Beowulf and Other Stories - A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures - Second edition

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aurora

Beowulf and Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures presents a structured introduction to medieval literature through thematic chapters. It guides readers on why to read Old English texts, relevance to later fiction, violence and heroic poetry, and the breadth beyond Beowulf. The volume addresses riddles and elegies, Christian influences, origins of Old English writing, monastic and court culture, Anglo-Saxon and Viking worlds, Old English language difficulty, Viking religion and sagas, prose in late Old English, and the Normans’ impact, ending with reflections on the end of Old English.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages591

Reading Time15 h 10 min

AccessFree to download

Preface to the second edition

Acknowledgements

Publisher’s acknowledgements

Why read Old English literature?

An introduction to this book

Names to look out for

Is it relevant?

Old English influence on The Lord of the Rings

Is violence what Old English literature is about?

Beowulf and other battlers: an introduction to Beowulf

Is there more like Beowulf?

Old English minor heroic poems

What else is there?

Joyous play and bitter tears: the Riddles and the Elegies

How Christian is OE literature?

The Dream of the Rood and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria

How did OE literature start?

Cædmon the cowherd and Old English biblical verse

Were all the poets monks?

Monasteries and courts

What was it like to be in the Anglo-Saxon or Viking world?

Material culture

Did the Anglo-Saxons write ﬁction?

Old English prose

How difﬁcult is the Old English language?

The Old English language

When were the Vikings in England?

Viking wars and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

What gods did the Vikings worship?

Viking religion: Old Norse mythology

Just who were the Vikings anyway?

Sagas of Icelanders

Were there stories in late OE literature?

Prose writers of the English Benedictine Reform

What happened when the Normans arrived?

Anglo-Norman literature: the road to Middle English

Epilogue

The end of Old English?

Index

Beowulf & Other Stories To whom it may concern Beowulf & Other Stories A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures Second edition Edited by Richard North and Joe Allard First published 2007 by Pearson Education Limited Second edition 2012 Published 2014 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2007, 2012, Taylor & Francis. The rights of Richard North and Joe Allard to be identiﬁed as authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. ISBN 13: 978-1-4082-8603-6 (pbk) British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Beowulf and other stories : a new introduction to old English, old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman literatures / edited by Richard North and Joe Allard.– 2nd ed. [p. cm](p. cm). Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4082-8603-6 (pbk.) 1. Literature, Medieval – History and criticism. 2. English literature – Old English, ca. 450-1100 – History and criticism. 3. Old Norse literature – History and criticism. 4. Anglo-Norman literature – History and criticism. I. North, Richard, 1961– II. Allard, Joe, 1948– PN681 .B38 2011 809’.02 – dc22 2011016877 Set by 35 in 9/13.5pt Stone Serif Contents List of plates and maps Preface to the second edition Acknowledgements Publisher’s acknowledgements 1 Why read Old English literature? An introduction to this book Richard North, David Crystal and Joe Allard Names to look out for Richard North and Joe Allard 2 Is it relevant? Old English inﬂuence on The Lord of the Rings Clive Tolley 3 Is violence what Old English literature is about? Beowulf and other battlers: an introduction to Beowulf Andy Orchard 4 Is there more like Beowulf? Old English minor heroic poems Richard North 5 What else is there? Joyous play and bitter tears: the Riddles and the Elegies Jennifer Neville 6 How Christian is OE literature? The Dream of the Rood and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria Éamonn Ó Carragáin and Richard North 7 How did OE literature start? Cædmon the cowherd and Old English biblical verse Bryan Weston Wyly vii ix x xiii 1 26 38 63 95 130 160 189 8 Were all the poets monks? Monasteries and courts: Alcuin and Offa Andy Orchard 9 What was it like to be in the Anglo-Saxon or Viking world? Material culture: archaeology and text Michael Bintley 10 Did the Anglo-Saxons write ﬁ

FAQs

What period and literary traditions does the book introduce?

It introduces Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman literatures, explaining their historical context and literary significance.

How is the book organized?

It is structured into numbered thematic chapters, followed by an epilogue, the editors and contributors, and an index.

Does the book focus only on Beowulf?

No. Besides Beowulf, it covers related heroic poems, minor heroic poetry, riddles and elegies, prose traditions, and the transitions toward Middle English.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aurora