess the author of a passage from their area of expertise.
Some of the highlights included: Aldred, who was recorded as an 'unworthy and most miserable priest' in a colophon in the Lindisfarne Gospels, which begs many further, but sadly unanswerable questions. The interpretations proposed for the Gosforth Cross being described as having varying degrees of ingenuity and plausibility. Wilfrid being labelled a troublesome bishop had a nice elegance to it. The section on Land tenure was very good, as was Heregeld. On the other hand, the passage concerning the Synod of Whitby ignored the political side, but was great on the different Easter tables. Simon Keynes certainly came across as no fan of Mercia or their kings. There are a few apparent omissions, such as no entry for King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, but in reality the significant aspects of his reign are covered under other topics and so it is all there, even if not concentrated in the one place.
I learnt a lot from this book, although it is perhaps wiser to dip into it, rather than read it like I did.
This is a beast of a book and frankly only an idiot would read an encyclopaedia all of the way from Abbo to York. To be perfectly honest, I didn't read every entry. I read possibly 95% of them, though. The ones that I skipped were the poetry ones, some of the literature entries and esoteric religious ones. Basically mostly stuff that would come under the brown category in trivial pursuit.
The entries are written by various specialists with an * denoting another reference and each is closed with a list of further reading. Some are more engagingly written than others. Sean Miller was a revelation. I wasn't familiar with him, but he wrote consistently clear, yet detailed entries. John Blair, Ann Willians, R Abels and B Yorke were all stand outs. There were a few whose style was a bit of a bind, but that's to be expected in a book of this size. It was surprising how often it was possible to guess the author of a passage from their area of expertise.
Some of the highlights included: Aldred, who was recorded as an 'unworthy and most miserable priest' in a colophon in the Lindisfarne Gospels, which begs many further, but sadly unanswerable questions. The interpretations proposed for the Gosforth Cross being described as having varying degrees of ingenuity and plausibility. Wilfrid being labelled a troublesome bishop had a nice elegance to it. The section on Land tenure was very good, as was Heregeld. On the other hand, the passage concerning the Synod of Whitby ignored the political side, but was great on the different Easter tables. Simon Keynes certainly came across as no fan of Mercia or their kings. There are a few apparent omissions, such as no entry for King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, but in reality the significant aspects of his reign are covered under other topics and so it is all there, even if not concentrated in the one place.
I learnt a lot from this book, although it is perhaps wiser to dip into it, rather than read it like I did.
February 15, 2011
A hefty compendium of Anglo-Saxon facts and figures. It's extremely useful for checking difficult names and places and getting to grips with those Old English spellings. Other entries explore culture, entertainment, medicine and warfare.
It's a thick, heavy volume, with lots of small text in long, unbroken paragraphs. Don't go in expecting accessibility or pictures, or to be able to read it from A to Z. As a reference book into which you can dip in and out it's invaluable, though.
It's a thick, heavy volume, with lots of small text in long, unbroken paragraphs. Don't go in expecting accessibility or pictures, or to be able to read it from A to Z. As a reference book into which you can dip in and out it's invaluable, though.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews